Walter James Hoffman

“ The representation of an object may refer to a variety of ideas of a similar, though not identical, character. The picture of a bear may signify the Bear man ́idō as one of the guardians of the society; it may pertain to the fact that the singer impersonates that man ́idō; exorcism of the malevolent bear spirit may be thus claimed; or it may relate to the desired capture of the animal, as when drawn to insure success for the hunter. An Indian is slow to acquire the exact phraseology, which is always sung or chanted, of mnemonic songs recited to him by a Midē ́ preceptor. ”

“ When a candidate feels convinced that he has gathered sufficient material to pay for his advancement, he announces to those members of the society who are of a higher grade than the first degree that he wishes to present himself at the proper time for initiation. This communication is made to eight of the highest or officiating priests, in his own wig ́iwam, to which they have been specially invited. A feast is prepared and partaken of, after which he presents to each some tobacco, and smoking is indulged in for the purpose of making proper offerings, as already described. ”

“ The preceptor carries the remaining parcels of tobacco, and when the candidate arrives near the door he makes four movements with his bow and arrow toward the interior, as if shooting, the last time sending an arrow within, upon which the grinning spirits are forced to retreat toward the other end of the inclosure. ”

“ The name of Ki ́tshi Man ́idō is never mentioned but with reverence, and thus only in connection with the rite of Midē ́wiwin, or a sacred feast, and always after making an offering of tobacco.
The first important event in the life of an Ojibwa youth is his first fast. For this purpose he will leave his home for some secluded spot in the forest where he will continue to fast for an indefinite number of days; when reduced by abstinence from food he enters a hysterical or ecstatic state in which he may have visions and hallucinations. ”

“ The chief or superior man ́idō is termed Ki ́tshi Man ́idō—Great Spirit—approaching to a great extent the idea of the God of the Christian religion; the second in their estimation is Dzhe Man ́idō, a benign being upon whom they look as the guardian spirit of the Midē ́wiwin and through whose divine provision the sacred rites of the Midē ́wiwin were granted to man. The Ani ́miki or Thunder God is, if not the supreme, at least one of the greatest of the malignant man ́idōs, and it is from him that the Jĕs ́sakkīd ́ are believed to obtain their powers of evil doing. ”

“ The fact of a Midē ́ having been subjected to “mī ́gis shooting” for the third time is an all-sufficient reason to the Indian why his powers are in a corresponding manner augmented. His powers of exorcism and incantation are greater; his knowledge and use of magic medicines more extended and certain of effect; and his ability to do harm, as in the capacity of a Wâbĕnō ́, is more and more lauded and feared. ”

“ There is not much to be gained by preparatory instruction for the fourth degree, the chief claims being a renewal of the ceremony of “shooting the mī ́gis” into the body of the candidate, and enacting or dramatizing the traditional efforts of the Bear Man ́idō in his endeavor to receive from the Otter the secrets of this grade. One who succeeds becomes correspondingly powerful in his profession and therefore more feared by the credulous. His sources of income are accordingly increased by the greater number of Indians who require his assistance. ”

“ They say that when a witch in the shape of a bear is being chased all at once she will run round a tree or a hill, so as to be lost sight of for a time by her pursuers, and then, instead of seeing a bear they behold an old woman walking quietly along or digging up roots, and looking as innocent as a lamb. The fox witches are known by the flame of fire which proceeds out of their mouths every time they bark. ”

“ The musical rendering of the words and phrases relating to the signification of mnemonic characters depends upon the ability and inspired condition of the singer; and as each Midē ́ priest usually invents and prepares his own songs, whether for ceremonial purposes, medicine hunting, exorcism, or any other use, he may frequently be unable to sing them twice in exactly the same manner. Love songs and war songs, being of general use, are always sung in the same style of notation. ”

“ The Midē ́ explain the signification of the colors as follows: White represents the east, the source of light and the direction from which the sacred mī ́gis came; green, sha ́manō the southern one, refers to the source of the rains, the direction from which the Thunderers come in the spring, they who revivify the earth; red refers to the land of the setting sun, the abode of the shadows or the dead; and north being black, because that is the direction from which come cold, hunger, and disease. ”

“ One of the malevolent spirits which oppose the entrance of a stranger is still supposed to remain with the Midē ́wigân, its body being that of a serpent, like flames of fire, reaching from the earth to the sky. He is called I ́-shi-ga-nē ́-bĭ-gŏg—“Big-Snake.” To appease his anger the candidate must make a present; so the preceptor says for the candidate:
This being assented to by the Midē ́ priests the preceptor takes the blankets and deposits them near the tobacco upon the ground. ”

“ These powwows are persons who are believed to have performed extraordinary cures, either by the application of roots and herbs or by incantations. When an Indian wishes to be initiated into the order of a powwow, in the first place he pays a large fee to the faculty. He is then taken into the woods, where he is taught the names and virtues of the various useful plants; next he is instructed how to chant the medicine song, and how to pray, which prayer is a vain repetition offered up to the Master of Life, or to some munedoo whom the afflicted imagine they have offended. ”

“ It sometimes happens that a sick person can not be successfully treated by the Midē ́, especially in the wig ́iwam of the patient, when it becomes necessary for the latter to be carried to the Midē ́wigân and the services of the society to be held. This course is particularly followed when the sick person or the family can furnish a fee equivalent to the gift required for initiation under ordinary circumstances. ”

“ The Midē ́wiwin—Society of the Midē ́ or Shamans—consists of an indefinite number of Midē ́ of both sexes. The society is graded into four separate and distinct degrees, although there is a general impression prevailing even among certain members that any degree beyond the first is practically a mere repetition. The greater power attained by one in making advancement depends upon the fact of his having submitted to “being shot at with the medicine sacks” in the hands of the officiating priests. ”

“ MIDI files: drum, flute, piano (default)
The following musical notation presents accurately the range of notes employed by the preceptor. The peculiarity of Midē ́ songs lies in the fact that each person has his own individual series of notes which correspond to the number of syllables in the phrase and add thereto meaningless words to prolong the effect. When a song is taught, the words are the chief and most important part, the musical rendering of a second person may be so different from that of the person from whom he learns it as to be unrecognizable without 274 the words. ”

“ To enter the fourth and highest degree of the society requires a greater number of feasts than before, and the candidate, who continues to personate the Bear Spirit, again uses his sacred drum, as he is shown sitting before it in No. 78, and chants more prayers to Dzhe Man ́idō for his favor. This degree is guarded by the greatest number and the most powerful of malevolent spirits, who make a last effort to prevent a candidate’s entrance at the door (No. 79) of the fourth degree structure (No. 80) . ”

“ Having acted upon the suggestion of his preceptor, he has prepared some songs and learned them, and now for the first time the opportunity presents itself for him to gain admirers and influential friends, a sufficient number of whom he will require to speak well of him, and to counteract the evil which will be spoken of him by enemies—for enemies are numerous and may be found chiefly among those who are not fitted for the society of the Midē ́, or who have failed to attain the desired distinction. ”

“ The candidate is resting in the northern “bear’s nest,” and as he again crawls toward the Midē ́wigân, on hands and knees, he deposits another gift of a parcel of tobacco, then rises and is hurried through the interior to emerge at the entrance door, where he turns around, and seeing but a few angry man ́idōs remaining, he takes his last arrow and aiming it at them makes four threatening gestures toward them, at the last sending the arrow into the structure, which puts to flight all opposition on the part of this host of man ́idōs. ”

“ A Midē ́ who has in all respects complied with the preliminaries of announcing to the chief Midē ́ his purpose, gaining satisfactory evidence of his resources and ability to present the necessary presents, and of his proficiency in the practice of medical magic, etc., selects a preceptor of at least the third degree and one who is held in high repute and influence in the Midē ́wiwin. After procuring the services of such a person and making a satisfactory agreement with him, he may be enabled to purchase from him some special formulæ for which he is distinguished. ”

“ It is believed, under such conditions, that the evil man ́idōs can be expelled from the body only in the sacred structure, at which place alone the presence of Ki ́tshi Man ́idō may be felt, after invocation, and in return for his aid in prolonging the life of the patient the latter promises his future existence to be devoted to the practice and teachings of the Midē ́wiwin. ”

“ If the patient becomes strong enough to walk round the inclosure he is led to the western end and seated upon a blanket, where he is initiated. If not, the mī ́gis is “shot into his body” as he reclines against the sacred stone, after which a substitute is selected from among the Midē ́ present, who takes his place and goes through the remainder of the initiation for him. ”

“ It has always been customary for the Midē ́ priests to preserve birch-bark records, bearing delicate incised lines to represent pictorially the ground plan of the number of degrees to which the owner is entitled. Such records or charts are sacred and are never exposed to the public view, being brought forward for inspection only when 165 an accepted candidate has paid his fee, and then only after necessary preparation by fasting and offerings of tobacco. ”

“ It is customary with Midē ́ priests to exact payment for every individual remedy or secret that may be imparted to another who may desire such information. This practice is not entirely based upon mercenary motives, but it is firmly believed that when a secret or remedy has been paid, for it can not be imparted for nothing, as then its virtue would be impaired, if not entirely destroyed, by the man ́idō or guardian spirit under whose special protection it may be supposed to be held or controlled. ”

“ Various members of the society indulge in short harangues, recounting personal exploits in the performance of magic and exorcism, to which the auditors respond in terms of gratification and exclamations of approval. During these recitals the ushers, appointed for the purpose, leave the inclosure by the western door to return in a short time with kettles of food prepared for the midē ́ feast. The ushers make four circuits of the interior, giving to each person present a quantity of the contents of the several vessels, so that all receive sufficient to gratify their desires. ”

“ During the year 1887, while at Red Lake, Minnesota, I had the good fortune to discover the existence of an old birch-bark chart, which, according to the assurances of the chief and assistant Midē ́ priests, had never before been exhibited to a white man, nor even to an Indian unless he had become a regular candidate. ”

“ An exact reproduction is implicitly believed to be necessary, as otherwise the value of the formula would be impaired, or perhaps even totally destroyed. It frequently happens, therefore, that although an Indian candidate for admission into the Mīdē ́wiwin may already have prepared songs in imitation of those from which he was instructed, he may either as yet be unable to sing perfectly the phrases relating thereto, or decline to do so because of a want of confidence. ”

“ In some instances the representation of animal forms is drawn by the Midē ́ not upon birch bark, but directly upon sandy earth or a bed of ashes, either of which affords a smooth surface. For this purpose he uses a sharply pointed piece of wood, thrusts it into the region of the heart, and afterwards sprinkles upon this a small quantity of powder consisting of magic plants and vermilion. ”

“ It becomes necessary, as in former instances of preparation, for the candidate to procure the service of a renowned Midē ́, in order to acquire new or specially celebrated remedies or charms. The candidate may also give evidence of his own proficiency in magic without revealing the secrets of his success or the course pursued to attain it. The greater the mystery the higher he is held in esteem even by his jealous confrères. ”

“ Communion is held with the turtle, who is the most powerful man ́idō of the Jĕs ́sakkīd ́, and through him, with numerous other malevolent man ́idōs, especially the Animiki ́, or thunder-bird. When the prophet has seated himself within his lodge the structure begins to sway violently from side to side, loud thumping noises are heard within, denoting the arrival of man ́idōs, and numerous voices and laughter are distinctly audible to those without. ”

“ Sometimes the candidate is enabled to acquire new “medicines” to add to his list, and the following is a translation of the tradition relating to the origin of ginseng (Aralia quinquefolia, Gr.) , the so-called “man root,” held in high estimation as of divine origin. In Fig. 3 is presented a pictorial representation of the story, made by Ojibwa, a Midē ́ priest of White Earth, Minnesota. The tradition purports to be an account of a visit of the spirit of a boy to the abode of Dzhibai ́Man ́idō, “the chief spirit of the place of souls,” called Ne ́-ba-gi ́-zis, “the land of the sleeping sun.” ”

“ Although these herbalists are aware that certain plants or roots will produce a specified effect upon the human system, they attribute the benefit to the fact that such remedies are distasteful and injurious to the demons who are present in the system and to whom the disease is attributed. Many of these herbalists are found among women, also; and these, too, are generally members of the Midē ́wiwin. In Fig. 1 is shown an herbalist preparing a mixture.
Fig. 1.—Herbalist preparing medicine and treating patient. ”

“ The Midē ́, if satisfied with the gift, produces his pipe and after making an offering to Ki ́tshi Man ́idō for aid in the preparation of his “medicine,” and to appease the anger of the man ́idō who controls the class of animals desired, sings a song, one of his own composition, after which he will draw with a sharp-pointed bone or nail, upon a small piece of birch bark, the outline of the animal desired by the applicant. ”

“ The pictographic delineation of ideas is found to exist chiefly among the shamans, hunters, and travelers of the Ojibwa, and there does not appear to be a recognized system by which the work of any one person is fully intelligible to another. A record may be recognized as pertaining to the Midē ́ ceremonies, as a song used when hunting plants, etc. ”

“ Paul Beaulieu, an Ojibwa of mixed blood, present interpreter at White Earth Agency, Minnesota, gave me his experience with a Jĕs ́sakkīd ́, at Leech Lake, Minnesota, about the year 1858. The reports of his wonderful performances had reached the agency, and as Beaulieu had no faith in jugglers, he offered to wager 277 $100, a large sum, then and there, against goods of equal value, that the juggler could not perform satisfactorily one of the tricks of his repertoire to be selected by him (Beaulieu) in the presence of himself and a committee of his friends. ”

“ Among the Ojibwa, however, a substitute is sometimes taken to fill the place of one who has been prepared to receive the first degree of the Midē ́wiwin, or Society of the Midē ́, but who is removed by death before the proper initiation has been conferred. This occurs when a young man dies, in which case his father or mother may be accepted as a substitute. ”