Oral Tradition of the Origin of the Mide' Religion

From Frances Densmore. Chippewa Music. Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1910. 21-23.

Originally all the inhabitants of the earth (Chippewa Indians) who were to learn the Mide' lived on Madeline island, in Lake Superior, and in that portion of the country. They were selected by the Mide' manido' [the Mide' spirit] to be taught the Mide' religion.

There was first a consultation among the four manido' (East, South, West, and North). This took place at the center of the earth, not under the earth, but at some place far away. There they sat together and talked and decided to teach the Mide' to these particular Indians.

So the East manido' was selected to go among these Indians and teach them. Before he left the others he told them that they must get everything ready and decided exactly how the Mide' should be taught to the Indians. Of course the East manido' could not approach the Indians in his spirit form, so he was born of an old woman who had lived with her husband all her life but had had no children. This old couple lived on Madeline island.

The people were astonished and said, "He must be a wonderful person to be born in this way," so both mother and child were treated with great respect.

He was indeed a wonderful child. Whatever he said came true. He would say to his father, "Go and get a bear," and his father would find one without any difficulty. It was no effort at all for the family to get enough food. . . .

When he grew up he began to consider, "I must begin to instruct these Indians in the Mide'; that is the purpose for which I came."

After thinking this over he said to the old man, his father, "We will go on a journey to the end of the lake;" his mother went with them. . . .

They reached this place and stayed four days. On the fourth day a terrible storm came from the northeast, sweeping across the lake. During the storm the East manido' said to his father and mother, "My cousin at Madeline island is very ill; we must go back."

His father said, "It is impossible to even put the canoe on the water in such a storm."

Then the East manido' said, "Put the canoe on the water, and the waves will at once subside."

As soon as his father put the canoe on the water the storm subsided. . . .

When they arrived they found that the cousin had been dead four days, but the body had been kept so that they could see him.

The East manido' told his father and mother and their friends not to weep for the young man. Then the next morning he told the people to make a long lodge extending east and west, such as is now used for the Mide'. He showed them hot to make it with the top open and the sides of birch bark and leaves, and he said that they must all bring tobacco and cooked food. In the center of the lodge he placed a Mide' pole, and told the Indians to sit in rows around the lodge; he also made a Mide' drum and rattles, such are still used.

West of the p-ole and a few feet away he placed the hewn coffin of the dead man; on the south side of the lodge he seated the relatives and friends.

Then he told his father to take the Mide' drum and sing. . . .

Then the East manido' spoke to the parents of the dead man and to his own parents, saying, "I am about to leave you. I will be absent four days. You must stay here continuously and do every day as I have told you to do to-day." The old man promised to sing the Mide' songs and do everything as he had been told to do.

Then the East manido' took vermilion paint and also blue paint and made marks across the faces of the parents of the man and also his own parents--streaks across their foreheads, the lowest red, then blue and red alternately. Then he started away and said he would return on the morning of the fourth day. He went through the air toward the eastern sky. They could see him go.

After he had disappeared the old man took the Mide' drum and sang more and more Mide' songs. They came to him one after another. He was assisted by his son. Even while his son was absent he directed him spiritually.

During the four days that the East manido' was absent the sun shone constantly. There was not a cloud and the wind did not blow.

On the morning of the fourth day they looked toward the east and saw the sky streaked with colors like those he had painted on their foreheads. . . .

A little before noon they heard a peculiar sound in the sky. It was from the east. Some one was calling Wa, hi, hi, hi, as they call in the Mide' ceremony. They watched the sky and saw four Indians walking toward them in the sky, giving this call. Each Indian had a living otter in his hand.

The East manido' came down to the Mide' inclosure, lifted the drapery, and allowed the others to pass in. The four manido' came in and took their stand at the east of the lodge. . . .

The four manido' held the otters with the right hand near the head and the left hand below. These otters were their medicine bags.

The East manido' stood first in the line. He began to sing, went halfway to the coffin, blew on his medicine bag, and shot from there toward the coffin. Then the top of the coffin burst open, and the East manido' marched around the lodge and took his place at the end of the line.

Then the next one, the South manido', did exactly as the East manido' had done. When he had shot, the young man opened his eyes and breathed. Then the South manido' took his position at the end of the line.

Next came the West manido'. When he had shot, the young man raised up and looked at the manido'.

Last came the North manido', and when he had shot the young man rose up entirely well in every respect.

Then these four manido' began to talk to the Indians, and to tell them that this was the method by which they were to treat the sick and the dead, and that the East manido' would instruct them in all they were to do.

Then these manido' told the Indians that they would never see them again. The manido' would never come to earth again, but the Indians must offer them gifts and sacrifices, which would be spiritually received. They must always remember that the Mide' was given to them by the manido'.

The East manido' taught them the religion of the Mide' and put souls in their bodies and arranged how these souls should live in the next world. A great many times some of these Mide' people have a trance in which they follow the spirit path and see their dead friends. They also receive message in dreams. They are especially liable to do this when sorrowing for their friends.