﻿17<> 
  THE 
  MIDE'WTWTN 
  OF 
  THE 
  0JIBV7A. 
  

  

  to 
  the 
  stone 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  post, 
  when 
  he 
  is 
  within 
  the 
  Mide'wigan, 
  because 
  within 
  

   them 
  would 
  be 
  the 
  Mide' 
  spirits 
  whose 
  help 
  he 
  invoked. 
  The 
  Otter 
  was 
  then 
  

   taken 
  to 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wigan 
  'where 
  he 
  picked 
  upthe 
  mi'gis 
  (No. 
  18) 
  from 
  

   among 
  a 
  heap 
  of 
  sacred 
  objects 
  which 
  form 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  gifts 
  given 
  by 
  Ki'tshi 
  

   Man'ido. 
  The 
  eight 
  man'idos 
  around 
  the 
  mide'wigan 
  (Nos.-" 
  19, 
  20, 
  21, 
  22, 
  23, 
  24, 
  25, 
  

   and 
  •->()) 
  were 
  also 
  sent 
  by 
  Ki'tshi 
  Manido 
  to 
  guard 
  the 
  lodge 
  against 
  the 
  entrance 
  

   of 
  bad 
  spirits. 
  

  

  A 
  life 
  is 
  represented 
  by 
  the 
  line 
  No. 
  27, 
  the 
  signification 
  of 
  the 
  

   short 
  lines 
  (Nos. 
  28, 
  29, 
  30, 
  and 
  31) 
  denoting 
  that 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  human 
  

   progress 
  is 
  beset 
  by 
  temptations 
  and 
  trials 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  the 
  cause 
  

   of 
  one's 
  departure 
  from 
  such 
  course 
  of 
  conduct 
  as 
  is 
  deemed 
  proper, 
  

   and 
  the 
  beliefs 
  taught 
  by 
  the 
  Mide'. 
  When 
  one 
  arrives 
  at 
  middle 
  

   age 
  (No. 
  32) 
  his 
  course 
  for 
  the 
  remaining 
  period 
  of 
  life 
  is 
  usually 
  with- 
  

   out 
  any 
  special 
  events, 
  as 
  indicated 
  by 
  the 
  plain 
  line 
  No. 
  27, 
  extend- 
  

   ing 
  from 
  middle 
  age 
  (No. 
  32) 
  to 
  the 
  end 
  of 
  one's 
  existence 
  (No. 
  33). 
  

   The 
  short 
  lines 
  at 
  Nos. 
  28, 
  29, 
  30, 
  and 
  31, 
  indicating 
  departure 
  from 
  

   the 
  path 
  of 
  propriety, 
  terminate 
  in 
  rounded 
  spots 
  and 
  signify, 
  liter- 
  

   ally, 
  "lecture 
  places," 
  because 
  when 
  a 
  Mide' 
  feels 
  himself 
  failing 
  in 
  

   duty 
  or 
  vacillating 
  in 
  faith 
  he 
  must 
  renew 
  professions 
  by 
  giving 
  a 
  

   tVast 
  and 
  lecturing 
  to 
  his 
  confreres, 
  thus 
  regaining 
  his 
  strength 
  to 
  

   resist 
  evil 
  doing 
  — 
  such 
  as 
  making 
  use 
  of 
  his 
  powers 
  in 
  harming 
  his 
  

   kinsmen, 
  teaching 
  that 
  which 
  was 
  not 
  given 
  him 
  by 
  Ki'tshi 
  Man'ido 
  

   through 
  Mi 
  'nabo'zho, 
  etc. 
  His 
  heart 
  must 
  be 
  cleansed 
  and 
  his 
  tongue 
  

   guarded. 
  

  

  To 
  resume 
  the 
  tradition 
  of 
  the 
  course 
  pursued 
  by 
  the 
  Otter, 
  Si- 
  

   kas'sigS 
  said: 
  

  

  The 
  Otter 
  then 
  went 
  round 
  the 
  interior 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wigan 
  (No. 
  34), 
  and 
  finally 
  

   seated 
  himself 
  in 
  the 
  west, 
  where 
  Mi'nabo 
  zho 
  shot 
  into 
  his 
  body 
  the 
  sacred 
  mi'gis, 
  

   which 
  was 
  in 
  his 
  Mide' 
  bag. 
  Then 
  Mi'nabo' 
  zho 
  said, 
  "This 
  is 
  your 
  lodge 
  and 
  you 
  

   shall 
  own 
  it 
  always 
  (Nos. 
  35 
  and 
  36), 
  and 
  eight 
  Mide' 
  Man'idos 
  (Nos. 
  19-26) 
  shal 
  

   guard 
  it 
  during 
  the 
  night." 
  

  

  The 
  Otter 
  was 
  taken 
  to 
  the 
  entrance 
  (No. 
  37) 
  of 
  the 
  second 
  degree 
  structure 
  (No. 
  

   38), 
  which 
  he 
  saw 
  was 
  guarded 
  by 
  two 
  evil 
  man'idos 
  (Nos. 
  39 
  and 
  40), 
  who 
  opposed 
  

   his 
  progress, 
  but 
  who 
  were 
  driven 
  away 
  by 
  Mi'nabo'zho. 
  When 
  the 
  Otter 
  entered 
  

   at 
  the 
  door 
  he 
  beheld 
  the 
  sacred 
  stone 
  (No. 
  41) 
  and 
  two 
  posts 
  (Nos. 
  43, 
  43), 
  the 
  one 
  

   nearest 
  to 
  him 
  being 
  painted 
  red 
  with 
  a 
  green 
  band 
  around 
  the 
  top, 
  and 
  another 
  at 
  

   the 
  middle, 
  with 
  a 
  bunch 
  of 
  little 
  feathers 
  upon 
  the 
  top. 
  The 
  other 
  post 
  (No. 
  43) 
  

   was 
  painted 
  red, 
  with 
  only 
  a 
  band 
  of 
  green 
  at 
  the 
  top, 
  similar 
  to 
  the 
  first 
  degree 
  

   post. 
  Nos. 
  44 
  and 
  45 
  are 
  the 
  places 
  wheresacred 
  objects 
  and 
  gifts 
  are 
  placed. 
  This 
  

   degree 
  of 
  the 
  Mide 
  wiwin 
  is 
  guarded 
  at 
  night 
  by 
  twelve 
  Mide' 
  Man'idos 
  (Nos. 
  46 
  to 
  

   57) 
  placed 
  there 
  by 
  Ki'tshi 
  Man'ido, 
  and 
  the 
  degree 
  is 
  owned 
  by 
  the 
  Thunder 
  Bird 
  

   as 
  shown 
  in 
  Nos. 
  58, 
  59. 
  

  

  The 
  circles 
  (Nos. 
  GO, 
  61, 
  and 
  62) 
  at 
  either 
  end 
  of 
  the 
  outline 
  of 
  the 
  

   structure 
  denoting 
  the 
  degree 
  and 
  beneath 
  it 
  are 
  connected 
  hyaline 
  

   (No. 
  63) 
  as 
  in 
  the 
  preceding 
  degree, 
  and 
  are 
  a 
  mere 
  repetition 
  to 
  

   denote 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  conduct 
  to 
  be 
  pursued 
  by 
  the 
  Mide'. 
  The 
  points 
  

   (Nos. 
  64, 
  65, 
  66, 
  and 
  67), 
  at 
  the 
  termini 
  of 
  the 
  shorter 
  lines, 
  also 
  

   refer 
  to 
  the 
  feasts 
  and 
  lectures 
  to 
  be 
  giveu 
  in 
  case 
  of 
  need. 
  

  

  