It was Hare, He whom we call Nephew, who secured for humanity the Creation Lodge of the Medicine Rite. In a grand assembly, all the spirits, those from above, those from below, those from the four quarters of the cosmos, and even the great spirits, gathered together. They concentrated their minds upon the center of this Lodge of Life. On that perfect day the Medicine Rite came from the seat of all Creation, where Earthmaker himself dwells. From on high he looked down with satisfaction upon what he had created, a creation reserved solely for mankind.

Then Earthmaker realized that the human beings would need a companion in this Rite, so from one of his ribs he created our Grandfather, the Sacred Woman. He gave him a well-shaped body and a fine voice. When he was finished, Earthmaker launched him towards the east, and there he landed where a bluff ascends from the waters. There he made a lodge, and there he obtained visions through which he gained his knowledge. Then one day he told his wife how it pass that Hare would come to create a means for giving added life to his uncles and aunts. Then he said, “Before I left, the Creator bestowed upon me a feather bundle that also contained paints. Now is the time that they are to be used.” Thus he said, and he opened his bundle. He painted the part in his hair blue, and put two eagle feathers on his head. Then he put one eagle feather on each of his limbs. From the clays that cover our Grandmother, Earth, he painted each of his limbs. His apparel was magnificent to behold. He began his journey. He took four steps, and at the fourth he uttered, Ehoho-o-o-o-o, weha, weha, as he patted his mouth. Then he drew in a rush of air. Four times he did this, and each time the earth shook and quaked. The trees lowered their branches in obeisance to him. Even the spirits feared his holiness, and made a space for him as he approached the Creation Lodge. At his fourth cry, there he was before the lodge. Then the lodge was enveloped with a great heat. “Behold,” said the spirits, “we have made a place for you.” But he did not abide there, but instead strode towards the center of the lodge where our Grandfather dwells — he whom it is dangerous to stand against. Right there he sat, yet his clothes were unconsumed as a great blue light emanated from his headdress.

Then four boys entered, and they walked first to East, then they stood in front of North, then West, and finally South. Afterwards an enormous bear walked in, a bear almost as big as the lodge. He did exactly as the boys had done. Then he sat facing the east, and he assumed a white appearance. His brilliant white teeth chattered as they shined from his red lips. He took each of the boys and bent him inwards. When the bear himself covered the lodge, all was darkness. Then four other boys entered. They did as the others had done, then positioned themselves in front of Hare. They carried sticks with stones mounted on them. Hare, Trickster, Earth, and Turtle picked up the boys and put them in place.

Then Turtle made himself invisible. Then he went to where the Chief of the Island Weights dwelt. After much pleading, this great Waterspirit gave him the sacred water which he sought. When he returned, Turtle cast the water upon the Sacred Woman’s breast, and suddenly there burst forth Light and Life. And when the light had ceased flashing, there upon Turtle’s own breast was the cruciform emblem of Light and Life. And the light streamed into the Creation Lodge in four rainbows. Now the lodge, which had been darkened by the bear, was as bright and well lit as daylight.

Then Hare addressed Grandmother: “Have you nothing in the way of knowledge to impart?” “Yes, grandson, I have this — behold.” And Earth took pieces of her own tco (blue/green) hair and entwined them together so that it was like a handle. “When your uncles and aunts make this aright, they will have made for themselves a knot of Life. Let them remember me with a handful of tobacco.” Then East took from her the knot of tco hair and with it cast Turtle upon the Sacred Woman, and touched his navel. Then Turtle put the Sacred Woman upon his breast four times, and each time he breathed heavily and made the cry, Ehoho-o-o-o, weha weha, as he patted his mouth. Thus it was.

Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 198-202.

“There was once a village at a place called Great Lake (Lake Winnebago). It was there that the people called Hotcâgara became human beings. Before this they had lived as spirits. There also all the clans originated. Before that they had been animals but lived just as human beings do. Sometimes they would turn themselves into animals again, and it is for this reason that the waikâs were composed (about animals). Then after a time some transformed themselves into human beings while others retained their animal shape. In so doing they used up all their “transforming” power, which they possessed, and after that they were not able to change themselves either into animals or human beings at will, as they had been accustomed to do. In consequence of that the human beings remained human beings since that time, and the animals remained animals. In the early days, the Hotcâgara lived holy lives because they still remembered the life they lived as spirits. They started life at Green Bay and it was there that all the clans met, it is said. Later on they came to Lake Winnebago and there they formed a very large village.

One day during the autumn moving some of the Hotcâgara were killed before they could get back to their camp, and from that time on, war was waged incessantly. It was not safe for one lodge to move away from the main camp, as ten lodges full of people had been attacked by the Sioux. The Hotcâgara started to pursue them and soon found their trail. It was a long trail so they figured there must have been a large attacking party. All the Hotcâgara that were able bodied joined the pursuing party and went with utmost speed. The Sioux, however, did not flee.

After the Hotcâgara had been going for some time, they suddenly stopped and one of them said, “Now then, a large body of people had ought to have one or a few leaders.” The others said, “Very well.” There were many holy men there and many warriors who were considered invulnerable. Finally, one of them said, “Let Great Walker lead us.” He said, “Very well.” Great Walker was a holy man, and was the equal of the spirits. He had actually met Waterspirits face to face, and had even killed one and had taken material for “instruments” from it for himself. Such was Great Walker. The warparty offered him tobacco and poured two handfuls into his hands, but he did not even say, “Ho!” He smiled and took the tobacco and he poured it out right where he was standing. Then he stood with his head bowed long time and was very quiet. Then, after awhile he said, “Now then, let us go.” He started off walking ahead of them. Before this he had been running but now he walked taking his time. “Kora!” some exclaimed, while others said, “Don’t talk so. The leadership has been given to him, and he will lead us. Besides we are not equal in powers, and he must know what he is doing.”

Finally, when evening came upon them, Great Walker said, “Beyond those woods runs a stream. There we will pitch our camp.” Then he continued, “Let ten fleet young men go for food. One bear will be enough, but if you think not, they might bring two instead.” “Leader, let it be two bears, as there are many of us here,” said the warriors. The leader Great Walker replied, “Ten of you may go taking the other side.” So two parties went out. Then the leader said, “Let ten more fleet young men follow up the others. You may divide up the packs and lighten the load.” “When the second detachment came up to the first ten men, they were already busy dressing the bears they had killed. When the main party arrived, the fire had been built. There was plenty of food and fat. All night they slept there and the next morning they started out again. They went on slowly. At noon they stopped to rest and smoke. When evening came, they camped again and two bears were again killed. Then the next morning they started out again and went very slowly. They went far too slowly for a warparty chasing an enemy. Thus they kept on traveling very slowly and frequently stopping to eat on the way. They came finally to Long Lake.

It was a very beautiful day and the snow was melting very fast. At noon they stopped and the leader said, “Now then, I wish to tell you something about myself.” So they all stood about and waited for him to begin. “I have been also feeling like you, my attendants, and more so perhaps; you said when you offered me tobacco that our relations had been killed, and as they had been used so miserably, we were to get revenge. You also said that you offered tobacco to the spirits below. So I asked them to do it for us, and even as I stood with bowed head at the time, they said they would. That is why we have come here. This is the place. Here lives one of the great Waterspirits and he will take revenge on them, he told me. That is why we have come to this place. The Waterspirits said that we could have them [the Sioux]. Now then, if you are going to put on your war paint you must hurry and may paint your faces only. If you have tobacco you must have it handy to make offerings with. If you have any other offerings with you, you must have them ready also.” Thus spoke the leader, and they painted their faces in a hurry and had their offerings handy. Then he said, “Now then, let us go.”

About this time the Sioux had just gotten on the lake. “Well it was always said that the Hotanka were long-chasers and we thought that we could have a great time when they caught up with us,” some of the Sioux said. “They are aware that we have come with you; and that is why they do not catch up with us,” others said. Still others said, “Do not speak so. Sometimes they chase up to the enemies’ village.” This was the opinion of the older men. “Ah, if they would only catch up with us here,” some of them said, as they ran about on the ice. Even as they were speaking, one of them said, “Oh, look over there. There they are, and I suppose that is why they are spoken of in that manner.” Some said, “Now do not relent.” The boastful ones said, “It is good!”

Soon the Hotcâgara caught up with the Sioux on the ice. “Now then,” said the leader, “All of you stand in a row side by side.” They stood in a row. Then he began to sing a Water Song. The Sioux said, “Thus the Hotankas always are. They always go through ceremonies for anything. What is the use of their doing that?” As soon as the singer stopped singing, they gave the war whoop. Then the Hotcâgara gave the whoop and rushed at them. As they ran they dropped their offerings. They ran in a row a they had been told, and imitated the noises of all sorts of animals. The Sioux said, “It is going to be very difficult for us; we had better try and get on land where there are trees which we can get behind. That will be the only way we can save ourselves.” As this took place in the winter, the ice was frozen. As the Sioux began to flee and make for the land it so happens that there was a place that was only covered with a thin layer of ice and snow. Into this they ran, broke into the lake and disappeared under the ice. There the water was filled with floating people. Some of the Hotcâgara had spears which they extended to the Sioux in the water; and when the latter reached the shore, they killed them. Others cut long poles and with these pulled out some of the Sioux and killed them.

Thus matters went on, then one of the Sioux said in his language, “Great Walker is my brother.” Thereupon the Hotcâgara said, “Let us take him over to the warleader since he says that he is his brother. We might be doing something wrong if we killed him.” So they took him over to the chief, guarding him while on either side and holding him up as he had just come out of the cold water and was so numb that he could not walk. The warleader was standing on his buffalo robe with his back toward them. They said, “Warleader, here is a man that says that he is your brother.” The Sioux said, “Oh my brother!” as he tried to get hold of him. “Jijiji! he might harm you,” someone said. But the Sioux took hold of Great Walker by the arm. The chief said, “Well he has done it now” “You should not have brought him over,” said some of the others, “for these never mean any good to us. Now the chief will probably spare them.” Then the warleader said, “Let all those who are alive be spared.” So they did not kill any more. There were only a few of them left. Ten the warleader said, “Since you are going to spare them, build a fire for them on the shore.” So a row of fires were built on the shore and the captive Sioux were brought there.

Then Great Walker said to the man that claimed to be his brother, “Older brother, you are not brave to go around with the people who are acting wrongly and helping to kill the Hotcâgara. Why did you at this time say that you were a Hotcâk, and that Great Walker was your brother? If it were I, I would never say such a thing. If you were not afraid to fight with me, and you came along with those who wished to kill me, then why did you become frightened? I thought that all the tribes knew about me. How is it that you never heard of me? Great Walker is holy and is a spirit. He is a Waterspirit. You should not have acted so to the Hotcâgara. The spirit that is in charge of Long Lake told me that he would take care of you for me, and therefore he followed you. We came here and he did as you have seen and destroyed you, and you were not able to cope with him. Now we have spared a certain number of you.” Then the Hotcâgara that had food with them fed the Sioux. There also some of them arraigned the scalps that they had won. When they were about to part with them, Great Walker’s brother said, “Now then, I will answer what my younger brother has asked of me. What my younger brother has said to me is all true. I am thankful to him that my life was spared. I have acted wrongly when I went to fight against the Hotcâgara because I wanted to kill them, although I knew that my brother was holy. I have really done wrong, and that is why at the last moment I repented and was afraid. Therefore, as long as I live, whenever any Sioux shall speak againt the Hotcâgara, I shall tell him to stop. If he disobeys me, I shall kill him; and should I hear that anyone has killed a Hotcâk, I shall kill him. As you have spared me when otherwise I should have died here, henceforth I shall always do as I have said.” He continued, “I have no more desire to kill the Hotcâgara. I want to live among you as you have given me my life. I spent my life in trying to kill the Hotcâgara, and I am really dead as far as my people are concerned.” When he had finished speaking, another Sioux arose. He was the bravest Sioux of them all. As he had been spared, he also told them that he was ashamed of his conduct and repeated what the other had said. Then the remainder of the Sioux arose one after another, and each pledged himself in the same way. From that time on, the fighting between the Sioux and the Hotcâgara stopped. From that time on the Sioux never tried to make war on the Hotcâgara.

Great Walker was the holiest Hotcâk that ever lived, and therefore ceremonies and changes that he instituted are still in existence and alone are powerful. The medicine for the sick and the poison medicine that he made are even used today by the people, and they alone are effective. These are the only powerful things in the Medicine Dance. He added a position for a dish. He was never initiated. He just joined, for he had known the Dance when he was in the land of the spirits. He also added some of the speeches and some of the songs. Even to this day, his band is the largest in the Medicine Dance. He had the greatest vision that any Hotcâk every had. Many of the Hotcâgara are still using the powers that he obtained.”

Paul Radin, The Story of Big Walker, in Notebook Winnebago IV, #7, Freeman Number 3860 (Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society) Story 7h, pp. 1-7.

Version 1
There was once a man named “Great Walker” who began to fast for a blessing. One day he finally had a dream in which a Loon Spirit blessed him, and afterwards said to him, “Great Walker, I also bless you with this other thing. When I worked for our chief in Spiritland and swept out his lodge, I removed bad things and swept them outside — so too will this medicine sweep bad things from your body. No matter what bad thing you swallow, it shall not kill you, for this medicine will sweep it out.” Then Great Walker looked at the Loon Spirit and saw something growing out of his back. That was the medicine plant. The Loon Spirit continued: “When you want to use this plant, don’t just dig it up, but first make offerings of a white feather, a white deerskin, and red feathers. Pour me tobacco and I shall smoke it. Then you may dig it up — and when you use it you will not fail in anything. I bless you alone with this herb.” Great Walker performed many cures with this purgative medicine and passed the knowledge of it on to his descendants.

In recent times an old man named “Dog Head” followed the warleader Smoke Walker to Tippecanoe. In that battle Smoke Walker was killed, but before he died, Dog Head told him that he would give his son Small Snake a blessing. As they made their escape from the battlefield, Dog Head told Small Snake, “My son, I promised your father that I would give you a blessing. It is not a thing like the Medicine Lodge, for that would not go on after your death. I shall give you a medicine of great value that first came to a man named ‘Great Walker’.” Then he told Small Snake the story of how Great Walker acquired the medicine from the spirits.

The owner of the medicine kept it hidden in a small hole in the side of a cliff. When he went to get it, it was gone. He said, “We should have been more careful where we kept it.”

Dog Head spoke the truth, for even to this day the descendant of Small Snake have benefited people with this medicine.

Paul Radin, The Winnebago Tribe (Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 1990 [1923]) 24-25.

There was a man named Mânîxedega (“Great Walker”), a member of the Medicine Rite. Once he looked through space and saw before his eyes the land called Wa’ûni. There it was that a great white Waterspirit dwelt. This spirit blessed him with everything, and caused him to hear a holy song. The Waterspirit spoke and said to him, “Mânîxedega, you have caused the members of the Medicine Rite a great good. You have drummed yourself and the members of the Rite into Life. They shall depend on you, and you will do good to them,” he said as he blessed him. And nearby the Waterspirit was a pure white marten. This one was his attendant. And the marten blessed him too, saying, “Behold, I bless you with this.” And when he looked, there he saw a wondrous plant growing right out of the marten’s back, as the spirit lay reclining upon the surface of the waters. “Human, I too shall bless you. This plant is a purgative, and will sweep clean all evil things from your stomach. If an evil one would poison you, take this plant and it shall make you vomit, and the plant will clean out all evils from your stomach, as I will help in my spirit home to purify you as well. Thus no evil shall touch your stomach,” the marten said to him.Thus it was said. And the song that we now use in the Medicine Rite is the one with which Mânîxedega was blessed.

Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 137-138.

There was a man of the Anishinabeg nation and he was a seer. He was very holy and had great powers of witchcraft. When he visited people at night, he would do so by flying through the air. He had three friends, and they too were witches with the same ability to fly through the air. People greatly feared them because of their powers. One night the four of them agreed that they would have a contest to see who could fly best at night.

Among the Hotcâgara there was also a great seer. His name was Mânîxedega (“Great Walker”). He had gained knowledge of what these men were going to do. On the night of the contest, Mânîxedega used his own night powers to get there and there he waited for them with great patience. Finally, the four Anishinabeg arrived at their rendezvous point. Each took off into the night in turn, and of the first three, Mânîxedega used his powers to ensure they would be lost. The fourth witch dove down from high in the air and landed on a strip of land. As he stood there, unexpectedly, he had deer horns (?) on his head. These Mânîxedega seized and held onto tightly.

The other Anishinabeg materialized, and asked Mânîxedega to pay them a visit. This he agreed to do. Finally, Mânîxedega came to where the witches lived. They tried to persuade him to let them give him their powers, but he refused, asking instead that they might give him the plants and potions that they used to gain these powers. But they pretended that they did not know anything about these matters. Finally, he asked them for their life-engendering greeting and the all power inherent within it. This they granted him, and it is this greeting that is used to this day in the Medicine Rite. It is spoken in the language in which it was given.

Paul Radin, The Road of Life and Death: A Ritual Drama of the American Indians. Bollingen Series V (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1973 [1945]) 138-139.