A General History of the Fur Trade, Ti 



allowed to be humble spectators, while the most religious 

 awe and solemnity pervade the whole. The Michiniwais, 

 or Assistant, takes up the pipe, lights it, and presents it to 

 the officiating person, who receives it standing, and holds it 

 between both his hands. He then turns himself to the East, 

 and draws a few whiffs, which he blows to that point. The 

 same ceremony he observes to the other three quarters, with 

 his eyes directed upwards duringthe whole of it. He holds 

 the stem about the middle between the three first fingers of 

 both hands, and raising them upon a line with his forehead, 

 he swings it three times round from the East, with the sun, 

 when, after pointing and balancing it in various directions, 

 he reposes it on the forks : he then makes a speech to explain 

 the design of their being called together, which concludes 

 with an acknowledgment of past mercies, and a prayer for 

 the continuance of them, from the Master of Life. He then 

 sits down, and the whole company declare their approbation 

 and thanks by uttering the word ho ! with an emphatic pro- 

 longation of the last letter. The Michiniwais then takes 

 up the pipe and holds it to the mouth of the officiating per- 

 son, who, after smoking three whiffs out of it, utters a short 

 prayer, and then goes round with it, taking his course from 

 East to West, to every person present, who individually 

 says something to him on the occasion : and thus the pipe is 

 generally smoked out ; when after turning it three or four 

 times round his head, he drops it downwards, and replaces 

 it in its original situation. He then returns the company 

 thanks for their attendance, and wishes them, as well as the 

 whole tribe, health and long life. 



These smoking rites precede every matter of great impor- 

 tance, with more or less ceremony, but always with equal 

 solemnity. The utility of them will appear from the fol- 

 lowing relation. 



If a chief is anxious to know the disposition of his peo- 

 ple towards him, or if he wishes to settle any difference be- 

 tween them, he announces his intention of opening his me- 

 dicine-bag and smoking in his sacred stem ; and no man 

 who entertains a grudge against any of the par ty thus assem- 

 bled, can smoke with the sacred stem : as that ceremony dissi- 

 pates all differences, and is never violated. 



No one can avoid attending on these occasions ; but a 

 person may attend and be excused from assisting at the 

 ceremonies, by acknowledging that he has not undergone 



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