Hiawatha
Hiawatha | |
|---|---|
Hiawatha, an 1874 painting by Thomas Eakins | |
| Born | 12th century (or 15th century) Onondaga |
| Died | 12th century (or 15th century) Haudenosaunee |
| Nationality | Onondaga, Mohawk, Iroquois |
| Known for | Cofounder and leader of the Iroquois Confederacy |
Hiawatha (/ˌhaɪəˈwɒθə/ HY-ə-WOTH-ə, also US: /-ˈwɔːθə/ -WAW-thə: Haiëñ'wa'tha [hajẽʔwaʔtha]), also known as Ayenwatha or Aiionwatha, was a precolonial Native American leader and cofounder of the Iroquois Confederacy. He was a leader of the Onondaga people, the Mohawk people, or both. According to some accounts, he was born an Onondaga but adopted into the Mohawks.