"Our ancestors taught us, and the Midewewin (order of medicine men) teaches us that there is a Land of Souls. In that land there is no sickness, no hunger, no sorrow, no anger, and not envy. It is a land of peace inhabited by men and women of peace. For them there is plenty and comfort and joy.
Our ancestors tell us that only men and women of peace may enter there. Others will suffer hardship and misfortune and sickness in this life. Or they will be caught in the river that divides that Land of the Living from the Land of Souls.
The Midewewin tells us that we must lead good lives - following the Path of Life. The Path of Life will give us good fortune, good health, and peace of heart in this world and bring us admission into the Land of Souls.
And the Midewewin tells us what the Path of Life is. We must honor Kitchie Manitotou (Great Spirit of Mystery) and thand him for life - for the winds, the sun, the water, and the land we live on.
We must honor our elders - for they are the recipients of the great gift of long life fro Kitchie Manitou. If they are slow and feeble and sometimes infirm, we must feed them, help them, listen to them, and be patient. That is also our destiny. Someday we, too, will be old.
We must honor our elder brothers - the wolf and the bear, the eagle and the robin, the snake and the turtle, the butterfly and the snail, the whitefish and the trout. We must honor the rose and the corn. On them we depend for food and clothing. Treat them well, so that when you want them they will allow you to take them. You will never need. They will look after you.
We must honor women - our grandmothers and mothers, our wives and our sisters, and all the others. Treat your wife with kindness. She is your companion and friend on the Path of Life. Look after her comfort her, cheer her, and speak well of her and all her sisters.
We must keep our promises and uphold our pledges. If we undertake to do something for another, we must fulfill our word by deed - otherwise we are false. If we receive a vision, we must live out the vision - otherwise we are untrue. Without truth to self and to others there is no trust.
We are to be kind to everyone. Children listening to their parents: that is kindness. Parents teaching their children: that is kindness. A medicine man or woman healing the sick: that is kindness. A woman feeding a stranger: that is kindness. Do something for your people. Use your gifts and your dreams for good.
We are peaceful. Dark dreams beget more dark dreams, and cause clouded, troubled thoughts. Twisted thoughts stir up violent passions; boiling passions give rise to burning words; and fiery speech breeds hurts and bad deeds. Seek good dreams. Temper your thoughts, your passions, your words, and your deeds. All this is hard to achieve. But we must strive for peace of heart in this life and peace of soul in the next.
We are to be courageous. The more you know, the more you trust, and the less you fear. We see this in children. A boy will start in fright when he first hears a wolf howl at night. His grandmother tells him, 'It is only a wolf, he is talking, listen to him. Someday you will understand the wolf.' And the child's fear subsides because he begins to understand, and because he trusts his grandmother. A girl will recoil in fear when she first sees a snake. Her mother tells her: 'the snake means no harm she is out foraging for food for her little ones.' And the child loses her fear of the snake when she learns something of its nature... if you are at peace and remember that your totem and patron watch over you, you will be courageous.
Lastly, we are to be moderate in our dreams, thoughts, words, and deeds. We are never to indulge too much in one things at the expense of another. Do not play too much, do not sleep too long, do not eat too much, and do not talk too often. Listen and watch. Someday you will be wise.
Source: Johnston, B. (1982). "Ojibway Ceremonies." Nebraska: University of Nebraska Press, McClelland and Stewart, p. 134.
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