One of the unforgettable stories in American Literature we learned in high school is The Song of Hiawatha. The epic poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, is a love story between the Indian brave Hiawatha*, who wooed and won the winsome Minnehaha, a maiden of the Dacotahs. Her name means “laughing water”, literally translates to "rapid water" or "waterfall".

Hiawatha proposes marriage both out of his love for her and to seal peace between their tribes. Their love is mutual and powerful. So they got married and lived happily ever after. Well, not really.

One terrible winter, famine and fever strike Hiawatha's people, and Minnehaha falls victim. With her sickness, hunger and the bitter cold, she was delirious. As she was dying, she kept calling Hiawatha's name. He was far away out in the snow-clad forests hunting and looking for food. Somehow, Hiawatha heard her lamentations and he rushed back to their wigwam, only to find Minnehaha's lifeless body.

After Minnehaha was buried, Hiawatha feels as though there's nothing left in his life to keep him in his village. One night, Hiawatha gets in his canoe and paddles away. He doesn't know when or if he'll ever come back.

Why am I re-telling this story?

It's because of the unique and rare name - Minnehaha. If you Google search "persons named Minnehaha", nothing comes up. Search Facebook and you'll only get three accounts named Minnehaha. However, there are several locations and institutions named after Minnehaha, especially in Minnesota, USA.

Plaridel, Misamis Occidental can boast of the distinction of having a native named "Minnehaha". She is Minnehaha Apdujan Ratilla, nicknamed, Minnie. We grew up together in Plaridel, although it was her younger sister Clarissa who was my classmate through grade school.

I can vaguely recall that at six years old, Minnie sang in the "hugos" a  tradition of our town, held on Easter dawn, the "Pasko Sa Pagkabanhaw"

In the "hugos" a child in an angel's costume, is lifted to a bamboo structure about forty feet high. Lying on her belly, she is slowly lowered, while singing "Mag-awit Kamo" Minnie had an angelic voice too.

Below her, were the statues of the Virgin Mary and Jesus. As soon as she was low enough, she removes the veil of the Virgin Mary, symbolically, the first time she saw her son Jesus, after His resurrection. And she sang in the "hugos" for three consecutive years.

In high school, we studied at different places. She in Silliman Dumaguete - me, at nearby Jimenez. In college, we used to ride together in those Sweet Lines boats from Looc to Cebu City, where she took up nursing at Southern Islands Hospital while I studied Engineering at the Cebu Institute of Technology.

Before I knew it, she graduated, passed the board exams and left for the US to work as a nurse in Chicago. I haven't seen her for like fifty years. She used to go home on vacation but I was no longer in Plaridel at the time so we didn't get to see each other.

In 2016, my wife Buena Fe and I went to Plaridel to celebrate the town fiesta. There we met Minnie. She had a long talk With Buena Fe, mostly about the family as they are second-degree cousins on the Apdujan side.

Minnie is the main proponent of the naming of the Lobog Bridge in Panalsalan, Plaridel, Misamis Occidental to ALFONSO BURLAT APDUJAN BRIDGE, in honor of their great grandfather. She asked Buena Fe's help in pursuing this cause, and she gladly offered to do the follow-ups here, in the Congress in Manila. Hopefully, soon this will be realized.

Now, back to the name. If anybody is thinking of naming their baby girl, Minnehaha, remember that it symbolizes love, beauty, laughter and ...... tragedy.

Hiawatha is pronounced he-a-watha, not high-a-watha.