hoffman] CONSTRUCTION OF THE WlKo'llIK 89 



is your chief and parent whom I want to come and swallow me;' and 

 pushing them forcibly away from him, the old Mi'sikine'bik became so 

 enraged that he darted forward and swallowed Mii'iiiibusk. 



"When Mii'nabush found himself inside the belly of Mi'sikine'bik, he 

 began to look about and found many of his people — some who had but 

 recently been swallowed, some who had become sick and weak from 

 long confinement, and the remains of many others who had perished 

 there. Then Mii'nabush asked the Buffalo, 'My uncle, how did you get 

 here'? I never saw you near the water, but always on the prairie.' The 

 Buffalo replied, saying, 'I was near the lake to get some green, fresh 

 grass, when Mi'sikine'bik caught me.' He asked many of the others 

 how they happened to be so unfortunate as to be in that place. 

 Then Mii'niibush said to them all, 'We will now have to go to my 

 grandmother's shore, but you will have to help me.' Then they all 

 began to dance around in the interior of Mi'sikine'bik, which made 

 him very sick and caused him to swim toward the shore. Then Mii'nii- 

 bush, who had a short knife with him, began to cut into that part of 

 the body over his head, while the dancers sang, 'Ke'sikina'miu; ke'si- 

 kina'min' [I see the sky; I see the sky]. Mii'niibush kept cutting the 

 body of Mi'sikine'bik so much that he was heard to say, ' I have too many 

 of them within me; I am getting very sick; I shall swim to the shore 

 where Noko'mis lives'; and going forward rapidly he was soon stranded 

 on the beach, when Mii'niibush finished by cutting a hole in the body of 

 Mi'sikine'bik large enough for them to emerge and again be free. 



"They were all pleased because Ma'niibush had helped them to return 

 to the earth. Mii'nabush then left his uncles and went toward the rising 

 sun, when one day as he was approaching a high mountain he saw on it, 

 basking in the sun, a large white bear, Owa'sse, who was one of the 

 most powerful of the ana'maqki'u. Mii'niibush approached very cau- 

 tiously, and drawing an arrow from his quiver, he fixed it to his bow- 

 string and shot it through the body of Owa'sse, killing him. The blood 

 ran down the mountain side and stained it so that it is visible even 

 at this day. There we get some of the medicine which is used by the 

 mitii'wok." 



At the termination of the above chant, the candidate and his attend- 

 ants returned to their seats, while the performer passed the drum and 

 drumstick to the mitii" on his right, who appeared to continue the 

 ritualistic chant. The nature of the recitation was again changed, 

 for instead of continuing the traditional exploits of Mii'niibush, the 

 explanation of how the mitii'wiko'mik came to be constructed and 

 the privileges which Mii'niibush received from the Great Mystery were 

 recounted. It was also stated how and why the mitii'wok do certain 

 things connected with the ceremony. 



The second of the mitii'wok who now prepared to chant was the third 

 in rank. The candidate and his followers returned and stood before the 



