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  THE 
  MIDKWIWIN 
  OF 
  THE 
  OJIBWA. 
  

  

  will 
  be 
  broken 
  and 
  their 
  primitive 
  customs 
  and 
  rites 
  be 
  abandoned. 
  

  

  The 
  chief 
  Mide' 
  priests, 
  being 
  aware 
  of 
  the 
  momentous 
  conse- 
  

   quences 
  of 
  such 
  a 
  change 
  in 
  their 
  habits, 
  and 
  foreseeing 
  the 
  imprac- 
  

   ticability 
  of 
  much 
  longer 
  continuing 
  the 
  ceremonies 
  of 
  so-called 
  

   " 
  pagan 
  rites," 
  became 
  willing 
  to 
  impart 
  them 
  to 
  me, 
  in 
  order 
  that 
  a 
  

   complete 
  description 
  might 
  be 
  made 
  and 
  preserved 
  for 
  the 
  future 
  

   information 
  of 
  their 
  descendants. 
  

  

  There 
  is 
  scarcely 
  any 
  doubt 
  that 
  these 
  ceremonies 
  will 
  still 
  be 
  

   secretly 
  held 
  at 
  irregular 
  intervals; 
  but 
  under 
  the 
  watchful 
  care 
  of 
  

   the 
  national 
  authorities 
  it 
  is 
  doubtful 
  whether 
  they 
  will 
  be 
  performed 
  

   with 
  any 
  degree 
  of 
  completeness, 
  and 
  it 
  will 
  be 
  but 
  a 
  comparatively 
  

   short 
  time 
  before 
  the 
  Mide'wiwin 
  will 
  be 
  only 
  a 
  tradition. 
  

  

  