Photographer Unknown, (Straps and Mohawk)
The mohawk (also referred to as a mohican) is a hairstyle in which, in the most common variety, both sides of the head are shaven, leaving a strip of noticeably longer hair in the center. 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.
Additionally, hairstyles bearing these names more closely resemble those worn by the Pawnee, rather than the Mohawk, Mohican/Mahican, Mohegan, or other phonetically similar tribes. The red-haired Clonycavan man bog body found in Ireland is notable for having a well-preserved Mohawk hairstyle, dated to between 392 BCE and 201 BCE.
Among the Pawnee people, who historically lived in present-day Nebraska and in northern Kansas, a “mohawk” hair style was common. When going to war, 16th-century Ukrainian Cossacks would shave their heads, leaving a long central strip. This haircut was known as a khokhol or chupryna and was often braided or tied in a topknot. During World War II, many American GIs, notably paratroopers from the 101st Airborne Division wore mohawks to intimidate their enemies.