The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1899-03-15
THE CHIPPEWA Indians
Some of the Legends and Ira
ditions of This Once
Great Race.
FRIENDLY TO THE WHITES
Until the Late Uprising They Were
Docile and Not So Easily
Aroused.

To This Day They Are Great Believers
in Their Legendary Lore-Polygamy Waa
Once Practiced Among Them-Their
Great Regard For the Aged and Helpless
LIkened to Chinese Ancestral Worship.
To those acquainted with the Chip
pewa Indians the recent uprising came
as a surprise. For almost century
they have boasted Of their friendship
for the white man. One Of their prin-
cipal chiefs, old Na-gan-ab, who died
not long ago at the age Of at least 95,
always spoke Of it as if that friendship
proved the possession Of superior sort
Of astuteneSs. In his youth the eld
man demonstrated the reality Of the
sentiment, or of his conversion, as the
priests preferred to put it, to the extent
Of discarding three wives, retaining
the oldest and ugiest Of the quartet he
possessed. This was in 1856, and may
be properly taken as the dividing point
between civilized and unciviliZed Chip
pewa history. Just before this the
Chippewas had held their customary
celebration at the head Of Lake Su-
perior, which was then farorite spot
for curing detachedE scaIps and dis
playing Of these trophies.
Although regeneration followed so
quickly is was not deep enough to cure
all at once the Chippewa desire for
scalps of the Sioux. From time tradi-
fional these two, the Chippewas, or
'Ojibways, and Sioux, or Dacotahs, had
been enemies, The former, from their
docile, almost childlike nature, fisher
men rather than hunters, farmers more
than warriors, We're the pastoral people
Of the redmen, not easily aroused and
often imposed upon. Polygamy was
practiced among them, and their re-
gard for the aged and helpless was
akin to the Chinese ancestral worship.
Once thoroughly provoked, their en-
nifty was inplacable. They drove the
Sioux westward from Sault Ste. Marie
and the head of Lake Superior to the
Dakotas. This shows how strong the
hatred of the Chippewas to the Sioux
still continues.
The Chippewas show their superior
imagination in the richness Of their
legendary lore. Categorically speaking
there are 101 Of these legends that
have no other repository than the MEM
ory of a few Old medicine women who
have failed to feel the charm Of the
new order Of things and are rapidly
ssing away, their dreams with them.
Their account of the beginning OF things
is very similar to the Bible story OF the
food. Storms came and rains fell until
there was no dry spot anywhere.
Then -bo-Zoh-who he was or
whence he came the story says not
climbed the highest mountain. The
waters assembled after him. Then he
climbed tree to the very topmost
branch. His companions in fight were
the otter, the "enfant du diabie,' not to
mention the more odoriferous name,
and the fox. w hen the storm abated
-bo-Zoh sent down first one
and then the other. Finally the second
came back with bit of earth. This
his master sprinkled upon the tail of
the fox with the injunction that it de-
scend and run around the tree until
further orders. Now, it happened that,
in obeying, Reynard's bushy tail scat
tered the small particles Of earth in
every direction to give place to more
earth. Presently the tree was in the
centre Of what might have answered
for a bonanza ranch, and Reynard has
not been seen since.
All these legends seem to be Of an
allegorical nature, having their origin
in the physical changes Of the earth.
For instance, there is the one Of
O-jeeg- g-ah-nun-nung-o-Qu or the Wo.
man of the fishing star. She lived Tar
north: her cousin to the southwark.
Now this cousin was keeping-in-chief
of the sunshine Not unlike other mo-
nopolists, he was willing that his poor
relation should have a slight share OF
it. Usually he renewed her supply
once q year, but there came a time
when either he forgot it or had been
declaring too many dividends for such
prodigality At any rate, O. jeeg, with
the patience of her sex, got tired OF
waiting. She sent petition after peti-
ton without success. Indeed, it was
altogether too cold for comfort, and
more sunshine became necessity.
Have<it she would. even if she hau
to steal it. So sending couriers ahead
to decoy her husband with batting
tales Of buffalo il the near distance,
she awaited the propitious moment.
When he and all his band were gone
she slipped into the wigwam, got the
main supply Of sunshine, which, it
would appear, bad been in cold storage,
and started on her way rejoicing. But
her cousin. not having found the buffa-
10. had become suspicious, and at this
inopportune moment appeared upon
the scene. Instantly comprehending
what had happened and not wishing to
kill his own flesh and blood, he drew
an arrow and shot her into the heavens,
where as the star Of the handle Of the
Big Dipper she has been compelled to
serve fishermen to this day, What be-
came Of sunshine, the narrative, with
Indian lack Of continuity, does not dis
close.
These traditions still hold great
sway over the Chippewa mind. A min
lister Of the tribe who has been preach.
ing Christianity for more than twenty
five years speaks Of the Mesabi with
the same faith that he does Of the
Christ. Mesabi. be it said, is myth
cal giant who was finally overcome by
Wey-no-bo-zoh, and whose grave in
cludes all northwestern Minnesota
above Lake Superior, his wampum
belt being identical with the wonder
full iron deposits Of the Mesaba Range,
his head corresponding to the Vermu
ion mines. and his feet and legs taking
in the minor spurs and regions Of that
States great iron deposit.
Tho Women Were Displaced.
In the reign Of Edward III. all the