Johnny Seaberg, age 12, of Nashua, N.H., for his question

WAS THERE A REAL HIAWATHA?

Hiawatha is the Indian hero of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem called "The Song of Hiawatha" that was written in 1855. It is difficult to separate the real Hiawatha from the many stories which grew up about him, some of which are told in Longfellow's poem.

There was a real Hiawatha in history. He is thought to have been a Mohawk Indian chief who founded the Iroquois Confederacy in New York state Hiawatha's name and title were hereditary in the It is thought that the first Hiawatha lived about 1570 in central New York. He was a social reformer interested in ending war and promoting universal peace among the Indian tribes.

Longfellow collected stories about various Chippewa Indian heroes and gods. He put these stories into his poem. The poem tells of Hiawatha's childhood and of his contest with the West Wind, his father.

The poem also tells about Hiawatha's wedding to Minnehaha, his life and work and his grief at the death of his wife.