Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-06-03
CHIPPEWA SORCERERS.
Some of the Astonishing Feats Per
formed by American Indians.

| formed by American Indians.
| From the Boston Transcript.
| Uncle Sam recently has been at war with
| a people who, if their claims be not untrue,
have supernatural influence on their side.
| The Chippewa Indians of Leech Lake are
the sorcerers of American savagery, and
| as an offset to the superior power of gov
| eminent rifles and smokeess ammunition
| they profess to have means of fighting
| which ordinary human beings may well
| tremble at. Their magicians are able to
| render men invunerable, to draw the souls
| out of the bodies of their enemies and to
| do variety of other things that are cal
| culated to excite dread in the minds of
| the soldiers in blue uniforms sent against
| them.
! BY the use of certain plants the Chip
| pewa sorcerer is enabled to take up and
| handle with IMMUNITY red-hot stones and
burning brands, and it is said that with
out evincing the slightest discomfort, he
! will battle his hands in boiling water, or
even in boiling maple syrup. Through su-
| pernatural means he is acquainted with the
| ideas ard intentions of men, and by cali
| ing from any human being his other
| shadow he t.epriveS the victim of reason,
| or in some cases of life. He holds special
communication with the Turtle, which is
| the most powerful of the spirits, and
| through him with numerous other maleNo-
| lent being. especially Thunder-bird. When
| engaged in this kind of business he occupies
a lodge which consists of four poles plant
! ed in the ground, around which is wrapped
i birch-bark canvas in such a way as to
| form an upright cylinder. When the
| sorcerer has seated himself inside of this
| structure the latter begins to sway vio-
| lently from side to side; loud humping
! noises are heard within denoting the ar
| rival of spirits, and laughter and numer-
| Gus voices distinctly audible to those
| without.
| One of the most astonishing feats per
nod hp
| view of the uninitiated consists in causing
| an empty sack-a magic bag, of course-to
move upon the ground as if it were alive.
| This performance was witnessed more than
| once by DR.. w j. Hoffman of the United
| States bureau of ethnology, who explained
| it the theory that mouse or some
| other small animal confined in the
| sack. The magician has the power of
| changing himself into bear whenever he
| likes, using that disguise to wreak Ven
| geance upon unbelievers and upon persons
| for whose destruction he has been literally
! paid by others. Immediately upon the ac-
| complishment of such a murder he re-
| sumes his human form, thus escaping
identification and detection 1t is under
stood. however that crimes of this sort
| are committed only by bad sorcerers; for
| in this business there are benevolent and
| malevolent magicians, just as was former
| ly the case in the sorcery of Europe.
| The Chippewa SorcererS are able TO trans
| form themselves not only into bears but
also into wolves, foxes, owls, bats and
| snakes. Some Of the members of the secret
| society are women and they possess similar
| powers. 1t sometimes happens that such
| a witch, while in the shape of a bear is
| chased by hunters, and under such circum-
stances she will run behind tree or hill,
| 50 as to be lost sight of for a time by her
| pursuers. Then, instead of seeing a bear,
| they behold an old woman walking quietly
| along or digging up roots ana looking eX-
tremely innocent. The fox witches are
| known by the flame of fire which proceeds
| their
| The magic sack already referred to is
| made of the skin of mink, to the nose of
which downy white feathers are fastened as
| an ornament. In this bag are carried the
| sacred objects belonging TO the sorcerer,
| such colors for painting the face, pc
culiar red powder prepared for hunters
| charms, small effigies. amulets and various
| abnormal objects. One of these last is de-
| scribed by DR.. Hoffman as the leg of
| goshawk, out of which had grown, by
freak of nature, supernumerary limb OF
| smaller size This fetch was considered
| of great value, being supposed to be med
| ium whereby the Thunder God might be in
voked and his anger appeased. This deity
| is represented in the Chippewa picture-writ-
| ing by the eagle or frequently by some
other kind of hawk. hence it was natural
that the superstitious should look with awe
| upon such an abnormality on one of the
| terrestrial representatives of the mighty
spirit
! For the aid of hunters a special compound
| is prepared by the Chippewa sorcerer. made
up of the leaves and roots of several plants
| ground to powder. small quantity of
| this compound is put into the gun-barrel
with the bullet, and sometimes small
pinch of it on the trail of animal, to
| compel it to halt. When the orthodox
| Indian contemplates hunting trip, he first
visits the magician, giving him a present
| of tobacco before announcing the purpose
I of his call. and afterward promising to
| him certain portions of the animal which he
| may kill. The magician, If satisfied with
| the terms. makes an offering to the appro
| pirate spirit, and scraws with a sharp-point-
| ed bone upon a snNl piece of brch-bark an
outline of the animal desired by the appl-
! cant. The heart of the animal IS indicated
| in the drawing by puncture, upon which
| a small quantity of vermillion is carefully
rubbed. this color being very efficacious to-
| ward effecting the death of the creature.
| 1t is part of the business of the Chip
pewa sorcerer to make himself familiar
| with the hunting grounds of his neighbor-
| hood, ascertaining the best feeding areas
of various game animals and their haunts
| at different seasons. He keeps himself in
| formed on the subject also by inquiries of
| returning hunters, and thus becomes pos
| sessed of a large amount of valuable in
| formation respecting the natural history of
| the surrounding country. by which means