Manitou
by
Andrea
Erat
The
Ojibways
and
Ottawas,
the
Native
Americans
of
Northern
Michigan,
enthusiastically
exercise
their
religion.
They
believe
in
Manitou,
which
translates
to
English
as
“god,”
but
it
differs
from
the
Christian
view
of
God.
Rather
than
one
spiritual
being
that
is
separate
and
holy,
Manitou
has
different
facets.
Manitou
does
not
always
separate
itself
from
the
world
by
living
in
a
heaven,
but
draws
power
from
the
earth
and
lives
among
the
people
(Hefeli
421).
How
Manitou
Presents
Itself
Native
American
spirituality
focuses
on
the
Manitou,
which
signifies
power,
so
anything
that
has
power
can
be
one.
Everything
on
Earth
does
not
represent
a
Manitou,
but
everything
has
potential
to
represent
it
(Kowtko).
First,
the
being
that
created
the
earth,
or
the
Great
Spirit,
is
a
Manitou
that
oversees
the
spiritual
world
rather
than
directly
impacting
peoples’
lives
(Volo).
Additionally,
a
person
very
skilled
at
a
task
or
the
Frenchmen’s
tools
portrayed
a
Manitou
because
of
their
power
(Hefeli
420). Another
version
of
Manitou
lives
on
Earth
and
presents
itself
through
people,
nature,
animals
or
objects
that
surround
the
Native
Americans.
In
addition
to
the
Great
Spirit
and
Manitous
as
people
or
objects,
each
Native
American
has
his
own
Manitou
which
serves
as
a
personal
protector.
Each
Native
American
must
discover
through
which
animal
Manitou
presents
itself
to
him
before
he
can
find
comfort
in
the
protection
it
offers.
Until
Manitou
presents
itself
to
a
Native
American,
he
feels
forsaken.
The
Native
American
must
blacken
his
face,
fast,
and
find
solitude
while
he
allows
his
dreams
to
lead
him
to
the
animal
that
he
will
then
worship
and
find
protection
through
(Deities).
This
period
of
fasting
and
solitude
serves
to
improve
the
workings
of
the
imagination
(Character).
After
each
person’s
fast,
some
tribes
require
him
to
kill
the
animal
that
is
his
Manitou.
The
person
then
displays
the
skin
of
the
animal
in
his
living
quarters
or
carries
it
with
him
during
war
(for
protection)
and
when
hunting
(for
success)
(An
Essay).
These
Native
Americans
usually
worshiped
Manitou
individually,
not
in
groups
as other
religions,
and
they
were
genuine
about
their
worship
(Volo).
Native
Americans
worship
their
personal
animal
representation
of
Manitou
in
addition
to
other
Manitous.
Some
Manitous
have
more
power
than
others.
The
animal
that
is
the
Native
American’s
protector
is
more
powerful
than
a
person
who
is
skilled,
for
example.
Some
Manitous
possessed
evil
powers,
and
these
evil
spirits
battle
with
the
good
spirits.
“Manitou
were
of
many
kinds,
grades,
and
powers.
They
could
be
benign,
fun-loving,
teasing,
malicious,
or
violent”
(Kowtko).
Native
Americans
performed
rituals,
complying
with
prohibitions
to
please
good
Manitous
or
fend
off
bad
ones.
Smoking
tobacco
qualified
as
an
honorable
act,
whereas
they
had
to
restrain
from
wasting
any
part
of
the
animals
killed
(Volo).
Because
anything
had
the
potential
to
be
Manitou,
and
because
Manitou
could
change
form
at
any
time,
Native
Americans
made
sure
they
respected
everything
to
prevent
disrespecting
Manitou
(Kowtko).
Respect
was
important
because
Manitous
determine
a
person’s
fate,
and
if
you
worship
Manitou,
offer
sacrifices,
and
have
the
upmost
respect
for
it,
then
Manitou
will
assist
in
times
of
need,
offer
protection,
and
help
in
many
ways.
In
contrast,
if
a
man
does
not
please
Manitou,
harm
or
other
unfavorable
consequences
will
result.
The
relationship
a
man
has
with
Manitou,
and
the
relationship
a
man
has
with
other
people,
determines
his
fate
(Haefeli
421).
Connections
to
Hemingway
One
of
Hemingway’s
first
stories,
published
when
he
was
a
junior
in
High
School,
was
entitled
“Judgment
of
Manitou.”
He
must
have
witnessed
the
Native
Americans
worshiping
Manitou,
heard
them
discussing
it,
or
heard
legends
about
it
during
the
time
he
spent
with
the
tribes
in
his
Northern
Michigan
summers.
This
seems
to
have
made
an
impact
on
him.
We
cannot
be
sure
of
what
drew
Hemingway
to
the
spirituality
of
the
Natives.
It
could
be
that
Hemingway
loved
nature,
as
portrayed
through
his
emphasis
of
nature
descriptions
in
the
majority
of
his
work,
and
his
interest
was
sparked
because
Manitou
incorporates
itself
in
nature.
It
also
may
simply
be
that
the
huge
contrast
to
his
religion
drew
his
interest.
Whatever
the
reason,
Hemingway
continued
to
be
enthralled
with
the
Native
American
culture
for
many
years. Many
aspects
of
“Judgment
of
Manitou” portray
Native
American
religion.
The
main
plot
of
the
story
involves
two
characters,
Pierre
and
Dick.
Pierre
planned
to
kill
Dick
because
he
thought
Dick
stole
money,
so
he
set
a
trap
for
him
and
left
him
for
the
wolves
to
devour.
Then
Pierre
discovered
that
a
squirrel
had
stolen
his
money,
and
he
regretted
his
actions.
When
he
went
to
check
the
trap
where
Dick’s
remains
then
hung,
a
trap
caught
him,
which
would
have
left
him
to
a
similar
fate
if
he
had
not
shot
himself.
The
most
evident
connection
to
Manitou
follows
the
idea
of
revenge.
Because
relationships
are
key
in
Native
American
Spirituality,
Pierre
did
not
please
Manitou
when
he
killed
Dick,
which
ended
Manitou’s
protection
of
Pierre
and
caused
him
to
be
led
to
a
similar
fate.
Hemingway
ended
the
story
stating,
“It
is
the
judgement
of
Manitou”
(Cappel
36).
By
including
this
Manitou
reference
in
his
story,
it
shows
Native
American
culture
by
depicting
Manitou
determining
a
person’s
fate
because
of
his
actions.
Manitou
made
sure
that
Pierre
got
what
he
deserved.
Additionally,
Hemingway
portrayed
the
men
in
this
story
as
living
close
to
nature.
He
mentions
fur
mittens,
deer
horns
mounted,
crisp
snow,
snowshoeing,
trapping,
cold
air,
a
spruce
tree,
etc.
These
depict
the
men’s
close
connection
to
nature
up
in
the
North.
Their
purpose
of
living
in
the
cabin
was
to
trap,
and
they
experienced
the
cold
weather
and
the
wildlife
daily.
This
focus
on
being
one
with
nature
familiarizes
the
characters
with
the
Native
American
culture
and
the
emphasis
they
place
on
nature
and
their
surroundings.
The
number
of
animal
references
in
this
short
story
is
astounding.
Not
only
does
Hemingway
describe
the
animals
involved
in
the
story
(the
wolves,
the
squirrel,
and
the
ravens
that
were
eating
Dick’s
remains,)
but
he
describes
the
fur
mittens
and
the
deer
head.
He
also
uses
animals
in
expressions
and
comparisons,
such
as
“Holy
quill
pigs,” “swingin’
by
one
leg
in
the
air
like
Wahboy,
the
rabbit,”
and
“all
he
does
now
is
grunt
like
a
surly
pig.”
(Cappel
35)
Native
Americans
most
frequently
see
Manitou
through
animals,
so
the
reference
to
so
many
animals
could
have
to
do
with
that
importance.
Manitous
are
portrayed
through
the
story
because
some
of
the
references
to
animals
depict
their
personalities.
The
deer
horns
show
the
reverence
that
deer
should
be
shown,
the
squirrel
is
mischievous,
and
the
wolves
demonstrate
evil.
In
Hemingway’s
description
of
the
wolves,
he
describes,
“gaunt,
white,
hungry
timer
wolves.”
This
description
gives
an
eerie,
evil
vibe,
showing
the
personality
of
the
Manitou
the
wolf
represents.
The
horns
hung
above
the
fireplace
are
a
token.
Hanging
up
the
horns
resembles
the
tradition
of
the
Native
Americans
killing
their
Manitou
and
hanging
their
skin
in
their
living
quarters
for
protection
and
honor.
The
antlers
hung
represent
honor
shown
to
the
deer
and
the
protection
that
the
deer
offers
the
household.
The
representation
of
Native
American
spirituality
and
its
ties
to
nature
would
hold
a
fascination
for
Hemingway
his
entire
life.
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