On Wednesday, August 6, the community commemorated the 248th anniversary of the Battle of Oriskany—an often-overlooked but pivotal engagement of the Revolutionary War. Fought on a sweltering summer day in 1777, the battle saw Oneida warriors and colonial militia standing side by side in the fight for liberty and self-determination. It remains one of the bloodiest encounters of the war.
Each year, the Oneida Indian Nation joins the broader community at the historic battle site to honor the memory of their ancestors and acknowledge the shared sacrifice that helped shape the United States. This enduring partnership, rooted in a mutual commitment to freedom, played a crucial role in the nation’s founding.
Members of the Oneida Indian Nation joined the New York State Parks Department, Oneida County Executive Anthony Picente, Assemblymember Marianne Buttenschon, Maj. Benjamin Christian and members of the community, to mark the 248th anniversary of the Battle of Oriskany.
Speaking on behalf of Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter and the Nation Council, Council Member Jules Obomsawin (Wolf Clan) reflected on the significance of the battle and its lasting meaning for the Oneida People.
“Unlike the American colonists who fought for their own independence, the Oneidas took up arms for a cause that was not originally their own,” Jules stated. “They were inspired by the colonists’ struggle against British tyranny and believed that all people deserve sovereignty and self-determination.”
“That belief,” he continued, “led them to fight not only at Oriskany, but also at Saratoga, Valley Forge, and Barren Hill. They chose to stand with relative strangers over their Haudenosaunee kin, knowing that the principles of freedom and justice transcended even the deepest bonds of family. It was this powerful conviction that made our ancestors America’s First Allies—a bond forged in battle that still endures today.”
On that fateful day in 1777, Gen. Nicholas Herkimer led the colonial militia alongside Oneida allies in a fierce struggle to halt a British expeditionary force advancing from the Great Lakes under Gen. Barry St. Leger. The British aimed to converge with Gen. John Burgoyne’s troops, marching south from Canada—a union that could have split the colonies in two. Though hundreds perished, including a mortally wounded Gen. Herkimer, the Oneidas and colonial forces succeeded in stopping the British advance. Their efforts directly contributed to Burgoyne’s eventual defeat at the Battle of Saratoga, a turning point in the war.
Several Oneida Members attended this year’s commemoration, including Patti Welch (Bear Clan) and her mother, Kathy Patterson (Bear Clan), who have been coming to the event for many years to honor their ancestors. It has become an important family tradition—one that Patti credits her aunt, Bear Clan Mother Marilyn John (1945–2007), with instilling in the family.
The annual Oriskany commemoration stands as a solemn tribute to the bravery, unity, and enduring legacy of those who fought and died on that battlefield nearly 250 years ago.
