This is my final reading from Longfellow's poem, The Song of Hiawatha, a book length poem about the legendary figure, Hiawatha, or Manabozho, as he was sometimes called, who was sent by the Great Spirit to rid the world of evil, and to teach his people to live together. I've been familiar with the poem my whole life since my mother was named after Hiawatha's mother, Wenonah, who lived "by the shores of Gitche Gumee, by the shining Big-Sea-Water."
Longfellow conceived the project after a visit with an Ojibwa chief, Kah-ge-ga-gah'bowh. Most of the stories he puts to verse are taken from actual Indian folklore, as recorded by Henry Schoolcraft, who spent several years among the Algonquin tribes, learning to speak Ojibwa, and marrying a half Ojibwa woman, Jane Johnson, the first Native American writer. Schoolcraft had little respect for the Ojibwas, in spite of his experiences with them, and the legends he recorded are largely devoid of emotion or purpose.
Longfellow recognized that shortcoming, however, and molded the legends together into a beautiful saga, full of excitement, adventure, suspense, and compassion.
I hope the selections I have chosen will peak your interest and you will read the entire poem for yourselves. The experience is an adventure worth having, giving insight into Native American culture.
To listen to my selections in order, see my Hiawatha playlist.
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