John Whitefeather, of the Couderay Ojibwe, in explaining the four degrees of the medicine lodge, told the writer about the many uses of charms or bewitching plants that the initiate learned in the fourth degree. The MÎde who perfected himself in the fourth degree was called a juggler or “JessakÎd”. He is supposed to have supernatural powers of magic, and can read the thoughts of others, as well as call forth the ghosts or spirits of the other world. He can give Indians charms or lures which will aid them to do almost anything they have in mind, and he is most feared and respected among the Ojibwe.

These charms are supposed to work without physical contact and are thus different from medicines. They are addressed and prayed over, often with ceremonial tobacco offered to the four points of the compass, to heaven and the earth. They are usually referred to as medicine, and are carried in little buckskin packages about the person of the owner. Much of the contents of the war bundle, hunting bundle or medicine bundle, is composed of such charms. They guarantee a safe journey, the winning of a lacrosse or bowl and dice game, and the ability to find persons lost in the woods or lost articles. They can bewitch a man’s wife, win the love of the opposite sex, work evil, and attract game to be shot, or small animals to one’s traps. There is no doubt that medicines were often applied with as much faith in their power to charm as belief in the medicinal value of the medicine root for that specific disease. The connection between actual and superstitious remedies was oftentimes close.

Although a juggler or witch doctor had the power to cast these spells or charms, he was also supposed to have the power to dispel them and cure them. John Whitefeather called attention to the frequent wry mouth or twisted side of an Indian’s face, and said that it had been caused by some witch doctor, but that it could be corrected by the victim, if he would pay the medicine man more to heal it than the one had paid for bringing on the affliction in the first instance. Many of their people think this unjust and the medicine man who does it may have to leave the village and flee for his life. This actually happened in the case of Anawabi and the boy who died of pneumonia, the parents claiming that Anawabi took his breath away. Of course, Anawabi was not within miles of the boy and assured the writer that he had nothing at all to do with that case, nor had even thought about it, but he made a hurried trip to Oklahoma and remained a couple of years until the anger of the parents had lessened.

Some plants had been used in various tanning processes a very long time ago by the Ojibwe, but none know anything about it now, so far as the writer could discover.

APOCYNACEAE (DOGBANE FAMILY)

Spreading Dogbane (Apocynum androsaemifolium L.), “mago'siÑe'cnakwÛk” [needle like].[147] The Pillager Ojibwe say that this is one of the roots the use of which is taught in the fourth degree of the medicine lodge, and that it is not only eaten during the medicine lodge ceremony, but is also chewed to keep the other witch doctors from affecting one with an evil charm.

ARACEAE (ARUM FAMILY)

Sweet Flag (Acorus calamus L.), “na'bÛgÛck” [something flat]. The root tea of this is used by Big George, Flambeau Ojibwe, on his gill net to bring him a fine catch of white fish. The net still smelled of the Calamus root after being in the water more than twelve hours, and he caught 121 white fish in one pull of the net in Flambeau Lake. It is combined with the root of Sarsaparilla.

ARALIACEAE (GINSENG FAMILY)

Wild Sarsaparilla (Aralia nudicaulis L.), “bebamabi'k” [root runs far through the ground]. This root is mixed with Sweet Flag root to make a tea to soak a gill net before setting it to catch fish during the night. Big George Skye, at Lac du Flambeau, was quite successful in catching them.

ASCLEPIADACEAE (MILKWEED FAMILY)

Common Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca L.), “ÎnÎni'wÛnj” [Indian plant].[148] The Pillager Ojibwe use the milk of the Common Milkweed along with the milk of Canada Hawkweed to put on a deer call, thinking that it will better imitate the call of a fawn that is hungry or in distress.

COMPOSITAE (COMPOSITE FAMILY)

Blue Wood Aster (Aster cordifolius L.), “naskosi'ÎcÛs”. A number of the composites as well as plants from other families are used in the Ojibwe hunting charms. The deer carries its scent or spoor in between its toes, and wherever the foot is impressed into the ground, other animals can detect its presence. It is thus dogs track them. It is a peculiar scent and the Ojibwe tries successfully to counterfeit it with roots and herbs. The root of this aster is but one of nineteen that can be used to make a smoke or incense when smoked in a pipe, which attracts the deer near enough to shoot it with a bow and arrow. They say that the white man drives the deer away when he smokes cigarettes or cigars, but the Indians bring them closer.

Large-leaved Aster (Aster macrophyllus L.), “naskosi'ÎcÛs”. This is one of the Flambeau Ojibwe hunting charms. It is smoked to attract deer.

Horse-weed (Erigeron canadensis L.), “wabÎ'gwÛn” [white flower]. This is one of the Flambeau Ojibwe hunting charms. The disk florets are smoked.

Philadelphia Fleabane (Erigeron philadelphicus L.), “mÎcao'gacan” [odor of split hoof of female deer]. The Pillager Ojibwe use the disk florets of this plant to smoke to attract the buck deer. They say that cows and deer eat the blossoms.

Canada Hawkweed (Hieracium canadense Michx.) Under the name “wabÎ'gwÛn” [white flower], some of the Flambeau Ojibwe use the flowers to make a hunting lure, and mix it with their other hunting charms. Others call it “mÊmÎskÛ'nakÛk” and say that they cut off the roots and nibble at them when hunting. The roots are milky like the stem and the hunter wanting a doe will pretend he is a fawn trying to suckle and thus attract a doe close enough to shoot with bow and arrow.

Tall Blue Lettuce (Lactuca spicata [Lam.] Hitchc.), “dodoca'bo” [milk]. The Flambeau Ojibwe use this plant in the same manner as they do the Canada Hawkweed to attract a doe to them for a close shot.

Fragrant Golden-rod (Solidago graminifolia [L.] Salisb.), “wa'sawaskwÛne'k” [yellow light]. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the flowers of this golden-rod to add to their hunting medicine, which is smoked to simulate the odor of a deer’s hoof.

Tansy (Tanacetum vulgare L.), “mÛckÎki'wÎt” [medicine plant]. The yellow flowers are used by the Flambeau Ojibwe as an addition to their odorous hunting mixture which they smoke to attract deer.

CORNACEAE (DOGWOOD FAMILY)

Alternate-leaved Dogwood (Cornus alternifolia L. f.), “moso'mÎc” [moose tree]. The root is boiled by the Flambeau Ojibwe to wash a muskrat trap and make it lure the muskrat.

ERICACEAE (HEATH FAMILY)

Shin Leaf (Pyrola americana Sweet.), “bÎne'bÛg” [partridge leaf]. The Flambeau Ojibwe hunter makes a tea from dried leaves of this plant and drinks it as a good luck potion in the morning before he starts to hunt.

IRIDACEAE (IRIS FAMILY)

Blue Flag (Iris versicolor L.) “wikÊ”.[149] Both Flambeau and Pillager Ojibwe use this as a charm against snakes and claim that Indians all over the country use it the same way. When the Ojibwe go out blueberrying all day, every one carries a piece of it in his clothes and will handle it every little while to perpetuate the scent. They believe that snakes will shun them while so protected. They say that the Arizona Indians use it when they hold their snake dances and are never struck as long as their clothes are fumigated with it. They also chew it to get the odor into their mouths, preparatory to taking rattlesnakes into their teeth. The rattlesnake never offers to bite them so long as the scent of the Blue Flag persists.

LABIATAE (MINT FAMILY)

Heal-all (Prunella vulgaris L.), “basi'bÛgÛk”. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the root of this plant to make a tea to drink before going hunting. It is supposed to sharpen their powers of observation.

LILIACEAE (LILY FAMILY)

Northern Clintonia (Clintonia borealis [Ait.] Raf.), “adota'gans” [little bell].[150] The Pillager Ojibwe claim that dogs chew the roots of this plant to poison their teeth, and if they then bite an animal it will die. A man may protect himself from such a bite by using the same root as a poultice on the wound.

Sessile-leaved Bellwort (Oakesia sessilifolia [L.] Wats.), “neweÎa'kwisÎnk” [one sided]. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the root of this plant as a part of their mÎcao'gacan hunting medicine to bring a buck deer near the hunter.

ORCHIDACEAE (ORCHIS FAMILY)

Rein Orchis (Habenaria bracteata [Willd.] R. Br.), “goko'cgÛnda mÎneskwe'mÎn” [pig does, red root]. This plant is a sort of love charm among the Pillager Ojibwe often put to bad use.

Slender Ladies’ Tresses (Spiranthes gracilis [Bigel.] Beck), “bÎne'bÛg” [partridge leaf]. The Flambeau Ojibwe use the root as an ingredient of their hunting charm to bring game to them.

PLANTAGINACEAE (PLANTAIN FAMILY)

Common Plantain (Plantago major L.), “ceca'gÛski bÛge'sÎnk” [leaves grow up and also lie flat on the ground].[151] The highly colored base and root of this plant appeal to the Flambeau Ojibwe who always carry some of the ground root in their pockets to ward off snakes.

POLYGONACEAE (BUCKWHEAT FAMILY)

Swamp Persicaria (Polygonum muhlenbergii [Meisn.] Wats.) “agoÑgosi'mÎnÛn”. The Flambeau Ojibwe dry the flower of this plant and then include it in their hunting medicine, which is smoked to attract deer to the hunter.

Curled Dock (Rumex crispus L.), “ciobÛg”. The dried seeds of this dock are smoked when dried by the Flambeau Ojibwe, as a favorable lure to game when mixed with kinnikinnik.

PRIMULACEAE (PRIMROSE FAMILY)

Starflower (Trientalis americana [Pers.] Pursh.), “nawo'bÛgÛk” [four-leaved clover]. The root of this is mixed with many others to make the smoking scent that attracts the deer to the hunter, according to the Flambeau Ojibwe.

RANUNCULACEAE (CROWFOOT FAMILY)

Bristly Crowfoot (Ranunculus pennsylvanicus L. f.), “manwe' gons”. The Flambeau Ojibwe smoke the seeds of this in their hunting medicine to lure the buck deer near enough for a shot with bow and arrow.

ROSACEAE (ROSE FAMILY)

Hawthorn (Crataegus Sp.), “mÎnesaga'wÛnj”, shown in plate 77, fig. 2. The bark of the Hawthorn was used by the Flambeau Ojibwe in making up their deer scent for smoking to attract deer while hunting.

SCROPHULARIACEAE (FIGWORT FAMILY)

Wood Betony (Pedicularis canadensis L.), “manda'mÎnÎodji'bÎkÊns” [little corn root]. This is a sort of love charm according to John Peper, Pillager Ojibwe, who said that the root was chopped up and put into some dish of food that was cooking, without the knowledge of the people who were going to eat it, and if they had been quarrelsome, then they became lovers again. However, he said it was too often put to bad uses.

TYPHACEAE (CAT-TAIL FAMILY)

Cat-tail (Typha latifolia L.) “beba'masÛn” [it flies around]. The Flambeau Ojibwe used to throw the fuzz of the fruit into the eyes of their enemies, the Sioux, claiming that it blinded them.

UMBELLIFERAE (PARSLEY FAMILY)

Musquash Root (Cicuta maculata L.), “abagwasÎ'gans”. The root of this is used in making a hunting medicine to be smoked to attract the buck deer near enough to shoot with bow and arrow.

Cow Parsnip (Heracleum lanatum Michx.) “pipigwe'wanÛck” [flute reed]. According to the Flambeau Ojibwe, there is a bad spirit “sokÊnau”, who is always present trying to steal away one’s luck in hunting game. He must be driven away from the camp of the hunter by smudging a fire with the roots of the Cow Parsnip. This gets into SokÊnau’s eyes and he cannot see the hunter leave the camp, so naturally does not follow and bother him. Other Flambeau Ojibwe call it “acawe'skÛk” but use it in the same way. The Pillager Ojibwe have the same name for the plant, but put the seed of the plant on a fire to drive away SokÊnau. They boil the root to sprinkle their fishing nets and lure fish.

Water Parsnip (Sium cicutaefolium Schrank.), “wane'mÎgons”. The seed of this is smoked over a fire by the Flambeau Ojibwe to drive away and blind SokÊnau, the evil spirit that steals away one’s hunting luck.

Yellow Pimpernel (Taenidia integerrima [L.] Drude), “manwe'gons” or “manwe'kos”. The Flambeau Ojibwe declare that the seeds of this plant are very good for smoking in a pipe when one goes hunting for they will bring him luck.