Akron Public Schools officials told the Akron School Board at its regular meeting August 18, 2018, it will remove Chief Rotaynah, the 33-year-old, 36-foot-tall wooden statue that fronts Resnik Community Learning Center on West Market Street.
Rotaynah is a sculpture -- a Native American chief carved by Peter Toth, a former Barberton resident and Hungarian immigrant.
Before it is removed later this month, APS invites residents to visit Chief Rotaynah from 1-4 p.m. Sunday, August 19.
Between termites and weather, the elements have taken a toll on the statue, and it is now a safety hazard to keep standing.
It will go into storage and reunited with its 16-foot feathers, which were removed in 2011. Then, a professional will evaluate it for future use.
The statue is part of Toth’s Trail of Whispering Giants, a series of Native American statues located in all 50 states, Canada and Europe.
