St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-08-16
Mahingan Tomahawked Be-
Cause He Ate the Sacred
Lamb.
The Awful Deed Of Death Is
Executed by the Indian
Manahebinty.
End Of a Curse Alleged to
Have Hung Over a
Nation.


| jective for the subjective. 1t is not
surprising, therefore, that an Ogibeway
| chief, who once travelled in the early
dawn of Canadian civilization as far as
Montreal, and met there Jesuit mis-
| sionary, having received from him a
| lamb as a present, mistOOk it for the
Lamb of God, concerning whom the
| missionary had talked much, and tax
| ing it with him when he returned to his
people impressed upon them the sacred
ness of this wonderful and to them
strange beast, enioining upon them the
necessity of worshiping it with honor
and reverence. A small island was
chosen as suitable dwelling place for
this new Manitou, and the Indians
were happy in possessing an animal
at once so sacred and so easily kept.
The ssRad indiana Was Jealous.
Unfortunately, the owner was the OBJ
ject of much jealousy Oh the part of one
who had always laid counter claim to
the position of a leader of the people.
The name of this man was Mahingan.
He was good hunter and a bold man,
but he had the reputation of being what
is called ''bad Indian" very vague
term Of Misrepresentation, but very COM
mon among Indians. He saw that the
possession of this lamb gave much
power to his rival, and he determined
to deprive him of it; and, being some
what of utilitarian. he considered that
the best way to do this was to eat it,
which he did surreptitiously, and at
night. On the following day consterna
ton reigned among the Indian camps
the sacred lamb was gone.
The owner was furious, but tried to
turn the mishap to account by stating
that no ManitOu of such importance
would stay where bad indians" were
allowed to live with impunitY, which
explanation was accepted as satisfac-
tory until the bones Of the lamb were
found. clean-picked and bearing unmis
taxable evidence of having been boiled.
This upset the supernatural translation
theory altogether, and evidently pointed
to the murder of a Manitou, but the
question arose, 'sWho was the sacrlle-
giouS wretch who had dared to fill him
self with a god?" Manahchinty, the
owner, openly accused Mahingan to his
face, but Mahingan laughed at him,
saying:
mo one can eat real Manitou. The
Manitou would more likely eat him. If
your animal was a truth, then it would
have saved itself; if fraud, then the
sooner it was eaten the better"
So true did this saying appear that
some of the Indians sided with Mahin-
gan, for all ecogniZed that it was he
who had eat, n the lamb, and there were
not wanting those who began to MUIR
muir at Man achinty for inducing them
to worship fac gods; and Manahchinty
sary in orde maintain his reputation
OF big Injun , so he tOmahawked his
rival on the and the people at once
returned to their allegiance, proba-
bly, fearing lest they themselves should
be tomahawked. Strange to say, after
this Manahchinty became listlesS and
depressed; some thought it was OH ac-
count of the loss of his sacred lamb;
but finally it leaked out that Mahingan.
before dying, had found time to curse
his murderer, to threaten him with his
vengeance even though he were dead,
and to promise him that he would pur-
sue him and his heirs releDtleSSly for
many generations. Strange to relate,
Manahchinty soon Joined his victim,
having been upset fIom his canoe and
drowned during loon hunt. For sew
eral generations his descendants in the
male line died violent deaths. and it was
generally conceded among Indians that
curse was upon them.
End OF the Curse.
One evening about six years ago, dur
ing the month of July, small band of
Indians we're encamped upon the island
wherein had lived and died the sacred
sheep. The ever-encroaching white
man had usurped the heritage of the In
RI n LODI int, fa
families in place of the powerful tribe
who had once held undisputed sway in
the land. The curse of Mahingan had
been almost forgotten, and that very
evening, as they sat around the camp
fire, an old crOne with shaking head re-
lated to the younger folk in substance
that which have above written. Among
them stood boy intently listening with
more than an ordinary interest He
was direct descendant of Manahchinty.
Scarcely had she finished when fiend-
iSh howl was heard in the bush close by.
The Indians started to their feet in
fright, and still another cry awOke the |
echoes of the summer night; at the
same time an enormous dog, with eyes
like balls of fire, bounded into the |
midst of them, and, Selling the boy, the |
descendant of Manahchinty. by the |
throat, bore him to the ground. Luck
lily one man. at least, preserved his |
presence of mind. He snatched his |
rifle from his tent and, with good aim. |
sent a bullet crashing through the skull |
CT the weird beast. 1t was all over in |
moment, and the boy rose up unhurt,
except for the wound in his throat |
where the dog had seized him.
That night the Indians did not sleep, |
but sat discussing the event until day |
Dx,f{ I,ot, tr0f 4ho
of the dog and threw it to the pigs of a |
white man who lived close by. The |
pigs made short work of the dog, and |
soon had it all devoured except the |
heart which they left untouched, and |
there it lay in the hot summer sun for |
two consecutive days, until, impelled by |
curiosity, one of the Indians examined |
it to find out why the pigs would not eat |
It, 1t seemed to be as hard as stone, |
and, impelled still further by curiosity, |
he took his ak and cut it in two. What |
was his establishment at finding it moth |
ing but solid lump of ice. The dis |
covery spread like wildfire. and caused |
great sensation among Indian circles. |
The shaky-headed crone at once pro-
noHnced it to be Mahingan, and assured |
the Indians that the vendetta was ended |
by the death of the dog. or, rather. the |
second death of Mahingan. Whether |
she was right or wrong, the boy still
lives, nor has he experienced any great |
and especial ill-luck. So let is hope |
that Mahingan'S curse is thing of the |
past, a mystery Snuffed out by Will |
chester with the latest modern improve
ments.
These things are hard to believe.
myself doubted if they were true. and t
expressed those doubts to my infor-
mant, most respectable and pious In
dian, as Indians go. | even dared to |
laugh, but he assured me of their truth. I
ana rebuked me for laughing, saying: |
SIT is not right to laugh at such solemn,
caorpd things ,,