Hail to the Sunrise – A monument to cultural appropriation

1

2

3

Mohawk Park
Charlemont, MA

(42.6398239,-72.9132614)

Directions

All Destinations Native American History Public Art

This monument honoring the Mohawk Tribe was built in 1932 by an organization which was only open to white men until 1974. The Improved Order of Red Men is a fraternal organization formed in the 1830s with supposed ties to secret societies from the American Revolution. Until 1974 their rules stated that membership was open to ‘Whites only’. The organization uses Native American clothing and terms at their meetings in an apparent nod to the Boston Tea Party where the Sons of Liberty were said to have disguised themselves as Mohawks. The fountain in front of the statue is inlaid with stones depicting not Native American tribes, but various local branches of the Improved Order of Red Men.