1953} RITZENTHALER, CHIPPEWA HEALTH 189 



PEYOTE 



Considering their attitude toward health and curing one would expect 

 to find a ready acceptance by the Chippewa of such curative cults as Peyote. 

 Peyote, however, has made only feeble inroads among the Wisconsin Chip- 

 pewa. There is a small, but active, cult at the Lac du Flambeau reservation 

 some eighty miles to the east of Lac Court Oreilles, but it has never pene- 

 trated the Lac Court Oreilles band. Lack of opportunity is not the reason, 

 for this band is in close contact with such peyote users as the Potawatomi, 

 Winnebago, and the Flambeau band. It has, rather, been actively and suc- 

 cessfully resisted due to the efforts of the older people, particularly the 

 influential Mide priests who feel it would interfere with the Midewiwin 

 religion. It might be noted, however, that at Flambeau the curative seems 

 to be the most important function of the cult. 



3. PREOCCUPATION WITH HEALTH AS REFLECTED 

 BY NUMEROUS DISEASE CONCEPTS 



Before beginning a discussion of disease concepts it is necessarj' to present 

 a picture of the magico-religious world of the Chippewa. 



The Chippevi'a viewed the natural surroundings as being inhabited and 

 controlled by spirits (ma'nidog). There are believed to be spirits in such 

 natural phenomena as the sun, moon, stars, trees, rocks, lakes and rivers, 

 birds and animals. At the head of this pantheon is a Supreme Being 

 (gicima'nido or mide'manido), a benevolent, but remote being who parcels 

 out the various tasks to lesser spirits. For example, the four thunder-birds 

 representing the cardinal directions are assistants of the Supreme Being who 

 has delegated to them the job of directing the weather. It is considered to 

 be their complete responsibility, and attempts to control the elements are by 

 appeal and offerings to them rather than to the Supreme Being. The sun 

 and the moon are considered to be runners of the Supreme Being. Besides 

 such universal spirits there were benevolent and malevolent local spirits 

 usually inhabiting certain landmarks and known only to the local band. 

 Beyond this most men had a guardian spirit obtained as a result of a fasting 

 experience during youth. Women could acquire them also, but not during 

 the puberty fast. The guardian spirit provided the individual with assist- 

 ance and protection throughout life. The guardian spirit communicated 

 warnings and advice to the person through the medium of dreams. Dreams 



