Obi-Wan Hiawatha

Longfellow’s Hiawatha to be released on 6-CD setLongfellow’s epic poem, "The Song of Hiawatha," was written 152 years ago, but Michael Maglaras thinks the story can be as appealing to modern-day audiences as "Superman" or "Star Wars."

Like Clark Kent and Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Indian hero Hiawatha has human traits and super powers, while battling evil and doing right. Maglaras, the owner of a record company, is now producing a six-CD audio recording of the poem that he plans to complete in late summer.Others don't necessarily agree that "Hiawatha" is worthy:Although "The Song of Hiawatha" was a commercial success, it was criticized for being overly sentimental and parodied for its monotonous meter.

Among Native Americans, it has been criticized for perpetuating Indian stereotypes but also praised for showing Indian culture--even a romanticized version--to whites at a time when wars with Indians were still being fought.