Knowra The Song of Hiawatha The Song of Hiawatha An 1855 narrative poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow that portrays the legendary Ojibwe hero Hiawatha through stories and traditions drawn from Indigenous sources.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow : An American poet whose works include the 1855 narrative poem The Song of Hiawatha. He composed the poem and shaped its portrayal of Hiawatha.
Hiawatha : A legendary figure associated with the founding of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy and, separately, an Ojibwe hero in Longfellow’s poem. Longfellow makes this Ojibwe-associated hero the poem’s central character, distinct from the Haudenosaunee figure.
The Boyhood of Hiawatha : An early canto of Longfellow’s poem recounting Hiawatha’s upbringing and childhood lessons. It introduces the hero through family, nature, and instruction rather than battle.
Haudenosaunee : An Indigenous confederacy of nations historically based in the northeastern part of North America, also called the Iroquois Confederacy. The historical Hiawatha is associated with this confederacy, unlike Longfellow’s Ojibwe-centered character.
Ojibwe : An Indigenous people of the Great Lakes region, also known as the Chippewa. The poem draws on stories and cultural material associated with the Ojibwe.
Minnehaha : A character in The Song of Hiawatha, portrayed as Hiawatha’s beloved and wife. Her relationship with Hiawatha anchors the poem’s domestic and tragic episodes.
Hiawatha’s Fishing : A canto in The Song of Hiawatha in which Hiawatha catches the giant sturgeon, Mishe-Nahma. The episode exemplifies the poem’s blend of heroic action and animal-centered story.
Iroquois orator : A poem by John Neal, published in 1829, about an Indigenous speaker and often cited as an earlier use of Hiawatha’s name in American poetry. Its Hiawatha differs from Longfellow’s hero and predates the 1855 poem.
Henry Rowe Schoolcraft : An American ethnologist and government official who published accounts of Indigenous cultures and stories. Longfellow relied on Schoolcraft’s published collections for much of the poem’s Indigenous material.
Nokomis : A character in The Song of Hiawatha who raises Hiawatha after his mother’s death. Her instruction and stories establish Hiawatha’s childhood and cultural world.
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