Living Our Language_ Ojibwe Tales & Oral Histories - Anton Treuer [66]
[53] And regarding these things, it was that Medwe-ganoonind who told me about it. That’s it. And that Drum also has a pipe. And all of these one, all of these Drum members, they are pipe carriers. Whoever is a carrier [of the Drum], shall also be carrier of the pipe over there. That’s it. We are all there and all carry the pipe, like the pipe you carry wherever you go. But no, first in a truly good way you make that pipe so that you may give tobacco offerings with it and have them swirl upwards. That’s how it is used. I’m not exactly sure, but you may ask that pipe to help you. This is what I’ve been told, what that Medwe-ganoonind told me. Thus it is with everything; that’s why I know about those things. I can’t know everything about that. But I’ve always known many things about the Drum. I know those Drums. I was considered that way when I was first told things by those old men in such a proper way. This is why I am knowledgeable.
[54] And there are these veterans. The head veteran, he is the same status as the one who carries the belt. And they all do things this way there whomever is counted among the Drum membership. He who serves as veteran, he who serves as messenger, and he who gives the Dance—they are all speakers. They are counted as veterans. And again some of these veterans seat the one who shall live. This is the reason they are warriors and served as soldiers. This is why the Indian becomes a veteran here.
[55] “Do you know what we do there when somebody ever drops things?” When someone drops something or maybe a feather falls or if you drop something there at the Drum Ceremony, truly it is the veteran himself who retrieves it. And that veteran takes it. And that veteran does not just dance in with something. If someone drops something, nobody can pick it up. And that veteran comes after it while he dances for the song. It doesn’t matter which veteran—second, third, fourth—it doesn’t matter which number, and maybe even the one who carries the belt if he’s there. Then he dances there at the Drum and again there where it fell. Then again when he finished dancing for it, having finished dancing four times where the thing fell, then he goes to the Drum to fetch something, he goes and retrieves that Drumstick. Then he takes it. Then he grabs it. Then with the Drumstick he makes a cutting motion, that’s for the thing [which has fallen], everything. Then as this happens he grabs everything [which had fallen]. He cuts everything over there as this starts to happen. The one who drops things might have bad things happen to him but won’t have anything bad happen to him when the veteran cuts underneath it. That’s whichever numbered veteran. And he shall make a speech, whatever he might be able to do. All of those veterans count the same, together they are just like the head veteran.
[56] And again things are the same with these messengers; it is they who carry the tobacco. So I tell him. Well it is all the Indian people’s tobacco that is combined for the most important use. And it is this important tobacco which the messenger carries. And so that messenger, or whomever is here, whichever Drum member is here, the dance givers here, messengers, veterans, whomever, the Drum warmers, they thusly light the pipe, not necessarily the pipe man, it is whomever he asks when the pipe man is not present, whomever. They carry it. And also in a proper way he may carry the pipe.
Listening and Speaking
[57] Perhaps I used to tell you this a long time ago. I should think so. Maybe I did tell you. But if I didn’t tell you, then