Hiawatha and the Iroquois Confederation

Hiawatha and the Iroquois Confederation by Horatio Hale is an insightful study of the origins and structure of the Iroquois Confederacy a powerful and influential alliance of Native American tribes in the northeastern United States. Hale examines the historical and legendary figure of Hiawatha credited with playing a key role in the formation of the confederacy and the role of the great lawgiver Dekanawidah who helped bring about the union of the Iroquois nations. Hale uses linguistic historical and anthropological evidence to argue that Hiawatha was a historical figure not merely a character from myth. He traces the development of the Confederacy’s democratic and legal systems which allowed for the unification of the five (later six) nations—the Mohawk Oneida Onondaga Cayuga Seneca and later the Tuscarora. This alliance created a long-lasting political structure that promoted peace among the member nations and gave the Iroquois significant influence in the region.