Old Mackinaw | Page 8

fasting on bitter herbs,
&c., I entered the Chees-a-kee lodge, which had been prepared for
me:--the presence of my guardian spirit was soon indicated by a violent
swaying of the lodge to and fro. "Tell us! tell us! where our enemies
are?" cried out the chief and warriors. Soon, the vision of my soul
embraced a large extent of country, which I had never before
seen--every object was plainly before me--our enemies were in their
villages, unsuspicious of danger; their movements and acts I could
plainly see; and mentally or spiritually, I could hear their conversation.
Game abounded in another direction. Next day we procured provisions,
and a few days afterward a dozen scalps graced our triumphant return
to the village of the Cross. I exerted my powers again frequently among
my tribe, and, to satisfy them, I permitted them to tie my feet and hands,
and lash me round with ropes, as they thought proper. They would then
place me in the Chees-a-kee lodge, which would immediately
commence shaking and swaying to and fro, indicating the presence of
my guardian spirit: frequently I saw a bright, luminous light at the top
of the lodge, and the words of the spirit would be audible to the
spectators outside, who could not understand what was said; while
mentally, I understood the words and language spoken.
"'In the year 1815, the American garrison at this post expected a vessel
from Detroit, with supplies for the winter--a month had elapsed beyond
the time for her arrival, and apprehensions of starvation were
entertained; finally, a call was made to me by the commanding officer,
through the traders. After due preparation I consented; the Chees-a-kee
lodge was surrounded by Indians and whites; I had no sooner
commenced shaking my rattle and chanting, than the spirits arrived; the
rustling noise they made through the air, was heard, and the sound of
their voices was audible to all.

"'The spirits directed my mind toward the southern end of Lake
Huron--it lay before me with its bays and islands; the atmosphere
looked hazy, resembling our Indian Summer; my vision terminated a
little below the mouth of the St. Clair River--there lay the vessel,
disabled! the sailors were busy in repairing spars and sails. My soul
knew that they would be ready in two days, and that in seven days she
would reach this Island, (Mackinaw,) by the south channel, [at that time
an unusual route,] and I so revealed it to the inquirers. On the day I
mentioned the schooner hove in sight, by the south channel. The
captain of the vessel corroborated all I had stated.
"'I am now a praying Indian (Christian). I expect soon to die, Nosis.
This is the truth: I possessed a power, or a power possessed me, which I
cannot explain or fully describe to you. I never attempted to move the
lodge by my own physical powers--I held communion with
supernatural beings or souls, who acted upon my soul or mind,
revealing to me the knowledge which I have related to you.'
"The foregoing merely gives a few acts of the power exhibited by this
remarkable, half-civilized Indian. I could enumerate many instances in
which this power has been exhibited among our Indians. These
Chees-a-kees had the power of influencing the mind of an Indian at a
distance for good or evil, even to the deprivation of life among them: so
also in cases of rivalship, as hunters or warriors. This influence has
even extended to things material, while in the hands of those influenced.
The soul or mind--perhaps nervous system of the individual, being
powerfully acted upon by a spiritual battery, greater than the one
possessed more or less by all human beings."
* * * * *
In Schoolcraft's "American Indians" an interesting account is given of a
woman-spiritualist, who bore the name of the "Prophetess of
Che-moi-che-goi-me-gou." Among the Indians she was called "The
woman of the blue-robed cloud." The account was given by herself
after she had become a member of the Methodist Church and
renounced all connection with spirits. The following is her narrative:--

* * * * *
"When I was a girl of about twelve or thirteen years of age, my mother
told me to look out for something that would happen to me.
Accordingly, one morning early, in the middle of winter, I found an
unusual sign, and ran off, as far from the lodge as I could, and remained
there until my mother came and found me out. She knew what was the
matter, and brought me nearer to the family lodge, and bade me help
her in making a small lodge of branches of the spruce tree. She told me
to remain there, and keep away from every one, and as a diversion,