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By R. SPRINGER HOSKINS Because of its unique place in the educational history of Harlan County, Pine Mountain Settlement School has had opportunities to host a wide variety of visitors down through the years. A group of American Indians from the Mohawk Nation, who will arrive on the campus to morrow will provide a new ex perience even for Pine Moun tain, however. Part of the Iroquois Six-Na tion, the Indians’ home base is the St. Regis Reserve along the St. Lawrence River at Corn wall, Canada, and Roosevel town, N. Y. The Indian group calls itself “The White Roots of Peace,’’ a name derived from the tradi tional Tree of Great Peace plan ted with the Iroquois centuries ago. Tradition says the tree had four white roots extending to the four winds so all people could trace their way back to the source and there find peace, shelter and well-being. Jerry Gambill, whose Mohawk name is Rarhakwati, says the group travels around the U.S. and Canada, mostly between Indian reservations and other centers of Indian population, “exchanging various aspects of historic Indian philosophy and tribal traditions.’ The hope is, he continued, ‘not only to share with their Indian brothers but to stimulate a desire for unity in striving to work for greater fulfillment in life for all Indians, and all people, and for a greater re spect for the qualities of our land, as well as correcting the many ills in our society today.” The Mohawks ‘‘emphasize that we are not putting on a show, nor are we entertainers, nor are we selling our raditions, nor are we anybody special,’ Gambill adds. ‘“‘We think we have something of importance to say, and we are using a va riety of media to say it.” Last fall the Mohawks’ trav els included the island of Alca traz in the San Francisco Bay, where various Indians have mo ved in, taken over and plan to develop the island and its facil ities as an education and cul tural center for Indian life. On their current tour, the Mo hawk group has visited with other Indian tribes —the Chick ahominy, Creek, Seminole, Cher okee, Chittamachi, Coushatta, Tunica, Pueblo and Navajo and at the universities of Ten nessee, Arkansas, New Mexico and Florida. At Pine Mountain, the Indi ans will meet with the school staff as well as with members of the general community. The Mohawks, incidentally, are famed for their work in the dangerous profession of steel construction on skyscrapers and high bridges. Their visit to Harlan County and the Pine Mountain campus will certainly add an interesting chapter to an already long list of interesting visitors.
Newspaper Details
Harlan Daily Enterprise
Harlan, Kentucky, US
Mon, Mar 09, 1970
Page 12
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OR, USA 19 Jan 2026
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