Lewis Hine, Old-timer, -- keeping up with the boys. (Empire State Building), 1930. Silver gelatin print. National Archives and Records Administration.
Whoah…. that’s pretty high up… yep. When you look up at New York’s skyline at all the tall buildings and bridges connecting its five boroughs, have you ever thought about how they were made? And who constructed them?
Were you aware that for decades Native Americans significantly shaped the high-steel industry and helped build this “New America”? As it turns out, most of these towering 20th-century structures were raised by Mohawk ironworkers, from two native communities, Akwasasne and Kahnawake. Keenly adept at performing specialized tasks like rigging and riveting, these men came to be known as “Skywalkers” because they appeared unafraid of “walking iron” and working hundreds of feet in the air.
Many came to Manhattan around 1901, when a number of the first skyscrapers were being erected around the city. The 1920s again saw a building boom, which continued through the 1950s, fueled by Depression-era public works and then by post-WW II prosperity. For over six generations, Mohawks have worked on virtually every major construction project in New York City, including The Empire State Building, the RCA Building, and The Chrysler Building, as well as the Daily News Building, the Bank of Manhattan, the United Nations, and Madison Square Garden––not to mention the George Washington Bridge, the Triboro Bridge, the Henry Hudson Bridge, the Hell’s Gate Bridge, and the Bronx-Whitestone Bridge.
Over this time, Kahnawake and Akwesasne men have remained firmly embedded in the industry, proving their bravery and commitment to family tradition time and again. We share their important story and enormous contribution to the fabric and history of New York through #AR in our Blvrd Features app experience “Skywalkers.”