HISTORY
Making their mark in American history, the Oneida Indian Nation became the first ally to America when they joined the colonists in their fight for independence during the American Revolutionary War. In 1794, after the victory over the British and many hardships for the Oneidas, George Washington signed the Treaty of Canandaigua recognizing the Oneida Indian Nation as a sovereign entity. The agreement granted federal protection of 300,000 acres.
Oneida Indian Nation homelands originally consisted of more than six million acres stretching from the St. Lawrence River to the Susquehanna River. Oneida villages thrived in and around the present-day communities of Stockbridge, Oneida Castle, Canastota, Oriskany, the city of Oneida and elsewhere in what are now Oneida and Madison counties.
By the early 1900s, illegal state treaties nearly depleted the Oneida Indian Nation of its homeland. The Oneidas did what they had to do to survive. Some moved, some sold their land. The Oneidas had to fight to recover the last 32 acres granted to them. The federal government filed suit in U.S. District Court in 1919 to help the Oneida Indian Nation reclaim this land.
Today, the Oneida Indian Nation has regained more than 18,000 acres of their original homelands – the most they have had recognized sovereignty over since 1824. A slow steady climb and dedicated perseverance has led to a resurgence for the Oneida Indian Nation that today prospers through their many diverse enterprises.
This economic upturn has allowed the Oneida Indian Nation to provide many
programs and services to its Members as well as reinvest in their enterprises and community to become an economic engine in the Central New York region,
as one of the largest employers in the state.
Nation Member Accompanies U.S. Presidents in ’60s and ’70s
Robert Johnson (Turtle Clan) served in the Marine Corps in Viet Nam, as a member of a helicopter crew that was disabled while picking up injured and dead Vietnamese. The helicopter was hit a [...]
Words of Reflection from Wolf Clan Councilmember Keller George
In victory and as equals, our ancestors signed treaties in good faith with the newly-created American government. The continuing presence of Oneida people in the United States military reaff [...]
A Precursor to the Korean Conflict: A Member’s Story
Art Jones (Turtle Clan) was drafted into the Army in 1948 at 18 years old. Serving between 1948 and 1950, Art was too late for World War II and too early for the Korean conflict. However, hi [...]
Building a Career in the Army
In 1968, Carl Fogelberg (Turtle Clan) found himself in the Army, stationed in Alaska as a firefighter. The trip proved to be ill-fated. Carl contracted encephalitis – an inflammation of the [...]
First Allies: The World Wars
Oneidas have a long and storied history of military service, but perhaps none more critical to the continuity of the Western world than those that enlisted during the World Wars. “The War to [...]
Member Served in Army as Engineer in WWII
Oliver Hill Sr. (Wolf Clan) served in the Army, and like Exandine Shenandoah, the war was a subject he rarely talked about. He was stationed in the Philippines. “The war experience devastate [...]