﻿220 
  

  

  THE 
  MIDEWTWIN 
  OF 
  THE 
  o.FllSWA. 
  

  

  business 
  for 
  which 
  the 
  meeting 
  was 
  called 
  the 
  Indians 
  return 
  to 
  

   their 
  respective 
  homes 
  upon 
  the 
  following 
  morning. 
  If. 
  however, 
  

   arrangements 
  nave 
  been 
  made 
  to 
  advance 
  a 
  member 
  to 
  a 
  higher 
  

   degree, 
  the 
  necessary 
  changes 
  and 
  appropriate 
  arrangement 
  of 
  the 
  

   interior 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wigan 
  are 
  begun 
  immediately 
  after 
  the 
  society 
  

   has 
  adjourned. 
  

  

  DESCRIPTIVE 
  NOTES. 
  

  

  The 
  mi'gis 
  referred 
  to 
  in 
  this 
  description 
  of 
  the 
  initiation 
  con- 
  

   sists 
  of 
  a 
  small 
  white 
  shell, 
  of 
  almost 
  any 
  species, 
  but 
  the 
  one 
  be- 
  

   lieved 
  to 
  resemble 
  the 
  form 
  of 
  

   tne 
  mythical 
  mi'gis 
  is 
  similar 
  

   to 
  the 
  cowrie. 
  Cyprsea 
  moneta, 
  

   I 
  j.. 
  and 
  is 
  figured 
  at 
  No. 
  1 
  on 
  

   PI. 
  xi. 
  Nearly 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  shells 
  

   employed 
  for 
  this 
  purpose 
  are 
  

   foreign 
  species, 
  and 
  have 
  no 
  

   doubt 
  been 
  obtained 
  from 
  the 
  

   traders. 
  The 
  shells 
  found 
  in 
  

   the 
  country 
  of 
  the 
  Ojibwa 
  are 
  

   of 
  rather 
  delicate 
  structure, 
  

   and 
  it 
  is 
  probable 
  that 
  the 
  salt 
  

   water 
  shells 
  are 
  employed 
  as 
  a 
  

   substitute 
  chiefly 
  because 
  of 
  

   their 
  less 
  frangible 
  character. 
  

   The 
  mi'gis 
  of 
  the 
  other 
  degrees 
  

   are 
  presented 
  on 
  the 
  same 
  

   plate, 
  but 
  special 
  reference 
  to 
  

   them 
  will 
  be 
  made. 
  No. 
  2 
  

   represents 
  the 
  mi'gis 
  in 
  the 
  

   possession 
  of 
  the 
  chief 
  Mide' 
  

   priest 
  of 
  the 
  society 
  at 
  Leech 
  

   Lake, 
  Minnesota, 
  and 
  consists 
  

   of 
  a 
  pearl-white 
  Helix 
  (sp?). 
  

  

  The 
  Mide' 
  sack 
  represented 
  

   in 
  No. 
  7 
  (PI. 
  xi.) 
  is 
  made 
  of 
  

   Hie 
  skin 
  of 
  a 
  mink 
  — 
  Putorius 
  

   vison, 
  Gapp. 
  White, 
  downy 
  

   feathers 
  are 
  secured 
  to 
  the 
  

   Fio. 
  w 
  iiawk 
  leg 
  fetish. 
  nose, 
  asan 
  additional 
  orna- 
  

  

  ment. 
  In 
  this 
  sack 
  are 
  carried 
  the 
  sacred 
  objects 
  belonging 
  to 
  its 
  

   owner, 
  such 
  as 
  colors 
  for 
  facial 
  ornamentation, 
  and 
  the 
  magic 
  red 
  

   powder 
  employed 
  in 
  the 
  preparation 
  of 
  hunters 
  7 
  songs; 
  effigies 
  and 
  

   other 
  contrivances 
  to 
  prove 
  to 
  the 
  incredulous 
  the 
  genuineness 
  of 
  

   the 
  Mide' 
  pretensions, 
  sacred 
  songs, 
  amulets, 
  and 
  other 
  small 
  

   man'idos— 
  abnormal 
  productions 
  to 
  which 
  they 
  attach 
  supernatural 
  

   properties 
  invitation 
  sticks, 
  etc. 
  

  

  