THE RITUAL AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WINNEBAGO
MEDICINE DANCE

BY PAUL RADIN

Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the
Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy
in the Faculty of Philosophy,
Columbia University.

Reprinted from The Journal of American Folk-Lore, Vol. XXIV, No. XCII,
April–June, 1911

To the memory of
EVELYN R. BRESLER

THE RITUAL AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE WINNEBAGO MEDICINE DANCE

BY PAUL RADIN

CONTENTS

Page
A. [Description of the Ritual of the Winnebago Medicine Dance]149
I. [Organization of the Bands]150
II. [Prescribed Duties of the Bands]151
III. [Division of the Ceremony]153
IV. [Types of Component Elements of the Ceremony]154
1. [Types of Speeches]154
2. [Types of Songs]156
3. [Types of Action]156
4. [Types of Ritual]156
V. [Ceremony as a Whole]161
B. [Description of the Ojibwa Mide′wiwin]165
C. [Description of the Menominee Mide′wiwin]167
D. [The Significance of the Ritual]168
I. [The Common Elements]168
II. [The Interpretation of the Common Elements—Schurtz’s Theory]169
III. [The Shooting Ritual]175
IV. [The Initiation Ritual]179
V. [The General Ceremony]186
VI. [The Complete Ceremonial Complexes]188
VII. [Résumé and Conclusion]198