The herald., 1897-07-19
THE REAL HIAWATHA
Not Longfellow's Love-sick Warrior,
but Diplomat and Statesman


but Diplomat and Statesman
Washmgton-While spending a few
days in Albany recently was shown one
Of the most valuable and interesting his
torical relics In America, which Is now
the trophy of the mayor Of that city. 1t
Is the wampum belt Of Hiawatha, ard
was made to comm emorate the forma
ton OF the Iroquofs federatlon-the
league of the Five Nations which oc-
Cured about the middle Of the four
tenth century.
Hiawatha was not a love-sick war
rior and minstrel, as Longfellow de-
scribes him. He was, the foremost states
man of his age in America, and was sew
eral centuries ahead of his time. He was
the first advocate on American soil Of
International arbitration. He was the
first apostle of peace in America that we
know anything about, and his untutored
mind developed the fundamental prin-
ciples Of Christianity as he trod the
Adirondacks in his moccasins.
The wampum Is belt OF bead en-
broidery. for that Is the nrea ming Of the
term. The diamond-shaped figure rep
resents the Onondaga nation, which was
the wealthiest and most powerful. The
other four figures represent the Senecas,
the Mohawks, the Cayugas and the
Oneidas. Later the Tuscaroras Joined
the confe deracy and they became known
as the Six Nations.
| 1t was Hiawatha who brought about
the confederation. He was member of
| the Onoudaga tribe, but was considered
person of miraculous birth, which gave
him great influence as medicine man
among the superstitious Indians. He
beheld with great grief the evils of war,
and the destruction that attended the
struggles that were constantly going on
between the neighboring tribes over
their little jealousies and petty ambi-
tons. He therefore proposed a great
confederation of all the Indians north
and east of the Allegheny mountains
Each nation was to retain its own indi-
viduality and manage it's own domestic
affairs as before, but their mutual rela-
tions, or their foreign affairs, as one
might say, were to be governed by gen.
eral council composed of delegates from
each in proportion to their population
He intended that the confederation
should extend SO as to include other
tribes, until all the races of men should
| be embraced IN single uu1OH WIFI
common interest, and that peace Should
reign everywhere. Thus he was the frs
peace commissioner in American his
tory Twice Hiawatha failed to secure
the assent of his own tribe because O.
the Ambitions and warliRe disposition o:
Atotarho, chief of the Onondagas bu
the latter finally agreed to enter ths
confederation provided he should b.
made the great chief and the chdeftain
ship and the keeper of the wampun
should always remain with his tribe
Through the diplomacy of Hiawatha thu
other nations were persuaded to accep
these conditions. The league was formed
Atotarho was made the chief, and thu
wampum which 1 have described wal
woven to comm ernorate one of the great
est events in Indian history
After accomplishing this purpose, ans
fearful of the jealousy of Atotarho, Hia
watha left his home, mounted his canoe
and floated down the Mohawk into obliv
ion. OF his subsequent career and hi
death we have no information. School
craft, the great historian of the Indians
makes him the hero of great many lie
gends. Longfellow's poem transform
this grave Onondaga statesman into a.
Ojibway dennigod, the son of the Yves
Wind.-Chcago Record