The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1908-09-06

several years ago. gives an account of a
performance reported as having taken
place at White Earth, Mimi, in the pres
ence Of o large gathering Of Indians and
mixed bloods. Two wigwams were
erected about fifty PAGES from each other.
and after the Wabeno had crawled into
one Of them his assistants built around
each Of the structures a continuous heap
Of firewood and brush. which was then
kindled. When the blaze was at its
height all became hushed for a moment.
Presently the Wabeno called to the crowd
that he had transformed himself to the
other wigwam and Immediately. to their
profound astonishment. crawled forth
therefrom unframed.
heard among the Indians relating to the
visit OF Lewis Cass to a medicine dance
Of the Ottowa Indians In Michigan. The
ceremonial had progressed with unflag-
ging interest until toward the close Of the
day, and as Mr.. Cass Is said to have OBJ
served an old Ojibway medicine woman
who had Gomez up at each dance 10 actively
participate in the exercises, he asked some
one near by why this old woman took such
an active part, as she appeared rather
embarrassing and had nothing to say
and apparently nothing to do except
to shake her snake skin medicine bag.
The woman heard the remark and be-
came offended, because she was known
among her " people as a very powerful
mitakwe. In an instant she threw the
dry snake skin bag toward the offender,
when the skin became a live serpent which
rushed at Mr.. Cass and ran him out Of the
crowd. The snake then returned to the
medicine woman, who picked II up, when
1t appeared again as O dry snake skin bag,
A trick which Hoffman saw performed
by an oiibway Mide was as follows: A
string Of four wooden beads about an inch
in diameter was laid on the floor Of the
wigwam. After the owner OF the beads
had chanted for a few moments in an
almost inaudible ann the beads began
to roll about from side to side as II ami
mated.
Another Mide produced a small wooden
ef1gy OF q mar measuring about five
inches In height. The body had q small
orifoe running through 1t, the head and
might be attached to the body like a
glass stopper to a bottle. A hole was
made in the ground deep enough to reach
to the hips OF the efigy and the latter
put into II and the earth loosely restored,
30 as to hold it in an upright position.
Some magic powder OF herbs vas
sprinkled around the body and into the
put in place. A series Of inarticulate
utterances were chanted and the figure
began to up and down as II possessed
Of life.
But one OF the most astonishing tricks,
in HoffmRn's opinion, consisted OF laying
a medicine bag on the ground and causing
it to move as II alive. He Ii at q loss to
account for it except on the theory that
a small mammal was concealed tempo
rarily in the bag.
Many other tricks are mentioned. In
the snake bag trick Of the Menomini
the performer holds before him q red
flannel bag about thirty inches In depth
by twenty inches In width, with fluffy
white feathers along. the top Of the OPEN
ing, Then he rolls the bag up into a ball
TO show the audience that there Ia nothing
In IL.
Then he takes the bag by the two
upper corners and holds II up before
him once more and begins TO dan z