DBNSMOEE] CHIPPEWA MUSIC II 143 



No attempt has been made herein to analyze this "drum religion," 

 but the attitude of the Indians toward it is indicated by the follow- 

 ing statement of Wis 'kino (" bird ") , the Menominee chief to whom one 

 of the Chippewa drums was given. Referring to his position as owner 

 of a drum, Wis 'kino said:^ 



I -will keep this drum in my house. There will always be tobacco beside it and 

 the drum pipe will always be filled. When I smoke at home I will use the pipe that 

 belongs to the drum. My friends will come to my house to visit the drum. Some- 

 times my wife and I will have a little feast of our own beside the drum, and we will 

 ask the drum to strengthen us in our faith and resolution to live justly and to wrong 

 no one. When my wife and I do this alone there will be no songs. Only special men 

 may sing the songs of the drum, and my part is that of speaker. 



When asked how often his friends came for this purpose, he said: 



We visit the drum about every fourth night and sing a few songs. Any persons who 

 desire may come and each brings a gift of tobacco. The owner of the drum is the only 

 speaker at these small gatherings. He speaks as representative of those who come, and 

 presents the tobacco to the drum, after which it is given to the singers who sit at 

 the drum. 



It is said that many generations ago the Sioux gave to the Chip- 

 pewa a large drum similar to the one used at the present time in the 

 ceremony here considered, taught them the "songs belonging to the 

 drum," and related to them the tradition concerning its origm. It 

 is believed that permanent peace between the two tribes was a 

 result of this presentation of the drum. Following this presentation, 

 in accordance with the mstructions which accompanied it, the Chip- 

 pewa made similar drums, which they afterward gave away, with 

 the proper songs. In presenting a drum it is customary for the giver 

 to relate his individual dream to the recipient, thus adding to the 

 value of the gift and strengthening the bond between the two men. 



The tradition concerning the origin of the drum was a subject of 

 inquiry among the Lac du Flambeau Chippewa, the Bad River 

 Chippewa on the La Pointe Reservation in northern Wisconsin, and 

 also among the Menominee. Ten or twelve informants agreed on 

 the principal features of the account, all stating that a woman was 

 the means used by the manido' ^ in giving this type of drum to the 



1 This and other speeches by WIs'Mno were interpreted by Mr. Frank Gokay, a prominent member of 

 the Menominee tribe. 



2 The word manido' (spelled also manito) Is defined by Baraga as "spirit, ghost." The following explana- 

 tion of the word in some of its compounds was given by Rev. J. A.Gilfillan: Ei'j'ie' 7reoni(io', literally, "he who 

 has his origin from no one but himself, the Uncreated God " ; Men'ido wenda'g wHk, that which is so astonish- 

 ing as to be considered superhuman; Manido' wah, the name of a man, meaning, "he looks through the thing 

 as God does, or with superhuman insight" ; Man'idoka'zo, he tries to make people believe he has superhuman 

 power, but he is an impostor. The same authority states that a small wild animal is called man'idowens', 

 meaning "a poor, miserable little spirit," the explanation being that the little animal is not a clod of earth, 

 as is shown by its running around, but has life, or "spirit." 



Na'waji'bigo'kwe, a member of the MIde'wIwin, said that the Chippewa believe in many manido', 

 or spirits (see Bulletin 45, p. 21), the highest of all being called Ki'jie' manido', and that there are four 

 manido' connected with the Mlde', each being regarded as dwelling at a cardinal point of the compass. 

 Four Mide' manido' are mentioned in songs Nos. 16 and 24, Bulletin 45, as "living in the four layers of the 

 earth." The word is applied to animals in the Mlde' (songs Nos. 34 and 41, Bulletin 45), and a man who 

 sees an animal in his youthful vision calls that animal his manido' and wears some part of the animal on 

 his person as part of his "medicine." 



