﻿HOFFMAN, 
  INITIATION 
  SON<;S. 
  217 
  

  

  Mi'-a-shi'-gwa 
  ki'-tshi-an'-wa-bin-da-man 
  tshi-c3'-vve-na'-bi-an 
  . 
  

   Now 
  is 
  the 
  time 
  I 
  look 
  around 
  where 
  we 
  shall 
  be 
  [sit]. 
  

  

  and 
  all 
  go 
  to 
  such 
  places 
  as 
  are 
  made, 
  or 
  reserved, 
  for 
  them. 
  

  

  The 
  new 
  member 
  then 
  goes 
  to 
  the 
  pile 
  of 
  blankets, 
  robes, 
  and 
  

   other 
  gifts 
  and 
  divides 
  tliem 
  among 
  the 
  four 
  officiating 
  priests, 
  re- 
  

   serving 
  some 
  of 
  less 
  value 
  for 
  the 
  preceptor 
  and 
  his 
  assistant 
  ; 
  

   whereas 
  tobacco 
  is 
  carried 
  around 
  to 
  each 
  person 
  present. 
  All 
  then 
  

   make 
  an 
  offering 
  of 
  smoke, 
  to 
  the 
  east, 
  south, 
  west, 
  north, 
  toward 
  

   the 
  center 
  and 
  top 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wigan 
  — 
  where 
  Ki'tshi 
  Man'ido 
  pre- 
  

   sides 
  — 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  earth. 
  Then 
  each 
  person 
  blows 
  smoke 
  upon 
  his 
  

   or 
  her 
  Mide' 
  sack 
  as 
  an 
  offering 
  to 
  the 
  sacred 
  mi'gis 
  within. 
  

  

  The 
  chief 
  Mide' 
  advances 
  to 
  the 
  new 
  member 
  and 
  presents 
  him 
  

  

  with 
  a 
  new 
  Mide' 
  sack, 
  made 
  of 
  an 
  otter 
  skin, 
  or 
  possibly 
  of 
  the 
  skin 
  

  

  of 
  the 
  mink 
  or 
  weasel, 
  after 
  which 
  he 
  returns 
  to 
  his 
  place. 
  The 
  new 
  

  

  member 
  rises, 
  approaches 
  the 
  chief 
  Mide', 
  who 
  inclines 
  his 
  head 
  to 
  

  

  the 
  front, 
  and, 
  while 
  passing 
  both 
  flat 
  hands 
  down 
  over 
  either 
  side. 
  

  

  says 
  : 
  

  

  Mi-gwetsh', 
  ni-ka-ni. 
  ni-ka'-ni. 
  ni-ka'-ni, 
  na-ka 
  . 
  

   Thanks, 
  my 
  colleagues, 
  my 
  colleagues, 
  my 
  colleagues. 
  

  

  Then, 
  approaching 
  the 
  next 
  in 
  rank, 
  he 
  repeats 
  the 
  ceremony 
  and 
  

   continues 
  to 
  do 
  so 
  until 
  he 
  has 
  made 
  the 
  entire 
  circuit 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'- 
  

   wigan. 
  

  

  At 
  the 
  conclusion 
  of 
  this 
  ceremony 
  of 
  rendering 
  thanks 
  to 
  the 
  

   members 
  of 
  the 
  society 
  for 
  their 
  presence, 
  the 
  newly 
  elected 
  Mide' 
  

   returns 
  to 
  his 
  place 
  and. 
  after 
  placing 
  within 
  his 
  Mide' 
  sack 
  his 
  

   mi'gis, 
  starts 
  out 
  anew 
  to 
  test 
  his 
  own 
  powers. 
  He 
  approaches 
  the 
  

   person 
  seated 
  nearest 
  the 
  eastern 
  entrance, 
  on 
  the 
  south 
  side, 
  and, 
  

   grasping 
  his 
  sack 
  in 
  a 
  manner 
  similar 
  to 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  officiating 
  priests, 
  

   makes 
  threatening 
  motions 
  toward 
  the 
  Mide' 
  as 
  if 
  to 
  shoot 
  him, 
  

   saying, 
  "ya. 
  ho', 
  ho', 
  ho. 
  ho', 
  ho." 
  gradually 
  raising 
  his 
  voice 
  to 
  a 
  

   higher 
  key. 
  At 
  the 
  fourth 
  movement 
  he 
  makes 
  a 
  quick 
  thrust 
  

   toward 
  his 
  victim, 
  whereupon 
  the 
  latter 
  falls 
  forward 
  upon 
  the 
  

   ground. 
  He 
  then 
  proceeds 
  to 
  the 
  next, 
  who 
  is 
  menaced 
  in 
  a 
  similar 
  

   manner 
  and 
  who 
  likewise 
  becomes 
  apparently 
  unconscious 
  from 
  the 
  

   powerful 
  effects 
  of 
  the 
  mi'gis. 
  This 
  is 
  continued 
  until 
  all 
  persons 
  

   present 
  have 
  been 
  subjected 
  to 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  the 
  mi'gis 
  in 
  the 
  

   possession 
  of 
  the 
  new 
  member. 
  At 
  the 
  third 
  or 
  fourth 
  experiment 
  

   the 
  first 
  subject 
  revives 
  and 
  sits 
  up, 
  the 
  others 
  recovering 
  in 
  regular 
  

   order 
  a 
  short 
  time 
  after 
  having 
  been 
  '•shot 
  at," 
  as 
  this 
  procedure 
  is 
  

   termed. 
  

  

  When 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  Mide' 
  have 
  recovered 
  a 
  very 
  curious 
  ceremony 
  

   takes 
  place. 
  Each 
  one 
  places 
  his 
  mi'gis 
  shell 
  upon 
  the 
  right 
  palm 
  

   and, 
  grasping 
  the 
  Mide' 
  sack 
  with 
  the 
  left 
  hand, 
  moves 
  around 
  the 
  

   inclosure 
  and 
  exhibits 
  his 
  mi'gis 
  to 
  everyone 
  present, 
  constantly 
  

   uttering 
  the 
  word 
  "ho', 
  ho. 
  ho', 
  ho." 
  in 
  a 
  quick, 
  low 
  tone. 
  During 
  

   this 
  period 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  mingling 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  persons 
  present, 
  each 
  en- 
  

   deavoring 
  to 
  attract 
  the 
  attention 
  of 
  the 
  others. 
  Each 
  Mide' 
  then 
  

  

  