Owindia : a true tale of the MacKenzie River Indians, North-West AmericaBompas, Charlotte Selina
History
Owindia : a true tale of the MacKenzie River Indians, North-West America
Bompas, Charlotte Selina
Foundlings -- Fiction; Indians of North America -- Canada -- Fiction; Murder -- Fiction
The accompaniments of this strange scene vary according to
circumstances. In some cases a basin of blood of some animal is made
use of; in most instances a knife or dagger plays an important part.
I have seen one of these, which, by-the-by, is most difficult to
obtain, and can only be seen by special favour. It is made of bone or
ivory, beautifully carved and notched at the edges, with various dots
or devices upon it, and all, both dots and notches, arranged in
groups of sevens! After some hours the spell may be supposed to work,
the sick man feels better, the excitement of the medicine-man
increases, all looks promising; yet at this moment should a white
face enter the house or tent, still more, should he venture to touch
either doctor or patient, the spell would be instantly broken, and
the whole process must be commenced anew.
The spell has been wrought upon a poor Cree Woman at Ile la C. She
is perfectly convinced as to who did her the injury, and also that it
was her hands which it was intended should suffer. Accordingly each
Spring, for some years past, her hands are rendered powerless by a
foul-looking, scaly eruption, which comes over them. Indians have
been known to climb an almost inaccessible rock, and stripping
themselves of every vestige of clothing, to lie there without food or
drink, singing and invoking the wonder-worker until the revelation of
some secret root was made known, by which their design for good or
evil might be accomplished!
A Cree Indian, a man of sound education, related once the following
story:--"I was suffering in the year 18----from great distress of
body, and after seeing a doctor and feeling no better, I began to
think I must be the victim of some medicine-man. I thought over my
adventures of the last year or two, to discover if there were any who
had reason to wish me evil. Yes, there was one man, a Swampy Indian.
I had quarrelled with him, and then we had had words; and I spoke,
well, I spoke bitterly (which I ought not to have done, for he was
the injured man) and he vowed to revenge himself upon me. This was
some years since, however, and I had never given him a thought since
the time of our quarrel, but now I was certain a spell was over me,
and he must have wrought it,--I knew of no other enemy, and I was
determined to overcome it or die. So I saddled my horse and rode
across country for thirty miles till I reached the dwelling of the
Swampy. The man was outside, and started when he saw me, which
convinced me more than ever that I was on the right scent. I put up
my horse and followed my man into the house whither he had retreated;
and wasting no time, came to the point at once. Drawing my revolver
and pointing it to his heart, 'Villain,' I exclaimed, 'you have made
medicine on me: tell me your secret or I shall shoot you dead.' I
never saw a more cowed and more wretched-looking being than my man
became. I expected at least some resistance to my command; but he
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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