Midewiwin
Midewiwin, also known as the Grand Medicine Society, is a significant Indigenous healing tradition and secret society rooted primarily in Ojibwa culture, but also recognized among several other tribes such as the Fox, Iowa, Menominee, Miami, Ponca, and Winnebago. This practice involves a series of initiation rites, healing ceremonies, and the transmission of knowledge regarding herbal medicine, moral living, and spiritual teachings, believed to have been bestowed by the Great Spirit during a time of crisis. A key symbol of Midewiwin is the white shell, or Migiis, which is said to have guided the Ojibwa to their western homeland.
Membership in the society requires a recommendation from an existing member and involves a structured learning process with various degrees of instruction, each accompanied by initiation rites and a Mide bag that contains sacred elements. Central ceremonies, traditionally held in the spring, include rituals that symbolize a spiritual rebirth, emphasizing the values of healing and longevity. Although Midewiwin faced challenges due to legal and cultural pressures that led to a decline in practice, there has been a resurgence since the 1960s, spurred by movements aimed at revitalizing Indigenous culture. Today, the Midewiwin ceremonies have evolved to be more publicly accessible, allowing younger generations to engage with their heritage through modern channels like social media.
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Midewiwin
- TRIBES AFFECTED: Fox, Iowa, Menominee, Miami, Ojibwa (Chippewa), Ponca, Winnebago
- SIGNIFICANCE: Midewiwin refers to a secret society and set of rituals that transferred knowledge of healing rites, herbal medicines, and moral codes to succeeding generations
The Midewiwin, also called the Grand Medicine Society, was both a secret society and a series of initiation and healing ceremonies. In Indigenous myths, this knowledge and power were given by the Great Spirit through an intermediary during a time of trouble and death. A central symbol is the white shell, or Migiis, representing one that appeared to the Ojibwa from the eastern sea and led them west. Simultaneously with the shell, rules for moral living were given. The songs, rites, and stories of Indigenous origins are recorded in picture writing on birchbark scrolls. These scrolls are one of the few examples of Indigenous writing north of Mexico.
To join a society, a man or woman had to be recommended by a member. If accepted, they paid a fee and were assigned a teacher. There were four to eight degrees of instruction, each of which required separate initiation rites. At the higher levels, people were taught the use of herbal medicines and poisons. At each level, a Mide bag (medicine bundle) made of bird or animal skin containing the elements associated with that degree was presented.
In the central ceremonies, usually celebrated in the spring and lasting several days, initiates were ritually shot with pieces of white shell from a Mide bag, after which they feigned death. The fragments were then removed by Mide leaders, reviving the initiates to new life, both moral and spiritual.
The Midewiwin powers of healing and code for living were believed to guarantee a long life. The power of the Midewiwin was considered so great that members resisted Christian conversion. Eventually, however, legal and cultural pressures led to a decline of the practice. With the renewal of Indigenous culture that began in the 1960s, movements such as the Three Fires Society have revived the practice of the Midewiwin. Similar practices are found in the shell society of the Omaha and the Navajo chantway rituals.
In the twenty-first century, the Midewiwin ceremony continued to experience a revival, though it had evolved from historical times. Although it maintained many of the central spiritual elements, it also made modern adaptations. Once described as a secret society, the Midewiwin ceremony became more accessible to the public, and the financial barriers were removed. The Midewiwin ceremony was seen as a chance for individuals with Indigenous ancestry to reconnect with their Indigenous culture. Younger generations were introduced to the Midewiwin ceremony through social media.
Bibliography
Gadacz, Renee R., and Michelle Filice. "Midewiwin." The Canadian Encyclopedia, 7 Nov. 2016, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/midewiwin. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.
Goulais, Bob. "The Midewiwin Society Today." Anishinaabe Blog, 18 Dec. 2010, www.anishinaabe.ca/the-midewiwin-society-today. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.
"Religious and Ceremonial Life." Milwaukee Public Museum, www.mpm.edu/educators/wirp/great-lakes-traditional-culture/religious-ceremonial-life. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.
Troian, Martha. "Tom Chisel Revives Midewiwin Ceremony, once Widespread among Ojibwe." CBC, 19 Sept. 2015, www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/tom-chisel-revives-midewiwin-ceremony-once-widespread-among-ojibwe-1.3227913. Accessed 29 Oct. 2024.