USA > Michigan > Ionia County > Memorials of the Grand River Valley > Part 25
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" The young man, feeling still colder, and growing tired of the old man's boasting, and morning being nigh, as seen by the rosy tints in the east, said: . Now, my friend, I wish to speak.' 'Speak,' said the old man, 'My car, though it be old, is open, it can hear.' 'I go,' said the young man. " over all the earth, too. I have seen it covered with snow, and the waters I have seen hard; but I have only passed over them and the snow has melted, the mountain rivulets have begun to run, and rivers to move, and the ice to inelt. The earth has become green under my tread; the flowers blossomed, the birds were joyful, and all that you have referred to as produced by your power, has vanished.'
" The old man fetched a deep sigh; and, shaking his head, said: 'I know thee-thon art Spring.' 'True,' said the young man, 'and here behold my head; see it crowned with flowers; and my cheeks, how they bloom. Come, near, and touch me. Thou,' exclaimed the young man, 'art Winter. I know thy power is great, but thou darest not come to my country. Thy beard would fall off, all thy strength would fail, and thou wouldst die.' The old man felt the truth of the remark, and before the morning was fully come he was seen vanishing away! But each, before they parted, expressed the wish that they might meet again."
" My wife," said Johnson, having told you a Chippewa allegory, I will tell you first a tale of generous heroism, and then one of superstition." So he began:
"The following story I got from Gitche-gansine. Gitche-gansine was a distinguished warrior. After a great battle with the Sioux, a few skulkers took off the bodies of some of the slain, and made soup of them. Gitche- gansine, passing by at the time, they said unto him, "Are you brave enough to partake of our mess, and assist us in eating the bodies of the slain?" ' No,' said he, I killed them, but only men base like you, can eat them." "Some years afterward, Gitche-gansine fell sick, and, all supposed, died.
His wife, contrary to Indian custom, instead of burying him the same day, kept his corpse four days, insisting that he was not dead; but nevertheless, tied the bag to his back, which it is usual to bury with the dead, and in which supplies are put. On the fourth day, she put her hand to his breast and felt it rise; and soon after discovered that he was not dead. Shortly after, Gitche-gansine opened his eyes and spoke, saying, O, but I have slept long! I have had a strange dream! It immediately occurred to his wife that she had not, as is the custom of this people, put by his side his ket- tle and the various other things that are usually put by the side of the de- ceased, to assist him in getting a support in the land of souls. The thought had but just passed when he continued and said :- "Why did you not place my kettle and my bows and arrows beside me? Now I know the reason why I have come back. I have said I have had a strange dream. I was going along the paths the spirits tread, and it was smooth. I saw many people traveling along this path, and of various descriptions, and all carrying burdens of various kinds. I saw many lodges, and in them the drums were beating; and there was dancing in them all; but nobody invited me to join the dance. Every person who spoke to me, asked, ' Where are you going ?' "Why do you return ?' I also saw much game; many deer and elk, etc.,
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and feeling for my arrows, and finding I had none, I determined on returning. I saw a woman; 'You need not return' said she; ' here is a kettle; and here,' said another, 'is a gun.' I took them, but still determined to return, because those were not my own. As I arrived near my own lodge, I found myself on the borders of a fiery plain. I examined it. It was a circle of fire and my own lodge was in the middle of the circle. I asked myself how am I to cross this fire? I resolved to try; when, making a strong exertion, I leaped through the flames and found it was a dream."
FROM MCKINNEY'S LETTERS.
The introductory paragraph is to show the Indian idea of malicious spells. It is to be premised that McKinney had become much interested in an Indian girl, who was blind and paralytic.
" At this moment her mother spoke and said, it was an Indian who had done that. 'How? ' I asked. 'He put a spell upon her,' she answered. . For what?' She said she did not know. I had the same question put to her father, who had that moment come in. He answered by saying that the Indian wished to marry her, and she did not favor his application; and he supposed it was for that he put the spell upon her. I asked the father, through the interpreter, who made the world? and got for answer the follow- ing story :
" It was made by Nanibojou. Nanibojou and two wolves went out hunt- ing. After the first day's hunt, one of the wolves parted from them, and went to the left, and the other continued with Nanibojou, and Nanibojou adopted him for his son. Nanibijou, knowing that there were devils living in the lake, he and his son went to war with them, and destroyed all the devils that lived in one lake; then pursued their way hunting; but every deer and wolf they started and gave chase to, would run into another of the lakes. One day the wolf chased a deer. It ran upon the ice in the lake. The wolf pursued it; the ice broke at the moment the wolf had caught the deer, and both fell in. The devils caught both the wolf and the deer, and devoured them. Then Nanibojou went up and down the lake shore, crying; when a loon in the lake heard Nanibojou erying. and called to him to know what he was crying about. Nanibojon answered that he had lost his son in the lake; and the loon replied that the devils had eaten him; and if he wanted to see the devils, he might. by going to a certain place, as the devils would come out there to sun them- selves. Nanibojou went according, and saw the devils in the forms of snakes, bears and other things. And when the two head devils got out on the bank, they saw something of uncommon appearance, which they had not seen before, and halting, they sent a very large devil, in the form of a snake, to see what this strange sight was. Nanibojou, seeing the devil coming, assumed the appearance of a stump. The devil, coming up, wrapped himself round it, and drew upon it with all his strength, and squeezed so hard that Nanibojou was on the point of crying out, when the devil uncoiled himself a little, and then wound round him again, and drew, if possible, harder than he did before. So severe did Nanibojou feel the pressure to lo, that he was just about crying out, when the devil relaxed his hold, and returned to his companions, and told them it was nothing but a stump.
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But the devils were not satisfied; so they sent another, in the shape of a bear to try what he could make of it. The bear came up to Nanibojou and hugged him, and bit him, and clawed him; and so severe was the bear on him, that he was as before on the point of crying out, when the bear relaxed his hold and forbore to bite and scratch. He however repeated his attacks, and it was with the greatest difficulty Nanibojou could forbear to cry out. The bear returned and told the devils it was nothing but a stump. Whereupon, the devils all went to sleep in the sun, as the snakes do, when Nanibojou, being convinced that they were all asleep, shot with arrows the two great devils. When the rest of the devils awoke, and found their principal devils hal been killed, they pursued Nanibojou with a great food of water. Nanibojou, hearing it coming, fled before it, and ran from hill to hill, until he had got to the top of the highest mountain, and there climbed the highest pine tree that he could see. But the waters followed him to the top of this tree, when he prayed that the tree might grow. It did grow, but the waters rose still higher. He prayed again, being about covered with water-it being now up to his chin. He prayed . a third time, but the tree grew only a little. Then, looking around him upon the waters, he saw a number of anim ils swimming in various direc- tions, and amongst them a bear, an otter, and a muskrat. He called them brothers, and said, 'Come to me.' We must have some earth or we shall all die. They came, and the bear went first after some earth, by diving into the waters, but drowned before he reached the bottom. Next the otter went down. He got within sight of land, but lost his senses before he got a bite of it. Then the muskrat went down and reached the bottom, and just as he got a bite of it he lost his senses and floated up to the top of the water. Nanibojou had them all brought to him; when he examined all their claws, beginning with the bear, but found no earth in any of them, except a little in those of the muskrat. He took it in his hand, and rubbed it and held it up to the sun until it dried. Then he blew it all round him over the water, and dry land appeared. I asked him who made the earth the muskrat found. He answered, he did not know. He knew nothing beyond the time when Nanoibjou made the earth. I asked him where Nanibojou was now. He answered, 'somewhere towards the rising sun.' " What is he like; is he a man in his appearance, or what does he resem- ble ?' He answered: "He is like a man.' · Was he ever married ?' ' Yes: but he has had no wife of late.' I then asked him who made Nanibojou? He said he was a twin, and was born of a woman, who had never had a husband, and who, on giving Nanibojon and his brother life, had vanished, and had never been seen since, nor had Nanibojou's brother. Some may fancy that here they see an analogy between this and the Noahic flood, and the mystery of the incarnation. If one is determined to find coincidences, they can hardly be avoided.
WABAJICK'S WAR SONG.
Wabajick was the great war chief of LaPoint, Lake Superior,-the father of Mrs. Johnson, and grandfather of Mrs. Oaks. The version here given is by Mr. Johnson, It is a translation of the song used by the chief and his warriors.
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" On that day, when our heroes lay low-lay low- On that day when our heroes lay low,
I fought by their side, and thought ere I died, Just vengeance to take on the foe-the foe --- Just vengeance to take on the foe.
On that day, when our chieftain lay dead-lay dead, On that day when our chieftain lay dead,
I fought hand-to-hand at the head of my band; And here on my breast have I bled-have I bled, And here on my breast have 1 bled.
Our chiefs shall return no more-no more, Our chiefs shall return no more,
Nor their brothers in war, who can't show scar for scar, Like women, their fates shall deplore-deplore,
Like women, their fates shall deplore.
Five winters in hunting we'll spend-we'll spend, Five winters in hunting we'll spend;
Then our youth, grown to men, to the war lead again, And our days, like our fathers', we'll end-we'll end, And our days, like our fathers, we'll end.
INDIAN SONG.
As a literary curiosity, we here give a song in the Chippewa language, composed by a daughter of Wabijick, with a literal translation in English by her sister, Mrs. Schoolcraft.
THE OJIBWAY MAID.
Ann dush ween do win ane, Gitchy Mocomaun ainee; Caw auzhaw wot da mode We yea, haw ha! etc.
Wah yaw burn maud e, Ojibway quaine un e, We maw jaw need e, We yea, etc.
Omowe maun e We nemoshain yun; We maw jaw need e, We yea, etc.
Caw ween gush sha ween, Kin waingh e we yea, O guh maw e maw seen, We yea, etc.
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Me gush sha ween e yea, Ke bish quaw bum maud e, Tehe won ain e maud e, We yea, etc.
" Why! what is the matter with the young American? He crosses the river, with tears in his eyes. He sees the young Ojibway girl, preparing to leave the place. He sobs for his sweetheart, for she is going away! But he will not sigh long for her, for as soon as he is out of her sight, he will for- get her."
AN INDIAN SUPERSTITION.
The Indians never go around, but make a portage over Kewana Point. Besides the distance, they have another reason. They have a tradition of long standing, perhaps of a hundred years, that some of their people, in going round this point, attempted to make a visit to Beaver Island. They approached it, when the form of a woman appeared; and as they continued to approach, she continued to grow, until her size became so overpowering and fearful, that to get rid of her awful aspect, they fled. They interpreted this appearance into an interdietion of their right to approach it in future: and believing that this woman held dominion over all the beavers on Ke- wana. Point, they never dared to disturb these animals there. The conse- quence was that when an old gentleman, now a resident at the South, first traversed this region, some forty years ago, the beavers in the little lakes and rivers of this Point were countless. They had been undisturbed for half a century or more. This tradition is believed, and acted npon by the Chippe- was until this day. It was doubtless a mirage that spread out in that form.
INDIAN GRAVES.
The Indians' graves are first covered over with bark. Over the grave a shelter like an Indian lodge is built, poles stuck in the ground. bent over and fastened at the top, and covered with bark. An opening is left like that of a lodge. Before this door a post is planted, and if the dead was a warrior, painted red. Near this post a pole is planted about ten feet long. From the top of this pole is suspended the ornaments of the deceased, or the scalps he has taken.
The author thinks this will, in part, account for the small mounds, that are quite common where the Indians had their villages. These mounds are generally about eight or ten feet in diameter, and about two feet high. In them will be found a set of human bones, and coals. Did not the Indians place the dead in a hut and cover the hut with earth? The appearances indicate that.
MOURNING.
It is required of a Chippewa woman when her husband dies, that she shall take her best apparel, roll it up, and confine it by means of her husband's sashes; and if he had ornaments, those are generally put on the top of the roll; and around it is wrapped a piece of cloth. This bundle is called her husband; and it is expected that she will never be seen without it. This
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badge of mourning she is obliged to carry with her until some one of her late husband's family shall call and take it away; which is done when they think she has mourned long enough, and which is generally at the end of a year. She is then, and not until then, at liberty to marry again. She may, if she so chooses, take this husband to the family of the deceased, and leave it; but this is considered indecorous, and is seldom done.
Sometimes a brother of the deceased takes the widow for his wife at the grave of her husband; which is done by the ceremony of walking her over it. This he has a right to do; or, if she chooses, she has the right to go to him, and he is bound to support her; and she is not required to go into mourning. (Adair here sees a Jewish custom.)
The Chippewa men mourn by painting their faces black.
A Chippewa mother, on losing her child, prepares an image of it in the best manner she is able, and dresses it as she did her living child; fixes it in her child's cradle; goes through the ceremony of nursing it, as if alive. This contimies for a year. Apparently there are no people who live more affec- tionately, or with greater constancy, than the Chippewa women. Their at- tachment to their husbands and children is ardent and lasting, leading them to endure all privations and hardships for them while living, and to mourn in ecstacies of grief when they die.
THE INDIAN CANOE.
This canoe is wholly of Indian invention, and the white man has never been able to improve it. It is made of the outer bark of the white birel, which is taken off in a single piece, and dried in the sun, the inner side up- wards. The two ends are brought together flat. and fastened by sewing; the middle swelled out and kept in place by slender strips of wood. The whole is so light that a canoe capable of carrying four persons, scarcely weiglis fifty pounds, and can easily be carried on the head of a squaw. The Indians propel this with a paddle, which they operate nearly in the manner of a duck's foot. The canoe is extremely buoyant, and requires much skill in its management.
'THE BIRCHEN CANOE." BY SCHOOLCRAFT.
"In the region of lakes, where the blue waters sleep, Our beautiful fabric was built; ·
Light cedar supported its weight on the deep, And its sides with the sunbeams were gilt, The bright leafy bark of the betula tree, A flexible sheathing provides;
And the fir's thready roots draw the parts to agree, And bind down its high swelling sides.
" No compass or gavel was used on the bark, No art but the simplest degree;
But the structure was finished, and trim to remark, And as light as a sylph's could be.
19
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Its rim was with tender young roots woven 'round, Like a pattern of wicker-work rare; And it pressed on the wave with as lightsome a bound As a basket suspended in air.
" The heavens in their brightness and glory below Were reflected quite plain to the view;
And moved like a swan-with as graceful a show, Our beautiful birchen canoe. The trees on the shore. as we glided along, Seemed moving a contrary way;
And our voyagers lightened their toil with a song, That caused every heart to be gay.
" And still as we floated by rock and by shell, Our bark raised a murmur aloud, And it danced on the waves, as they rose, or they fell, Like a Fay on a bright summer cloud. We said as we passed o'er the liquid expanse, With the landscape in smiling array, How blest we should be if our lives should advance Thus tranquil and sweetly away.
" The skies were serene -- not a cloud was in sight- Not an angry surge beat on the shore; And we gazed on the water, and then on the light, "Till our vision could bear it no more. O long will we think of those silver-bright lakes, And the scenes they exposed to our view; Our friends, and the wishes we formed for their sakes, And our bright yellow birchen canoe."
PIPE DANCE.
" The Indians came up from the landing in double file, with their drums in the lead, dancing, or rather jumping in short jumps, to the time kept by the drummers. Those who thumped the drums sang also, but the song was a jumble of sounds-a kind of "a-ha, a-ha, oh! oh! the oh aspirated with great force. At short intervals the whole would yell and shout, and multiply the sounds by clapping their hands on their mouths. On reaching the ground opposite the commissioner's quarters, the line was formed, by this jumping motion, into a circle, out of which those who beat the drums kept their stations. Round and round they went, with a kind of double short- step, first with one foot, and then with the other; but the motion throughout was up and down. When they had gone two or three times around, the drums would give the signal, when they would scream and whoop and clap their mouths with their hands-then stand. They were nearly naked, and it could be seen by their breathing, that the exercise was severe. They were painted, their heads ornamented with feathers, and bells and trinkets were
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in their plaited hair. That nothing should be wanting to make the scene a finished grotesque, a little boy not over five years old, was in the midst, painted black, keeping time to the drum, with an enormous head-dress of feathers. He went through the whole ceremony with them. In the pauses, a warrior would tell his exploits, and these would be shouted to vociforously.
This was a pipe dance-a dance of ceremony, or rather as it ought to be called, a begging dance. Their object was to get presents.
RELIGION.
There is one custom of the Indians that is identical with that of the 'ews- their houses of purification.
They believe in a spiritual future state-think that they, and everything else will be spiritual; that they will hunt in the land of souls; but that it will be the spirits of the animals-that the very briars and thorns will be spiritual. Everything will appear to be real, and yet nothing will be so.
They are superstitions-governed by dreams and signs in the heavens. They go to war, make peace, commence or abandon a journey, marry, or resolve not to marry, just as they may chance to interpret a dream, or judge a sign in the heavens to be favorable or otherwise.
They inflict wounds on their bodies when in deep sorrow.
They believe the spirit lingers still with the body, until decomposed; hence their offerings at the graves of the deceased.
THE WABANA-FEAST AND DANCE.
The Indians killed and dressed one of their dogs. A wabana is a dance, the ceremonies attending which are understood to be offerings to the devil. after which the feast is eaten, of which the flesh of the dog is considered the nicest offering. At 8 o'clock, the exercises began, by beating or thumping the Indian drum. The Indian drum resembles the tambourine, with rat- tles in it; held in one hand by a string, while it is struck with a slow thump, thump, with a stick in the other, slow at first, then in quicker time, with a kind of double stroke, accompanied by singing. We can hardly call it singing, it is a kind of ch-e-o-a, the ch uttered sharp and aspirated (Adair sees, or hears in that e-o-a - "Jehorak"). The In- dians, to the number of twenty or more, were seated on a carpet of spruce boughs, all round the tent, and as near the walls of it as they could get. There were two women and two little girls-the latter about ten years old. The rest were men, painted and dressed out in feathers of various kinds. The drum was not silent a moment, but an Indian who held it kept. on beating, while every one in the tent was as still, and looked as serions as if it had been a funeral. Presently one of the little girls rose, and stepping into the middle of the tent began to dance. The dance of the females is peculiar, never lifting their feet from the ground, but placing them close together, and, in time with the thump of the drum, raising their heels and turning them first to the right, and then to the left, keeping up the per- pendicular motion meanwhile. This little girl danced for about five minutes, and then sat down; when an old woman rose and danced in like manner, for about the same time. As soon as she was seated, an unusually tall In- dian, dressed in skins entered with a wild and fierce countenance, blowing
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and looking round the tent, and uttering at every expiration of his breath, "ch! ch! ch!" when presently a younger Indian entered and seized him by the arms, and being disengaged by the force of the other, caught at his body as if his object was to make him surrender something. Presently they cach took a drum, and went round the tent halt bent, and stepping to the time, beating the drum in the faces of the Indians, who were seated around the tent. After going around several times he commenced a speech-an address to the Evil Spirit-the substance of which was to appease and beg his com- passion on them. The delivery of the speech was attended with the most violent gesticulations and contortions of the body, and with such effect that the perspiration ran off his face in streams. He then went round the tent as before, followed by some half a dozen Indians, all singing and half bent, stepping in time to the beat of the drum. Then the leader would make another address, and the dance would be joined by others.
These ceremonies were kept up all the night. At sunrise the feast was brought in. It was in two kettles, each holding about six gallons. When the feast was brought in, the drum-beating and the dancing ceased. All, especially the old men, looked weary, and some had fallen asleep. Of course the twelve gallons of soup were eaten; as it is a rule that nothing shall be left
CHIPPEWA CHIVALRY.
In the year 1819-20, thirteen Chippewa youths left Grand Isle, to go to war with their ancient enemy-the Sioux-a war on the part of those youths of self-destruction; their sole object being to wash away with their blood the imputation of cowardice, which had been cast upon them by others of their tribe, living higher up the lake, and near the seat of war. Prior to their setting out, they appointed a young man-a runner-to accompany them, and watch the result of their enterprise; and in the event of their destruction, to hasten back with the tidings of it. They advanced into the enemy's country; and soon after fell in with a party of four times their strength. They immediately selected their ground, and directing the youth to take a position from which he could see the battle, made their onset. It was previously agreed that, after this, they were to retreat to a certain place, and there sell their lives at the dearest rate; appointing meanwhile, a fa- vorable position from which this young man might see them die. In the onset they killed twice their own number; and then retreated to their last intrenchment. Enraged at their loss, the Sioux pursued, fell upon, and amidst great carnage, slew them all. The runner set off immediately for his own country, and making his way through the forests, and down the lake, arrived in safety among his people, and told the story of those deeds , of daring and of death. This young man was seen by Gen. Cass and Mr. Schoolcraft, in 1820; and they heard him sing the song of the slain, and re- count the incidents of this bloody adventure.
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