﻿HOFFMAN. 
  J 
  

  

  DESCRIPTIVE 
  NOTES. 
  275 
  

  

  posts, 
  as 
  practiced 
  by 
  the 
  several 
  societies 
  in 
  Minnesota. 
  Each 
  

   society 
  claims 
  to 
  preserve 
  the 
  ancient 
  method. 
  The 
  cross, 
  shown 
  in 
  

   No. 
  7, 
  bears 
  the 
  typical 
  colors 
  — 
  -red 
  and 
  green 
  — 
  upon 
  the 
  upper 
  half, 
  

   while 
  the 
  lower 
  post 
  is 
  square 
  and 
  colored 
  white 
  on 
  the 
  east, 
  green 
  

   <m 
  the 
  south, 
  red 
  on 
  the 
  west, 
  and 
  black 
  on 
  the 
  north. 
  The 
  Mide' 
  

   explain 
  the 
  signification 
  of 
  the 
  colors 
  as 
  follows: 
  White 
  represents 
  

   the 
  east, 
  the 
  source 
  of 
  light 
  and 
  the 
  direction 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  sacred 
  

   mi'gis 
  came; 
  green, 
  sha'mano 
  the 
  southern 
  one, 
  refers 
  to 
  the 
  source 
  

   of 
  the 
  rains, 
  the 
  direction 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  Thunderers 
  come 
  in 
  the 
  

   spring, 
  they 
  who 
  revivify 
  the 
  earth; 
  red 
  refers 
  to 
  the 
  land 
  of 
  the 
  set- 
  

   ting 
  sun, 
  the 
  abode 
  of 
  the 
  shadows 
  or 
  the 
  dead; 
  and 
  north 
  being 
  

   black, 
  because 
  that 
  is 
  the 
  direction 
  from 
  which 
  come 
  cold, 
  hunger, 
  

   and 
  disease. 
  

  

  The 
  words 
  of 
  the 
  Mide' 
  priest 
  alluding 
  to 
  "the 
  path 
  that 
  has 
  no 
  

   end 
  " 
  refer 
  to 
  the 
  future 
  course 
  and 
  conduct 
  of 
  the 
  candidate 
  for 
  

   the 
  last 
  degree, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  to 
  the 
  possibility 
  of 
  attaining 
  unlimited 
  

   powers 
  in 
  magic, 
  and 
  is 
  pictorially 
  designated 
  upon 
  the 
  chart 
  on 
  PI. 
  

   in, 
  A, 
  at 
  No. 
  99. 
  The 
  path 
  is 
  devious 
  and 
  beset 
  with 
  temptations, 
  

   but 
  by 
  strict 
  adherence 
  to 
  the 
  principles 
  of 
  the 
  Mide'wiwin 
  the 
  

   Mide' 
  may 
  reach 
  the 
  goal 
  and 
  become 
  the 
  superior 
  of 
  his 
  confreres, 
  

   designated 
  Mi-ni'-si-no'-shkwe, 
  "he 
  who 
  lives 
  on 
  the 
  island." 
  

  

  A 
  Mide'- 
  Wabeno' 
  of 
  this 
  degree 
  is 
  dreaded 
  on 
  account 
  of 
  his 
  ex- 
  

   traordinary 
  power 
  of 
  inflicting 
  injury, 
  causing 
  misfortune, 
  etc., 
  and 
  

   most 
  remarkable 
  tales 
  are 
  extant 
  concerning 
  his 
  astounding 
  per- 
  

   formances 
  with 
  fire. 
  

  

  The 
  following 
  performance 
  is 
  said 
  to 
  have 
  occurred 
  at 
  White 
  

   Earth, 
  Minnesota, 
  in 
  the 
  presence 
  of 
  a 
  large 
  gathering 
  of 
  Indians 
  

   and 
  mixed 
  bloods. 
  Two 
  small 
  wig'iwams 
  were 
  erected, 
  about 
  50 
  

   paces 
  from 
  each 
  other, 
  and 
  after 
  the 
  WabSno' 
  had 
  crawled 
  into 
  

   one 
  of 
  them 
  his 
  disparagers 
  built 
  around 
  each 
  of 
  them 
  a 
  continuous 
  

   heap 
  of 
  brush 
  and 
  firewood, 
  which 
  were 
  then 
  kindled. 
  When 
  the 
  

   blaze 
  was 
  at 
  its 
  height 
  all 
  became 
  hushed 
  for 
  a 
  moment, 
  and 
  pres- 
  

   ently 
  the 
  Wabeno' 
  called 
  to 
  the 
  crowd 
  that 
  he 
  had 
  transferred 
  him- 
  

   self 
  to 
  the 
  other 
  wig'iwam 
  and 
  immediately, 
  to 
  their 
  profound 
  aston- 
  

   ishment, 
  crawled 
  forth 
  unharmed. 
  

  

  This 
  is 
  but 
  an 
  example 
  of 
  the 
  numerous 
  and 
  marvelous 
  abilities 
  

   with 
  which 
  the 
  Wabeno' 
  of 
  the 
  higher 
  grade 
  is 
  accredited. 
  

  

  The 
  special 
  pretensions 
  claimed 
  by 
  the 
  Mide- 
  WabSno' 
  have 
  already 
  

   been 
  mentioned, 
  but 
  an 
  account 
  of 
  the 
  properties 
  and 
  manner 
  of 
  

   using 
  the 
  "love 
  powder" 
  may 
  here 
  be 
  appropriate. 
  This 
  powder— 
  

   the 
  composition 
  of 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  given 
  — 
  is 
  generally 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  

   owner 
  to 
  accomplish 
  results 
  desired 
  by 
  the 
  applicant. 
  It 
  is 
  carried 
  

   in 
  a 
  small 
  bag 
  made 
  of 
  buckskin 
  or 
  cloth, 
  which 
  the 
  Wabeno' 
  care- 
  

   fully 
  deposits 
  within 
  his 
  Mide' 
  sack, 
  but 
  which 
  is 
  transferred 
  to 
  an- 
  

   other 
  sack 
  of 
  like 
  size 
  and 
  loaned 
  to 
  the 
  applicant, 
  for 
  a 
  valuable 
  

   consideration. 
  

  

  