The time has arrived for you to ask of the Great Spirit this “reverence” i.e., the sanctity of this degree. I am interceding in your behalf, but you think my powers are feeble; I am asking him to confer upon you the sacred powers. He may cause many to die, but I shall henceforth watch your course of success in life, and learn if he will heed your prayers and recognize your magic power.
At the conclusion of these remarks three others of the officiating Midē´ advance and seat themselves, with their chief, before the candidate. The Midē´ drum is handed to the chief priest, and after a short prelude of drumming he becomes more and more inspired, and sings the following Midē´ song, represented pictorially, also on [Pl. XIV, B].
Plate XIV.b. Mnemonic Song.
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Man´-i-dō´ we-da´, man´-i-dō´ gi-dō´ we-do´-nĭng.
Let us be a spirit, let the spirit come from the mouth.
The head is said to signify that of a Midē´, who is about to sing.
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Nin´-de-wen´-don zha´-bon-dĕsh´-kân-mân´.
I own this lodge, through which I pass.
The speaker claims that he has been received into the degree of the
Midē´wiwin to which he refers. The objects on the outer side of the
oblong square character represent spirits, those of the bear.
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Ân´-dzhe-ho ĭ´-a-ni´ o-gēn´, hwe´-ō-ke´, hwe´-ō-ke´.
Mother is having it over again.
The reference is to the earth, as having the ceremony of the “grand
medicine” again.
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Ni´-ka-nan ni´-go-sân, ni´-go-sân´
ni-ka´-ni-san´, man´-i-dō´ wi-dzhig´
nin-go-sân´ an-i-wa´-bi-dzhig ni-ka´.
Friends I am afraid, I am afraid, friends, of the spirits sitting around
me.
[The speaker reaches his hand toward the sky, i.e., places his faith in
Ki´tshi Man´idō who abides above.]
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Ya´-ki-no´-sha-me´-wa, ya´-ki-no´-sha-me´-wa,
ya-ki-no-si-ka-ne, ya-ki-no-si-ka-ne,
hē´, ki´-no-sha´-we-wa´.
I am going, with medicine bag, to the lodge.
[The object represents an otter skin Midē´ sack, the property of the
speaker.]
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Ya´-be-kai´-a-bi, ya´-be-kai´-a-bi, hē´-ā´, hē´-ā´,
ya´-be-kai´-a-bi, ya´-be-kai´-a-bi, hē´-ā´, hē´ā´,
wa´-na-he´-ni´-o-ni´, ya´-be-kai´-o-bik´.
We are still sitting in a circle.
[A Midē´ sitting within the Midē´wigân; the circle is shown.]
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A-ya´-a-bi-ta´ pa´-ke-zhĭk´, ū´, hū´, a´,
Half the sky
The hand is shown reaching toward the sky, imploring the assistance of
Ki´tshi Man´idō that the candidate may receive advancement in power. He
has only two degrees, one-half of the number desired.
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Ba´-be-ke´ o´-gi-mân nish´-a-we, hē´,
ne´-me-ke-hē´, nish´-a-we´-ni-mĭk o´-gi-mân.
The spirit has pity on me now,
[The “Great Spirit” is descending upon the Midē´wigân, to be present
during the ceremony.]
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Nin-dai´-a, nin-dai´-a, ha´,
we´-ki-ma´, ha´, wâ-no-kwe´.
In my heart, in my heart, I have the spirit.
[The hand is holding the mī´gis, to which reference is made.]
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I-ke´-u-ha´-ma man-ta-na´-ki-na ni-ka´-ni
I take the earth, my Midē´ friends.
The earth furnishes the resources necessary to the maintenance of life,
both food and medicines.
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Wi´-a-ya´-din shin-da´, hān´,
man-da´-ha-ni´, o-hō´ ni-bĭ´.
Let us get him to take this water.
[The figure sees medicine in the earth, as the lines from the eyes to
the horizontal strokes indicate.]
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Hŭe´-shĭ-shi-kwa´-ni-an nin-ga´-ga-mūn´.
I take this rattle.
The rattle is used when administering medicine.
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Wi-wa´-ba-mi´na hē´-na ko´-ni-a´-ni, ka´,
ko´-ni-a´-ho-nā´, nī´, kā´.
See how I shine in making medicine.
[The speaker likens himself to the Makwa´ Man´idō, one of the most
powerful Midē´ spirits. His body shines as if it were ablaze with
light—due to magic power.]
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This song is sung ad libitum according to the inspired condition of the person singing it. Many of the words are archaic, and differ from the modern forms.
Then the officiating priests arise and the one lowest in rank grasps his Midē´ sack and goes through the gestures, described in connection with the previous degrees, of shooting into the joints and forehead of the candidate the sacred mī´gis. At the attempt made by the chief priest the candidate falls forward apparently unconscious. The priests then touch his joints and forehead with the upper end of their Midē´ sacks whereupon he recovers and rises to a standing posture. The chief then addresses him and enjoins him to conduct himself with propriety and in accordance with the dignity of his profession. The following is the text, viz: Gi-gan´-bis-sĭn dau´-gē-in´-ni-nân´ kish-bin´-bish-in dau´-o-ân-nĭn da´-ki-ka-wa´-bi-kwe ga´-kĭ-ne ke-ke´-wi-bi´-na-mōn ki-ma´-dzhĭ-zhi we´-bĭ-zi-wĭn´.
The translation is as follows: “You heed to what I say to you; if you are listening and will do what is right you will live to have white hair. That is all; you will do away with all bad actions.”
