The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-27
HIAwATHA THE GREAT.
Wampum Belt of the ChIeftain n
Trophy OF the Mayor of Albany.

Wampum Belt of the ChIeftain n
Trophy of the Mayor of Albany.
William E. Curtis in the Chicago Record.
Washington.-While spending a few days
in Albany recently l was shown one of
the most valuable and interesting histori-
cal relics in America, which is now the
trophy of the mayor of that city 1t is the
wampum belt Of Hiawatha, and was made
to commemorate the formation of the
Iroquois confederation-the league OF the
five nations. which occurred somewhere
about the middle of the fourteenth CEN
tury long before the discovery OF this
hemisphere by the white man.
Hiawatha was not a love-sicl warrior
and minstrel, as Longfellow describes him.
He was the foremost statesman of his age
in America aud was several centuries
ahead of his time. He was the first advo-
cate on American soil of international ar
bitration. He was the first apostle of
peace in America that we know anything
about, and his untutored mind developed
the fundamental principles of Christianity
as he trod the forest of the Adirondacks
in his moccasins.
The wampum is belt Of bead embroid-
cry, for that is the meaning of the term
1t represents four squares about FIVE inch
es by four inches in size, two of which
are on either side of a diamond-shaped
center. They are connected by links
The diamond-shaped figure represents the
Onondaga nation, which was the wealth.
est and most powerful. The other four
figures represent the Senecas, the Mo-
hawks, the Cayugas and the Oneidas
Later the Tuscaroras Joined the confed-
eracy, and they became known as the Six
Nations
Il was Hiawatha who brought about the
confederation. lie was a member of the
Onondaga tribe, but was considered a per-
sonage of miraculous birth, which gave
him great influence as a medicine man
among the superstitious Indians. This be-
lief was corroborated by several narrow
escapes from death. Hiawatha was also
known and greatly esteemed by ali the
tribes In New York, New England and
Eastern Canada for his wisdom and benev-
olence. He beheld with great grief the
evils OF war and the destruction that at
tended the struggles that were constantly
going on between the nelghboring tribes
over little Jealousies and petty ambitions
and the misgOvernment and miseries
which those wars produced. He, there
fore, proposed a great confederation Of
all the Indians north and east of the AL
lcghany mountains. Each nation was TO
retain its own individuality and manage
It's own domestic aualrS as before, but
their mutual relations or their foreign af-
fairs, as one might say, were to be gov
erned by a general council composed Of
delegates from each I'm proportion to their
population. His great purpose was to
abolish war and to promote the welfare Of
his people He Intended that the eonfed-
Grafton should extend SO as TO include
other tribes. until all the races OF men
should be embraced In a single union with
common interest, and that peace should
reign everywhere. Thus he was the first
great peace commissioner In American his
tory.
Twice Hlawatha failed TO secure the as
sent of his own tribe because Of the am
btion and warllke disposition Of Atotar-
no. chief Of the Onondagas, but the lat
ter finally agreed TO enter the confeder-
alton provided he should be made the
great chief. and the chieftalnship and the
keeper Of the wampum should always re-
main with his Tribe. Through tho diplo-
macy OF Hiawatha the other nations were
persuaded TO accept these conditions. The
league was formed. Atotarho was made
the chief. and the wampum. which have
described was woven TO commemorate one
Of the greatest events In Indian history
After accomplishing this purpose. and
fearful Of the jealousy Of Atotarho, Hia-
watha left his home. mounted his canoe