The new era., 1860-07-05
For, The New Era.
"reminiscences of Missionary
s." Life in the Northwest
No. 8.
By REV. SHERMAN HALL

Our mission was for the Chippews
tribe Of Indians. This word is cor
] ruption Of the proper name by, which
they should be known, and which
/ they apply to themselves Their real
name is Oji6,ca This is the way il
should be written and pronounced. =
Chippewa is an awkward attempt by
foreigners initiate their own pronoun-
citation Of it. '''' -
Thirty years ago they were the pos
SCISSORS, and almost the sole occupants
of that portion of the Unitod States fer
ritory lying between the great lakes and
the Mississippi river, as far south as the
Wisconsin river, and reaching North
to the British line, and West to the
North Red River, including all the
country about the head waters of the
Mississippi and Red Lake on the west
side, to the Sauk. This whole country
then they occupied as their hunting
ground. Large portions of the same
tribe are also found in the British pos
sessions North OF the great lakes, from
Ontario to Selkirk's Settlement. Much
of the Northern portion Of this country is
bleak and barren 1t is covered with
innumerable lakes of various sizes, be-
tween which are sandy ridges. Much
of it is marshy. The streams are gen
orally sluggish, running through marshy
bottoms, and sometimes widening into
lakes. e.5.-..
We found ourselves now in the heart
of the Indian country. Imagination now
gave way to reality. We had no long
er to picture to ourselves the unsophis-
ticatcd Indian of the forest IN his native
home; his habitation, his customs, his
mode Of life, his manners, his filthy hab-
its, his miseres. They soon became ia
miliar to the senses-disagreeable real
tiles.
Their habitations weresa movable
tent or wigwam, made Of small poles set
in the ground in circular form and
bent over and tied together at the CEN
ire of the circle, forming an oval shap-
ed top. For covering they peal piec-
es of white birch bark, (this tree
is found extensively IN their coun-
try) which being sewed together with
strings of bark, they spread over this
frame work and tie it OH. They also
make kind of mat of flags which they
use frequantly as part of the cover
ing. In the winter time they more fre-
qnently construct their wigwams in the
form of a cone, by using larger poles
and leaning the ends together at the top
They have no floors The ground in
them is usually covered with the boughs
of some evergreen, as the balsam, the
cedar, or the spruce--sometimes with
grass. On these are usually spread
mat manufactured by them out of tall
rush which grows abundantly in the
muddy portions of streams and lakes
Thus they sit, and eat, and sleep on the
ground. A fire is kindled in the centre
of this lodge, on the sides of which the
occupants sit or lie. An Aperture is
left in the covering over the Fl for the
smoke to pass out, if it is so inclined.
Over the fire is anaparatus made ofpoles
fastened horizontally to the upright ones
for hanging cooking kettles and for
smoking fish or meat. The door is a
space left between the poles on one side
not covered with the barks. This is
closed by piece Of canvas, blanket,
or skin, the upper corners Of which is
fastened to the lodge poles, and is drawn
aside when one passes in or out.
When they remove from one place
to another, as they frequently do, they
take the barks from the poles of their
lodges, roll them up, put them with all
the rest oftheir household furniture into
their bark canoes, or pack them on their
backs, and go to their next place of en-
campment. In an hour or two after
their arrival at new encampment, the
women Of a family will have a new wig
! wan m built 'ri and ready for occupancy
This office is regarded by them as be-
longing peculiarly to the domestic du-
ties of females. tft -
+ Living as they do in such habitations,
always sitting and lying and rolling on
the ground, It is impossible for them to
keep their persons ortheir clothes clean