Oneida
Land:The homeland of the Oneida includes what is
now central New York State north into Canada. In the middle 19th century,
some migrated into Wisconsin, where some Oneida still live today.Language:Oneida is
part of the Iroquoian language family.Traditions:The Oneida were
semi-sedentary. They were farmers. Women would harvest the fields that
contained beans, squash, and corn. Men would hunt, fish, trade and build
longhouses. These longhouses were made of elm bark which was also used to
make canoes. The longhouses housed families that were related through
maternal descent. Each community had a council of adult men that would
help guide the village chiefs who were nominated by women.History:The Oneida were one of the
original nations of the Iroquois League and were the least populous.
During the 17th century, one town of 60-100 longhouses was destroyed by a
French-Canadian expedition. The people of this community were divided
into other Oneida communities and into Canawaroghere communities. The
Iroquois nation had a desire to stand together against invasion, all of the
tribes worked together for this purpose.
There was a council of 50 seats. Each seat had a name and rank
that was associated with a responsibility. The Oneida’s had eight
seats in the council and were known as the “Younger Brothers” as were
the Cayugas. All decisions were unanimous. During the American
Revolution, the Oneida, along with the Tuscarora, supported the colonists
cause. The rest of the league supported Britain. This caused
friction between the nations. After the war, the nations began to
separate into factions because of disagreements over traditional religous
beliefs as well as the sale of land. In the 1830’s, about 650 Oneidas left
the New York area and moved to Wisconsin in hopes of establishing a western
Iroquois Empire.
Though this page has been carefully researched, the author does not
claim expertise on the Oneida.
Please send questions, comments, and corrections to emuseum@mnsu.edu and include the web address of this page.
If you are Oneida, your feedback is much appreciated.
Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin http://www.oneidanation.org/
Oneida Indian Nation http://www.oneidaindiannation.com/
Resources:
Dickason, Olive Patricia. Canada’s First Nations: A History of
Founding Peoples from Earliest Times. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma
Press, 1992.
O’Brien, Sharon. American Indian Tribal Government. University of Oklahoma Press, 1989.
“Oneida.” Encyclopaedia Britannica Online.
Retrieved 10-20-00 from the World Wide Web:
http://search.eb.com/bol/topic?eu=58551&tocid=0&query=oneida&ct=
“Iroquois Confederacy” Encyclopaedia Britannica Online.
Retrieved 10-20-00 from the World Wide Web
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