Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1897-07-28
HlAWATHA THE GREAT.
Wampum Belt of the Iroquois Chieftan
Is Now u Trophy of ~ Mayor.

| ~ - NNlNI-NIs
| Wampum Belt of the Ir0quois ChieftaI
| Is Now "a Trophy of ~ Mayor.
While spending few days in Albany
recently l was shown one of the most
valuable and interesting historical rel
les in America, which is now the tro-
ply of the mayor of that city. 1t is
the wampum belt of Hiawatha, anC
was made to commemorate the lorna.
| tion of the Iroquois confederation-the
| league OF the five nations, which oc-
| Cured somewhere about the middle OF
| the 14th century, long before the dis
| covery Of this hemisphere by the white
man.
Hiawatha was not love-sick war
rior and minstrel, as Longfellow de-
scrlbes him. He was the foremost
statesman of his age in America and
was several centuries ahead of his
time. He was the first advocate on
American soil of ternational arbi-
tration. He was tire first apostle of
peace in America t. at we know any
thing about, and h untutored mind
developed the fund mental principles
OF Christianity as lie trod the forest
OF the Adirondacks in his moccasins.
The wampum is g belt of bead en-
broldery, for that 5 the meaning Of
the term. 1t repr sentS about four
squares about five inches by four
inches in size, two of which are on
either side of a di; mond-shaped CEN
tire. They are come tied by links The
diamond-shaped fig ire represents the
Onondaga nation, which was the
Wealthiest and mo powerful. The
other four figures present the Sene-
cas-, the Mohawks, Il e Cayugas and the
Oneidas. Later the Tuscaroras joined
the confederacy, and they became
known as the Six atoms.
1t was Hiawatha Tho brought about
the confederation. lie was a member
of the Onondaga tri, e, but was consid-
cred a person of miraculous BIRTH
which gave him great influence as
medicine man among the superstitious
Indians. This BELIEF was corroborated
by several narrow escapes from death.
HlaWatha was also Known and greatly
esteemed by all the j"ibes in New York,
New England and eastern Canada for
his wisdom and beDevolence He Le-
held with great grief the evils of war
and the destruction that attended the
struggles that were constantly going
on between the neighboring tribes ov-
err little jealousies and petty ambi ions
and the misgovernEent and miseries
which these wars produced He there
fore proposed great confederation of
all the Indians nor h and east of the
Allegheny mountains. Each nation
was to retain it's own individuality ana
manage its own domestic affairs as be-
fore, but their mutual relations or
their foreign affairs, as one might say
were to be governed by general coun-
Gil composed of delegates from each in
proportion to their population. His
great purpose was to abolish war and
promote the welfare of his people. He
Intended that the confederation should
extend so as to include other tribes,
until all the races of men should be
embraced in single union with COM
mon interest, and that peace should
reign everywhere. Thus he was the
first great peace commissioner in AM
erican history.
Twice Hiawatha failed to secure the
assent of his own tribe because of the
ambition and wariike disposition of
Atotarho, chief of the Onondagas, but
confederation provided he should be
made the great chief of and the chief
tainship and the keeper of the wam-
pun should always remain with his
tribe. Through the diplomacy of Hi
hWatha the ether nations were persuad-
ed to accept these conditions. The
league was form ed, Atotarho was made
the chief, and the wampum which |
have described was woven to comment
crate one of the greatest events in In
dian history.
After accomplishing this purpose,
and fearful of the Jealousy of Atotarho,
HiaWatha left his home, mounted his
canoe and floated down the Mohawk
into oblivion. OF his subsequent ca
reer and his death we have no infor-
nation. Schoolcraft, the historian of
the Indians, makes him the hero of a
great many legends. Longfellow's
poem transforms this grave Onondaga
statesman into an OjibWay demi-god,
the son of the west wind.-Chicago
Record Correspondence.