The Midewiwin (in syllabics: , also spelled ''Midewin'' and ''Medewiwin'') or the Grand Medicine Society is a religious society of some of the Indigenous peoples of

the Maritimes The Maritimes, also called the Maritime provinces, is a region of Eastern Canada consisting of three provinces: New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island. The Maritimes had a population of 1,899,324 in 2021, which makes up 5.1% of ...

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and

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s in

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. Its practitioners are called ''Midew'', and the practices of ''Midewiwin'' are referred to as ''Mide''. Occasionally, male ''Midew'' is called ''Midewinini'', which is sometimes translated into English as "

medicine man A medicine man (from Ojibwe ''mashkikiiwinini'') or medicine woman (from Ojibwe ''mashkikiiwininiikwe'') is a traditional healer and spiritual leader who serves a community of Indigenous people of the Americas. Each culture has its own name i ...

Etymology

Due to the body-part medial ''de meaning 'heart' in the

Anishinaabe The Anishinaabe (alternatively spelled Anishinabe, Anicinape, Nishnaabe, Neshnabé, Anishinaabeg, Anishinabek, Aanishnaabe) are a group of culturally related Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous peoples in the Great Lakes region of C ...

language, ''Midewiwin'' is sometimes translated as 'The Way of the Heart'. Minnesota archaeologist Fred K. Blessing shares a definition he received from Thomas Shingobe, a ''Mida'' (a ''Midewiwin'' person) of the Mille Lacs Indian Reservation in 1969, who told him that "the only thing that would be acceptable in any way as an interpretation of 'Mide' would be 'Spiritual Mystery'." Fluent speakers of Anishinaabemowin often caution that many words and concepts have no direct translation in English.

Origins

According to historian Michael Angel, the ''Midewin'' is a "flexible, tenacious tradition that provided an institutional setting for the teaching of the world view (religious beliefs) of the Ojibwa people". Commonly among the

g, ''Midewin'' is ascribed to Wenaboozho (Onaniboozh) as its founder. However, among the

Abenaki The Abenaki ( Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was pred ...

s, Midewiwin is ascribed to Mateguas, who bestowed the Midewiwin upon his death to comfort his grieving brother Gluskab, who is still alive. Walter James Hoffman recorded that according to the Mille Lacs Indians chief ''Bayezhig'' ('Lone One'), ''Midewiwin'' has its origin as: :"In the beginning, ''Midemanidoo'' (''Gichimanidoo'') made the ''midemanidoowag''. He first created two men, and two women; but they had no power of thought or reason. Then ''Midemanidoo (Gichimanodoo)'' made them rational beings. He took them in his hands so they could multiply; he paired them and sprung the Anishinaabe from this. When there were people he placed them upon the earth, but he soon observed that they were subject to sickness, misery, and death, and that unless he provided them with the Sacred Medicine they would soon become extinct. :"Between the position occupied by ''Gichi Manidoo'' and the earth were four lesser ''manidoog'' with whom ''Gichi Manidoo'' decided to commune, and to impart to them the mysteries by which the ''Anishinaabeg'' could be benefited. So he first spoke to a ''manidoo'' and told him all he had to say, who in turn communicated the same information to the next, and he in turn to next, who also communed with the next. They all met in council, and determined to call in the four wind ''manidoog''. After consulting as to what would be best for the comfort and welfare of the Anishinaabeg, these ''manidoog'' agreed to ask ''Gichi Manidoo'' to communicate the Mystery of the Sacred Medicine to the people. :"''Gichi Manidoo'' then went to the Sun Spirit and asked him to go to the earth and instruct the people as had been decided upon by the council. The Sun Spirit, in the form of a little boy, went to the earth and lived with a woman with a little boy of her own. :"This family went away in the autumn to hunt, and during the winter this woman’s son died. The parents were so much distressed that they decided to return to the village and bury the body there; so they made preparations to return, and as they traveled along, they would each evening erect several poles upon which the body was placed to prevent the wild beasts from devouring it. When the dead boy was thus hanging upon the poles, the adopted child—who was the Sun Spirit—would play about the camp and amuse himself, and finally told his adopted father he pitied him, and his mother, for their sorrow. The adopted son said he could bring his dead brother to life, whereupon the parents expressed great surprise and desired to know how that could be accomplished. :"The adopted boy then had the party hasten to the village, when he said, “Get the women to make a ''wiigiwaam'' of bark, put the dead boy in a covering of ''wiigwaas'' and place the body on the ground in the middle of the ''wiigiwaam''.” On the next morning after this had been done, the family and friends went into this lodge and seated themselves around the corpse. :"When they had all been sitting quietly for some time, they saw through the doorway the approach of a bear, which gradually came towards the ''wiigiwaam'', entered it, and placed itself before the dead body and said, “ho, ho, ho, ho,” when he passed around it towards the left side, with a trembling motion, and as he did so, the body began quivering, and the quivering increased as the bear continued until he had passed around four times, when the body came to life again and stood up. Then the bear called to the father, who was sitting in the distant right-hand corner of the ''wiigiwaam'', and addressed to him the following words: :: :: :: :: :: :"The little bear boy was the one who did this. He then remained among the Anishinaabeg and taught them the mysteries of the ''Midewiwin''; and, after he had finished, he told his adopted father that as his mission had been fulfilled he was to return to his kindred ''manidoog'', for the Anishinaabeg would have no need to fear sickness as they now possessed the ''Midewiwin'' which would enable them to live. He also said that his spirit could bring a body to life but once, and he would now return to the sun from which they would feel his influence." This event is called ''Gwiiwizens wedizhichigewinid''—Deeds of a Little-boy.

Associations

''Mide'' societies keep ''

wiigwaasabak A ''wiigwaasabak'' (in Ojibwe syllabics, Anishinaabe syllabics: , plural: ''wiigwaasabakoon'' ) is a birch bark scroll, on which the Ojibwa (Anishinaabe) people of North America wrote with a Ojibwe writing systems#Anishinaabewibii'iganan, writ ...

'' (birch bark scrolls) that preserve their teachings. They have degrees of initiations and hold ceremonies. They are often associated with the Seven Fires Society, and other Indigenous groups or organizations. The ''Miigis'' shell, or

cowry Cowrie or cowry () is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails in the family Cypraeidae. Cowrie shells have held cultural, economic, and ornamental significance in various cultures. The cowrie was the shell most widely used wo ...

shell, is used in some ceremonies, along with bundles, sacred items, etc. There are many oral teachings, symbols, stories, history, and wisdom passed along and preserved from one generation to the next by these groups. Whiteshell Provincial Park (Manitoba) is named after the whiteshell (cowry) used in ''Midewiwin'' ceremonies. This park contains some petroforms that are over 1000 years old, or possibly older, and therefore may predate some aboriginal groups that came later to the area. The ''Midew'' society is commemorated in the name of the

Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie The Midewin National Tallgrass Prairie (MNTP) is a tallgrass prairie reserve and is preserved as United States National Grassland operated by the United States Forest Service. The first national tallgrass prairie ever designated in the United St ...

(Illinois).

Degrees

The Mide practitioners are initiated and ranked by degrees. Much like the apprentice system,

masonic Freemasonry (sometimes spelled Free-Masonry) consists of fraternal groups that trace their origins to the medieval guilds of stonemasons. Freemasonry is the oldest secular fraternity in the world and among the oldest still-existing organizati ...

degrees, or an

academic degree An academic degree is a qualification awarded to a student upon successful completion of a course of study in higher education, usually at a college or university. These institutions often offer degrees at various levels, usually divided into und ...

program, a practitioner cannot advance to the next higher degree until completing the required studies, experiences and ceremonies required of that degree. Only after successful completion may a candidate be considered for advancement to the next degree. Of course, from Anishinaabe perspective, there is no level system that can equate to Native Way; it is a projection of thinking. In other words, it is only a general representation in English of complex abstract ideas in Anishinaabemowin.

Extended Fourth

The accounts regarding the extended Fourth Degrees vary from region to region. All ''Midewiwin'' groups claim the extended Fourth Degrees are specialized forms of the Fourth Degree. Depending on the region, these extended Fourth Degree ''Midew'' can be called "Fifth Degree" up to "Ninth Degree." In parallel, if the Fourth Degree ''Midew'' is to a doctorate degree, the Extended Fourth Degree ''Midew'' is to a post- doctorate degree. The ''Jiisakiwinini'' is widely referred to by Elders as the "highest" degree of all the medicine practitioners in the ''Mide'', as it is spiritual medicine as opposed to physical/plant based medicine.

Medicine lodge

''Midewigaan''

The ''midewigaan'' ('''mide'' lodge'), also known as ''mide-wiigiwaam'' ('''mide''

wigwam A wigwam, wikiup, wetu (Wampanoag), or wiigiwaam (Ojibwe, in syllabics: ) is a semi-permanent domed dwelling formerly used by certain Native American tribes and First Nations people and still used for ceremonial events. The term ''wikiup'' ...

') when small or ''midewigamig'' (mide'' structure') when large, is known in English as the Grand Medicine Lodge and is usually built in an open grove or clearing. A ''midewigaan'' is a domed structure with the proportion of one unit in width by four units in length. Though Hoffman records these domed oval structures measuring about in width by in length, the structures are sized to accommodate the number of invited participants, thus many ''midewigaan'' for small ''mide'' communities in the early 21st century are as small as in width and in length and larger in those communities with more ''mide'' participants. The walls of the smaller ''mide-wiigiwaam'' consist of poles and saplings from high, firmly planted in the ground, wattled with short branches and twigs with leaves. In communities with significantly large ''mide'' participants (usually of 100 people or more participants), the ''midewigamig'' becomes a formal and permanent ceremonial building that retains the dimensions of the smaller ''mide-wiigiwaam''; a ''midewigamig'' might not necessarily be a domed structure, but typically may have vaulted ceilings.

''Jiisakiiwigaan''

Design of the ''jiisakiiwigaan'' ('juggler's lodge' or 'Shaking Tent' or traditionally 'shaking wigwam') is similar in construction as that of the ''mide-wiigiwaam''. Unlike a ''mide-wiigiwaam'' that is an oval domed structure, the ''jiisakiiwigaan'' is a round high-domed structure of typically in diameter and in height, and large enough to hold two to four people.

Ceremonies

Annual and seasonal ceremonies

*''Aabita-biboon'' (Midwinter Ceremony) *''Animoosh'' (

hite Hite or HITE may refer to: *HiteJinro, a South Korean brewery **Hite Brewery *Hite (surname) *Hite, California, former name of Hite Cove, California *Hite, Utah Historic Hite is a flooded ghost town at the north end of Lake Powell along the Co ...

Dog Ceremony) *''Jiibay-inaakewin'' or ''Jiibenaakewin'' (Feast of the Dead) *''Gaagaagiinh'' or ''Gaagaagishiinh'' (Raven Festival) *''Zaazaagiwichigan'' (Painted Pole Festival) *''Mawineziwin'' ('War emembranceDance') *''Wiikwandiwin'' ( easonalCeremonial Feast)—performed four times per year, once per season. The ''Wiikwandiwin'' is begun with a review of the past events, hope for a good future, a prayer and then the smoking of the pipe carried out by the heads of the ''

doodem The Anishinaabe, like most Algonquian languages, Algonquian-speaking groups in North America, base their system of kinship on clans or totems. The Ojibwe language, Ojibwe word for clan () was borrowed into English as totem. The clans, based ma ...

''. These ceremonies are held in mid-winter and mid-summer to bring together people various medicines and combine their healing powers for revitalization. Each ''Wiikwandiwin'' is a celebration to give thanks, show happiness and respect to ''Gichi-manidoo''. It is customary to share the first kill of the season during the ''Wiikwandiwin''. This would show ''Gichi-manidoo'' thanks and also ask for a blessing for the coming hunt, harvest and season.

Rites of passage

*''Nitaawigiwin'' (Birth rites)—ceremony in which a newborn's

umbilical cord In Placentalia, placental mammals, the umbilical cord (also called the navel string, birth cord or ''funiculus umbilicalis'') is a conduit between the developing embryo or fetus and the placenta. During prenatal development, the umbilical cord i ...

is cut and retained *''Waawiindaasowin'' (Naming rites)—ceremony in which a name-giver presents a name to a child *''Oshki-nitaagewin'' (First-kill rites)—ceremony in which a child's first successful hunt is celebrated *''Makadekewin'' (Puberty fast rites) *''Wiidigendiwin'' (Marriage rites)—ceremony in which a couple is joined into a single household *''Bagidinigewin'' (Death rites)—wake, funeral and funerary feast

Miscellaneous ceremonies

*''Jiisakiiwin'' (Shaking tent)—ceremony conducted by a Shaking-tent seer (''jaasakiid''; a male ''jaasakiid'' known as a ''jiisakiiwinini'' or a female ''jaasakiid'' known as a ''jiisakiiwikwe''), often called a ''juggler'' in English, who would enter the tent to conjure spirits and speak beyond this world. *''Bagisewin'' (Present)—custom at the end of a wedding ceremony in which the bride presents wood at the groom's feet as a wedding present. *''Ishkwaandem-wiikwandiwin'' (Entry-way Feast)—A ceremony performed by women who took a piece of wood out to the bushes to offer it to ''Gichi-manidoo'', and brought something back as well. This ceremony represents the woman as Mother Earth who asked for blessing from ''Gichi-manidoo'' so that the home would be safe and warm.

Teaching objects

Teaching scrolls

Called in the

Ojibwe language Ojibwe ( ), also known as Ojibwa ( ), Ojibway, Otchipwe,R. R. Bishop Baraga, 1878''A Theoretical and Practical Grammar of the Otchipwe Language''/ref> Ojibwemowin, or Anishinaabemowin, is an Indigenous languages of the Americas, indigenous la ...

, birch bark scrolls were used to pass on knowledge between generations. When used specifically for ''Midewiwin'' ceremonial use, these ' used as teaching scrolls were called ''Mide-wiigwaas'' ('Medicine birch ark scroll). Early accounts of the ''Mide'' from 19th-century books describe a group of elders that protected the birch bark scrolls in hidden locations. They recopied the scrolls if any were badly damaged, and they preserved them underground. These scrolls were described as very sacred and the interpretations of the scrolls were not easily given away. The historical areas of the Ojibwe were recorded, and stretched from the east coast all the way to the prairies by way of lake and river routes. Some of the first maps of rivers and lakes were made by the Ojibwe and written on birch bark. "The Teachings of the Midewiwin were scratched on birch bark scrolls and were shown to the young men upon entrance into the society. Although these were crude pictographs representing the ceremonies, they show us that the Ojibwa were advanced in the development of picture 'writing.' Some of them were painted on bark. One large birch bark roll was 'known to have been used in the Midewiwin at Mille Lacs for five generations and perhaps many generations before', and two others, found in a seemingly deliberate hiding place in the Head-of-the-Lakes region of Ontario,Kidd, Kenneth E. "Birch-bark Scrolls in Archaeological Contexts", in ''American Antiquity'', Vol. 30 No. 4 (1965) p480. were carbon-dated to about 1560 CE +/-70.Rajnovich, Grace "Reading Rock Art: Interpreting the Indian Rock Paintings of the Canadian Shield". Dundurn Press Ltd. (1994) The author of the original report on these hidden scrolls advised: "Indians of this region occasionally deposited such artifacts in out-of-the-way places in the woods, either by burying them or by secreting them in caves. The period or periods at which this was done is far from clear. But in any event, archaeologists should be aware of the custom and not overlook the possibility of their discovery."

Teaching stones

Teaching stones, known in Ojibwe as either or , can be either

petroglyph A petroglyph is an image created by removing part of a rock surface by incising, picking, carving, or abrading, as a form of rock art. Outside North America, scholars often use terms such as "carving", "engraving", or other descriptions ...

s or petroform.

Seven prophetical ages

The Seven Fires prophecy was originally taught among the practitioners of ''Midewiwin''. Each fire represents a prophetical age, marking phases or epochs of Turtle Island. It represents key spiritual teachings for North America and suggests that the different colors and traditions of humans can come together on the basis of respect. The Algonquins are the keepers of the seven fires prophecy ''

wampum Wampum is a traditional shell bead of the Eastern Woodlands tribes of Native Americans. It includes white shell beads hand-fashioned from the North Atlantic channeled whelk shell and white and purple beads made from the quahog or Western ...

''.

References

Sources

* *Bandow, James B. "White Dogs, Black Bears & Ghost Gamblers: Two Late Woodland Midewiwin Aspects from Ontario". IN ''Gathering Places in Algonquian Social Discourse''. Proceedings of the 40th Algonquian Conference, Karle Hele & J. Randolf Valentine (Editors). (SUNY Press, 2008 - Released 2012) *Barnouw, Victor. "A Chippewa Mide Priest's Description of the Medicine Dance" in ''Wisconsin Archeologist,'' 41(1960), pp. 77–97. * * * *Deleary, Nicholas. "The Midewiwin, an aboriginal spiritual institution. Symbols of continuity: a native studies culture-based perspective." Carleton University MA Thesis, M.A. 1990. *Densmore, Frances. ''Chippewa Customs''. (Reprint: Minnesota Historical Press, 1979). *Dewdney, Selwyn Hanington. ''The Sacred Scrolls of the Southern Ojibway''. (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1975). *Gross, Lawrence W. "Bimaadiziwin, or the 'Good Life,' as a Unifying Concept of Anishinaabe Religion" in ''American Indian Culture and Research Journal'', 26(2002):1, pp. 15–32. *Hirschfelder, Arlene B. and Paulette Molin, eds. ''The Encyclopedia of Native American Religions''. (New York: Facts of File, 1992)
Hoffman, Walter James. "The Midewiwin, or 'Grand Medicine Society', of the Ojibwa" in ''Smithsonian Institution, U.S. Bureau of Ethnology Report'', v. 7, pp. 149-299. (Washington, DC: Government Printing Office, 1891).
* Johnston, Basil. "The Society of Medicine\''Midewewin''" in ''Ojibway Ceremonies'', pp. 93–112. (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990). * *Roufs, Tim. ''When Everybody Called Me Gah-bay-bi-nayss: "Forever-Flying-Bird".'' An Ethnographic Biography of Paul Peter Buffalo. (Duluth: University of Minnesota, 2007).
Chapter 30: Midewiwin: Grand Medicine

** ttp://www.d.umn.edu/cla/faculty/troufs/Buffalo/PB33.html Chapter 33: Medicine Men / Medicine Women*Vecsey, Christopher. ''Traditional Ojibwa Religion and its Historical Changes''. (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1983). *Warren, William W. ''History of the Ojibway People''. (1851) {{Anishinaabe Native American religion Traditional healthcare occupations