Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1915-09-28
WRITTEN In 1854.
CONTINUED from first pagel

Continued from first page)
tion, supposed by the superstitious
Indians, to be produced by mental
excitement.
The present chief of this band, Osh-
ka-ba-wis, is q very sensible, intelli-
gent Indian. He went to Washington
during President Folks administra-
ton, in company with other chiefs,
to obtain redress for some grievances
about their payments. They secured
an appropriation of $4,000, but were
cheated out of it by the interpreter
who went with them, who having
charge of the money, hid $1,000 of it,
and soon after died, so that the In
dians got only 81 900 of the amount.
Each of the other bands occupies
separate tract of country for hunting
purposes. The Chippewas all belong
to certain family tribes or totems.
Those belonging to the same totem,
are considered brothers and sisters,
and consequently never marry
These family totems or designations,
are taken from some familiar living
object, such as the bear, the wild
goose, fish, sand-hill crane, ETC.
hence the bear clan or totem, and so
of others. Almost every thing that
inhabits land or water, is adopted by
certain Indians as their totem, and
some of the Indians belong to differ
ent clans or tOtems at the same time.
| These marks or tOtems descend from
| the father to the son. When war
rior goes to war and takes scalp
from the enemy, he sends or takes it
to his family clan or totem, that they
may dance over and around the
trophy, and recite his deeds of valor.
They call their family or tribal name
tO-t0nle or totem.
The Chippewas have singular Gus
tom about hunting the bear in win
ter. Journeying from place to place,
whenever they camp after dark, the
hunters all assemble in a wigwam by
themselves, excluding the squaws and
children. They generally assemble at
the lodge of the chief Medicine Man
of the camp, who presides over the
ceremonies, which are commenced by
beating on the medicine drum, and
singing certain number of songs,
which are sung only on these occa-
sions. The chief Medicine Man sits
in the middle of the lodge, with some
broad cloth and calico spread before
him, together with stuffed cub bear.
skin, while his pipe or calumet
already filled, is placed before him on
two crotched sticks. He then ad
dresses the bear in this wise: so
my brother. we are very hungry; We
are on the point of starving, and
wish you to have pity on us, and to
morrow when the young men 60 out
to hunt you, l want you to show
yourself. l know very we'll that you
are concealed somewhere close by my
camp here. l give you my pipe tt
smoke out of, and l wish you would
have pity on us, and give us you
body that we may eat and not starve
Having thus spoken, he takes tn,
medicine drum and beats on it, &C
companying it with some songs tina
he reciteS from two small boards, OF
which they are written in hierogly
phics. When he gets through, h,
passes the drum and boards to tn
next Indian, and so on around, til
all have sung and beaten the sam
thing. The performance general,
lasts about four hours, when they re
tire to their several lodges In tn
: morning, the hunters all 60 to tn
medicine bag of the chief Medicin
Man, which is generally suspended
from small tree, and take from i
some vermillion with which the,
paint themselves, and the noses O
their dogs. Thus prepared, they star
on the hunt in different directions
and being inspired with faith ant
goaded on by hunger, they are almos
sure of success before night.
Other customs are observed b.
them, which also indicate the super
stition of the Chippewas. l will no
! tice that of the burial of their dead
When an Indian dies, they believe, a
/ did their forefathers, that he ha
gone to better hunting grounds, ant
has need only of SO much provision a
will be sufficient 10 carry him through
the journey; and when there, that h,
is endowed with a benevolent spirit
and in order that he may exercise it
the indians make frequent Offering
of such articles as they can spare, b!
placing them at the head of thu
grave, when any destitute Indiar
coming along, and finding the offer
ing, accepts it as gift from thu
benevolent spirit of the dead.
July 10th, 1854.