How we cite our quotes: (Part.Line)
Quote #4
This was Hiawatha's wooing!
Thus it was he won the daughter
Of the ancient Arrow-maker (10.219-221).
Hiawatha sees a beautiful young woman named Laughing Water and decides that he must possess her as a wife. The first thing he does is ask the young woman's father if he can marry the girl. It's only afterward the he asks Laughing Water herself. Truth be told, it's actually pretty progressive of Longfellow to give Laughing Water any choice in the matter at all.
Quote #5
Old Nokomis, brisk and busy,
From an ample pouch of otter,
Filled the redstone pipes for smoking (11.49-51)
As the highest-ranking woman, Nokomis takes on the duty of filling all the men's pipes at Hiawatha's wedding feast. It's a tiny detail, but telling when it comes to what's expected of men and women at ceremonial occasions.
Quote #6
Now the men were all like women,
Only used their tongues for weapons! (10.115-117)
Minnehaha's father thinks sadly about how the young men of his time are becoming more and more like women, using their words to attack one another instead of their fists and clubs. It looks like the old man thinks the world would be better off with a little more violence in it. Then again, he's an arrow-maker. So he kind of has a financial interest in having more violence.