204 BULLETIN, PUBLIC MUSEUM, MILWAUKEE [Vol. 19 



and the wigwam began to shake hard and every once in a while the sound of blowing 

 was heard. (Whoo", unvoiced. The sickness is supposed to be blown away from the 

 person like this.) 



"The wigwam shook for a few minutes and then quieted down, the drumming 

 stopped, and the voice of the spirit was heard again. It said, 'That isn't a bad sick- 

 ness and you can get over it by taking medicine.' Every so often a spirit would talk 

 in an unintelligible growl, and John King would say ani'wgwana (all right then), as 

 a sign that he understood what the spirit was saying in that special spirit language. 



"Mrs. Butler then asked what kind of medicine she should get and who should 

 make it. The spirit answered, 'Anyone who knows good medicine could make it.' 

 (Usually the spirit will name a certain medicine and name the person who should 

 make it). Mrs. Butler told the spirit that she had been using some of her own 

 that's all.' Then he told Laurence to take good care of himself and use the medicine 



"Then the spirit said, 'Now then, in regard to that preacher (gagikwe'winini) 

 medicine on him, and the spirit said that was good. Then the spirit said 'miyu' - — • 

 out there, the one who is checking up on the Indians. Have him come up close here 

 and Til tell him all about the Indians in a short time.' He meant me, but Mrs. 

 Butler interrupted and told him, 'No, don't be concerned about him. He is only here 

 because he brought my boy here. He is only watching!' The spirit said, 'AH right 

 then, we'll go home.' 



\ "The wigwam began shaking, and when it shakes hard it means that a spirit is 



) leaving. There must have been at least two spirits there, one who talked clear 

 Chippewa and one who talked Chippewa in a growl, that no one could understand 

 except the doctor. No drumming went on while the spirits left, and the wigwam 

 shook hard a few times, then slowed down and stopped. The people got up and 

 started home and Charley took all the blankets off the ji'zikan. John King stayed 

 inside the wigwam in a kneeling position until all the blankets were off, then he 

 crawled out and came over to me. 'Can you do that.^' he said, in Chippewa, and I 

 said 'gawi'n — no!' And he laughed. 



"Mrs. Butler went into the house for a few minutes and then we took them 

 home. She had brought a pint of whiskey for the doctor. They usually pass the bottle 

 during a curing like this, but John King had been drinking wine. Mrs. Butler had 

 gone down to Sand Lake to see him about two weeks before this, and had given him 

 tobacco, a blanket, and two half-pints of whiskey. She had told him she wanted him 

 to work on her son. He had said that he would and told her to bring her son down, 

 but not to bring any more blankets or anything except a pint. There was no date set. 



"The spirit that spoke was bebo'kowe. He's only about 4 ft. tall, with hair all 

 over bis body. He's a manido, some people have him for their guardian spirit. There 

 is a special song that goes with him, they sing it at the Chief Dance and for the 

 ji'zikan." (Field notes 1942.) 



The Sucking Doctor 



The sucking cure is based on the theory of disease-object intrusion. The 

 doctor effects the cure by sucking from the patient's body the foreign matter 

 responsible for the sickness. The main features of the curing ritual, as 

 observed in five sessions conducted by two different doctors are as follows: 

 A sick person presents tobacco to a known practitioner who accepts the gift 

 if he intends taking the case, and arranges for the time and place. The 

 ceremony is held indoors and usually after sundown, although I did see one 



