A depiction of the great Native American story hero, Hiawtha.
Hiawatha is one of the most influential Native American stories because of its renowned status in the literature and mythological community. In the reading, Nokomis looks toward the western sky and tells Hiawatha that a magician named Pearl-Feather lives in that direction. Pearl-Feather is evil because he hoards all kinds of food and wealth, and keeping a bunch of stuff for yourself isn't encouraged in their tight-knit village. Pearl-Feather has been sending famine and disease to Hiawatha's people, and this magician apparently killed Nokomis' father. Nokomis would like Hiawatha to go defeat Pearl-Feather, but he is guarded by fire serpents that swim in black water. When he comes near Pearl-Feather's hideout, Hiawatha runs into the fiery serpents. They tell him to head home and call it a day, but he responds by killing them all with arrows. All the animals that live in the area cheer Hiawatha on because they're sick of the evil Pearl-Feather making their lives horrible. Hiawatha fires a single arrow at Pearl-Feather's wigwam and calls him to come outside. After tricking Pearl-Feather and shooting him with three arrows, Hiawatha divides his riches and wealth amongst his people and creates communal wealth, which Pearl-Feather did not seek to do. This represents the lifestyle of Native American communities and how they value the collective good over individual wealth, which is something all cultures can learn from.
Bibliography: The Song of Hiawatha by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Published in 1855. http://mythfolklore.blogspot.com/2014/06/myth-folklore-unit-song-of-hiawatha.html
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