The Mide'wiwin or "Grand Medicine Society" of the Ojibwa Part 7

[Ill.u.s.tration (two vertical lines) missing]

Rest.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Zha'-zha-bui'-ki-bi-nan' wig'-e-wam'.

The Spirit says there is plenty of "medicine" in the Mide' wig'iwam.

[Two superior spirits, Ki'ts.h.i.+ Man'ido and Dzhe Man'ido, whose bodies are surrounded by "lines of sacredness," tell the Mide' where the mysterious remedies are to be found. The vertical waving lines are the lines indicating these communications; the horizontal line, at the bottom, is the earth's surface.].

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Ya-ho'-hon-ni'-yo.

The Spirit placed medicine in the ground, let us take it.

[The arm of Ki'ts.h.i.+ Man'ido put into the ground sacred plants, etc., indicated by the spots at different horizons in the earth. The short vertical and waving lines denote sacredness of the objects.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Ni-wo'-we-ni'-nan ki'-bi-do-nan'.

I am holding this that I bring to you.

[The singer sits in the Mide'wiwin, and offers the privilege of entrance, by initiation, to the hearer.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Mide' ni-ka'-nak kish'-o-we'-ni-mi-ko'.

I have found favor in the eyes of my mide' friends.

[The Good Spirit has put life into the body of the singer, as indicated by the two mysterious arms reaching towards his body, i.e., the heart, the seat of life.]

In the following song (Pl. IX, C), the preceptor appears to feel satisfied that the candidate is prepared to receive the initiation, and therefore tells him that the Mide' Man'ido announces to him the a.s.surance. The preceptor therefore encourages his pupil with promises of the fulfillment of his highest desires.

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Ba'-dzhi-ke'-o gi'-mand ma-bis'-in-da'-a.

I hear the spirit speaking to us.

[The Mide' singer is of superior power, as designated by the horns and apex upon his head. The lines from the ears indicate hearing.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Kwa-yak'-in di'-sha in-da'-yan.

I am going into the medicine lodge.

[The Mide'wigan is shown with a line through it to signify that he is going through it, as in the initiation.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Kwe'-ts.h.i.+-ko-wa'-ya ti'-na-man.

I am taking (gathering) medicine to make me live.

[The discs indicate sacred objects within reach of the speaker.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

O'-wi-yo'-in en'-do-ma mak'-kwin-en'-do-ma'.

I give you medicine, and a lodge, also.

[The Mide', as the personator of Makwa' Man'ido, is empowered to offer this privilege to the candidate.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

O-we'-nen be-mi'-set.

I am flying into my lodge.

[Represents the Thunder-Bird, a deity flying into the arch of the sky. The short lines denote the (so-called spirit lines) abode of spirits or Man'idos.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

Na-ni-ne kwe-we'-an.

The Spirit has dropped medicine from the sky where we can get it.

[The line from the sky, diverging to various points, indicates that the sacred objects occur in scattered places.]

[Ill.u.s.tration]

He'-wog, e', e'.

I have the medicine in my heart.

[The singer's body--i.e., heart--is filled with knowledge relating to sacred medicines from the earth.]

MIDE' THERAPEUTICS.

During the period of time in which the candidate is instructed in the foregoing traditions, myths, and songs the subject of Mide' plants is also discussed. The information pertaining to the identification and preparation of the various vegetable substances is not imparted in regular order, only one plant or preparation, or perhaps two, being enlarged upon at a specified consultation. It may be that the candidate is taken into the woods where it is known that a specified plant or tree may be found, when a smoke offering is made before the object is pulled out of the soil, and a small pinch of tobacco put into the hole in the ground from which it was taken. This is an offering to Noko'mis--the earth, the grandmother of mankind--for the benefits which are derived from her body where they were placed by Ki'ts.h.i.+ Man'ido.

In the following list are presented, as far as practicable, the botanical and common names of these, there being a few instances in which the plants were not to be had, as they were foreign to that portion of Minnesota in which the investigations were made; a few of them, also, were not identified by the preceptors, as they were out of season.

It is interesting to note in this list the number of infusions and decoctions which are, from a medical and scientific standpoint, specific remedies for the complaints for which they are recommended. It is probable that the long continued intercourse between the Ojibwa and the Catholic Fathers, who were tolerably well versed in the ruder forms of medication, had much to do with improving an older and purely aboriginal form of practicing medical magic. In some of the remedies mentioned below there may appear to be philosophic reasons for their administration, but upon closer investigation it has been learned that the cure is not attributed to a regulation or restoration of functional derangement, but to the removal or even expulsion of malevolent beings--commonly designated as bad Man'idos--supposed to have taken possession of that part of the body in which such derangement appears most conspicuous. Further reference to the mythic properties of some of the plants employed will be made at the proper time.

Although the word Mashki kiwa'bun--medicine broth--signifies liquid medical preparations, the term is usually employed in a general sense to pertain to the entire materia medica; and in addition to the alleged medicinal virtues extolled by the preceptors, certain parts of the trees and plants enumerated are eaten on account of some mythic reason, or employed in the construction or manufacture of habitations, utensils, and weapons, because of some supposed supernatural origin or property, an explanation of which they have forgotten.

_Pinus strobus_, L. White Pine. Zhingwak'.

1. The leaves are crushed and applied to relieve headache; also boiled; after which they are put into a small hole in the ground and hot stones placed therein to cause a vapor to ascend, which is inhaled to cure backache.

The fumes of the leaves heated upon a stone or a hot iron pan are inhaled to cure headache.

2. Gum; chiefly used to cover seams of birch-bark canoes. The gum is obtained by cutting a circular band of bark from the trunk, upon which it is then sc.r.a.ped and boiled down to proper consistence.

The boiling was formerly done in clay vessels.

_Pinus resinosa_, Ait. Red Pine; usually, though erroneously, termed Norway Pine. Pokgwe'nage'mok.

Used as the preceding.

_Abies balsamea_, Marshall. Balsam Fir. Ini'nandok.

1. The bark is sc.r.a.ped from the trunk and a decoction thereof is used to induce diaph.o.r.esis.

2. The gum, which is obtained from the vesicles upon the bark, and also by skimming it from the surface of the water in which the crushed bark is boiled, is carried in small vessels and taken internally as a remedy for gonorrhoea and for soreness of the chest resulting from colds.

3. Applied externally to sores and cuts.

_Abies alba_, Michx. White Spruce. Se'ssegan'dok. The split roots--wadob'-are used for sewing; the wood for the inside timbers of canoes.

_Abies nigra_, Poir. Black Spruce. A'mikwan'dok.

1. The leaves and crushed bark are used to make a decoction, and sometimes taken as a subst.i.tute in the absence of pines.

2. Wood used in manufacture of spear handles.

_Abies Canadensis_, Michx. Hemlock. Saga'inwunsh-- "Raven Tree."