Hello ,
Once in a while you find a book that you want to buy for everyone you know.
Hiawatha and the Peacemaker strikes me that way.
First, let me say, Longfellow apparently mixed up another man with the real Hiawatha, so don't look
for Gutche Gumee in this book.
I thought it ironic that I stumbled upon this book in the middle of great debate about immigration in America, about how best to confront terrorism and about how to be most true to our democratic ideals.
Hiawatha lived in a time of war, when
violence could strike without warning and without mercy. His people, the Iroquois ranged across what is now New York State, Ontario and Quebec long before European immigrants arrived.
The story opens with Hiawatha mourning his wife and three daughters. They'd been killed in an attack on his village and everything he cared about had been burned to the ground.
Hiawatha could think of nothing but revenge, until a stranger showed up and told him of the Great Law of Peace. “Fighting among our people must stop. We
must come together as one body, one mind, and one heart.”
Hiawatha was skeptical, but agreed to go to his people, the Mohawk, and help the Peacemaker present the Great Law. The Clan Mothers nodded at this idea of becoming one family, but the War Chief argued
that the Onondaga chief is too strong, too violent and the Mohawk must remain ready to fight.
Hiawatha and the Peacemaker left the Mohawk, traveling to carry the message to the Cayuga, the Oneida, the Seneca and the Onondaga. He faced down hostile warriors, suspicion, and his own hatred, anger and pain.
With the help of the Peacemaker Hiawatha was healed of his desire for revenge and learned forgiveness.
Eventually, they succeed in bringing the five nations together to lay down their weapons and trust peace.
The Five Nations of the Iroquois formed a confederacy on the Great Law of Peace, thought to be the oldest participatory democracy on earth. Benjamin Franklin, John Hancock and Thomas Jefferson were influenced by this
peaceful union's self-government. The author of the book, Robbie Robertson wrote the story from his memory of hearing it as a child from an Elder wisdom-keeper on the reservation. Robertson is of Mohawk and Cayuga heritage.
This book is not his first foray into the arts. Robinson has a long and distinguished career in music for which he's been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, given a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, landed on Rolling Stone magazine’s lists of greatest artists and greatest guitar players of all time, as well as collaborated with filmmaker Martin Scorsese, and produced albums by artists like Van Morrison and Neil Diamond.
I can't leave this story without mentioning that in the Iroquois Federation men and women shared power. A Clan Mother named Jikonhsaseh was instrumental in forming the democracy. Thanks to reader Bob Stagner for recommending The Myriad Faces of War by Trevor Wilson. This sounds like a great read for fans of Downton Abby, though WWI was a few seasons back. I've marked it "to read" on my Goodreads page.
Here's a snippet from the publisher: A distinctive feature of the book is the way in which the author draws on diaries and memoirs to reconstruct images of how the war was experienced, both by soldiers who were fighting at the front and by
civilians who were remote from actual combat. We are presented with vivid accounts of how the war appeared to soldiers marching to Mons, fighting on the Somme, patrolling the North Sea, as well as accounts of how the war was perceived by the men and women who worked in the factories and fields at home.
Over the weekend, I'm gathering with my extended family to celebrate my mother's 80th birthday! She was born on Valentine's Day, which may be why she's so sweet.
On the left is my daughter Monica, with my mom, Margaret
and me. Thanks for joining me! Your support means a lot.
Have you read a great book? Tell me about it. Have a burning question? Let me know.
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