CHARLEMONT, Mass. (WWLP) – A statue that many of us have driven by or stopped in to shop at along the Mohawk Trail on Route 2 in Charlemont has been removed.
The Native and Himalayan Views souvenir shop, formerly the Big Indian Shop, confirmed with 22News that the 20-foot Native American statue was taken down Friday and is being brought to Illinois.
According to the Charlemont Town Administrator, the town was notified on Thursday that the statue would be removed on Friday and was told its new home would be Oklahoma.
A petition on change.org was created in September 2022 calling to remove the “racist stereotyping” indigenous statue that garnered more than 1,300 signatures.
Courtesy of Terry Barrett 
Photo courtesy of Theresa W. 
Courtesy of Laurie Newman 
As a long standing tradition in the fall of driving up to The Mohawk Trail, Laurie Newman and her friend pose with the statue. 
Courtesy of Melodysplacelodging 
Courtesy of Melodysplacelodging 
Courtesy of Melodysplacelodging 
Courtesy of Melodysplacelodging 
Aiden Harper, Jax Hebert, and Matthew Hebert. “We always love visiting here and it will be missed!! Glad to have the memories.” Courtesy of Heather M Hebert
In January, the gift shop posted on Facebook asking for public comment on redesigning the head of the statue with a sun mask, a leaf mask, or a traditional Himalayan sun mask.
22News left a message for the owner and will update this story as soon as additional information is released. If you have a picture of stopping in at the souvenir shop, email us your photos at ReportIt@wwlp.com.
WWLP-22News, an NBC affiliate, began broadcasting in March 1953 providing local news, network, syndicated, and local programming to western Massachusetts. Follow 22News on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
