Kitchi-Gami: Life Among the Lake Superior Ojibway

CHAPTER XXIV

AN INDIAN SCRIBE. 385 CHAPTER XXIV. AN INDIAN SCRIBE-MENABOJU AND THE DELUGE-THE TERli.ORS OF WARCREATION O.P K.INNI-KANNIK-KENABEIJU 11ECOKES YOUNG AGA.IN-LOVE SONGS AND INCANTATIONS-A SPRING SONG-WHEN THE SWALLOWS HOME· WARD FLY !-THE DltEAK OF THE KORNING STAR-A HUNTER'S DREAKTHE FRENCH TRAITEUR-EUROPEANS AND THEIR HATS-THE WAR EAGLE -A GREAT FAST-THE DREAM OF A 11RAVE-'I'HE TEKPLE WIGWAK-TllE FOUR VICTIMS. As I was continually asking at our little miSsion about pictorial writing, the Indians at length told me they had a man among them of the name of Ojibiwas , who was very clever in drawing and writing. He could make me as many books as I might wish to have. He could write down anything told him, and had already written much for other persons. I at once made the acquaintance ofthis Indian "scrittore ," and begged him to call on me with birch barks and the other requisite writing materials. The next morning he made his appearance in my little arbour. It seemed as if he had peeled an entire birch-tree, for he had at least half a quire of this Indian paper under his arm, as well as a large knife and a bone pencil in his hand. I first asked him to write down or paint something 386 MENABOJU. after the manner of his people. He asked me what r and I told him it was all one, he could follow his own imagination; it might be a story about Menaboju, or any other pleasant narrative which he could describe in picture and writing. " Good I" he said. He would do so. I gave him a good English pencil, but he said his sharp bone was much better for drawing. Nor would he take a seat in the shady arbour, where I had arranged a convenient table for him. He assured me that he must sit in the sunshine outside. And so he went out into the weeds and scrub, and worked away busily in his hiding-place for several hours, during which I did not hear a sound from him. I do not know how many chapters of Morgan's excellent work on the Iroquois I had read through, when my little scrittore crawled in again, and told me he had drawn me some anecdotes of Menaboju, the great demi-god of the Ojibbeways. He then showed me a birch bark, on which the figures opposite were drawn. As the product of two hours' labour, they did not appear to me very important; but Ojibiwas said it was very hot, and the work had caused him no slight trouble. Then began a long lesson, and detailed interpretation of the figures, which cost teacher and scholar a considerable amount of perspiration ere they arrived at a mutual clear understanding. It was, I soon saw, very nearly the story of Menaboju 's deluge. I had heard it several times before, but now there were some variations. My painter had also episodically introduced other anecdotes about Menaboju. It will be seen that he arranged his pic- ANOTHER BIRCH BARK. 387 torial stories much like Topfer has done his about Monsieur Jaunisse," "M. Sabot," &c. I have numbered the separate pictures, and will 388 THE EXPLANATION. now give my Indian " Topfer's" explanations as accurately as possible. "No. 1," he said, "was the earth, called 'Aki' by the Ojibbeways. It was painted there in order to have a proper foundation for our entire story, for it was the scene of all the events. The perpendicular undulating line over it is a great river. It is really not necessary there," my artist remarked, "for it is not alluded to in my story till later. But I have drawn it on the Aki figure, because the rivers flow on the earth. When we come to the point in the story where the river is needed, thou wilt be good enough to remember this stroke. "No. 2 is Menaboju, in all his military splendour. He was a great brave and chie£ Hence he has the flag-staff at his side, the feathers on his head, his sword, and the pipe of peace. (I suspect that Ojibiwas placed him here in the same way as we give in our biographies the portrait of the hero, adorned with all his orders.) "No. 3 is Menaboju's wigwam, in which he...