Chapter XXXIX: Section 5: Traditions

Even since the Columbian discovery some tribes have employed devices yet ruder than the rudest pictorial attempt as markers for the memory. An account of one of these is given in E. Winslow’s Relation (A. D. 1624), Col. Mass. Hist. Soc., 2d series, IX, 1822, p. 99, as follows:

Instead of records and chronicles they take this course: Where
any remarkable act is done, in memory of it, either in the place
or by some pathway near adjoining, they make a round hole in the
ground about a foot deep and as much over, which, when others
passing by behold, they inquire the cause and occasion of the same,
which, being once known, they are careful to acquaint all men as
occasion serveth therewith. And lest such holes should be filled or
grown over by any accident, as men pass by they will often renew
the same, by which means many things of great antiquity are fresh
in memory. So that as a man traveleth, if he can understand his
guide, his journey will be the less tedious by reason of the many
historical discourses which will be related unto him.

In connection with this section students may usefully consult Dr. Brinton’s (_f_) Lenâpé and their Legends.

As an example of a chart used in the exact repetition of traditions, Fig. 167 is presented with the following explanation by Rev. J. Owen Dorsey:

The chart accompanies a tradition chanted by members of a secret
society of the Osage tribe. It was drawn by an Osage, Red Corn.

The tree at the top represents the tree of life. By this flows
a river. The tree and the river are described later in the degrees.
When a woman is initiated she is required by the head of her gens to
take four sips of water (symbolizing the river), then he rubs cedar
on the palms of his hands, with which he rubs her from head to foot.
If she belongs to a gens on the left side of a tribal circle, her
chief begins on the left side of her head, making three passes, and
pronouncing the sacred name three times. Then he repeats the process
from her forehead down; then on the right side of her head; then at
the back of her head; four times three times, or twelve passes in
all.

Beneath the river are the following objects: The Watse ʇuʞa,
male slaying animal (?), or morning star, which is a red star. 2.
Six stars called the “Elm rod” by the white people in the Indian
territory. 3. The evening star. 4. The little star. Beneath these
are the moon, seven stars, and sun. Under the seven stars are the
peace pipe and war hatchet; the latter is close to the sun, and the
former and the moon are on the same side of the chart. Four parallel
lines extending across the chart, represent four heavens or upper
worlds through which the ancestors of the Tsiↄu people passed before
they came to this earth. The lowest heaven rests on an oak tree; the
ends of the others appear to be supported by pillars or ladders. The
tradition begins below the lowest heaven, on the left side of the
chart, under the peace pipe. Each space on the pillar corresponds
with a line of the chant; and each stanza (at the opening of the
tradition) contains four lines. The first stanza precedes the
arrival of the first heaven, pointing to a time when the children of
the “former end” of the race were without human bodies as well as
human souls. The bird hovering over the arch denotes an advance in
the condition of the people; then they had human souls in the bodies
of birds. Then followed the progress from the fourth to the first
heaven, followed by the descent to earth. The ascent to four heavens
and the descent to three, makes up the number seven.

When they alighted, it was on a beautiful day when the earth was
covered with luxuriant vegetation. From that time the paths of the
Osages separated; some marched on the right, being the war gentes,
while those on the left were peace gentes, including the Tsiↄu,
whose chart this is.

Then the Tsiↄu met the black bear, called in the tradition
Káxe-wáhü-sa^n' (Crow-bone-white), in the distance. He offered to
become their messenger, so they sent him to the different stars for
aid. According to the chart he went to them in the following order:
Morning star, sun, moon, seven stars, evening star, little star.

Then the black bear went to the Waↄiñʞa-ↄüʇse, a female red bird
sitting on her nest. This grandmother granted his request. She gave
them human bodies, making them out of her own body.

The earth lodge at the end of the chart denotes the village
of the Hañʞa uta¢a^nʇsi, who were a very warlike people. Buffalo
skulls were on the tops of the lodges, and the bones of the animals
on which they subsisted whitened on the ground. The very air was
rendered offensive by the decaying bodies and offal.

The whole of the chart was used mnemonically. Parts of it, such
as the four heavens and ladders, were tattooed on the throat and
chest of the old men belonging to the order.

The tradition relating to Minabō'zho and the sacred objects received from Kítshi Man'idō is illustrated in Fig. 168, which, represents a copy (one-third original size) of the record preserved at White Earth. This record is read from left to right and is, briefly, as follows:

_a_ represents Minabō'zho, who says of the adjoining characters representing the members of the Midéwin: “They are the ones, they are the ones who put into my heart the life.” Minabō'zho holds in his left hand the sacred medicine bag.

_b_ and _c_ represent the drummers; at the sound of the drum everybody rises and becomes inspired, because the Great Spirit is then present in the lodge.

_d_ denotes that women also have the privilege of becoming members of the Midéwin. This figure holds a snake-skin “medicine bag” in her left hand.

_e_ represents the tortoise, the good spirit, who was the giver of some of the sacred objects used in the rite.

_f_ the bear, also a benevolent spirit, but not held in so great veneration as the tortoise. His tracks are visible in the lodge.

_g_ the sacred medicine bag, Biń-ji-gú-sân, which contains life and can be used by the Midē' to prolong the life of a sick person.

_h_ represents a dog given by the spirits to Minabō'zho as a companion.

Fig. 169 gives copies, one-third actual size, of two records in possession of different Midē' at Red lake. The characters are almost identical, and one record appears to have been copied from the other. The lower figure, however, contains an additional character. The following is an incomplete interpretation of the characters, the letters applying equally to both:

_a_, Esh'gibŏ'ga, the great uncle of the Unish'-in-ab'-aig, the receiver of the Midéwin.

_b_, the drum and drumsticks.

_c_, a bar or rest, observed while chanting the words pertaining to the records.

_d_, the bin'-ji-gu'-sân, or sacred medicine bag. It consists of an otter skin, and is the mī'gis, or sacred symbol of the midē'wigân' or grand medicine lodge.

_e_, a Midē' shaman, the one who holds the mī'gis while chanting the Midē' song in the grand medicine lodge, _f_. He is inspired, as indicated by the line extending from the heart to the mouth.

_f_, representation of the grand medicine lodge. This character, with slight addition, is usually employed by the southern division of the Ojibwa to denote the lodge of a jĕssakkī'd, and is ordinarily termed a “jugglery.”

_g_, a woman, and signifies that women may also be admitted to the midē'wigân', shown in the preceding character.

_h_, a pause or rest in the chant.

_i_, the sacred snake-skin bag, having the power of giving life through its skin. This power is indicated by the lines radiating from the head and the back of the snake.

_j_ represents a woman.

_k_, another illustration of the mī'gis, represented by the sacred otter.

_l_ denotes a woman who is inspired, as shown by the line extending from the heart to the mouth in the lower chart, and simply showing the heart in the upper. In the latter she is also empowered to cure with magic plants.

_m_ represents a Midē' shaman, but no explanation was obtained of the special character delineated.

In Fig. 170 is presented a variant of the characters shown in _a_ of Fig. 169. The fact that this denotes the power to cure by the use of plants would appear to indicate an older and more appropriate form than the delineation of the bow and arrow, as well as being more in keeping with the general rendering of the tradition.

Fig. 171, two-thirds real size, is a reproduction, introduced here for comparison and explanation, of a record illustrating the alleged power of a Midē'.

_a_, the author, is the Midē', who was called upon to take a man’s life at a distant camp. The line extending from the Midē' to _i_, explained below, signifies that his power extended to at least that distance.

_b_, an assistant Midē'.

_c_, _d_, _e_, and _f_ represent the four degrees of the Midéwin, of which both shamans are members. The degrees are also indicated by the vertical lines above each lodge character.

_g_ is the drum used in the ceremony.

_h_ is an outline of the victim. A human figure is drawn upon a piece of birchbark, over which the incantations are made, and, to insure the death of the subject, a small spot of red paint is rubbed upon the breast and a sharp instrument thrust into it.

_i_, the outer line represents a lake, while the inner one is an island, upon which the victim resides.

The ceremony indicated in the above description actually occurred at White Earth during the autumn of 1884, and, by a coincidence, the Indian “conjured” died the following spring of pneumonia resulting from cold contracted during the winter. This was considered as the result of the Midē'’s power, and naturally secured for him many new adherents and believers.

Fig. 172 represents a jĕssakkī'd, named Ne-wik'-ki, curing a sick woman by sucking the demon through a bone tube. It is introduced here for comparison, though equally appropriate to Chap. XIV, sec. 3. The left-hand character represents the Midē' holding a rattle in his hand. Around his head is an additional circle, denoting quantity (literally, more than an ordinary amount of knowledge), the short line projecting to the right therefrom indicating the tube used. The right-hand character is the patient operated upon.

The juggling trick of removing disease by sucking it through tubes is performed by the Midē' after fasting and is accompanied with many ceremonies.

THE ORIGIN OF THE INDIANS.

Sikas'sigé, one of the officiating priests of the Midē' society of the Ojibwa at White Earth, Minnesota, gives the following explanation of Fig. 173, which is a reduced copy of a pictorial representation of a tradition explaining the origin of the Indians:

In the beginning, Ki'tshi Man'idō--Dzhe Man'idō, _a_--made the
Midē' Man'idōs. He first created two men, _b_ and _c_, and two
women, _d_ and _e_, but they had no power of thought or reason.
Then Dzhe Man'idō made them reasoning beings. He then took them in
his hands so that they should multiply; he paired them, and from
this sprung the Indians. Then, when there were people, he placed
them upon the earth; but he soon observed that they were subject to
sickness, misery, and death, and that unless he provided them with
the sacred medicine they would soon become extinct.

Between the position occupied by Dzhe Man'idō and the earth were
four lesser spirits, _f_, _g_, _h_, and _i_, with whom Dzhe Man'idō
decided to commune, and to impart the mysteries by which the Indians
could be benefited; so he first spoke to a spirit at _f_, and told
him all he had to say, who in turn communicated the same information
to _g_, and he in turn to _h_, who also communed with _i_. Then they
all met in council and determined to call in the four wind gods at
_j_, _k_, _l_, and _m_. After consulting as to what would be best
for the comfort and welfare of the Indians, these spirits agreed to
ask Dzhe Man'idō to communicate the mystery of the sacred medicine
to the people.

Dzhe Man'idō then went to the Sun Spirit (_o_) and asked him to
go to the earth and instruct the people as had been decided upon by
the council. The Sun Spirit, in the form of a little boy, went to
the earth and lived with a woman (_p_) who had a little boy of her
own.

This family went away in the autumn to hunt, and during the
winter this woman’s son died. The parents were so much distressed
that they decided to return to the village and bury the body there;
so they made preparations to return, and as they traveled along
they would each evening erect several poles upon which the body was
placed to prevent the wild beasts from devouring it. When the dead
boy was thus hanging upon the poles the adopted child--who was the
Sun Spirit--would play about the camp and amuse himself, and finally
told his adopted father he pitied him, and his mother, for their
sorrow. The adopted son said he could bring his dead brother to
life, whereupon the parents expressed great surprise and desired to
know how that could be accomplished.

The adopted boy then had the party hasten to the village, when
he said, “Get the women to make a wig'iwam of bark (_q_), put the
dead boy in a covering of birch bark and place the body on the
ground in the middle of the wig'iwam.” On the next morning, when
this had been done, the family and friends went into this lodge and
seated themselves around the corpse.

After they had all been sitting quietly for some time they saw,
through the doorway, the approach of a bear (_r_), which gradually
came toward the wig'iwam, entered it, and placed itself before the
dead body, and said hŭ', hŭ', hŭ', hŭ', when he passed around it
toward the left side, with a trembling motion, and as he did so the
body began quivering, which increased as the bear continued, until
he had passed around four times, when the body came to life and
stood up. Then the bear called to the father, who was sitting in
the distant right-hand corner of the wig'iwam, and addressed to him
the following words:

Nōs |Ka-wi'-na |ni'-shi-nâ'-bi|wis'-si|a-ya'wi-an'|man'-i-do|nin-gi'-sis.
My father| is not | an Indian | not | you are | a spirit| son.

Be-mai'-a-mi'-nik|ni'-dzhi |man'-i-do|mi'-a-zhi'-gwa|tshi-gi'-a-we-an'.
Insomuch |my fellow| spirit | now | as you are.

Nōs |a-zhi'-gwa|a-se'-ma|tshi-a'-to-yek'. |Â'-mi-kun'-dem | mi-e'-ta
My father| now |tobacco | you shall put.| He speaks of| only

a-wi-dink'|dzhi-gŏsh'-kwi-tōt' | wen'-dzhi-bĭ-mâ'-di-zid'-o-ma'|a-ga'-wa
once |to be able to do it | why he shall live here | now

bi-mâ'-di-zid'-mi-o-ma';|ni'-dzhi |man'-i-do|mi'-a-zhi'-gwa|tshi-gi'-we-an'.
that he scarcely lives; |my fellow| spirit |now I shall go| home.

The little bear boy (_r_) was the one who did this. He then
remained among the Indians (_s_) and taught them the mysteries of
the Grand Medicine (_t_), and after he had finished he told his
adopted father that as his mission had been fulfilled, that he was
to return to his kindred spirits, the Indians would have no need to
fear sickness, as they now possessed the Grand Medicine which would
assist them to live. He also said that his spirit could bring a body
to life but once, and he would now return to the sun from which they
would feel his influence.

This is called Kwi'-wi-sĕns' wed-di'-shi-tshi'
ge'-wi-nĭp'--“Little boy, his work.”

From subsequent information it was learned that the line (_w_)
denotes the earth, and that, being considered as one step in the
course of initiation into the Midē'wiwin, three others must be taken
before a candidate can be admitted. These steps, or rests, as they
are denominated, are typified by four distinct gifts of goods, which
must be remitted to the Midē' priests before the ceremony can take
place.

The characters _s_ and _t_ are repetitions of the figures
alluded to in the tradition (_q_ and _r_) to signify that the
candidate must personate the Makwa' Man'idō--bear spirit--when
entering the Midē'wiwin (_t_); _t_ is the Midē' Man'idō, as Ki'tshi
Man'idō is termed by the Midē' priests. The device of horns,
attached to the head, is a common symbol of superior power, found
in connection with the figures of human and divine forms in many
Midē' songs and other mnemonic records; _v_ represents the earth’s
surface, similar to that designated as _w_. _w_, _x_, _y_, and _z_
represent the four degrees of the grand medicine.

SECTION 6.

TREATIES.

Fig. 174 is copy of a birchbark record which was made to commemorate a treaty of peace between the Ojibwa and Assinaboin Indians. The drawing on bark was made by an Ojibwa chief at White Earth, Minnesota.

The figure on the left, holding a flag, represents the Ojibwa chief, while that on the right denotes the chief acting on the part of the Assinaboins. The latter holds in his left hand the pipe which was used in the preliminaries, and smoke is seen issuing from the mouth of the Assinaboin. He also holds in his right hand the drum used as an accompaniment to the songs.

The Ojibwa holds a flag used as an emblem of peace.

A considerable number of pictographic records of treaties are presented in different parts of the present work (see under the headings of Wampum, Chap. ix, Sec. 3; Notices, Chap. xi; History, Chap. xvi; Winter Counts, Chap. x, Sec. 2).