Parker, W. Thornton

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THE MUSKKE-KEE WIN-NI-NEE.THE MEDICINE-MAN OF THE NORTH A:\IERICAN INDIANS.BY W. THORNTON PARKER, M. D.THE medicine-man among all North American Indians is a per-son of conspicuous importance, as he is supposed to possesscontrol over mysterious agencies, and to be endowed with powerswell-nigh supernatural. He is believed to be not only under theinfluence of spirits of great power, but to have more or less con-trol over them, compelling their aid for weal or woe, upon friendor enemy. He is also supposed to be able to interpret signs ofmajor or minor import, and to foretell the severity or mildness ofapproaching seasons, and the appropriateness of time for expedi-tions concerned in the chase, or in war.These doctors, magicians, prophets, dreamers, or whateverthe medicine-man may be conceived to be, are prepared for theirskilful profession only after long and arduous training. The testsnecessary for recognition as skilful and responsible practionersare often very severe and exacting, requiring physical enduranceand bravery of no mean order. These ordeals or tests when com-pleted endow the medicine-man with magical and mysterious pow-ers of cure and prophecy, acknowledged by all the tribes.Oftentimes the renown of these men will have spread amongother tribes and even among other nations, Indians making longjourneys to consult and listen to the distinguished Shaman. Youngmen who are seeking to become great prophets travel far for theinstruction of those celebrated in the mythical arts ; but such in-stances are by no means common, as each tribe has its own systemof arriving at results.The medicine lodge is believed by many to be the actual habi-tation of the Great Spirit ; it is as it were their tabernacle, or Sacred292 THE OPEN COURT.Ark in the wilderness. Col. Inman in his Sa/i Lake Trail ihns de-scribes the influence of the medicine-lodge :"When the prophecies of these medicine-men fail, the Indians"attribute it to some neglect of the instructions imparted, and not'' to any deficiency in their medicine-man; but when success occurs,"great is the honor bestowed upon their prophet. Their confidence"in these medicine-men is really remarkable."The Indian believes in the immortality of the soul, and in hisdreams and in the semi-delirium of sicknesses or accidents gainsan insight into future mysteries, and has glimpses of the beautiesand happiness of the life to come. It is not to be wondered attherefore that to his prophets he attributes great discernment inthese and all other matters of importance.Among the Ojibways the commonest form of greeting is Bo-zho-nee-chee. Bo-zho is undoubtedly a corruption of the French,Bon jour, which thick- mouthed French voyageurs have repeated inthe hearing of Indians ; and so after centuries the words Bo-zhohave become almost universal among Algonquin Indians, or thoseliving along the Great Lakes and upon the Mississippi, Missouri,and Ohio rivers. So early trappers witnessed the wonderful in-fluence of the medicine-men and also saw that these possessors ofsupernatural powers made use of it in healing diseased bodies, aswell as in controlling the mind and spirit. They therefore calledthese men medecin, or doctor.From calling them doctor or mcdeciti it was an easy transitionto call their power by the same name, and the similarity in soundsof the English and the French words made the term readily adaptedby the English-speaking people. So at last medicine-mdin came tomean the man having mysterious power over medicine or magic ormysterious arts in general; and the medicine-man controlling themedicine, and some medicine being good, some evil, certain thingscame to be called "good medicine" or "bad medicine," and cer-tain occurrences to be "good medicine" or "bad medicine," inother words "propitious" or "unpropitious."Traditions have also been in the keeping, as it were, of themedicine-men. Colonel Inman, in his Salt Lake Trail, mentionsthat the Indians of North America or most of them have a tradi-tion of a great flood or deluge which occurred ages ago. "While onthe expedition of General Carr, in 1869, when Buffalo Bill (Cody)was Chief of Scouts, a member of the command brought into campa huge bone. The surgeon of the expedition examined it and saidit certainly must be an enormous femur or thigh bone. The In-THK MUSKKE-KEK WIN-NI-NKR. 293dians agreed with this theory, but claimed it had belonged to oneof the giants which inhabited the earth many generations back.One of the medicine-men present thus explained the prodigious sizeof this apparently human bone. "A long time ago," said he, "thegreat earth was peopled by warriors of gigantic stature. TheseCuRLEY, Custer's Scout (Crow).Only Survivor of the Custer Massacre, June 25, 1876.Indians were huge enough to walk beside the buffalo and lift themup and carry them under their arms as a man would a pet dog.These warriors became so powerful that at last they dared to defythe Great Spirit ! This angered the Creator and He ordered the294 THE OPEN COURT.rain to come. It poured so continuously that all the rivers over-flowed their banks, and the prairies became submerged. The In-dians in terror fled to the hills and then the waters rose upon themthere. At last they climbed the highest peaks of the Rockies, butgo where they would the Great Father's vengeance followed themand engulfed them all. Then the earth became silent, and whenthe last of the waters had receded and all was dry and fair again,An American Indian Igniting Wood bv Means ok a Fire-drill.the Mighty Creator sent a new race, the size of men we now see,not over six and a half feet tall. These people would not defythe Great Spirit, but taught their children to call Him Great Fa-ther and to worship Him for His goodness and implore His helpand protection and His blessing. The Great Father knows thehearts and minds of His children and those who love Him Heblesses."TIIK MIISKKK-KEK WIN-Nl-NKE. 295The Indian medicine-man never teaches disrespect toward orrebellion against the Great Father, neither does he count his art aswonderful in the sight of the Creator of all men and all things.The religion of the Indians promises nothing for the nextworld, having no reference to it, but helps to prolong life here.The Christian religion is considered greatly inferior, as its prom-ises are for the future life.The ceremony of the Grand Medicine is an elaborate ritual,covering several days, the endless number of gods and spirits beingcalled upon to minister to the sick man and to lengthen his life.The several degrees of the Grand Medicine teach the use of incan-tations, of medicines and poisons, and the requirements necessaryto constitute a Brave. "When a young man seeks admission to theGrand Medicine Lodge, he first fasts until he sees in his dreamsome animal (the mink, beaver, otter, and fisher being most com-mon) which he hunts and kills. The skin is then ornamented withbeads or porcupine quills, and the spirit of the animal becomesthe friend and companion of the man." The medicine-men haveonly a limited knowledge of herbs, but they are expert in dressingwounds, and the art of extracting barbed arrows from the flesh canbe learned from them."After going through with certain incantations, the Grand-" Medicine-man tells his patient that his pain is caused by a bear"or some other animal, which is gnawing at the vitals. He makes" a most infernal noise in order to drive the spirit away, and if the" patient recovers, he accredits it to his own skill ; if death follows,"he falls back upon the plea so often used by his white brother,"'I was called too late ! ' They make great gain out of the people"and are their counsellors in peace and war. They are bitter op-"ponents of Christianity. The venerable medicine-man Shada-"yence was the most cunning antagonist I ever had among the" Indians."^In olden times,—yes, to within the memory of living Ojibways,— the medicine-man at the funeral ceremony thus addressed thedeparted: "Dear friend, you will not feel lonely while pursuingyour journey towards the setting sun. I have killed for you aSioux (hated enemy of the Ojibways), and I have scalped him. Hewill accompany you and provide for you, hunting your food as youneed it. The scalp I have taken, use it for your moccasins."And yet in spite of these apparently heathenish rites, the In-dian is never an atheist; always bending humbly in recognition of1 From Bishop Whipple's Autobiography, Lishts and Shadows 0/a Lohj; Ej>iscopatc.296 THE OPEN COURT.the Great Spirit, the Heavenly Father, the Creator of all thingsand all men, "Geechee Manito," Great Spirit, whom we in Eng-lish call the Almighty God.The Muskee-kee win-ni-nee or medicine-man is quite a dif-ferent individual from the priest or prophet or magician. The In-dian doctor is very skilful in curing simple ailments. Their reme-dies are cathartics, sweating medicines, expectorants or cough andlung remedies; diuretics, remedies acting on the kidneys, emeticsto produce vomiting ; remedies for inflammation of mucous sur-faces, bladder, etc.; alteratives to eradicate diseases, bitter herbsfor tonics, and soporifics, narcotics, etc. to induce sleep ; oint-ments, emulsions, lotions, teas, etc. When we consider the Indianremedies, it makes quite a pharmacopoeia and dispensatory. Thenthe Indians possess very strict rules concerning the managementof women in their natural ailments, and unlike the Africans, ourRedmen, native Americans, are a clean, orderly people and worthyof respect. In matters relating to hydrotherapy they excel. Noone can give better sweatings.Down by one of the sweat lodges a woman is kindling firesand heating the stones in the centre of the lodge and outside. Shecovers the frame with robes or skins so as to keep the heat in. Abucket of water stands near the fire. Soon half a dozen young mencome to the place and following them the medicine-man. Theyoung men drop their blankets and crawl into the sweat lodge;they are naked as they creep beneath the coverings. The medicine-man starts his "Hoyhey, Hoyhey, Hoyhey, "^ and sings his sacredsongs. The woman passes a vessel into the sweat house ; the waterhisses as it falls on the hot stones, and steam creeps forth from thecrevices in the coverings. At length after a longer or shorter expo-sure to the steam heat, the men creep out, rise, and all wet withperspiration rush down to the stream and plunge into the coldwater. This is the famous Indian sweat bath, cleansing, invigorat-ing, almost stimulating. The patient feels refreshed and like a newman. It is primitive, but it is effective.J The word "hoyliey " is hard to spell in English, perhaps " hoy-ee" would be more explana-tory. In the matter of cathartics the Indians outdo their pale-face friends in the abuse and ex-cess of these remedies. They require /«>-^c doses and as every treatment is preceded by purg-ings some attribute their mortality from consumption to be due to this over-dosing. It is morelikely, however, that tlie change from well-ventilated teepees to close cabins, and from open woodfires to overheated iron stoves, and from venison, prairie chicken, and ground corn cooked inopen fireplaces, to the doughy flour bread baked in stoves, that this is due. The borders of thelakes where camps and cabins have long been established become foul and unhealthy, and thepure water they have been used to has failed. Change of habits and the infrequency of thehealthful exercise of the hunt, also act against their once rugged constitutions.THE MUSKEE-KEE WIN-NI-NEE. 297And last but not least, these medicine-men are skilled in coun-ter-irritation for the treatment and cure of various disorders.As surgeons they excel in skilful bandaging, splints, and othertreatment of fractures; in deformities ; in the treatment of snake,dog, wolf, and other bites. They are adepts in extracting arrows2g8 THE OPEN COURT.and bullets. Bishop Whipple once narrated to me how the Indiansremove an arrow-head. They take a willow stick, cut it exactlyin half by dexterously splitting it, remove the pith and smoothingthe ends insert one above the superior flange of the arrow, theother beneath, then bind the two together close to the wound andcautiously remove all.The Indian ambulance or travois is a remarkable conveyance forcarrying the wounded out of reach of the battle, or for transportinghim over long marches to his home camp. The comfort of thismode of conveyance is greater than would appear at first sight. Itis from witnessing this primitive method among our Indians thatAmerican army surgeons have in frontier wars adopted this systemand called it the travois.Where can you find among primitive peoples greater naturalintelligence in all that pertains to every-day life? In the manufac-ture of clothing, of teepees or lodges, of arms, or ornaments fit forThe Extractio.n of an Arrow-Head.A, Arrow-head; B, S laft of arrow bound upon flange of arrow-head with gut; C, Shaft ofarrow; D, Superior portion of wood; D, Inferior portioa of wood; midway between £ and C,gut string binding the two pieces tightly togetlier before traction is made to withdraw.a prince to wear? In point of fact, the clothing of a well-to-doIndian squaw, of which the dress of the wife of the Ute chief Uraywould be an excellent example, is often quite valuable, ranginganywhere from fifty to one hundred and fifty dollars. The beadornaments are skilfully and beautifully made, handsome specimensreadily bringing in our eastern stores from ten to seventy-five dol-lars. The decorated otter and mountain-lion skins and the well-known buffalo hides are highly prized. The skins used for the tee-pees or lodges are most carefully tanned and prepared by squaws.Moccasins, pouches, rifle-cases, knife-scabbards, and quirts, are wellmade and command high prices. All these beautiful things, to-gether with pipes, silver ornaments, precious stones, and ores, nug-THE MUSKEE-KEE WIN-NI-NEE. 299gets of gold, are freely given to the medicine-man for his profes-sional fees, or as a reward from "grateful patients" for someextraordinary success in "cure." The ordinary fee for the Muskee-kee win-ni-nee is in yards of calico, so many for each consultation.The grand-medicine-lodge is usually an unroofed structure,300 THE OPEN COURT.quite different from the medicine teepee illustrated in this paper.An excellent picture of the open structure appeared about a yearago in The Open Court, in the article on "The Cross Among theNorth American Indians" (Vol. XIII., p. 302).The honor of grand-medicine is now and then conferred upon'pale-faces," and the writer received this recognition from theOjibways at White Earth Reservation, in 1879. The initiation re-minds one who is a mason of the ceremonies in one of the blue-lodge degrees, and certain mysterious signs have strangely enoughled masons to believe that our North American Indians are notwholly unacquainted with ancient rites closely resembling the ma-sonry of early times.Among people so intelligent and so competent it follows thatmuch would be expected of the medicine-man, occupying as he doesa position of dignity and influence and oftentimes of wealth. Wecannot study our aborigines in a spirit of fairness without discover-ing among them characters which in old Biblical times were re-garded as "wise hearted " men. The Indian in peace or in war isthe true son of nature, a believer in God, a loving father, a devoted,enduring friend, and a consistent enemy; in other words, he is atrue man.

The Muskee-Kee Win-ni-nee. The Medicine-Man of the North American Indians.

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The Muskee-Kee Win-ni-nee. The Medicine-Man of the North American Indians.

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