30 
former as the sovereign master of the universe; consequently, when they suffer any 
public or tribal afflictions, they sacrifice to him .” 1 
Nevertheless, this doctrine of two great spirits, one good and one 
evil, undoubtedly gained much of its prominence through Christian teach- 
ing. It must have been rather vague and tenuous in earlier times, since 
it appears to have exerted little influence on religious practices. Even 
today some of the Parry Island Ojibwa, who never identify the Great 
Spirit with the sun, believe that he dwells apart from everything, and 
interferes but rarely with the working of the universe. Others, of course, 
enlarge his activities like the old man quoted below; but this man, like 
all the Indians on the reserve, adheres to one or other of the Christian 
churches, and may well have modified the ancient doctrine. 
“ There is a .big boss manido, the chief of all the manidos. He stays somewhere 
in one place, sitting quietly and supervising everything. He is like the captain on 
a steamboat, or like the Government that remains in Ottawa, yet has its servants 
all over the country. So the Great Manido has lesser bosses in different regions, 
and they have lesser manidos under them. If a manido is evil the Great Manido 
sends another manido to remedy the evil, or to remove the evil manido; or else he 
destroys the evil manido in some other way, perhaps through a medicine-man” (John 
Manatuwaba). 
Although the Parry Island Ojibwa seem never to think of the Great 
Spirit as the creator of the universe, yet they hold him responsible for 
an arrangement that plays an important part in many ceremonies. For 
when the Great Spirit made the sun travel from east to south, and south 
to west, he intended that everything should go in the same direction. So 
medicine-men gathering leaves or roots move around the plants in a sun- 
wise direction, and during their ceremonies they pass the smoking pipe 
in the same manner. Medicine-men and laymen alike must follow the 
movements of the sun in dancing; to dance counter-sunwise will bring 
misfortune on a man or his kindred. Sorcerers and evil spirits, of course, 
act in a contrary manner, because they are opposing the will of the Great 
Spirit. Likewise if the wind changes against the sun, i.e., from south 
through east to north, you may be sure that a storm will follow^ whereas 
if it changes with the sun there will be fine weather. 
THE MANIDOS OF THE FOUR CARDINAL POINTS 
Since the Great Spirit seemed so far away, and so little active in 
the universe, the Indians naturally made their supplications to the lesser 
manidos , those who concerned themselves more directly with human affairs. 
Some of the Parry Islanders postulate four “ deputy ” manidos who rule 
the four quarters of the universe through an indefinite number of minor 
agencies. The old Ottawa Indian, Jim Nanibush, named them thus: the 
ruler of the east, Wabenokkwe, “ wabeno woman ” or the moon, sister of 
the sun over whom she has charge; the ruler of the south, Shauwanigizik, 
“ southern sky ” ; the ruler of the west, Nanibush , and the ruler of the 
north, Giyuedin , “ wind blows home (because the winds have their home 
in the north). The same four manidos , unnamed, appear in a myth nar- 
1 “Documents Relating to the Early History of Hudson Bay,” edited by J. B. Tyrrell, p. 220. The Champlain 
Society, Toronto, 1931. 
