American Indian Culture and Research Journal

In a previous article I focused on otter, the animal on the first spiritual level of the Midewiwin healing society. For the Great Lakes Ojibwa, otter is present in many ways: as an experienced corporeal reality in nature; as a central theme in stories, on scrolls and medicine bags, and in non-figurative patterns. I argued that otter had a vivid and expansive presence and was a powerful force not only in the life of the Ojibwa in general, but also in the ritual and life of the Mide practitioners. Since otter so thoroughly informed the spiritual practices of the Midewiwin and since these same leaders were also signatories to Treaty Three, their expectations about the treaty were informed by otter. In this article I will ascend the Mide ladder to the next ritual rung and examine the role another specific animal played in the life of the Ojibwa and the Midewiwin. Which animal symbol is on the second step in the Midewiwin ceremonies? With regard to the Woodlands Ojibwa, Robert and Pat Ritzenthaler list the second-degree Mide bags as those of owl or hawk skins. For the Minnesota and Great Lakes Ojibwa, Fred K. Blessing and Julia Harrison give hawk as a second-degree bag and owl as a third-degree one. For Northern Minnesota, W. J. Hoffman states that the pouch of the fourth-degree initiated contained an owl. For the more eastern Ojibwa, Ruth Landes places weasel and mink as second and third. I will focus on the owl, but will also make allusions to the hawk. Stories, images, and voices of the owl offer a window into the Ojibwa world. These impressions give an indication of the prized qualities of the owl, qualities that the Ojibwa appropriated and brought with them to treaty signing. Animals, however, are not merely objects to be heard, viewed, and prized, but agents who have voices and fellow subjects on life’s path. Their approach is multifaceted since they can scare, protect, guide, and mediate. Indeed, they are guardians that are sometimes indistinguishable from human persons, for they often reciprocally exchange places, features, and roles with humans.