The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-07-10

i've inches by four inches in size, two
| OF which are on either side of the dia-
| mond-shaped center. They are con-
| nected by links. The diamond shaped
figure represents the Onondaga nation,
which was the wealthiest and most
powerful The other four figures rep
resent the Senecas, the Mohawks, the
Cayugas and the OnelGas. Later the
Tuscaroras Joined the confederacy,
and they became known as the Six Ma
lions.
1t was Hiawatha who brought about
the confederation. He was a member
of the Onondaga tribe, but was consid-
cred a parsonage of miraculous birth,
| which gave him great influence as a
| 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 tribes in New
York, New England and eastern Cana
da for his wisdom and henevolence
He beheld with great grief the evils Of
war and the destruction that attended
the struggles that were constantly go
| ing on between the neighborng tribes
| over little jealousies and petty ambi-
| tions and the misgoveriu:ent and mis-
cries which those wars produced. He
| therefore proposed a great confedera-
! ton of all the Indians north and east
| of the Allegheny Mountains Each ma
ton was to retain it's own individuality
and manage its own domestic affairs as
before, but the mutual relations or
| their foreign affs ), as one might say,
were to be governed by d general coun-
ell 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, I'M
til all the races of men should be en-
braced In single union with a COM
mon interest and that peace should
reign everywhere. Thus he was the
first great peace commissioner in
American history.
Twice Hiawatha failed to secure the
assent Of his own tribe because of the
ambition and war-lilSe disposition of
Atotarho, chief of the Onondagas, but
the latter finally agreed to enter the
confederation provided he could be
made the great chief and that the
wampum should always remain with
his tribe. Through the diplomacy OF
Hiawatha the other nations We're per-
suaded to accept these conditions. The
league was formed, Atotarho was made
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,
Hiawatha left his home. mounted his
canoe and floated down the Mohawk
into oblivion.Of his subsequent career
and his death we have no information
Schoolcraft, the historian of the Indi-
ans, makes him the hero of great
many legends. Lonsrellow's poem
transforms this grave Onsndaga
statesman into an Ojipway demi-god,
the son Of the west wind
The same gentleman VINO owns the
Hiawatha belt has another piece of
wampum which was made in 1884 to
commemorate the first treaty made be-
tween George Washington and the Iro-
quois nation. A figure in the center
represents the Capitol of the United
States. Adjoining it is the wigwam of
the Iroquois. Red jacket, the great
chief, stands next to the wigwam and
Washington next to the Capitol Then
diamond shaped figures ON either side
represent the thirteen colonies of the
United States and the six nations of the
1roquois.-W E. Curtis In the Chicago
Record.