The legend of Hiawatha depicts the power of Mohawk leaders in leading Native Americans to battle. Chief Hiawatha was the leader of the Onondaga Tribe. This sometimes resulted in the confusion within the life story of Hiawatha, especially regarding his tribal affiliations. Although one thing is clear, the Hiawatha story is one that gives a much better understanding of the 15th century of the Native American population. This article aims to provide another perspective of Chief Hiawatha for kids, letting them know the existence of such warrior in the history of Native Americans.

Chief Hiawatha Biography

Although there is no concrete proof, it is believed that he was born around 1525. He was also given the name of Ayenwatha. Many claims that he was adopted by the Mohawk tribe was said to have sired many daughters all throughout his life. These daughters were often targeted by Chief Hiawatha’s enemies. There was this one who tried to pursue all daughters in order to have leverage. With all daughter declining, the enemy decided to kill all of them. With this, Chief Hiawatha grieved in the forest. There he met the prophet known as The Peacemaker or Deganawida. This served as the start of his Prophetic affiliations. Aside from being a chief and prophet, he was also a statesman and philosopher. This last part is also because of Deganawida.

Chief Hiawatha and the Iroquois Nations

Chief Hiawatha was undeniably one of the famous Iroquois leaders. In fact, history claims that he was the major gluing particle of the Iroquois Confederacy. His power was the one who made the 5 tribes form together with the Confederacy. His confederate reign was the foundation of peace and democracy, although, it did not really last. This is usually the case of different government. These 5 tribes are the Onondaga, Mohawk, Oneida, Cayuga, and Seneca. Together, they were hailed the 5 Nations League.

The creation of the Iroquois Confederacy was also the product of the meet up of Chief Hiawatha and Deganawida. Deganawida was a chief of the Mohawk tribe. During his time of reign, he was withdrawn to the idea of exercising violence against the neighboring tribes. Unfortunately, violence is the core of the Mohawk Tribe during that time. He tried appealing to the council regarding their ways, but the latter is not that open to the suggestion of deterring the aggression of their people. With that, Deganawida left. He went to the West, and there, he met Chief Hiawatha by the lake. Upon meeting, Deganawida marveled at the wiseness of Chief Hiawatha, making him decide to bring the latter into his tribe.The philosophical position of Hiawatha was well accepted by the Mohawk tribe in the end. Chief Hiawatha Iroquois story shows how one can be embraced by different tribes by wisdom alone. The confederacy’s main goal was installing unification across different tribes so as to lessen inter-tribe wars that lead to more deaths than necessary. Due to the insistence of the two, there came the formation of the “Great Law of Peace”. This has cemented Chief Hiawatha’s position as a famous Iroquois.

The Gap within the Iroquois Confederacy

As was mentioned, the peace within the Iroquois Confederacy was shortlived. Chief Hiawatha’s history was a great manifestation of the fact that with great power comes great responsibilities… and enemies. The stronger the convergence of the five nations has become, the more the others were forced to find allies to keep their strengths, and this was where the European colonists came to the picture. As assaults of the Iroquois Confederacy increased, the threat has made others more vigilant. In the end, the Confederacy region led by Hiawatha Indian ended up having a huge rift with the French army; thus, ending with them striking a partnership with the British people during the Indian war. After this timeline, accounts on facts about Hiawatha reveal how the Iroquois Confederacy began to falter. It was during the revolutionary war. The nations failed to establish unity against the American armies. This, along with the prevalence of the resistance of people from Europe, has resulted in the fall of the Confederacy.

Other Facts About Chief Hiawatha

Chief Hiawatha’s charismatic demeanor is what attracted The Peacemaker. Aside from his knowledge of the different tribal laws, his interest in peace is also what has sealed the deal. With the peacemaker, he was able to further enhance his spiritual expertise. One manifestation of Chief Hiawatha’s role in the creation of the Confederacy is the Hiawatha Belt, a symbolic item that depicts the different characteristics of the different tribes. This belt is made of hundreds of beads, and colors that serve as unique representation to the members of the Confederacy. It was also some sort of a badge of honor for Hiawatha. The symbols depict unity from the different tribes of different locations, cultures, and even culture.

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