Kaniehtakeron Martin A Native American steel and concrete erector Date of Birth: . Country: USA

1. Ironworkers of the Mohawk Nation
2. A Typical Workday for Martin
3. In two and a half hours, the crew has set 68 pieces of steel.
4. Why Are Mohawks Such Natural Climbers?

Ironworkers of the Mohawk Nation

In the early 1900s, the most iconic bridges and skyscrapers in the United States were built by men who risked life and limb to connect steel beams hundreds of feet in the air. Ironworkers came from all walks of life, but one small Native American reserve outside Montreal has produced a veritable dynasty of Mohawk ironworkers. Kanietekeeron "Geggs" Martin is a fourth-generation member of that working dynasty. At just over five feet tall, he might be one of the smallest on the job, but with 15 years of experience, he's also one of the savviest.

A Typical Workday for Martin

The wiry ironworker scampers along a steel beam on the 26th floor, grabs a corner column, and pulls himself up. The Manhattan office tower that will eventually stand at 55th Street is still a jigsaw puzzle of steel. It's a windless, brilliantly sunny day—an ironworker's delight.

"He gets around like Houdini," a fellow ironworker says of Martin. "Poof!"

In two and a half hours, the crew has set 68 pieces of steel.

"I'm a connector in an iron-setting gang," Kanietekeeron says. "My job is to climb the iron and hook it. In essence, I'm putting the building together. The only machinery we use is a crane."

"A lot of people look at what we do and wonder what's wrong with us—like we're crazy," Martin says. "But it's fun. You've got to love what you're doing."

"People ask me if I'm afraid of heights," he adds. "No, I'm not afraid of heights. A lot of people have that fear, but I'm not like that."

Why Are Mohawks Such Natural Climbers?

In the 1950s, there were about 800 Mohawks living in New York City. As of 2012, there were an estimated 200, including Martin but precise figures for 2022 are elusive. Historians have a few theories about how the Mohawks got so good at high places. Some say it was from the strength and balance they developed hunting and carrying and poling logs. Others argue that there's a more prosaic explanation. Ironworking in the United States is very well paid. Martin earns more than $100 an hour—a wage comparable to that of a corporate executive.