78 



THE MENOMINI INDIANS 



f ETH. ANN. 14 



to serve as a handle. These were partly tilled with grains of corn to pro- 

 duce a rattling sound. (Figure 11 represents one of the two specimens 

 procured and now in the United States National Museum.) Other 

 members are admitted at this stage of the ceremony, but as my visit 

 to the meeting was made at the request of some of the mitii /T and by 

 virtue of my affiliation with the Ojibwa society, I was invited to sit at 

 the right of the chief priest. 



The service, which continued from the time of the meeting at the 



grave until daylight of the following morning, was for the benefit of the 



shade of the dead, which had been permitted by N'a'qpote to return and 



to be present within the mita'wiko'mik. At daybreak, however, the 



shade is free to return to its last abode, but it is 



believed to make a last visit to the same spot lour 



years later. 



After the procession arrived at the medicine 

 wiko'mik, only the four highest officiating medicine 

 men reverentially entered, and, after taking the 

 seats reserved for them, produced their pipes and 

 tobacco. A ceremonial smoke was then indulged in 

 by blowing a mouthful of smoke toward the east, 

 another toward the south, one toward the west, one 

 toward the north, and another toward the sky, the 

 abode of Mashii' Ma'nido, or the Great Mystery. 

 Smoking continued, then, until the pipes went out, 

 when Nio'pet, sitting at the eastern extremity of the 

 row of four, and recognized, during these ceremonies 

 only, as the fourth in rank, began the ceremonies. 

 Looking about him to see that his associates were 

 ready to proceed, he remarked to each of the three, 

 in succession, " Nika'ni, nika'ni, nika'ni, kaue" (my 

 colleagues, my colleagues, my colleagues) ; to which 

 the others responded in like manner. Then betook 

 the drumstick, and giving the drum several soft 

 though rapid taps, to call attention, the two sitting to his right assist- 

 ing in gently shaking the rattle, the medicine man softly chanted the 

 following words: 



"My grandson will now be placed on the correct path. It gives me 

 pleasure to see the goods before me, which have been brought here as 

 an evidence of the good will of my grandson, and his desire to become 

 instructed in the way to go through life. 1 can hear beneath the ground 

 the approach of our enemies, the ana'maqki'ii, who destroyed the brother 

 of Ma'nabiish,and who now would wish to oppose our proceedings, but 

 Ma'nabush said: 'Whenever you are in trouble, place some tobacco 

 aside for me, aud when the odor of your smoke ascends 1 shall help 

 you.' Therefore, we have before us some tobacco to be offered to 

 Ma'nabush, that he may be present at the meeting and fill us with con- 

 tentment." 



Fig. 11— Gourd rattle. 



