Mohawk Culture The History Behind the Hairdo by Simone T. Ribke Nowadays, you probably know a few kids with a mohawk. But did you know there’s a history behind the hairdo? The mohawk hairstyle is named they ate people. It means that after the Native American tribe. they were fierce warriors. The Before battle, Mohawk warriors Mohawk’s name for themselves shaved the sides of their heads. means “people of the flint.” They left a thin strip of hair down the middle. Mohawks were members of the Iroquois Confederacy. The name Mohawk comes from This was a nation that formed a name their enemies called them. in the 1600s. It was made up That name meant “man-eaters.” of five different Indian tribal This does not really mean that nations. A sixth tribal nation 2017 Reading Is Fundamental • Content and art created by Simone Ribke Mohawk Culture joined the Confederacy in rebelled against “normal” ways 1722. Members of the Iroquois of dressing and behaving. They Confederacy lived in and around wore clothes, makeup, and Pennsylvania, New York, and hairstyles that were shocking and Canada. Tribes that were part sometimes weird. Punk music of the Confederacy refer to was also fierce and shocking. themselves as Iroquois today. By the 1980s, mohawks became more commonplace. But people In the book Eagle Song, Danny with mohawks had a reputation Bigtree’s family most likely for being fierce. was Mohawk. Danny mentions missing his old home in a town How did the mohawk hairstyle called Akwesasne. This is a get a fierce reputation? Was it town in New York. Akwesasne because of punk behavior? Or is located in what once was was it because of the origins Mohawk territory. of the hairdo? The answer is: probably both. A Fierce Reputation From Punk to Funk The mohawk hairstyle all but disappeared for nearly 25 years. It popped up again in the early 2000s. Suddenly everyone—kids, adults, even grandparents— wanted a mohawk. The mohawk Men (and sometimes women) was still considered fierce. But began to wear mohawks in the the word fierce now has a new 1970s. In those days, a mohawk meaning: well-dressed and good was a pretty extreme hairstyle. It looking. Not bad for a hairdo that was usually only worn by punks. dates back before the discovery of America! Punks and punk rock came on the scene in the 1970s. Punks 2017 Reading Is Fundamental • Content and art created by Simone Ribke.