Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri 38

Indian Tribes of the Upper Missouri 38

Sorcery or witchcraft has already been noticed, but we may in addition

state that the witchcraft imputed to some of their doctors is their

power to do evil at a great distance from the object, to produce death

or disease, though they do not believe these persons can transform

themselves into other shapes; think they can exercise the same power to

do good if they choose, and do exercise it in curing the sick. It is in

consequence of this belief that the doctor or divining man is punished

in case of failure and death, as they think it is his unwillingness,

not his inability, to cure which produces the result. They do not burn

them, but the writer has seen several shot at different times by the

relatives of the deceased, on the supposition they caused their death.

This custom is in as great force now as it ever was.

 

The divining man has a chance to become rich in horses and other

property in a short time, as his fees depend on himself; but these

advantages are more than counterbalanced by the risk attending the

profession. The doctor, priest, conjuror, wizard, prophet, and divining

man are all united in the same person; that is, to a divining man

(Wa-con), or divining woman (Wa-can), these powers, or some of them,

are ascribed, and they are believed to possess them in proportion as

their success has been developed. Some are simply doctors of medicine,

others in addition are conjurors and do tricks. Some go further,

interpret dreams, reveal the future, find lost articles, etc. The whole

united forms the entire divining man. The persons who profess and

perform some of these things are tolerably numerous; but the effective

diviner of established reputation, large practice, and possessing the

whole of the foregoing powers are very few, perhaps not more than six

or eight in the whole Assiniboin Nation. As has been observed, they

form no distinct body and have but little influence in council unless

they can add that of warrior to their many distinguished titles and

degrees.

 

The whole of these Indians most sincerely believe in the theory of

ghosts, that departed spirits have the power to make themselves visible

and heard, that they can assume any shape they wish, of animals or men,

and many will affirm that they have actually seen these apparitions

and heard their whistlings and moanings. They are much afraid of these

appearances, and under no consideration will go alone near a burial

place after dark. They believe these apparitions have the power of

striking the beholder with some disease, and many complaints are

attributed to this cause. They therefore make feasts and prayers to

them to remain quiet. Smaller evils and misfortunes are caused by their

power, and a great many stories are nightly recounted in their lodges

of the different shapes in which they appear.

 

Dreams are revelations of Great Mystery and have considerable influence

over them, either in war expeditions or the chase. A bad dream on the

part of the leader of a war party would be sufficient cause for their

return, even if they were within a short distance of their enemies. It

would also prevent an Indian from his customary hunting and have other

effects of the like nature for a short time. Good dreams are therefore

always desired and courted, particularly on the eve of war excursions.

Faith in amulets and charms is general among the whole of these tribes.

The material of these charms is of every possible variety, as also the

different degrees of influence they exercise over different minds. The

idea though thoroughly realized by ourselves is difficult to explain,

but may be thus stated: Although the Great Spirit is all powerful, yet

His will is uncertain; He is invisible and only manifests His power in

extraordinary circumstances. The want of a tangible medium is felt,

therefore, through which they can offer their prayers to all ghosts,

lesser influences of evil, which overrule their ordinary occupations.

Each Indian selects some object for this purpose and calls it his

medicine, which is invested with a sacred character by the care with

which it is guarded and the prayers, invocations, etc., made through it

as a medium.

 

This charm or fetish is chosen in consequence of some dream or incident

or idea presented on some important occasion, and consists of the skin

of a weasel, otter, or beaver; heads and bodies of different kinds of

birds, stuffed; images of wood, stone, and beads wrought upon skin;

drawings of bulls, bears, wolves, owls, serpents, monsters, who have

never existed; even a bullet worn round the neck; in fact anything

resembling animate, inanimate, or imaginative creation, is selected

according to the superstitious fancy of the individual. This charm,

whatever it is, is inclosed in several envelopes of skin, and placed

in a rawhide sack which is painted and fringed in various ways. This

sack is never opened in the presence of anyone unless the Indian falls

sick, when he has it taken out and placed at his head. Ordinarily this

object is taken out in secret, and prayers and invocations made through

it as a medium to the spirits he wishes to propitiate. They are aware

that the object has no intrinsic power, but its virtue lies in their

faith of their ceremonies, as exhibited through this charm as a visible

medium to the supernatural. It is in fact the same operation of mind

(though differently exhibited) as is displayed in the charms believed

in by most of the lower order of whites. Although many ignorant white

persons have faith in the charms, spells, etc., of quack doctors and

old women, yet this does not destroy their belief in the Supreme Being,

neither does it that of the Indian. As long as he has success in his

different ordinary undertakings and is not troubled with the evils he

fears, he will continue to say his medicine is good, but should he be

disappointed and the case reversed, he will throw the charm away and

substitute some other.

 

Thus the writing, paintings, and pictures done by whites are considered

great charms by some Indians, particularly the Crows, and are eagerly

sought after as such. In the same light is regarded the medal of the

crucifixion given them, by Catholic priests.

 

What is the actual character of their worship when closely analyzed?

 

It is hoped that the preceding remarks have rendered this character

plain. All their prayers, sacrifices, feasts and personal inflictions

tend only to advance their temporal welfare and interest.

 

Several tunes are sung on some of these occasions when presenting the

pipe to the Sun, etc., that are of a sacred character, partaking of the

nature of thanksgiving for any signal success in war or otherwise. A

few words are used, but the chant is solemnly performed without their

usual gesticulations or levity.

 

The custom of holding as sacred the cult of the tobacco plant is

general. No ceremony of importance takes place among them in which

the pipe is not used. There are, however, several solemn occasions

in which the manufactured tobacco will not answer, when they use

that grown by themselves. These customs occur among the Mandan, Gros

Ventres, Arikara, and Crows, the only nations who cultivate the tobacco

plant. Sacrifices of small quantities of tobacco are also made on many

occasions, and always a small piece is found wrapped with the medicine

pipe or inclosed in the medicine sack.

 

Why it is considered sacred they can not explain, and the idea appears

one of the most ancient and original among them.

 

These tribes do not worship fire in any form. The Sun is thought to

be a body of fire and is worshipped next to the Great Mystery by all

of them, not, however, because it is fire (though being luminous no

doubt originated the idea) but because it is believed by most of them

to be the residence, and by some the eye, of the Great Mystery. It

is worshipped as the greatest visible symbol of the Great Mystery.

No other ceremonies are in existence among them by which we would

judge that fire is regarded with more reverence than water. On some

occasions councils are opened with fire struck from flint, such as

peace-making between two nations, ceremonies in the medicine lodge, and

feasts to the dead, but in all ordinary councils among themselves this

distinction is not made. In the cases where it is obtained from the

flint it seems to be merely an adherence to ancient custom. No extra

benefits are expected on that account, neither when questioned do they

attach much importance to the fact. Fire would be nothing without the

tobacco. In all these ceremonies with which we are well acquainted, we

can safely say that the tobacco is the sacred material (not the fire).

The rest depends on their invocations, etc., to the Great Mystery or

his symbols to render the whole of an effective character in their

estimation. We can not by inquiry find that there has ever been among

them or their ancestors an idea of a holy or eternal fire.

 

Omens have great influence on them on all occasions and are of every

possible variety. Storms, severe thunder, croaking of ravens, and

unusual sounds in the night, or even the fall of their medicine sack

or medicine pipe, would be sufficient to turn back a war party if any

of these omens were considered by their leaders as unfortunate in

their predictions, which they generally do. Councils would not proceed

during severe thunder, an eclipse, or any unusual phenomena, though

smaller omens would not be regarded. The flight of birds is seldom if

ever considered ominous unless their passage be accompanied with some

unusual appearances. Howlings of wolves and foxes in a peculiar manner,

whistling and meanings of ghosts, and bad or bloody dreams would

prevent the individual from war or the chase for a short time.

 

From all that has been written concerning their religion we would

rather others would decide whether the Indians are in reality

idolaters. That they render a species of worship to idols of almost

every description is true, yet this worship only refers through these

toys or charms to the great source of all power, or to supernatural

interference. They do not believe in the virtue of the material

of which they are made, nor do they ascribe to them an immaterial

spirit, but the mind by viewing them has a resting point, a something

to address in form, not for great protection and aid, but for daily

favors, and averting of smaller evils.

 

Uneducated as they are, obliged mentally to grasp at protection from

supernatural evil, in every way, from the great luminary the sun, as

the most powerful, to the smallest atom that may possibly be of some

aid, they, through these images or objects, endeavor to excite the

interest of the Great Mystery, an Unknown Power, to whose approach no

one certain way presents itself. If this be idolatry, be it so.

 

What else could be expected? That the Indians should be in advance of

Christians, who have their charms, their chance, their fortune, and

other ideas fully as repugnant to the belief in an all-wise disposer

of events, as the customs of the Indians present? The very fact of

the general practice of this species of idolatry appears to us to be

the greatest evidence of their being true worshipers. It is in fact

acknowledging a supernatural agency in everything; a belief in a ruling

providence over this life in every situation. If their minds pursue

wrong directions, and their prayers are for temporal, not spiritual

welfare, it is not their fault. Why should they desire what they do

not want? If no moral sense of right and wrong is found among them, no

sins acknowledged, nor future punishments feared, it must follow that

temporal welfare and personal advantage are all that remains worth

praying or fasting for. If they pray and sacrifice to the sun and

thunder it is nothing more than acknowledging the existence and power

of God in these, His works.

 

If they depend on fetishes and amulets to aid them in ordinary life

it is what many Christians do in a different way, yet these are not

accused of idolatry. If the right ideas were instilled into the mind of

the Indian he would be no more the savage, but the Christian, and would

worship the same being in a different sense and form than he now does

in any way his distorted imagination thinks may prove effective. Great

evil or great good is evaded or invoked from the Great Spirit through

great apparent mediums, as the Sun and Thunder.

 

Smaller evils and smaller benefits are averted or sought through the

medium of charms which though not intrinsically of any virtue, yet

benefits are the consequences attending on their prayers through

them, their character being rendered sacred by constant care, and the

importance of their position as mediums of worship. The identity of

the Great Spirit as a being appears to be lost in their worship of the

portions of creation capable of inspiring them with fear. His existence

as a cause is admitted, but we do not observe He is often addressed except through some visible medium, which is as it were a separation of his power among these objects or animals.