Hiawatha and the Peacemaker

July 6, 2015
Robertson, best known for his work with musical group The Band, collaborates with Shannon on a sadly relevant story about choosing peace over violence, recounting the story of how Mohawk warrior Hiawatha joined forces with a spiritual leader known as the Peacemaker to unite five warring tribes. It’s no easy task, as Hiawatha must overcome his own anger and desire for revenge—Tadodaho, chief of the Onondaga tribe, destroyed his home and killed his family. A departure from the playfulness of books like No, David and How I Became a Pirate, Shannon’s penetrating oil paintings expressively capture the initial tension and uncertainty with which these messengers of peace are met, and the tranquility that replaces it. As the unified nations finally approach the murderous Tadodaho, they find a man “Hunched over, withered, and twisted,” snakes coursing through his hair—yet not beyond the healing power of forgiveness. Extensive endnotes and a CD that includes a song written and performed by Robertson underscore the author’s evident emotional connection to this story and passion for passing it on. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Ryan Harbage, Fischer-Harbage Agency.

Piter Marek uses a simple, unadorned style to narrate this tale by singer-songwriter Robbie Robertson. The legend of Hiawatha and the Peacemaker was told in the oral tradition to a 9-year-old Robertson in his native Canada. Marek movingly reveals that because the Peacemaker had a stutter, he asked Hiawatha to be his voice. This occurred just after Hiawatha had lost his family in a bloody attack by Chief Tadodaha. Marek's Peacemaker, through Hiawatha, convincingly explains that the Iroquois nation would destroy itself with ongoing war and that only forgiveness would heal them. They slowly persuaded the Onondago, Mohawk, Cayuga, Seneca, and Oneida tribes to unite and govern themselves in a method that inspired the United States Constitution. Listeners will appreciate the helpful historical and author's notes that add clarification to the text. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine