﻿THE 
  MIDE'WIWIN 
  OR 
  "GRAND 
  MKDICINE 
  SOCIETY" 
  

   OF 
  THE 
  OJIBWAY. 
  

  

  By 
  W. 
  J. 
  Hoffman. 
  

  

  INTRODUCTION. 
  

  

  The 
  Ojibwa 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  largest 
  tribes 
  of 
  the 
  United 
  States, 
  and 
  it 
  

   is 
  scattered 
  over 
  a 
  considerable 
  area, 
  from 
  the 
  Province 
  of 
  Ontario, 
  on 
  

   the 
  east, 
  to 
  the 
  Red 
  River 
  of 
  the 
  North, 
  on 
  the 
  west, 
  and 
  from 
  Mani- 
  

   toba 
  southward 
  through 
  the 
  States 
  of 
  Minnesota, 
  Wisconsin, 
  and 
  

   Michigan. 
  This 
  tribe 
  is, 
  strictly 
  speaking, 
  a 
  timber 
  people, 
  and 
  in 
  

   its 
  westward 
  migration 
  or 
  dispersion 
  has 
  never 
  passed 
  beyond 
  the 
  

   limit 
  of 
  the 
  timber 
  growth 
  which 
  so 
  remarkably 
  divides 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  

   Minnesota 
  into 
  two 
  parts 
  possessing 
  distinct 
  physical 
  features. 
  The 
  

   western 
  portion 
  of 
  this 
  State 
  is 
  a 
  gently 
  undulating 
  prairie 
  which 
  

   sweeps 
  away 
  to 
  the 
  Rocky 
  Mountains, 
  while 
  the 
  eastern 
  portion 
  is 
  

   heavily 
  timbered. 
  The 
  dividing 
  line, 
  at 
  or 
  near 
  the 
  meridian 
  of 
  95° 
  50' 
  

   west 
  longitude, 
  extends 
  due 
  north 
  and 
  south, 
  and 
  at 
  a 
  point 
  about 
  75 
  

   miles 
  south 
  of 
  the 
  northern 
  boundary 
  the 
  timber 
  line 
  trends 
  toward 
  

   the 
  northwest, 
  crossing 
  the 
  State 
  line, 
  49° 
  north 
  latitude, 
  at 
  about 
  

   97° 
  10' 
  west 
  longitude. 
  

  

  Minnesota 
  contains 
  many 
  thousand 
  lakes 
  of 
  various 
  sizes, 
  some 
  of 
  

   which 
  are 
  connected 
  by 
  fine 
  water 
  courses, 
  while 
  others 
  are 
  entirely 
  

   isolated. 
  The 
  wooded 
  country 
  is 
  undulating, 
  the 
  elevated 
  portions 
  

   being 
  covered 
  chiefly 
  with 
  pine, 
  fir, 
  spruce, 
  and 
  other 
  coniferous 
  trees, 
  

   and 
  the 
  lowest 
  depressions 
  being 
  occupied 
  by 
  lakes, 
  ponds, 
  or 
  marshes, 
  

   around 
  which 
  occur 
  the 
  tamarack, 
  willow, 
  and 
  other 
  trees 
  which 
  

   thrive 
  in 
  moist 
  ground, 
  while 
  the 
  regions 
  between 
  these 
  extremes 
  are 
  

   covered 
  with 
  oak. 
  poplar, 
  ash, 
  birch, 
  maple, 
  and 
  many 
  other 
  varieties 
  

   of 
  trees 
  and 
  shrubs. 
  

  

  Wild 
  fowl, 
  game, 
  and 
  fish 
  are 
  still 
  abund; 
  nt, 
  and 
  until 
  recently 
  

   have 
  furnished 
  to 
  the 
  Indians 
  the 
  chief 
  source 
  of 
  subsistence. 
  

  

  Tribal 
  organization 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  totemic 
  system 
  is 
  practically 
  

   broken 
  up, 
  as 
  the 
  Indians 
  are 
  generally 
  located 
  upon 
  or 
  near 
  the 
  

   several 
  reservations 
  set 
  apart 
  for 
  them 
  by 
  the 
  General 
  Government, 
  

   where 
  they 
  have 
  been 
  under 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  restraint 
  by 
  the 
  United 
  States 
  

   Indian 
  agents 
  and 
  the 
  missionaries. 
  Representatives 
  of 
  various 
  to- 
  

   tems 
  or 
  gentes 
  may 
  therefore 
  be 
  found 
  upon 
  a 
  single 
  reservation, 
  

  

  149 
  

  

  