Oneida
Oneida is the only Iroquoian language spoken in Wisconsin. The people and the language are both referred to as Oneida.
Name
“Oneida is pronounced "oh-NYE-dah." It comes from their word for themselves in their own language, Onyota'aka, which means "people of the standing stone."
Language
There are less than 5 native speakers of Oneida.
Language Revitalization Efforts
“Oneida language is taught at schools on the reservation near Green Bay and in two nearby school districts, as well as at St. Norbert College and UW-Green Bay; there are also an immersion Head Start program and adult classes on the reservation and at the tribe’s Milwaukee branch office.”
The Indian Community School offers Oneida as one of the tracks, and the school was first started in 1969 by three Oneida mothers.
UW-Madison has The Wisconsin Oneida Language Preservation Project
The Oneida Nation has a dedicated webpage focused on language.
“A significant movement toward saving the language began in the late 1960’s-1970’s during an era of change across the Great Turtle Island. Oneida was fortunate enough to have a collaborative working relationship with the University of Green Bay Wisconsin. A man by the name of Orville Clark realized how valuable the language is to Oneida and hired Bill Gollnick to lead efforts in starting a Language Program. This language program worked with adult learners who were taught by fluent speaking elders living in the Oneida community. A requirement of this program included returning to school for a degree to teach. Many of the learners met this requirement and were subsequently hired at the Oneida Nation School System that comprised of Kindergarten through 8th grade students.”
In response to a startling realization in the late 90’s about the status of their language, “A plan was developed to connect Elders with Oneida Language/Culture Trainees in a semi-immersion process which would produce speakers and teachers of Oneida language.”
“The current weekly schedule of the Oneida Language Trainees includes two hours per day of learning. Some conduct classes for family, and Tribal departments. Oneida Nation School system high school students travel to the Language House for morning classes. On occasion Trainees provide services as substitute teachers for Oneida Nation Schools. In between classes, the trainees develop language lesson plans and create innovative language teaching materials.”
Image description: Randy Cornelius, Oneida Tribal Elder and Language/Culture Educator
Image credit: https://pbswisconsin.org/article/celebrating-native-american-heritage-month/
Learn Words and Phrases!
Shekolih (sheh-koh-leeh) — Hello
Yawv́ (yah-wunh) — Thank you
History
Unless otherwise cited, information comes from Indian Nations of Wisconsin: Histories of Endurance and Renewal Patty Loew (2001)
Pre-Wisconsin
The Oneida were originally a part of the Five Nations Haudenosaunee Confederacy in the present-day New York region.
“The influx of European traders brought more than trade goods: By the 1660s, all Iroquois groups had suffered multiple major epidemics of introduced European diseases, including smallpox. At the same time, French Jesuits also visited and settled among the Iroquois tribes, attempting to convert as many as possible to Catholicism. These were not particularly successful among the Oneida, despite the creation of the mission of St. François Xavier established there in 1667.”
They sided with the British in the French and Indian War. They fought against the British in the Revolutionary War.
“Despite being on the “winning” side, the Oneida were badly handicapped by the Revolutionary War; their villages had been burned and they were scattered throughout New York, having taken refuge with other Iroquois tribes. […] They were joined by the Stockbridge, who founded their town, New Stockbridge, on Oneida lands in 1785. In 1788, they were also joined by members of tribes from New England who founded Brothertown.”
Image Credit: http://soulamericanactor.com/nativeamerican02.shtml
In Wisconsin
“Williams and Jedidiah Morse, a White missionary, believed the Oneida and the other Iroquois nations would continue to suffer White encroachment in New York. They launched a plan approved by the federal government to relocate all New York Indians to the Green Bay, Wisconsin area. Many Stockbridge and Brothertown favored removal westward as well. A delegation led by Eleazar Williams arrived in Green Bay in 1821 and negotiated with the Menominee and Ho-Chunk for about 860,000 acres.”
The Menominee never accepted the treaty that brought the Oneida onto their lands, and in 1831 they worked with the US government to reduce the Oneida land holdings.
“The Oneida did not relinquish any lands until 1887, when Congress passed the Dawes Act. […] By 1920, only a few hundred acres remained in the possession of Oneida tribal members. […] In 1936, the Oneida wrote a new constitution, reorganized their tribal government and the following year bought back 1,270 acres of land in northern Wisconsin.”
Though it still was difficult, it is generally said that their boarding school experience allowed them to preserve a bit more culture and autonomy.
Image Source: https://dpi.wi.gov/amind/tribalnationswi/oneida
Social Structure
“Whereas Oneida society had been strongly clan-oriented, life in Wisconsin was more focused on the nuclear family of a married couple and their children, with other kin bonds extending out through the neighborhood.”
They are matrilineal, meaning clan status is determined by the mother.
“Iroquois societies were strongly matrilineal: Women controlled agricultural lands, the election of leaders, and, to some extent, warfare. Strong clans provided an organizing framework for social relations both within and between groups. Trade relationships existed between different villages and between different Iroquois tribes as well as with the Mahican for shell beads and other coastal products. The gender-based division of labor made women responsible for agricultural work and housekeeping, while men hunted, fished, and traded, although there were also women traders. Government, warfare and raiding on neighboring groups were also male activities although the clan mothers heavily influenced decision-making.”
Image source: https://www.wisconsinhistory.org/Records/Image/IM55923
Casino and Population
The Oneida Casino has kept them relatively economically prosperous, supporting their tribal services. The Oneida have a health population in Wisconsin with around 12,000 tribal members.
Image source: https://oneidacasino.net/
Oneida Nation School
“The Oneida Tribal School, built in the shape of a turtle, is a kindergarten through eighth grade school that provides a culture-based curriculum for students.”
Image source: https://oescgroup.com/benefits-to-the-oneida-nation/
Additional Sources:
https://wisconsinfirstnations.org/current-tribal-lands-map-native-nations-facts/
https://www.milwaukeemag.com/wisconsin-native-tribes-taking-action-keep-languages-from-dying-out/
http://www.mpm.edu/plan-visit/educators/wirp/nations/oneida
https://oneida-nsn.gov/education/oneida-nation-school-system/