j net] THE DOCTRINE IN THE NORTH G79 



the prophet, and was considered as solemnly engaging to ohey his injunctions, and 

 accept his mission as from the Supreme. All the Indians who touched the beans had 

 previously lulled their dogs; they gave up their medicine bags, and showed a 

 disposition tci comply with all that should he required of them. 



We had now been for some time assembled inconsiderable numbers. Much agita- 

 tion and terror had prevailed among us. and now famine began to be felt. The faces 

 of men wore an aspect of unusual gloominess; the active became indolent, and the 

 spirits of the bravest seemed to be subdued. I started to hunt with my dogs, which 

 I had constantly refused to kill or sutler to be killed. By their assistance. I found 

 and killed a hear. On returning home, I said to some of the Indians, " Has not the 

 Great Spirit given as our dogs to aid us in procuring what is needful for the support 

 of our life, and can you believe he wishes now to deprive us of their services? The 

 prophet, we are told, has forbid us to surfer our fire to be extinguished in our lodges, 

 and when we travel or hunt, he will not allow us to use a fliut and steel, and we are 

 told he requires that no man should give tire to another. Can it please the Great 

 Spirit that we should lie in our hunting camps without ti re, or is it more agreeable to 

 him that we should make tire by rubbing together t\\ o sticks than with a Bint and a 

 piece of steel .'" Hut they would not listen to me ; anil the serious enthusiasm which 

 prevailed among them so far affected me that I threw away my flint and steel, laid 

 aside my medicine bag, and, in many particulars, complied with the new doctrines; 

 but I would not kill my dogs. 1 soon learned to kindle a tire by rubbing some drj 

 cedar, which I was careful to carry always about me. hut the discontinuance of the 

 use of flint and steel subjected many of the Indians to much inconvenience and 

 suffering. The influence of the Shawnee prophet was very sensibly and painfully 

 felt by the remotest ojibbewavs of whom I had any knowledge, but it was not the 

 common impression among them that his doctrines had any tendency to unite them 

 in the accomplishment of any human-purpose. For two or three years drunkenness 

 was much less frequent than formerly, war was less thought of, and the entire aspect 

 of affairs among them was somewhat changed by the influence of one man. But 

 gradually the impression was obliterated: medicine bags, flints, and steels were 

 resumed; dogs were raised, women and children were beaten as before, and the 

 Shawnee prophet was despised. At this day he is looked upon by the Indians as au 

 impostor and a bad man. I Tanner, 1.) 



Tanner's account is confirmed by Warren, from the statements of old 

 men among the Ojibwa who had taken part in the revival. According 

 to their story the ambassadors of the new revelation appeared at tbe 

 different villages, acting strangely ami with their faces painted black — 

 perhaps to signify their character as messengers from the world of 

 shades. Tbcy told the people that tbey must light a fire with two dry 

 sticks in each of their principal settlements, and that this fire must 

 always be kept sacred and burning. They predicted the speedy return 

 of the old Indian life, and asserted that the prophet would cause the 

 dead to rise from the grave. The new belief took sudden and complete 

 possession of the minds of the Ojibwa and spread -like wildfire" from 

 end to end of their widely extended territory, and even to the remote 

 northern tribes in alliance with the Cree and Asiniboin. The strongest 

 evidence of their implicit obedience to the new revelation was given by 

 their attention to the command to throw away their medicine bags, the 

 one thing which every Indian holds must sacred. It is said that the 

 shores of Lake Superior, in the vicinity of the great village of Shaga- 

 waumikong (Bayfield, Wisconsin), were strewn with these medicine 

 bags, which had been cast into the water. At this ancient capital of 



