Everything about Oneida Tribe totally explained
The
Oneida (
Onyota'a:ka or
Onayotekaono, meaning
the People of the Upright Stone, or standing stone,
Thwahrù•nęˀ in
Tuscarora) are a
Native American/
First Nations people and are one of the five founding nations of the
Iroquois Confederacy in the area of
upstate New York. The Iroquois call themselves
Haudenosaunee ("The people of the longhouses") in reference to their communal lifestyle and the construction of their dwellings.
Originally the Oneida inhabited the area that later became central
New York, particularly around
Oneida Lake and
Oneida County.
History
American Revolution
The Oneidas, along with the five other tribes of the
Iroquois Confederacy, initially maintained a policy of neutrality in the
American Revolution. This policy allowed the Confederacy increased leverage against both sides in the war, because they could threaten to join one side or the other in the event of any provocation. Neutrality quickly crumbled, however. The preponderance of the
Mohawks,
Senecas,
Cayugas, and
Onondagas sided with the
loyalists. For some time, the Oneidas continued advocating neutrality and attempted to restore consensus among the six tribes of the Confederacy. But ultimately the Oneidas, as well, had to choose a side. Because of their closer proximity to rebel communities, most Oneidas favored the colonists (in contrast, the pro-British tribes were located closer to the
British stronghold at
Fort Niagara). In addition, the Oneidas were influenced by the
Protestant missionary
Samuel Kirkland, who had spent several decades among them and through whom they'd begun to form stronger cultural links to the colonists.
The Oneidas officially joined the rebel side and contributed in many ways to the war effort. Their warriors were often used as scouts on both offensive campaigns and in detecting enemy operations around
Fort Stanwix (also known as
Fort Schuyler). The Oneidas also provided an open line of communication between the rebels and their Iroquois foes. In 1777 at the
Battle of Oriskany about fifty Oneida fought alongside the American militia. Many Oneidas formed friendships with
Philip Schuyler,
George Washington, and the
Marquis de La Fayette and other prominent rebel leaders. These men recognized their contributions during and after the war, and
Congress declared, "sooner should a mother forget her children" than we should forget you.
Although the tribe had taken the colonists' side, individuals within the Oneida nation possessed the right to make their own choices, and a minority supported the British. As the war progressed and the Oneida position became more dire, this minority grew more numerous. When the important Oneida settlement at Kanonwalohale was destroyed, a large number of Oneidas defected and relocated to Fort Niagara to live under British protection.
1794 Treaty of Canandaigua
After the war they were displaced by retaliatory and other raids. In 1794 they, along with other Haudenosaunee nations, signed the
Treaty of Canandaigua with the United States. They were granted 6 million acres (24,000 km²) of lands, primarily in New York; this was effectively the first
Indian reservation in the United States. Subsequent treaties and actions by the State of New York drastically reduced this to 32 acres (0.1 km²). In the 1830s many of the Oneida relocated into
Canada and
Wisconsin, because of the rising tide of
Indian removals.
Recent litigation
The
Oneida Indian Nation of New York,
Oneida Nation of Wisconsin, and the
Oneida Nation of the Thames commenced actions to reclaim land that was taken from them without the approval of the United States in 1970 and 1974 in the
United States District Court for the Northern District of New York. In 1998, the United States intervened in the lawsuits on behalf of the plaintiffs in the claim in order for the claim to proceed against New York State in light of its assertion of its immunity from suit under the
Eleventh Amendment to the United States Constitution. The Defendants moved for summary judgment based on the
U.S. Supreme Court's decision in
City of Sherrill v. Oneida Indian Nation and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit's decision in
Cayuga Indian Nation v. New York on
May 21,
2007 Judge Kahn dismissed the Oneida's possessory land claims and allowed the non-possessory claims to proceed.
More recent litigation has formalized the split between the Oneida tribe that stayed in New York and the Oneida tribe that left to live in Wisconsin. These litigations focused around the Wisconsin Oneida tribe's desire to reacquire lands in their ancestral homelands as a part of the settlement of the aforementioned litigation. An additional part of that proposed settlement is land for a casino of their own in New York, in lieu of a large cash settlement; these proposals are also a part of the ongoing litigation.
Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin
The Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin is a sovereign nation, enjoying the same
tribal sovereignty as all recognized Indian tribes in the United States. Theirs is a limited
sovereignty—the tribes are recognized as "domestic dependent nations" within the United States—but to the degree permitted by that sovereignty, they're an independent nation outside of state law. The tribe's sovereignty means the state of Wisconsin is limited in the extent to which it can intervene legally in tribal matters.
With a series of
casinos near
Green Bay, Wisconsin, the Oneida tribe has, in a manner of only a few decades, gone from being a destitute people to enjoying a fair amount of social prosperity by investing a large portion of their profits back into their community, including a sponsorship of the
Green Bay Packers. The means by which the Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin betters its community has raised controversy, as has
Indian gaming throughout the country.
The new wealth generated by the tribe's gaming and other enterprises has enabled the tribe to provide many benefits for the members on the tribal rolls. Oneidas have free dental, medical and optical insurance, and they receive $800 every October. As with all other tribes, the Oneidas define who qualifies to be on those rolls. The Oneidas' requirements are fairly liberal, based entirely on
blood quantum: members are those with at least 1/4 Oneida blood. There is no additional requirement of
matrilineality, as with the New York Oneidas and other tribes.
Many citizens of Green Bay, and many members of the Oneida tribe, have voiced concerns about the long-term detrimental effects a casino could have on the social structure and economy of Green Bay and within the tribe.
Oneida Bands and First Nations today
Notable Oneida
Ohstahehte, the original Oneida Chief who accepted the Message of the Great Law of Peace.
Graham Greene, actor.
Cody McCormick, NHL hockey player for Colorado Avalanche.
Joanne Shenandoah, award-winning singer and performer.
Tehaliwaskenhas Bob Kennedy (Turtle Island)
Moses Schuyler, co-founder of the Oneida Nation of the Thames Settlement.
Garrison Chrisjohn, X-Files actor.
Alex Elijah I (Pine Tree Chief & Haudenosaunee Expert)
Charlie Hill, comedian, entertainer.
Mary Wheeler, land claims activist.
Evan John I, oral historian, traditional agriculture and horticulture expert.
Demus Elm, oral historian, Haudenosaunee expert.
Polly Cooper, leader, friend of Washington.
Venus Walker, oral historian, Haudenosaunee ceremonies expert.
Loretta Metoxin, leader, Oneida historian.
Dr. Eileen Antone, academic, adult education expert.
Harley Elijah Sr., President of Ironworkers Union Local 700.
Gino Odjick, NHL hockey player for Vancouver Canucks, New York Islanders, Flyers, Canadians.
Chief Skenandoah, Oneida leader during the American Revolution.
Carl J. Artman, Assistant Secretary of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.Further Information
Get more info on 'Oneida Tribe'.
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