An outsider's look at the Ojibwa "Midewiwin," or Grand Medicine Society, based on witnesses' accounts, ethnographic reports, and insiders' accounts from the seventeenth century to the modern day. Contents include: Preface --- Acknowledgements --- 1. In Search Of The Midewiwin --- 2. Anishinaabe Religion & Society In The Pre- & Early Contact Period --- 3. Midewiwin Origins: Anishinaabe & Euro-American Perspectives --- 4. Midewiwin Ceremonies: Documentary Fragments From Euro-American Observers --- 5. Midewiwin Ceremonies: Ethnographic Records Of A Society Under Siege --- 6. Toward A New Understanding Of The Midewiwin --- Endnotes --- Glossary

Learning indepth about the Ojibwa Midewiwin, a "secret society" (to use the term loosely) which has existed for hundreds of years in the Great Lakes region. There are several good works out there about this society; this book utilizes many of them, comparing and contrasting how people have viewed the Midewiwin through the centuries and thus providing an informative and balanced account.

How the author described and summarized many other books on Ojibwa religion and the Midewiwin, including other books that I myself own and have read, pointing out the weaknesses and strengths in each. It was interesting to see all these varied accounts presented side by side, and how they differ through the years (from the seventeenth century and onward).

That the author relied ONLY on previously published material, and not on any direct interviews with practitioners; it would have been interesting to see yet more insiders' perspectives as gleaned by the author himself. However, he says right from the beginning that the purpose of this book is to look at the published reports, so this is understandable.

Learn yet more about the Midewiwin, and the various types of Ojibwa medicine men (wabano, jessakid, nanandawi, etc.). Unfortunately, I've read almost all the material widely available, except for the report by Hoffman (cited in the text)--which is available online in the public domain! I'll have to get to that sometime.

More educated about a subject which has intrigued me for quite a while, and which I already knew vaguely, but not a whole lot, about. It was also enlightening to learn that so many exclusivist attitudes held by many natives today were actually not part of their "original" worldview--whereas today most natives frown on the combining of different spiritual paths with traditional native paths, centuries ago the Ojibwa tended to combine different faiths in an attempt to secure more "power." Even to this day, many Ojibwa who identify as "Christian" also make offerings to the traditional manitous (spirits). There also wasn't as much of a reliance on strict dogma as there is nowadays with many established faiths, including the Midewiwin--part of my confusion on this subject has been the multitude of ways in which the Midewiwin is observed and practiced, because it seems there IS no dogma set in stone regarding how they do things. I think it would be interesting for more people to learn about these issues nowadays.

Is Michael Angel, who has a PhD in multidisciplinary studies. He was once a senior librarian at the University of Manitoba, and is now involved in Aboriginal land claims research.

Not only is it enlightening on the subject of the Midewiwin itself, but I think it could help clear up some modern misconceptions held not only by outsiders, but by some natives themselves.

If you're very familiar with the other published accounts of the Midewiwin, this book may seem like a "rehashing." To me, though, it was interesting to see how one person compared and contrasted the different texts which I've already read, offering a fresh perspective on strengths and flaws that I might otherwise have missed.

This review and all my comments are coming from an outsider, a non-native, so please take them with a grain of salt. I've had a few unpleasant online encounters with self-described "traditional Ojibwa" who became incensed when they learned that I was interested in learning more about their culture and that I like to write (admittedly fantasy fiction) about it. I felt very hurt by these encounters and agonized for a long time, trying to figure out where in my communication I had gone wrong, and if I was in fact doing a very insulting thing. I admit that all I have been able to do is read from books, and have no contact with Ojibwa in real life (through no choice of my own). But some of the accounts of traditional, early-contact beliefs and practices are helping me to understand that the reactions I received may not be in accordance with what was actually "traditional" thought, and that modern traditional thought may be more "modern" than "traditional." As I stated above, the early Ojibwa weren't nearly as "exclusivist" as many today are, and even the Midewiwin itself wasn't as secretive or dogmatic. Some of the intolerance and "closed-offness" of the people I met online doesn't seem to actually be "traditional" at all, according to a vast number of both antiquated and modern texts...so this gave me a little bit of hope that perhaps, as long as I make it clear that I am not Ojibwa myself and am not intending to accurately depict their culture or beliefs, and that I approach the subject with sincere respect, I'm not doing such a terrible thing as a few people led me to believe. BUT...that is just my opinion...and I could always be wrong. (A few other online Ojibwa have browsed my writing with no offense inflicted.)

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Created Jun 01, 2006 at 8:51am • Submit your own review...