The Mide'wiwin or "Grand Medicine Society" of the Ojibwa / Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885-1886, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1891, pages 143-300

Name: The Mide'wiwin or "Grand Medicine Society" of the Ojibwa / Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1885-1886, Government Printing Office, Washington, 1891, pages 143-300
Author: Walter James Hoffman

By Walter James Hoffman

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About This Book

This ethnographic study examines the secretive Midēwiwin, the Ojibwa medicine society, tracing its origins, organization, and ritual life. It describes shamans and degrees of initiation, preparatory instruction, therapeutic practices, and ceremonial rites in detailed procedural accounts, accompanied by pictography, songs, musical notation, and descriptions of sacred objects, dress, and lodge architecture. Birch-bark records, mnemonic songs, and illustrative plates document mythic genealogies, healing techniques, and mnemonic systems, while supplementary notes address pictorial records, music, and the society's prospects in changing circumstances.

About the Author

Walter James Hoffman

Walter James Hoffman was an American ethnologist known for his contributions to the study of Native American cultures, particularly the Ojibwa. His notable work, "The Mide'wiwin or 'Grand Medicine Society' of the Ojibwa," is part of the Seventh Annual Report of the Bureau of Ethnology, published in 1891. In this report, Hoffman provides a detailed examination of the Mide'wiwin, a significant spiritual and healing society among the Ojibwa people. His research has contributed to the understanding of indigenous practices and beliefs, highlighting the importance of cultural preservation and ethnographic study in the late 19th century.