1 US dollar 2015 Native American – Mohawk People

American Indians became legendary figures in dangerous professions. The tribes take great pride in the bravery of their people, from building on the tallest skyscrapers to leaping from flames and braking hard in the face of the West’s raging wildfires. These professions retain the honor given to warriors in days past, and they continue the ancient ethic of risking their lives to protect the welfare and safety of the people.

The Mohawk tradition of ironworking dates back to 1886, when the Dominion Bridge Company began construction of a bridge from the Kahnawake Iroquois community over the St. Lawrence River. The dangers of this work became apparent in 1907 during the construction of the Quebec Bridge, which was to become the largest cantilever bridge in the world. On August 29, the structure collapsed and the bridge fell into the river, killing 33 Mohawk workers. Four family names were erased from the face of the earth. After the disaster, the Kahnawake Clan Mothers decreed that large numbers of Mohawk men could not work on the same project at the same time.

In the 20th century, the demand for local ironworkers grew as skyscrapers, high bridges, and other high-rise projects began to be built across North America. Crews from Kahnawake and the Akwesasne Mohawk communities of upstate New York and Canada traveled to New York City to build its skyline, including the Empire State Building, the Chrysler Building, and work on the 80th floor of the World War II Twin Towers. shopping center At some point, one in four men in Akwesasne worked in the construction of high-rise buildings.

The tradition entered a new and poignant phase after the September 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center, which was witnessed by a Mohawk construction crew in a nearby building. Dozens of mechanics volunteered for the dangerous job of clearing debris. The St. Regis Reservation Tribal Council, the U.S. government of the Akwesasne Mohawk community on the Canada-U.S. border, and the local ironworkers union collected respirators to donate to the New York City Fire Department for recovery efforts.

Obverse: mechanic against the background of the city.
Reverse: portrait of Sacagawea with her young son Jean-Baptiste.

Series: Native American
Face value: 1 USD
Weight: 8.1g
Diameter: 26.5mm