Hiawatha’s Absence

Many Moons and Winters have gone by,
Since Hiawatha left his Homeland.
By the shores of Gitche Gu’mee,
On the shining Big Sea Waters,
Where once sang Nawadaha,
And Chetowaik’s voice was heard too,
And was heard the songs of the wild-fowl,
Mahng, the loon, the wild-goose, Wawa,
The blue heron, the Shuh-shuh-gah,
And the grouse, the Mushkodasa.

Where Hiawatha was one with nature,
His brothers were Mo’kwa, the bear,
The red squirrel, Adjidau’mo,
Also Ahmeek, and Ahdeek,
The beaver and the reindeer.
Where ran the pleasant water- courses,
In the green and silent valley,
In the vale of Tawasentha.
There he lived in his wigwam,
Among the pines in the forest,
By the shores of Gitche Gu’mee,
On the shining Big Sea Waters,

There he learned bravery and courage.
There he learned the bow and arrow,
There he learned about his family,
His mother was called Weno’mah,
And his father was the West-wind,
He was called Mudjekee’wis,
Noko’mis, Weno’mah’s mother,
Was his teacher, in his youth.
Since Hiawatha left his Homeland,
Life has changed for everyone.

No longer is heard the wild-songs,
Or the singing of  Nawadaha.
The pleasant water-courses, run no more,
Neither is heard  the Minne-wa’wa,
As the wind among the trees.
No one hears the Opechee’,

Announce the coming of the spring,
And the blue bird, the Owais’sa,
Can not be heard anymore.
There’s no dew upon the meadows,
And no thunder in the mountains.

The Plains have turned to wastelands,
And the Forests have been cut down,
No longer bloom the wild flowers,
And the honey-makers no longer fly.
No more arrows touch the bowstrings,
No clubs can fell their foes.
No green vale of Tawasentha ,
No more perch awaits the Eagle,
As the darkness overcomes them,
The great Gushkewau wins again.

The chiefs called up a council meeting,
They sent word through vale and forest,
By the four winds it was carried,
Carried to the land of the Dakotas,
The Blackfoot and Shoshones,
The Crows and the Seminoles,
The Ojibway and Chipawah,
The Creeks and the Seneca,
Throughout the whole land it was carried,
A meeting called to deal with Gushkewau,
And all the troubles that’s befallen our land,
Since Hiawatha crossed the Big Sea Water.