SaveMeaning & History
From the Iroquoian name Haio-went-ha meaning "he who combs". This was the name of a Mohawk or Onondaga leader who founded the Iroquois Confederacy, possibly in the 15th century. He was later the subject of a fictionalized 1855 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.
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Statue of Hiawatha carrying Minnehaha, inspired by the Henry Wadsworth Longfellow poemEntry updated December 8, 2017 Contribute
