hoffmajO OJIBWA CEREMONIAL TERMS 61 



apt in acquiring' the words of a chant, never before heard by them, to 

 join after two or three repetitions and assist as if they had known it 

 always. Thus these strangers unconsciously acquire a vocabulary at 

 first of unknown meaning to them, but by repetition and association 

 with actions and familiar gestures they ultimately become, sufficiently 

 advanced to comprehend the new language limited to this ceremonial. 



From the foregoing remarks it will be observed that the ceremonials 

 of the cult societies may be tinctured, to greater or less degree, by the 

 intrusion of extra-tribal ritualistic traditions and beliefs, the ceremo- 

 nial forms of the Ojibwa, however, being considerably in excess of those 

 of any other tribe. 



For many years there lias been constant intercourse between the 

 Menomini and the Ojibwa of Lac Court Oreille and Lac Flambeau, on 

 account of occasional intermarriage between these tribes and the 

 mutual attendance at the cult ceremonies, [t appears probable, also, 

 that on account of this intercourse the Menomini ritual of the Mita/wit, 

 or Grand Medicine society, has been very perceptibly molded after the 

 Ojibwa, but that during this process of adaptation much of the ancient 

 ritual has been lost. 



A great portion of the phraseology of the Ojibwa ritual is in an 

 archaic form of language, and is thus unintelligible to the ordinary 

 Indian, and frequently to many members of the society. This archaic 

 phraseology naturally appears impressive and important to the general 

 populace, and the shamans delight to dwell on such phrases, during 

 ceremonials, not only to impress their hearers but to elevate themselves 

 as well. 



Honorable \Y. W. Warren, in his History of the Ojibwa Indians, says: 



Iii tin- Me-da-vre rite is incorporated must that is ancient amongsl them — songs 

 and traditions that have descended, not orally, but in hieroglyphics, for at least a 

 long line of generations, in this rite is also perpetuated the purest and must ancient. 

 idioms of their language, which differs somewhal from that of the common every- 

 day use. 1 



The Menomini ceremonies of the same society are. as above stated, 

 very much curtailed, and apparently worn down by careless transmis- 

 sion from generation to generation. The chants are, in general, in 

 Menomini. though that portion of the ritual pertaining to the Indian 

 cosmogony and genesis of mankind is to a great extent mixed with 

 Ojibwa words, and is therefore unintelligible to almost every one save 

 those familiar with this language. 



It has already been shown with what persistency the Menomini and 

 the Winnebago Indians have dwelt side by side from the earliest his- 

 torical times, and it is a subject of interest to know with what surpris- 

 ing similarity these two tribes have, up to a recent period, conducted 

 their medicine ceremonials. The entire ritual and its dramatization 

 appear to be of Algonquian elaboration; and the adaptation thereof 



'Coll. Minnesota Hist. See. TO 1. v, 1885, p. G7. 



