The Ojibwe also believe that the medicine man can make bad medicine as
well as good, and can prescribe certain medicines from his medicine
bundle that will enable him to get the better of his enemies. They had
many hunting charms which were supposed to help them get game. The
hunter in using these would often trace the outline of the desired game
upon the ground drawing a line to its heart. He would then pierce the
heart with the line and put the proper medicine on the heart puncture
indicated. A similar procedure might be followed against human enemies.
Such practices were always kept a deep secret, becoming valueless
should anyone see the perpetrator making the figure. They were likewise
deprecated and resented by the tribe and punishment was apt to follow
anyone caught in such a practice, which all agreed was a perversion
of the grand medicine society teachings. Most of the remedies of
the medicine men were kept tied in little bits of cloth, compounded
and ready to steep for use. Combinations of nine to twelve herbs are
common. These have been ground with a mortar and pestle until it would
be difficult to identify the ingredients of the prepared medicines.
Even if one knew all of the ingredients, the amounts of each herb would
be difficult to ascertain. Often, as in the case of Sweet Flag (_Acorus
calamus_), the amount must be very limited since the medicinal effect
is so severe.
The medicine men are taught that their medicines have a great value
and will not be efficacious if disposed of cheaply. Since money is not
so plentiful they are quite willing to accept pay in valuable goods.
This may be a pony, so many blankets, so much wild rice or whatever
the patient has of value. The patient usually calls the medicine man
for ailments that have not responded to his own individual treatment.
When the patient pays what the medicine man thinks is proper, then
he may be told what was used to effect the cure, and how and when to
gather the ingredients and how to administer the remedy. The recipient
is admonished to see that he does not impart the knowledge unless he
is well paid for it, as he paid the medicine man. This explains the
difficulty one encounters when he tries to get medicinal information.
Only by completely securing the confidence of the Indians, can a white
man get this information without pay, and then it must be thoroughly
understood that the investigator is not copying their medicines to
take commercial advantage of this knowledge. The Indian is quick to
appreciate favors and to acknowledge the respect that is given to him
by the white man, and becomes quite confident when he realizes that his
confidence is not abused.
OJIBWE MEDICINAL MATERIALS
While the Ojibwe use a few remedies outside the plant kingdom, they
are not of such great importance as among some other tribes. These are
here considered first, the plants following under the proper families
alphabetically.
OTHER THAN PLANTS
REPTILES
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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