The Mide'wiwin or "Grand Medicine Society" of the Ojibwa by Walter James Hoffman

"The Mide'wiwin or 'Grand Medicine Society' of the Ojibwa" by W. J. Hoffman is an ethnographic study written in the late 19th century. The work examines the spiritual practices, rituals, and organizational structure of the Mide'wiwin, a significant society among the Ojibwa people, focusing on their medicinal and spiritual traditions. The text seeks to document and preserve the knowledge surrounding this society amidst a time of cultural change and assimilation. At the start of the book, the author introduces the Ojibwa tribe, its geographical distribution, and cultural characteristics. The text details the tribe's connection to the land and their reliance on natural resources for sustenance. Hoffman outlines the complexities of tribal organization and spiritual practices, providing historical context and references to past documents and observations of other researchers. He highlights the important role that society members, such as shamans and herbalists, play in the community, detailing their rituals, healing practices, and the significance of oral traditions within the Mide'wiwin, while noting the societal transformations faced by the Ojibwa amid external influences and pressures. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

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About this eBook

Author Hoffman, Walter James, 1846-1899
Title 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
Note Reading ease score: 58.4 (10th to 12th grade). Somewhat difficult to read.
Credits Produced by Louise Hope, Carlo Traverso, and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This
file was produced from images generously made available
by the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF/Gallica) at
http://gallica.bnf.fr, with additional images from
http://www.1st-hand-history.org/)
Language English
LoC Class E011: History: America: America
Subject Ojibwa Indians -- Religion
Subject Ojibwa Indians -- Rites and ceremonies
Subject Ojibwa Indians -- Societies, etc.
Subject Secret societies -- North America
Subject Midéwiwin
Category Text
EBook-No. 19368
Release Date
Most Recently Updated Mar 10, 2025
Copyright Status Public domain in the USA.
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