The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-13
IS GREAT MEDICINE MIN
NE-GAY-WOD-CHAY FORMALLY IN
VESTED WITH AUTHORITY
TO PRACTICE
HE TASTED FOR THREE DAYS
Col. f. ID. Powell Administers the
Oath and Goes Through Impress
sive Ritual of Winnie
bagO Nations.

When -gay-wod-Chay Going Away
returns to his people today they will rec
cgniZe him as medicine chief, success
sor to John Thunder, who for sixty odd
years labored in his work of alleviating
the ills of the Winnebago Nation of In
dams.
Yesterday White Beaver (CoI. f. D.
Powell), the Great Medicine Chief of the
Winnebago tribe, conferred the title upon
him, and henceforth he will be neC0gniz-
ed by no other. The ceremony was per-
formed in the private Office Of DR.. PoY-
ell, in the Union block, and to the few
permitted to witness the comforting ef
the honor it was quite mystifying.
To the onlookers the ritual was
very much Greek, yet Going Away seem
ed to be greatly impressed with the i'm
portance Of the oath he was takink2 and
answered every question with a cultural
Yes, yes
For the benefit of Going Away, who is
not finished English scholar, the oath
was read to him in the Indian language,
in which Col. Powell is quite proficient,
and to every sentence he gave an ac-
quiescent yes" At the conclusion of
the reading, Going Away, very much ex-
cited by the ordeal which he had under
gone, tremblingly subscribed his name
to the paper rendered him by his chief,
the spectators present acting as witt
nesses.
The oath administered to him, and
with which he pledged compliance under
penalty of dismissal from the tribe, re-
CURED that he treat only diseases with
which he is acquainted, that he refuse to
allow the use of medicine of which he
has no knowledge, and that his time be
constantly employed in the care of his
people. He was enjoined never to d1vulge
what he had seen at the great councils,
and to protect his people and his chief
as he would his own life. AS mark of
his authority he was given an engrcssed
certificate, framed, it bearing the name
of Col. Powell, and his Indian name as
Great Medicine Chief
At the conclusion Of the ceremony Go
ing Away disappeared in an adjoining
room clutching in his Eand the paper
that gave him honor and title among his
people To him it was an event worthy
the living of lifetime, and he was duly
impressed with the mission that he was
about to start on.
Going Away, whose tepee is located
near La Crosse, Wis, has been IN St
Paul for the past three days, and during
that time he has been fasting and under
going the trials prescribed by the Win
rebago Indian ritual. 4 typical lndlan
did not look as if he had abstainod from
food, but Col. Powell asserted that he
had not taken a rnouthful of food during
the prescribed period. lie can speak
English fairly we'll, and readily answers
such questions as were put to him He
says he is big medicine man now, and
is going to cure his peope that are sick.
81 know John Thunder, he said, he
good man, very old. I take MS place"
Going Away leaves for Wisconsin to-
day, and as the news Of his appointment
has already preceded him, he Will be re-
ceived with great honor. With warm
weather win cor,e the migration. of the
several settlements, each of which tray
els from place to place, and spends the
summer fishing, trapping, and occasion
ally picking up an cdd dollar by trading
horses. In July the great council will
be held at Black River Falls and here
the warriors and chiefs will gather from
far and near to participate in the exer-
cises that are annually held At this time
the appointment of Going Away as
medicine chief Will be confirmed.
Col Powell will be present on the oc-
casion.