﻿HOFFMAN.] 
  

  

  BXPLANATION 
  OF 
  M1LI.E 
  LACS 
  CHART. 
  

  

  175 
  

  

  Sikas'sigg's 
  explanation 
  of 
  the 
  Mille 
  Lacs 
  chart 
  (PI. 
  

   stantially 
  as 
  follows 
  : 
  

  

  When 
  Mi'nabo 
  zho 
  descended 
  to 
  the 
  earth 
  to 
  give 
  

   to 
  the 
  Ani'shina'beg 
  the 
  Mide'wiwin, 
  he 
  left 
  with 
  

   them 
  this 
  chart. 
  Mide'wigwas 
  . 
  Ki'tshi 
  Man'ido 
  saw 
  

   that 
  his 
  people 
  on 
  earth 
  were 
  without 
  the 
  means 
  of 
  

   protecting 
  themselves 
  against 
  disease 
  and 
  death, 
  so 
  

   he 
  sent 
  Mi 
  nabo'zho 
  to 
  give 
  to 
  them 
  the 
  sacred 
  gift. 
  

   Mi'nabo 
  zho 
  appeared 
  over 
  the 
  waters 
  and 
  while 
  re- 
  

   flecting 
  in 
  what 
  manner 
  he 
  should 
  be 
  able 
  to 
  com- 
  

   municate 
  with 
  the 
  people, 
  he 
  heard 
  something 
  laugh, 
  

   just 
  as 
  an 
  otter 
  sometimes 
  cries 
  out. 
  He 
  saw 
  some- 
  

   thing 
  black 
  appear 
  upon 
  the 
  waters 
  in 
  the 
  west 
  (No. 
  2) 
  

   which 
  immediately 
  disappeared 
  beneath 
  the 
  surface 
  

   again. 
  Then 
  it 
  came 
  up 
  at 
  the 
  northern 
  horizon 
  (No. 
  

   3), 
  which 
  pleased 
  Mi 
  nabo'zho, 
  as 
  he 
  thought 
  he 
  now 
  

   had 
  some 
  one 
  through 
  whom 
  he 
  might 
  convey 
  the 
  

   information 
  with 
  which 
  he 
  had 
  been 
  charged 
  by 
  

   Ki 
  tshi 
  Man'ido. 
  When 
  the 
  black 
  object 
  disappeared 
  

   beneath 
  the 
  waters 
  at 
  the 
  north 
  to 
  reappear 
  in 
  the 
  east 
  

   (No. 
  4). 
  Mi'nabo 
  zho 
  desired 
  it 
  would 
  come 
  to 
  him 
  in 
  

   the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  waters, 
  but 
  it 
  disappeared 
  to 
  make 
  

   its 
  reappearance 
  in 
  the 
  south 
  (No. 
  5), 
  where 
  it 
  again 
  

   sank 
  out 
  of 
  sight 
  to 
  reappear 
  in 
  the 
  west 
  (No. 
  2), 
  

   when 
  Mi'nabo' 
  zho 
  asked 
  it 
  to 
  approach 
  the 
  center 
  

   where 
  there 
  was 
  an 
  island 
  (No. 
  6), 
  which 
  it 
  did. 
  

   This 
  did 
  Ni'gik. 
  the 
  Otter, 
  and 
  for 
  this 
  reason 
  he 
  is 
  

   given 
  charge 
  of 
  the 
  first 
  degree 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wiwin 
  

   (Nos. 
  35 
  and 
  36) 
  where 
  his 
  spirit 
  always 
  abides 
  during 
  

   initiation 
  and 
  when 
  healing 
  the 
  sick. 
  

  

  Then 
  Ni 
  gik 
  asked 
  Mi'nabo' 
  zho, 
  "Why 
  do 
  you 
  come 
  

   to 
  this 
  place 
  ? 
  " 
  When 
  the 
  latter 
  said, 
  "I 
  have 
  pity 
  

   on 
  the 
  Ani'shina'beg 
  and 
  wisli 
  to 
  give 
  them 
  life: 
  

   Ki'tshi 
  Man'ido 
  gave 
  me 
  the 
  power 
  to 
  confer 
  upon 
  

   them 
  the 
  means 
  of 
  protecting 
  themselves 
  against 
  

   sickness 
  and 
  death, 
  and 
  through 
  you 
  I 
  will 
  give 
  

   them 
  the 
  Mide'wiwin, 
  and 
  teach 
  them 
  the 
  sacred 
  

   rites." 
  

  

  Then 
  Mi 
  'nabo'zho 
  built 
  a 
  Mide 
  wigan 
  in 
  which 
  he 
  

   instructed 
  the 
  Otter 
  in 
  all 
  the 
  mysteries 
  of 
  the 
  

   Mide'wiwin. 
  The 
  Otter 
  sat 
  before 
  the 
  door 
  of 
  the 
  

   Mide 
  wigan 
  four 
  days 
  (Nos. 
  7, 
  8. 
  9, 
  and 
  10), 
  sunning 
  

   himself, 
  after 
  which 
  time 
  he 
  approached 
  the 
  en- 
  

   trance 
  (No. 
  14), 
  where 
  his 
  progress 
  was 
  arrested 
  (No. 
  

   11) 
  by 
  seeing 
  two 
  bad 
  spirits 
  (Nos. 
  12 
  and 
  13) 
  guard- 
  

   ing 
  it. 
  Through 
  the 
  powers 
  possessed 
  by 
  Mi 
  nabo'zho 
  

   he 
  was 
  enabled 
  to 
  pass 
  these; 
  when 
  he 
  entered 
  the 
  

   sacred 
  lodge 
  (No. 
  15), 
  the 
  first 
  object 
  he 
  beheld 
  being 
  

   the 
  sacred 
  stone 
  (No. 
  16) 
  against 
  which 
  those 
  who 
  

   were 
  sick 
  were 
  to 
  be 
  seated, 
  or 
  laid, 
  when 
  undergoing 
  

   the 
  ceremonial 
  of 
  restoring 
  them 
  to 
  health. 
  He 
  

   next 
  saw 
  a 
  post 
  (No. 
  17) 
  painted 
  red 
  with 
  a 
  green 
  band 
  

   around 
  the 
  top. 
  A 
  sick 
  man 
  would 
  also 
  have 
  to 
  pray 
  

  

  IV) 
  is 
  sub- 
  

  

  "32* 
  

  

  Fig. 
  3.— 
  Origin 
  of 
  Ginseng. 
  

  

  