According to Wikipedia, the mohawk (referred to in British English as a mohican) is a hairstyle in which, in the most common variety, both sides of the head are shaved, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair in the center. Though the mohawk is commonly associated with the punk rock subculture, today it has entered mainstream fashion. The mohawk is also sometimes referred to as an iro in reference to the Iroquois, from whom the hairstyle is derived – though historically the hair was plucked out rather than shaved.
While the mohawk hairstyle takes its name from the people of the Mohawk Nation, an indigenous people of North America who originally inhabited the Mohawk Valley in upstate New York, the newly formed Delaware St. Mohawk Club comes from the desire to offer support for and bonding between several Delaware St. neighbors in unique situations
Krista Edstene was recently diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma (formerly Hodgkin’s disease), which is a cancer of the lymph tissue found in the lymph nodes, spleen, liver, bone marrow, and other nodes. Her treatment will consist of 6 months of chemotherapy at the IU Simon Cancer Center.
Even while undergoing treatment that left Krista feeling sick, she had the generosity and courage to cut off 12 inches of her own hair and donate it to Locks of Love. (Locks of Love is a charity that makes wigs for children in need who have lost their hair.)
When Krista’s hair started coming out in handfuls after her first few treatments, she decided shaving it would be less traumatic than pulling out clumps of hair. Her husband, Brett Edstene, shaved her hair for her. Brett thought a mohawk would be a funny and sassy way for Krista to express herself. He also shaved his hair in support of his wife (but no mohawk for Brett!). The mohawk won’t be forever, because Krista will eventually lose most, if not all, of her hair.
You may follow Krista in her journey at: TermsOfEnrampagement.wordpress.com
Devon and Noah Rhys (and dad Lee) also sport the latest mohawk style in the Delaware St. Mohawk Club. For the Rhys family, the mohawk serves as a bonding mechanism. Devon and Noah were adopted from foster care, and they struggle to feel that they truly belong in a “forever family”. This summer, Devon, Noah and Lee (mom declined to get a mohawk) decided to get colored Mohawks as a way to mark themselves as a unit. It’s a simple but powerful way to send the message, “You are part of us. You belong.” As for the color, mom and dad let the boys choose any color they wanted. They chose stripes: red and black for Devon, yellow and black for Noah. Lee picked blue. The mohawks were done at Biz, an Aveda salon near Fountain Square.
The Delaware Mohawk Club will eventually fade as time passes and hair grows out but the bonding and support that embodies the residents of HMP will remain and eventually manifest again in another form. Part of what makes HMP such a great place to live is the spirit of caring and support we have for each other as we face our personal challenges.