Has anyone ever tried to pass themself off as a mide?

[E.P. Grondine]

I don't think I've ever seen anyone try it.

[critter - a white non-ndn person]

what is a mide? never have heard the term.

[E.P. Grondine]

what is a mide? never have heard the term.

Perhaps you may recognize the term midewiwin.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midewiwin

[critter - a white non-ndn person]

Nope never have, but if it translates to 'medicine man' then I think that there are plenty who have tried to pass their self off as such. 

[E.P. Grondine]

Nope never have, but if it translates to 'medicine man' then I think that there are plenty who have tried to pass their self off as such. 

It does not really translate to "medicine man". For that matter it does not translate well at all.

But while I've seen frauds trying to operate as Cherokee, Sioux, and "Pueblo", I don't think I've seen any fraud trying to pass themselves off as Objibwe, Odawa or Potawatomi .

[earthw7]

That is because the midewin has done a great job of protecting their culture from the outside,
they keep it secert and don't allow nons in. The mde way needs to be kept secert and away from
nons, we need to protect all medicines. I honor them.

[critter - a white non-ndn person]

Maybe this thread should be deleted so passer by's don't hook onto this and start investigating and exploiting them? 

[E.P. Grondine]

Maybe this thread should be deleted so passer by's don't hook onto this and start investigating and exploiting them? 

No, please.

I have said nothing here that has not been shared with the public by midewiwin.

To the best of my knowledge, no one has ever fraudulently passed themselves off as mide.

[E.P. Grondine]

That is because the midewin has done a great job of protecting their culture from the outside, they keep it secret and don't allow nons in. The mde way needs to be kept secret and away from nons, we need to protect all medicines. I honor them.

I wish the Siouxian peoples and the western peoples and their leaders and spiritual guides all the best in their efforts to protect their beliefs from thieving frauds.

[critter - a white non-ndn person]

Well, now, as a person who never heard of the term, I now know they are somehow part of the Sioux, and are some sort of medicine people. Maybe that's not a lot of info, but to me, I've learned a whole lot in just a few days about them, whereas before, they were completely unknown to me. 

I'm just this white person, fortunately NOT looking to find a new and improved term to exploit to get the customers away from the competition.

[E.P. Grondine]

Well, now, as a person who never heard of the term, I now know they are somehow part of the Sioux,

Algonquin, not Sioux, to my knowledge.

and are some sort of medicine people.

Mide are mide.

I'm just this white person, fortunately NOT looking to find a new and improved term to exploit to get the customers away from the competition.

?

[earthw7]

I did not mean that they were related to us the Lakota.
They have their owe culture.

[critter - a white non-ndn person]

I'm simply pointing out that if this group is protecting themselves from the outside and keeping secret, then this thread is not doing them any good.  

If I were an exploiter and wanted to make more money, hey, I just found a new group I'd never heard of and would not have heard of. But now, I can do a little research and a lot of harm.. that is what I am saying.. IF I were that type of person, which I'm not.

But any 'smart' and savvy money making exploiter could and probably would based on info provided here.

If they are trying to keep protected and secret, then this thread is dis-honoring that IMO.. and personally, I'd simply delete the thread.  But not my call to do.  

However, I will no longer post to it so perhaps it can get buried under..  

[dabosijigwokush]

im with critter kill this thread protect them as we would want to be protected

[PATRICK LAVALLEY]

I think the Midewewin can protect themselves better than people who admit they have no knowledge of them. Knowledge is the only tool that Traditional People have against the real fraudsters. In the 'Ontario' region it would be vary difficult to pass oneself off as Mide being that there are many who frequent social, cultural and political NDN institutions. By educating those who would be duped by unscrupulous people. It appears that there are many people on this site with their hearts in the right places but lacking in experience and/or knowledge of various societies they intend to safeguard. I myself recently received a message from someone who admitted no knowledge of the Mide and still somehow managed to sound like an authority of the misuse of Mide knowledge. The Midewewin does not need an fraudster-oversight body. If this site absolutely feels the need to take on this role from the Mide, then I suggest calling Jim Dumont, Eddie Benton-Banai or the other DoorKeepers and offer this website's assistance. I anticipate though, that they would take issue with their membership individually being potentially at the mercy of some uneducated ones. The Midewewin is not a secret society, although it does have its secrets which it deserves to maintain of its own volition.

With no malice intended I ask: Why do we not give historians,environmental organizations, public school and university educators, and non-governmental organizations such a difficult time when they try and pass on made up histories or accepted imposed histories, cultural quips, 'Keepers of the Earth' monikers... and the like?

However, all that being said, they may even offer up a list of names to add to a Topic Page. If I see names of legitimate Midewedjig I would have to (as someone who does know better) offer this information to Jim Dumont or Eddie Benton myself.