The text in this print, based on a 1961 painting, comes from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s epic poem The Song of Hiawatha. A “calumet” is a kind of Native American peace pipe, like the one shared by representatives of the tribes called together by Gitche Manito, a mythical peace-bringer in Longfellow’s narrative. In his composition, Robert Indiana visually brings the names of various tribes together within the unifying confines of a large circle emblazoned with the poet’s verse. “Calumet” is also the name of a township in the artist’s home state of Indiana, and he was drawn to the connection between his personal biography and this grand national narrative.

Label from Robert Indiana: A Sculpture Retrospective, June 16–September 23, 2018