The Washington herald., 1913-06-29
OF INDIANS TO BE 4CANNED' BY GOVERNMENT

ooubtediy open up an altogether new
held OF musical composition
The songs as sung by the Indians are
usually accompanied by either the drum
or the rattle, while the Chippewa lover
infersperses his songs with the music OF
the Mute. The drum used in social dances
10 about two feet wide by ten inches
thick. and IL suspended between stakes
driven firmly in the ground. The sides
OF the drum are decorated with beaded
cloth. In the old days II was customary
10 make war drum, binding II In places
by means Of strong hoops.
The Midewiwin-Grand medicine-native
religion Of the Chippewas has Its special
musical instruments. These are the Nit
igwakik or drum, and the cicigwan or
rattle. The instruments as a rule ara
very old, but. nevertheless. the drum can
be heard at a distance of more than ten
miles. The drums are not unpleasantly
iouu. but the sound has great vibration
and carries a long distance. It Is made
Of basewood log. followed by charring
and scraping. -Four rattles comprise a
set as used In the Mide. Three consist
of small wooden drums. each provided
with sewn cover of hide. containing
small shot or stones and pierced by a
stick which forms the handle. Often rat
ties Of this type are used In the treat
ment Of the sick by members of the
Mide. and also in the shooting Of spirit
power during the ceremony. The fourth
rattle IL made on a frame Of Brentwood.
Each rattle has different tone deter
mined by the quantity of shot or stones
1t contains. The drum used In the moe.
casin game-gambling game-is about fif-
teen inches In diameter and two inches
thick. II Ii usually made OF hide stretch
ed over one or both sides and some
have small jingling bits Of tin set In the
hoop. The counting flute OF the Chip
pewas In usually made of cedar and Is
similar to the flutes of other Indian tribes.
The songs of the Midewiwin are many
in number. Some have direct cere-
monial use, as in the Initiation of men,
bers: others are connected with the use
of medicine; the song being sung when
results are to be accomplished by spirit
power" and other songs are known as
'.nimiwsg" or dancing songs. Certain
ceremonial songs are grouped In series of
eight or ten, the members Of the Midewi-
win dancing during the last half Of the
series.
Words Furnish Text.
In the words Of these songs the ancient
teachings and beliefs of the Midewiwin
are preserved. The words of the songs
frequently furnish the text for discourses
by the Midewiwinini. In some Of the
series Of songs, II is the custom that one
be sung by each man. who follows IL
with a discourse. similar to our preachers
when they select a text Many Of the
songs are taught only to those who pay
for the privilege of learning them. and
all the songs are recorded mnemonics on
strips Of brentwood. This record serves
as q reminder OF the idea of the song. bus
is altogether different from our system
Of printing. 1t Is more or less a kind Of
picture writing. In Indian picture pro
serves the idea OF the song. while our
printed page preserves the words. which
are supposed to express the idea, but
which It often does very imperfectly.
The great antiquity of these songs II
shown by the fact that many Of them
are widely known among scattered In
dams living in widely separated sections
of the country, who came originally from
the same locality. but have had prac-
tically no communication for many yeara
The preservation Of the songs Is aided by
the mnemonics. and the importance at
tached to them is shown by the reluct-
ance of the Mide Indians to sing them
until fully assured of the sincerity and
good will of the person making the re-
quest.
An Interesting ceremony. In which
songs are the unique feature, among the
Chippewas is that Of the ceremony for