White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1932-12-01
TALES
OF THE
CHIEFS
BY
Editha
. l.. .
Watson
DEKANAWIDA AND
HIAWATHA

There was a fear born of supernat-
natural things in her heart, for it had
been revealed to her that her son
would be source Of evil to her peo-
pie. Hence, it was loyalty to her
tribe, and not hatred of her baby,
that prompted the awful deed.
Morning came. The mother felt
something warm in her arms. Curios-
ity triumphed over fear, and she dared
to look at the little bundle-it was her
child!
Twice more, she tried to drown her
ill-omened son in the icy waters Of
the river, and twice more he miracu-
lousy reappeared in her arms at dawn.
She could no longer bear to attempt
his death.
This is legend, it is true, but the
child, who grew into one of the great
est of Indian statesmen, is historical
reality. His name was Dekanawida,
and it was he who, with one other,
formed the first successful league Of
nations and propounCed the idea of
universal peace.
The Hurons had united four tribes
about the year 1900 but this league
did not last. Since it was the Iro-
quois confederation which destroyed
that of the Hurons, the prophecy about
Dekanawida would seem to have come
to pass It is probable, however, that
the young Indian had an unusually
alert mind. which grasped the short
comings Of the Huron union and la
ter turned them to account in the or
ganization Of the Iroquois confeder-
acy.
AS soon as he had grown to man.
hood, Dekanawida Travelled south. He
was equipped with two mighty essen
tails for his ife-work-wisdom in
framing laws and establishing the
foundation upon which the confeder-
alton was based, and astuteness in
negotiation.
Among the Mohawk, about the same
time younger man, who was called
Hiawatha, was filled with the same
ideas. Legends have grown up around
him, too, and in fact we think of
Hiawatha as the hero of Longfellow's
was written about Manabozho, a Chip
pewa deity, and does not contain
single fact or fiction relating to the
real Hiawatha.
| Dhn, t,n NV Indians mot and
found powerful allies in each other.
It was Dekanawida who formulated
the laws and principles of the con-
federation. 1t was Hiawatha who con
verified the five tribes to the idea of
union. Together they labored to es-
tablish reforms which would end all
| strife and murder.
AS modern reformers can testify,
this was bitterly hard task. and the
two were opposed, not by the general
public so much as by men of equal
standing with their own. One of
these, an Onondaga. among which tribe
Hiavatha started his campaign, went
50 far as to kill Hiawatha's daughters
liz his efforts to halt him. Even this
crime, however, proved unsuccessful
in it's purpose.
Hiawatha made three attempts to
bring his scheme before the Onondaga
council, but the crafty chief thwarted
him each time. He then turned to his
own people, the Mohawks, for aid. 1t
is we'll known what honor prophet
has in his own country, so that we
are not surprised to learn that his
efforts met with meager success. Then
he went to the Oneida, and at last OBJ
tanned their promise to join the pro
iected confederacy If the Mohawk
would do likewise. Armed with this
agreement, he returned to the Mo
hawks, and finally was able to per
suade them to unite with the Oneida
and the Cayuga, and to invite the
Onondaga to join them. This tribe at
last promised to join If another. the
Seneca, would also enter the confed-
eracy. Such promises would have dis,
couraged less earnest man. Hia-
watha, however, considered them in
the light of a partial success, and, EN-
boldened by it, he redoubled his efforts
to consolidate the temporizing nations.
At last, about 1910, the five tribes
were brought into confederation. and
united in adopting the laws framed by
Dekanawida for the common welfare.
1t is worthy of note that the remorse,
less Onondaga chief who had so op,
posed Hiawathas efforts in the begin
ming, was the one through whom that
tribe accepted the proposed union. AS
the chief was reputed sorcerer.
this victory Of Dekanawida and Hi
awatha over him was looked upon by
the Indians as a sign Of great super
natural power, fact which added
greatly to their prestige, now that it
was too late to be of much value.
The Iroquois confederation was not
the first league Of nations, as the
Hurons had united four tribes about
thirty years earlier, but it was the
first successful one. The sensible laws
and stable foundation given it by the
able brain of Dekanawida, and the un-
firing efforts of both Dekanawida and
Hiawatha, formed project deemed