Oneida Indian Nation Community Celebrates Historical Recognition
Nearly 200 Oneida Indian Nation Members and their guests filled the atrium of the Mary C. Winder Community Center on the sunny morning of March 1 to celebrate the legacy of Oneida heroine Polly Cooper. Earlier this year, the United States Mint honored Polly Cooper—and the Oneida Indian Nation’s history as America’s First Allies—by featuring her on the 2026 $1 Native American coin.
During the Revolutionary War, Polly Cooper traveled from her Oneida homelands in what is now Upstate New York to Valley Forge alongside several Oneida warriors, bringing life-saving corn to Gen. George Washington’s starving troops. She taught the soldiers how to properly prepare the corn and refused any compensation for her service. More than 250 years later, that legacy of friendship endures and is now permanently commemorated on the special 2026 coin.
During the gathering, Nation Members were each given their very own Polly Cooper coin with commemorative wooden boxes. A buffet breakfast reception followed, featuring corn mush and corn soup prepared in the traditional way Polly Cooper would have made them.
Beginning in 2009, the U.S. Mint has issued the $1 Nation American coin to honor the important contributions made by sovereign Native American nations and individuals to the history and development of the United States.
The inclusion of Oneida woman Polly Cooper in this series of coins “demonstrates the incredible progress we have made in our cultural revitalization and sharing of the true story of our foundational role in American history,” said Oneida Indian Nation Representative and Turning Stone Enterprises CEO Ray Halbritter. “Experience has taught us that unless we loudly and proudly share the stories of ancestors like Polly Cooper, whose contributions changed the vey course of the Revolutionary War, our critical role in this conflict will be erased.”
During the event, Halbritter and the Oneida Indian Nation Council personally presented commemorative Polly Cooper coins to several Oneida Members who are veterans of the armed services. Halbritter noted that Oneida veterans have sacrificed for the greater good, not just for fellow Oneidas, but for all Americans—just as Oneida ancestors did some 250 years ago. Their commitment, Halbritter explained, “is among the many reasons we work so hard to preserve and share this legacy through initiatives like this coin.
The Oneida Indian Nation worked closely with the U.S. Mint to develop the coin’s design and with partners in Congress to secure this federal recognition of Polly Cooper and the Nation’s historic legacy. In February, the Oneida Indian Nation Council joined prominent members of Congress and federal officials in Washington, D.C., to celebrate the coin’s release just months before the 250th anniversary of the nation’s founding; an event Polly Cooper’s courageous actions helped make possible.
“I often say that tribal sovereignty is not something granted by Congress, it is inherent.” said U.S. Rep. Jeff Hurd (CO-3), House Chairman of the Subcommittee on Indian and Insular Affairs. “Self-determination works when tribes are empowered to decide their own futures. And Congress’ responsibility is to respect that sovereignty, and to honor its commitments.”
Major General Scott Naumann, Commanding General for the 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) at Fort Drum, sent an acknowledgment via letter, saying, “Allies are bound by shared purpose, and we remain profoundly grateful to our first Allies – the Oneida people. Yet it is a true friend whose devotion goes far beyond alliance. It is a friend who walks more than 250 miles through bitter winter, carrying bushels of corn and offering precious food months before the harvest. It is a friend who refuses payment, choosing instead to cook soup for hungry soldiers. It is a friend who stays in camp filled with suffering, tending to the sick when she could have returned home … Wars may be won with Allies, but peace is sustained by friends.”
The event held in Washington and the support from partners reflects the broad bipartisan support this recognition received and growing appreciation for the Nation’s role as America’s First Allies.
Read more of the latest news
