﻿1H4 
  THE 
  MIDE'WIWIN 
  OF 
  THE 
  OJIBWA. 
  

  

  self 
  and 
  make 
  an 
  agreement 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  preparatory 
  Infor- 
  

   mation 
  to 
  be 
  acquired 
  and 
  the 
  fees 
  ami 
  other 
  presents 
  to 
  be 
  given 
  

   in 
  return. 
  These 
  fees 
  have 
  nothing 
  whatever 
  to 
  do 
  with 
  the 
  presents 
  

   which 
  must 
  be 
  presented 
  to 
  the 
  Mide' 
  priests 
  previous 
  to 
  his 
  initia- 
  

   tion 
  as 
  a 
  member 
  of 
  the 
  society, 
  the 
  latter 
  being 
  collected 
  during 
  

   the 
  time 
  that 
  is 
  devoted 
  to 
  preliminary 
  instruction, 
  which 
  period 
  

   usually 
  extends 
  over 
  several 
  years. 
  Thus 
  ample 
  time 
  is 
  found 
  for 
  

   hunting, 
  as 
  skins 
  and 
  peltries, 
  of 
  which 
  those 
  not 
  required 
  as 
  pres- 
  

   ents 
  may 
  be 
  exchanged 
  for 
  blankets, 
  tobacco, 
  kettles, 
  guns, 
  etc., 
  

   obtainable 
  from 
  the 
  trader. 
  Sometimes 
  a 
  number 
  of 
  years 
  are 
  spent 
  

   in 
  preparation 
  for 
  the 
  first 
  degree 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wiwin, 
  and 
  there 
  are 
  

   many 
  who 
  have 
  impoverished 
  themselves 
  in 
  the 
  payment 
  of 
  fees 
  and 
  

   tin- 
  preparation 
  for 
  the 
  feast 
  to 
  which 
  all 
  visiting 
  priests 
  are 
  also 
  

   invited. 
  

  

  Should 
  an 
  Indian 
  who 
  is 
  not 
  prompted 
  by 
  a 
  dream 
  wish 
  to 
  join 
  

   the 
  society 
  he 
  expresses 
  to 
  the 
  four 
  chief 
  officiating 
  priests 
  a 
  desire 
  to 
  

   purchase 
  a 
  mi'gis, 
  which 
  is 
  the 
  sacred 
  symbol 
  of 
  the 
  society 
  and 
  

   consists 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  white 
  shell, 
  to 
  which 
  reference 
  will 
  be 
  made 
  

   further 
  on. 
  His 
  application 
  follows 
  the 
  same 
  course 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  pre- 
  

   ceding 
  instance, 
  and 
  the 
  same 
  course 
  is 
  pursued 
  also 
  when 
  a 
  Jgs'sak- 
  

   kid' 
  or 
  a 
  Wabeno' 
  wishes 
  to 
  become 
  a 
  Mide'. 
  

  

  MIDE'WIWIN. 
  

  

  The 
  Mide'wiwin 
  — 
  Society 
  of 
  the 
  Mide' 
  or 
  Shamans 
  — 
  consists 
  of 
  an 
  

   indefinite 
  number 
  of 
  Mide' 
  of 
  both 
  sexes. 
  The 
  society 
  is 
  graded 
  

   into 
  four 
  separate 
  and 
  distinct 
  degrees, 
  although 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  general 
  

   impression 
  prevailing 
  even 
  among 
  certain 
  members 
  that 
  any 
  degree 
  

   beyond 
  the 
  first 
  is 
  practically 
  a 
  mere 
  repetition. 
  The 
  greater 
  power 
  

   attained 
  by 
  one 
  in 
  making 
  advancement 
  depends 
  upon 
  the 
  fact 
  of 
  

   his 
  having 
  submitted 
  to 
  "being 
  shot 
  at 
  with 
  the 
  medicine 
  sacks" 
  in 
  

   the 
  hands 
  of 
  the 
  officiating 
  priests. 
  This 
  may 
  be 
  the 
  case 
  at 
  this 
  

   late 
  day 
  in 
  certain 
  localities, 
  but 
  from 
  personal 
  experience 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  

   learned 
  that 
  there 
  is 
  considerable 
  variation 
  in 
  the 
  dramatization 
  of 
  

   the 
  ritual. 
  One 
  circumstance 
  presents 
  itself 
  forcibly 
  to 
  the 
  careful 
  

   observer, 
  and 
  that 
  is 
  that 
  the 
  greater 
  number 
  of 
  repetitions 
  of 
  the 
  

   phrases 
  chanted 
  by 
  the 
  Mide' 
  the 
  greater 
  is 
  felt 
  to 
  be 
  the 
  amount 
  of 
  

   inspiration 
  and 
  power 
  of 
  the 
  per 
  f< 
  irmance. 
  This 
  is 
  true 
  also 
  of 
  si 
  tme 
  

   of 
  the 
  lectures 
  in 
  which 
  reiteration 
  and 
  prolongation 
  in 
  time 
  of 
  de- 
  

   livery 
  aids 
  very 
  much 
  in 
  forcibly 
  impressing 
  the 
  candidate 
  and 
  other 
  

   observers 
  with 
  the 
  importance 
  and 
  sacredness 
  of 
  the 
  ceremony. 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  always 
  been 
  customary 
  for 
  the 
  Midi"' 
  priests 
  to 
  preserve 
  

   birch-bark 
  records, 
  bearing 
  delicate 
  incised 
  lines 
  to 
  represent 
  pictori- 
  

   ally 
  the 
  ground 
  plan 
  of 
  the 
  number 
  of 
  degrees 
  to 
  which 
  the 
  owner 
  

   is 
  entitled. 
  Such 
  records 
  or 
  charts 
  are 
  sacred 
  and 
  are 
  never 
  exposed 
  

   to 
  the 
  public 
  view, 
  being 
  brought 
  forward 
  for 
  inspection 
  only 
  when 
  

  

  