The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-05-29
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THECURSE OFMAHINGAN
4 BIT OF INDIAN LEGENDARY FROM
THE UPPER OTTAWA

cause the Latter Ate tho Sacred Lamb.
A Curse that Lasted Through Several
Generations, Ended in a Dogs Death.
When the first white missionaries en-
6eavored to explain to Indians the Chris
tian religion, the effect was at times rather
startling. The IR6taas mistook the sub
Btance for the symbol, the objective for the
subjective. It,is not surprising therefore
that an Ogibeway chief, who once Travelled
snthe early dawn-of Canadian civilization
star as Montreal, and met there aJesuit
missionary, having received from him a
lamb as q present, nIiEtock it for the Lamb
.of God, concerning whom the missionary
had talked much, and taking it with him
when he returned to his people, impressed
upon them the sacredness of this wonder
full, and TO them, strange beast, enjoining
upon them the necessity of wcrSnping 1t
with honor and reverence. A small island
YVES chosen asa suitable dwelling place for
this new Manitou, and the Indians were
happy in possessing an animal at once SO
sacred and SO easily kept.
TEE bad NDIAN'' WAS JEALOUS.
Unfortunately the owner was the object
of much jealousy on the part of one who
had always laid counter claim to the posi-
ton Of a leader of the people. The name
of this man was Aiahirgan- He was good
hunter and bold man, but he had the
reputation of being what is called a bad
Indian, very vague term of disapproba-
ton, but very common amongst Indians.
He saw that the possession Of this lamb
gave much power to his rival, and he de-
teTrlined to deprive him~of it; and being
somewhat Of q u4ilitarian he considered
that the best way TO do this was to eat it,
which heidi eptidCIsly, and at night.
On the following day conservation reigned
amongst the Indian camps; the sacred lamb
was gone.
The owner was furious, but tried to turn
the mishap to account bystating that no
ManitOu Of such Importance would stay
where bad Indians were allowed to live
with impunity, which explanation was ac-
cepted as satisfactory until the bones Of the
lamb were found, clean picked and bear
ing unmistakable evidence of having been
boiled This upset the supernatural trans
lation theory altogether, and evidently
pointed TO the murder of a Manitou, but
the question arose, "Who was the sacri-
1egiOUs wretch who had dared to fill him
self with god?'' Manahchinty, the owner,
openly accused Mahingan to his face, but
Mahingan laughed at him, saying:
mo one can eat a real Manitou. The
M2nitou would more likely eat him. If
your animal was a truth, then it would
have saved itself; If q fraud, then the sooner
1t was eaten the better"
So true did this saying appear that some
of the Indians sided with Mahingan, for
all recognized that 1t was ne who had eaten
the lamb, and there were not wanting those
who began to murmur at Manahchinty for
Inducing them tOfWOrship false gods; and
Manahchinty saw that strong measures
were necessary in, order to maintain his
reputation of big Injun," so he toma-
hawked his rival on the nly, 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 Istless and depressed;
Some thought il was on account 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 pursue him and his heirs relentless
~ for many generations. Strange to re-
late, Manahchinty soon joined his victim,
having been upset from his canoe and
drowned during Icon hunt. For several
generations his descendants in the male
line died violent deaths, and it was gener-
ally conceded among Indians that a curse
was upon them.
END OF THE CURSE.
One evening about six years ago, during
the month OF July, q small band of Indians
were encamped upon the island wherein
had lived and died the sacred sheep. The
ever cncroaching white man had usurped
the heritage of the Indians, who now had
dwindled into few families in plGce~of the
powerful tribe who had once held undis-
puted sway in the land. The curseof Ma
bingan had been almost forgotten, and
that very evening as they SAT around the
camp fire an Old crone with shaking head
related to the younger folk in substance
that which have above written. Amongst
them stood a boy intently listening with
more than an ordinary interest. He was a
direct descendant of Manahchinty. Scarce
" had she finished when a fiendish howl
was heard inthe bush-clcse-By.
The IndianSsTarTedtoU feet infright
and still another cry aWohesthe 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, seiz-
ing the boy, the descendant of Manah-
chinty by the throat, bore him to the
ground. Luckily one man at least pre-
served his presence OF mind. He snatched
his rifle from his tent and with good aim
sent a bullet crashing through the skull of
the weird beast. It was all over in a mo-
ment 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 daylight,
when one of them took the carcass of the
dog and threw tito the pigsof a white man
wlTo lived close by. The pigs made short
work of the dog and soon had it all de
voured except the heart, which they left
untouched; and there it layin the hot sum
rler sun for two consecutive days, until,
impelled by curiosity, one OF the Indians
examined = - find out why rlie DIGS would
not eatit. II seemed to-beAs hard as stone,
and, impelled still further by curiosity, he
took his AK and cut in two. What vas his
Gstonshment at finding it nothing but
solid lump OF ice. The discovery spread
like wildfTe, and cause a great sensation
among Indian circles.
The shaky headed crone at once rro-
nouncei it 10 be Mahiugan. and assured
the Indians that tllevendetta was ended by
thedesIh of the dog, or, rather. the second
death of MahiEsyan- Whether she WAS right
or wrong, the boy still lives, nor has he ex-
perienced any great and especial i'll luck.
So let Us hope that Mahingan's curse is a
thing of the past, j mystery snuffed ont by
a Winchester With the latest modern
improvements
These oaings are hard to believe. I my
self doubted Il they We're true, and ex-
pressed those doubts TO my informant, a