The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1911-01-07
Chief Explains
Tribal Beliefs.
Indian Missionary Brings Remarkable
Interview With Venerable
Medicine Man.

their own tribe the clearest exposition
of the medicine lodge of the Chippewa
Indians has been obtained from Day
Bwa-Waindung, grizzled chief, 80
years old, living in the Nett Lake reser-
walton on the northern border of Mime
sofa, and translated by Be-Dwa-Gesh-
ig, former resident here, Christian
lied Indian, who acts as missionary
among the Chippewas. The translator
is himself full blooded Chippewa. He
is in Minneapolis to report the progress
of his work last year. He represents
Calvary Methodist Episcopal church in
the north country.
NAMED FROM THUNDER.
Be-Dwa- wa-Wa-Geshing means ZAP
preaching sound in the clouds" and was
the name given him by his father, be-
cause he heard thunder when he peeped
out of the wigwam in Michigan when
the papoose was born. He now uses
the Americanized name, F. H. Pequette
and it was under this name that he re-
ceived a letter admitting him to mem
bership in the American Association
for the Advancement of Science. He
had intended to tell of some of the
Chippewa myths concerning the flood,
but said he was unable to find an In
dian section in session.
Not being medicine man himself,
and never having been able before to
get any direct information from them,
Pequette says he is unable to place the
exact scientific or historical value on
his find. That other medicine men
might have a different tale to tell, Mr..
Pequette does not deny, but this be-
ing the first and only peep he has had
into the medicine bag, he feels elated.
A WOODLAND MEETING.
Meeting the old chief in the woods
Mr.. Pequette hailed him. The old man
was carrying birch bark scroll va
riously painted. Gifts of gold and to-
bacco, two separate lots of calico and
much urging was necessary to get any
information.
''Filling his pipe and smoking in
silence the medicine man, after making
prayer in the Ojibway tongue" said
Mr.. Pequette, ''held the birch bark
scroll in his lap revealing to me little
by little the written religion handed
down from father to son. The number
of gods he spoke of kept me busy tax
ing notes, but have them down as he
revealed them from his Bible
"He showed me a group of eight
straight lines with circle in the CEN
ter. He said the lines represent the
four layers of heaven and four layers
beneath the earth. The circle is the
home of the medicine man, and as he
advances in his lodge, degree by degree,
he has power to obtain good from each
Of the layers Of heaven or evil against
his enemies from the layers beneath
the earth.
REASON BY FoUhs.
''The Chippewa reasons by fours. He
has four good gods, four evil ones.
four lodges, four winds, and four thun-
der-birds. Mah-qua, or the bear, COM
ing across the ocean under the water.
left his footprints and placed his re1
ligion everywhere. He came upon Men
ni-bosho, or the great spirit, and also
met eight representatives to whom he
taught his religion.
'The old chief told me with solemn
face that Mah-dua came to Lake Su-
perior where he found another god
named Gah-yah-na-wa, bad man, or
accuser. on whose account the Indian
religion has weakened. The snake god,
or devil, called Mah-nah-ne-do, lives in
! the rapids Of st. Louis river. From
Lake Superior Mah-qua went to the
Place Of Wild Potatoes, not definitely
located by the medicine man.
''The great spirit next went to
Sandy Lake, where he set up his totem
poles. Here he established his grand
lodge, which represented three
branches or degrees in spiritual In
struction. At La Crosse he found the
mermaid god. Ne-bah-nah-bay, half
human and half fish, and her neighbor,
who Is . one-armed god, ranked as q
second degree parsonage.
''The central lodge was located
where the good spirit can come upon
Mennibosho, who has charge Of fouv
wigwAms planted toward the four
winds. Mennibosho has charge Of the
four layers of heaven and also Of the
four layers beneath the earth. It ID
from the under layers that the medi-
he man gets his power Of soothing. |"
M LIKE 4 SECRET ORDER.
From what Mr.. Pequette could learn
kffom the old chief. he said II appeared
10 him that the medicine lodge u very