The Song of Hiawatha

Reading Check and Short Answer Questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Introduction-Canto II

Reading Check

1. Which two tribes of Indigenous people does the speaker refer to in the opening of the poem?

2. Who is Nawadaha?

3. What does Manito invite the men of the tribes to make for themselves?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What is the role of the peace pipe? How do the tribes of the land respond to this signal?

2. How did Mudjekeewis become known as Kabeyun? How does this name translate, and how does the renaming of Mudjekeewis affect his relatives?

3. How do the personalities of Wabun, Shawondasee, and Kabibonokka connect with their respective environments?

Paired Resource

“Origin Stories of the Native American Tribes”

• American Indian COC shares a variety of Indigenous groups’ origin stories.
• This connects with the themes Connecting With the Natural World, Blood Kin Versus Found Family, and Mortality.
• Compare and contrast the origin story in The Song of Hiawatha with the stories in the above resource. What are the overarching themes among these stories?

Cantos III-VI

Reading Check

1. What did Hiawatha learn from all the birds?

2.