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Winnebago Indian
Religion
Religion. The Winnebago
possess two important tribal ceremonies, the Mañkáni
or Medicine Dance, and the Winter Feast (Wagigó).
The Medicine Dance can take place only in summer, and the Winter Feast
only in winter. The Medicine Dance is a secret society, ungraded, into
which men and women can be initiated on payment of a certain amount of
money. Supernatural dreams are not required for initiation at the present
day. A new member generally succeeds some deceased relative. There are
five ceremonial bands, occupying, respectively, the east, north, west,
south, and southeast of the long tent in which the ceremony is performed.
The positions of honor, which follow in the manner enumerated above, are
dependent on the order of invitation and may differ at each performance. A
secret vapor-bath ceremony precedes, and a secret ceremony intervenes
between, the first and second parts of the general ceremony. The general
ceremony itself is public. The purpose of the society is the prolongation
of life and the instilling of certain virtues, none of which, however,
relate to war. This instilling is accomplished by means of the "shooting"
ceremony, consisting of the simulated shooting of a shell, contained in an
otter-skin bag, into the body of the one to be initiated. This ceremony is
extremely similar to that in the Algonquian Midewiwin, and to that in the
Dakota " Mystery Dance" and the Omaha "Pebble Ceremony." There seems
little doubt that the shooting ceremony has been borrowed by the Winnebago
from some Central Algonquian tribe, presumably the Sauk and Foxes; also
that the teachings have been greatly influenced by those of the Midéwiwin.
On the other hand, the organization, a large portion of the ritual, and
the ritualistic myths are so fundamentally different that it is better to
regard the shooting ceremony as a ritual secondarily associated with an
old Winnebago ceremony.
The Winter Feast is the only distinctly clan ceremonial
among the Winnebago. Each clan has a sacred clan bundle, which is in the
hands of some male individual, who hands it down from one generation to
another, always taking care, of course, to keep it in the same clan. The
Winter Feast is distinctly a war feast, and the purpose in giving it seems
to be a desire to increase their war powers by a propitiation of all the
supernatural deities known to then. To these they offer food and deerskin.
There may be as many as twelve (?) powers propitiated, namely,
Earth-maker, Disease-giver, Sun, Moon, Morning Star, the spirits of the
Night, Thunderbird, One-horn, the Earth, the Water, the Turtle, and the
Rabbit. Of these, food had to be offered to all except the last two, who
are really only the culture heroes and probably of recent introduction.
The feast is divided into two distinct parts, one for the Disease-giver
and one for all the other spirits. The Sauk and Foxes seem to have a
similar feast, but its relation to the Winnebago is as yet unknown.
There are a number of important ceremonies besides the
above, of which the best known are the Buffalo Dance and the Herucka.
The former is given in spring, and has for its purpose the magical calling
of the buffalo herds. All those who have had supernatural communication
with the Buffalo spirit may become members, irrespective of clan. The
Herucka is the same as the Omaha Grass dance. There are also a number
of other dances and feasts, of which little is known as yet, such as the
Snake, Scalp, Grizzly-bear, Soreeye, and Ghost dances.
The religious beliefs of the Winnebago are practically
identical with those of the Dakota, Ponca, and Central Algonquian tribes.
A figure known as Man'una (Earth-maker) corresponds to
the Gitchi Manito of the Central Algonquian tribes. The mythology
consists of large cycles relating to the five personages whom Earth-maker
sent out to free the world from giants and evil spirits. They are the
Trickster, the Bladder, the Turtle, He-who-wears-heads-as-earrings, and
the Hare. Besides these there are numerous myths relating to the
Thunderbird and other clan heroes, and likewise numerous miscellaneous
myths. Although there are evidences of Central Algonquian influence, the
mythology shows a much more intimate relation with that of the other
Siouan tribes.
The books presented are for their
historical value only and are not the
opinions of the Webmasters of the site.
Handbook
of American Indians, 1906
Index of Tribes or Nations
Free
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