﻿HOFFMAN.] 
  

  

  INITIATION 
  SONGS. 
  

  

  219 
  

  

  Nin 
  -nik-ka-ni 
  man'-i-do. 
  

  

  I 
  too 
  have 
  taken 
  the 
  medicine 
  he 
  gave 
  us. 
  

  

  [The 
  speaker's 
  arm, 
  covered 
  with 
  nii'gis. 
  or 
  magic 
  influence, 
  

   readies 
  toward 
  the 
  sky 
  to 
  receive 
  from 
  Ki'tshi 
  Man 
  ido 
  the 
  divine 
  

   favor 
  of 
  a 
  Mide 
  "s 
  power.] 
  

  

  Ke-kek'-o-I-yan'. 
  

   I 
  hrought 
  life 
  to 
  the 
  people. 
  

  

  [The 
  Thunderer, 
  the 
  one 
  who 
  causes 
  the 
  rains, 
  and 
  conse- 
  

   quently 
  life 
  to 
  vegetation, 
  by 
  which 
  the 
  Indian 
  may 
  sustain 
  life.] 
  

  

  CO 
  

  

  ut 
  

  

  Be-nio'-se 
  ma-ko 
  -van. 
  

   I 
  have 
  come 
  to 
  the 
  medicine 
  lodge 
  also. 
  

  

  [The 
  Bear 
  Spirit, 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  guardians 
  of 
  the 
  Mide 
  wiwin, 
  was 
  

   also 
  present, 
  and 
  did 
  not 
  oppose 
  the 
  singer's 
  entrance.] 
  

  

  Ka 
  -ka-mi'-ni-ni'-ta. 
  

  

  We 
  spirits 
  are 
  talking 
  together. 
  

  

  [The 
  singer 
  compares 
  himself 
  and 
  his 
  colleagues 
  to 
  spirits, 
  i. 
  e. 
  , 
  

   those 
  possessing 
  supernatural 
  powers, 
  and 
  communes 
  with 
  them 
  

   as 
  an 
  equal.] 
  

  

  O-ni'-ni-shink-ni'-yo. 
  

  

  The 
  mi'gis 
  is 
  on 
  my 
  body. 
  

  

  [The 
  magic 
  power 
  has 
  been 
  put 
  into 
  his 
  body 
  by 
  the 
  Mide 
  

  

  priests.] 
  

  

  Ni 
  man'-i-do 
  ni'-yan. 
  

   The 
  spirit 
  has 
  put 
  away 
  all 
  my 
  sickness. 
  

  

  [He 
  has 
  received 
  new 
  life, 
  and 
  is, 
  henceforth, 
  free 
  from 
  the 
  dis- 
  

   turbing 
  influences 
  of 
  evil 
  man'idos.] 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  sun 
  approaches 
  the 
  western 
  horizon, 
  the 
  Mide' 
  priests 
  

   emerge 
  from 
  the 
  western 
  door 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wigan 
  and 
  go 
  to 
  their 
  

   respective 
  wig'iwams, 
  where 
  they 
  partake 
  of 
  their 
  regular 
  evening 
  

   repast, 
  after 
  which 
  the 
  remainder 
  of 
  the 
  evening 
  is 
  spent 
  in 
  paying 
  

   calls 
  upon 
  other 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  society, 
  smoking, 
  etc. 
  

  

  The 
  preceptor 
  and 
  his 
  assistant 
  return 
  to 
  the 
  Mide'wigan 
  at 
  night- 
  

   fall, 
  remove 
  the 
  degree 
  post 
  and 
  plant 
  it 
  at 
  the 
  head 
  of 
  the 
  wig'iwam 
  

   — 
  that 
  part 
  directly 
  opposite 
  the 
  entrance 
  — 
  occupied 
  by 
  the 
  new 
  

   member. 
  Two 
  stones 
  are 
  placed 
  at 
  the 
  base 
  of 
  the 
  post, 
  to 
  repre- 
  

   sent 
  the 
  two 
  forefeet 
  of 
  the 
  bear 
  Man'ido 
  through 
  whom 
  life 
  was 
  

   also 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  Ani'shina'beg. 
  

  

  If 
  there 
  should 
  be 
  more 
  than 
  one 
  candidate 
  to 
  receive 
  a 
  degree 
  

   the 
  entire 
  number, 
  if 
  not 
  too 
  great, 
  is 
  taken 
  into 
  the 
  Mide 
  'wigan 
  for 
  

   initiation 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  time; 
  and 
  if 
  one 
  day 
  suffices 
  to 
  transact 
  the 
  

  

  