386 USES OF PLANTS BY THE CHIPPEWA INDIANS [BXH.ANM.44 



their steps as far as a person's voice could be heard and make their 

 camp. They were told to do this every night until they reached home. 

 They did as Winabojo had instructed them and reached home safely. 

 Winabojo had told them to make a sweat lodge and they made it. 

 He also said there must be no crying nor wailing. Inside the sweat 

 lodge he made a bed of cedar boughs and on it he laid the bag that he 

 had brought from the spirit land. He did everything as Winabojo 

 had commanded and sat down outside the lodge. After a while he 

 heard his daughter say, " Come and let me out." He went into the 

 lodge, untied the bag, and his daughter came out. He greeted her, 

 but there was no outcry, as Winabojo had commanded. Then his 

 daughter was the same as before she went to the spirit land. 



GATHERING BIRCH BARK AND CEDAR BARK 



It was customary to gather as much bark as possible in June or 

 early in July as the bark is more easily removed at that season. 

 The gathering of birch and cedar bark was attended with a simple 

 ceremony, as both these trees are believed to be connected with Wina- 

 bojo. The foregoing legends concerning these trees have stated that 

 the birch is so powerful that Winabojo went to it for protection, and 

 the cedar is so beautiful that he wears it as an ornament. Many sorts 

 of birch bark were cut, the heaviest being used for canoes or similar 

 purposes, and the lighter for utensils and various containers, or for 

 roof coverings. Cedar was needed for parts of canoes and for numer- 

 ous other uses. In old times the procuring of birch and cedar bark 

 was an event in which all participated. A number of families went 

 to the vicinity of these trees and made a camp. A gathering was held, 

 at which a venerable man, speaking for the entire company, expressed 

 gratitude to the spirit of the trees and of the woods, saying they had 

 come to gather a supply which they needed, and asking permission 

 to do this together with protection and strength for their work. 

 He also asked the protection and good will of the thunderbirds so 

 that no harm would come from them. The reason he asked the 

 protection of the spirit of the woods was that sometimes people 

 were careless and cut trees thoughtlessly, and the trees fell and hurt 

 them. The speaker then offered tobacco to the cardinal points, the 

 sky, and the earth, murmuring petitions as he did so. He then put 

 the tobacco in the ground at the foot of the tree. Filling a pipe, he 

 offered it as he had offered the tobacco, again murmuring petitions. 

 He then lit and smoked the pipe while tobacco was distributed among 

 the company, who smoked for a time. This simple ceremony was 

 followed by a feast, The next day the company divided into small 

 groups and proceeded to cut the trees and remove the bark. 



In order to observe the felling of a birch tree the writer asked 

 Mrs. Razer to cut down a tree. This she and her husband consented 



