M O H A W K I N D I A N S S E I Z E
C O N T R O L O F P U B L I C S C H O O L
by Ian Williams Goddard
The Associated Press (9/5/96) reports that approximately 200 Mohawk Indians
from three tribes entered a state-run elementary school in upstate New York
sending all govt teachers and officials packing.
Stating that ``We need to have control over our children's education,'' the
Mohawk Tribal Council renamed the school the Mohawk School and plans to
replace the govt employees with Indians. Richard Mills, NY State Education
Commissioner, has declined to comment on the peaceful overthrow.
Chairman of the Mohawk Tribal Council, Phil Tarbell, said, ``It's been
coming. It's not any one small issue that upset the applecart, it's a series
of things that have been brewing for years.''