I am seeking articles for a volume that will examine the complicated legacy of Aboriginal performances of Hiawatha. From 1901 to 1969 the Garden River community staged an annual performance of the Hiawatha play based on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's "The Song of Hiawatha." Other aboriginal communities, such as Petoskey, also undertook the play. These performances drew aboriginal actors from various nations and sometimes were also linked with professional theatre companies (i.e. London Orchestra Society). Finally many ‘Indian’ Hiawatha plays toured throughout North American and Europe – drawing audiences of thousands and transforming the actors into stars. While the Hiawatha narratives presented in these plays typically concentrated on the historical and 'mythical' Ojibwa past, the arrival of the ‘black robes’ and the love story between Hiawatha/Minnehaha , a closer exploration suggests additional meanings. Many of these performances were delivered in the Ojibwa language, and the play often served to promote, protect, and maintain Aboriginal traditions and cultures in the face of aggressive Euro-Canadian colonialism. As such, these performances represent a multifaceted dialogue with the colonizer and a unique window onto the multiple meanings encoded in history, myth and performance.

Articles should explore an aspect of the Hiawatha pageant. For example, authors may want to consider the following topics: analytical biographies of the participants/communities, analysis of the historic circumstances shaping the reception of the plays, questions regarding material culture, and/or music; cultural negotiations between different participants and promoters; and, perspectives (Aboriginal or Non-Aboriginal), on questions of agency.

This volume would be published in fall 2013 or spring 2014. If you are interested in participating in this project I require a preliminary title, a brief proposal, and contact information by 30 January 2011. Final articles, if your proposal is accepted, will be due by 31 December 2011.

The editorial and production schedule is tight, so early submissions and expect manuscripts to be carefully prepared. Papers that arrive incomplete (e.g., missing illustrations or captions), or require extensive revision may be rejected before being sent for scholarly review. Remember this is a full article not just a submission of your presentation.

Your final submission:
- should be between 20-30 pages in length not including endnotes and bibliography

- must be in RTF, WORD, or WPD format

- copies should have numbered pages,

- New Times Roman or Times type (11 or 12 point)

- 1" margins

- 2x spacing

- a bibliography (Chicago style)

- endnotes (Chicago style)

- any charts, maps, illustrations, or photographs (remember that you, the author, are responsible for securing permissions to publish these items in writing

- complete contact information, including your postal address, phone number (and e-mail and fax if applicable).

- your institutional affiliation, or, if you lack one, your town/city of residence (as it should appear at the head of your paper)

Dr. Karl S. Hele
First Peoples Studies
School of Community and Public Affairs
Concordia University
khele@alcor.concordia.ca
514-848-2424 x.2532