Ways of Our Grandfathers

Most muneedoog were good most of the time but could at times be mischievous or even spiteful. A good example of this type of muneedoo was the Mamagwasewug or the hidden or covered beings. They were little spirit beings commonly called fairies or sprites. The preferred to live along riverbanks or wetlands and are at most times invisible. Some of the old ones say they have seen them and have even talked to them. They are described as two to three feet tall, have a human form walking erect but their faces are covered with soft hair. They are said to be fond of shooting firearms and love bright bits of cloth. If one helps them to attain these things one will be rewarded with long life or success in hunting. The following is a story of a group of Mamagwasewug living along the St. Clair River in the 1820s. In 1824 a Scottish family who were living on the banks of the St. Clair River came under harassment by some invisible entities. Their property was being assailed; first their poultry suffered seizures and died then their livestock. Next the house was attacked. Small pieces of lead and stones were thrown at the windows, which broke and they landed on the floor. Later, live coals were found placed in different parts of the house and at first were discovered by the family and extinguished just in time. However, eventually the house burned down. The family, friends and neighbours attributed these occurrences to witchcraft and a famed witch doctor from Niagara Falls named Troyer was called in. He attempted to exorcise the property by shooting off his gun, which he said was loaded with silver bullets. He said this was the only kind of weapon that would be effective against a witch. While this was going on the local magistrate heard of it and issued an arrest warrant for Mr. Troyer. He heard of the warrant and so beat a hasty retreat back to Niagara Falls. Pazhekezhikquashkum, the old Otahwah head chief and shaman from Walpole Island was consulted and he confided that he knew what was going on all the time. He said the place on which the house stood was the former residence of the Mamagwasewug but when the Scotchman built his house on the spot where the Mamagwasewug lived they moved back into the poplar grove. They lived there for several years but then the Scotchman cleared and burnt the grove. This made the Mamagwasewug angry and feeling indignant at such treatment they exacted revenge on his property. Jones, History, 157-159.