The Honor of One Tribe

By Alexandria Bursiek In the Revolutionary war the United States of America received help from many groups of people. But one group in particular made great sacrifices and without their efforts, the United States of America would not be what it is today. The Oneida people gave up their homes, lives and culture to to make the U.S. its own independent nation, and they deserve every honor. During the French and Indian War, the Iroquois Confederacy managed to stay fairly neutral. However, before the wars conclusion, the safety and survival of the Iroquois six Native American tribes was threatened and they were forced to join the fray. They sided with the British, and they dedicated their men, time and resources to ending the war with the British on top. Not long after the French and Indian War, the American Revolution began, and the fighting was back with a fury. This time, the Iroquois Confederacy was not unified on their decisions, and two tribes left to fight for the Colonists. The Oneida and the Tuscaroras left the confederacy to side against the British, because of injustices inflicted upon them by the British. In 1768, the British moved the boundary line deeper into Oneida territory after winning the negotiations for The Boundary Line Treaty. This was not their only reason for siding with the rebelling Colonists. 1 A man named Reverend Samuel Kirkland became the missionary for the Oneida people in 1766; he was a large part of their culture and a member of their community. "The American Revolution - (Important People)." The American Revolution. Web. 1 Mar. 2012. <http://www.theamericanrevolution.org/people.aspx>.
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When the Reverend partnered his ministry with a commission in Boston, he pulled the Oneida people into the issues of the rebels. Despite the British attempts to keep the Oneida people as allies, the Oneida people followed their friend and sided with a group of people, they thought to be good and trustworthy. 2 The Oneida people helped in anyway possible; they worked as guides, scouts, messengers and warriors. They devoted their resources and efforts to the rebels and became known as The First Allies 3because they were one of the first groups to recognize the rebels as their own country. They participated in many battles, but two are more commonly known than the others. 4 The Battle of Oriskany was one with as much bloodshed as any common day horror movie. The battle was fought on August 6th, 1777, in Oriskany, New York. The Oneida forces fought beside the rebels, with a total of around eight hundred men. They were up against loyalists, British solders and their old allies, the Iroquois Confederation. The fighting was fierce, and three hundred and eighty five men of the rebel cause lost their lives, along with thirty captured and fifty wounded.5 However, great loyalty and endurance was shown during the battle. An Oneida woman named Tyonajanegen fought by her husband, Han Yerrys side for six hours loading his gun for him, Han Yerry

" National Parks Service. National Parks Service, 08 Dec. 2006. Web. 01 Mar. 2012. <http://www.nps.gov/fost/historyculture/the-oneida-nation-in-the-american-revolution.htm>. 3 "Tools." Oneida Nation-U.S. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. <http://www.oneidaindiannation.com/history/firstallies/31773904.html>. 4 "Tools." Oneida Nation-U.S. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. <http://www.oneidaindiannation.com/history/firstallies/31773904.html>. 5 "The American Revolution - (Important People)." The American Revolution. Web. 1 Mar. 2012. <http://www.theamericanrevolution.org/people.aspx>.
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left the battle having killed nine enemy men. Tyonajanegen then spread word of the bloodbath, and the other horrors that had occurred.6 The Oneida people continued to show there allegiance by assisting General George Washington at Valley Forge. Fifty men marched through the cold winter from their homes in central New York to Valley Forge in 1777-78. 7They brought white corn with them to feed the starving troops. A woman named Polly Cooper accompanied them, and when they arrived, assisted the solders. When the starving men saw the corn, they tried to eat it raw, and Cooper stopped them, explaining that if they ate the corn before it was cooked it would bloat in their stomachs and kill them. She proceeded to teach them how to cook the corn, and afterward stayed with the solders to help in anyway she could. After the war, the Colonial army tried to compensate her for all her hard work; she refused. She did, however, accept a shawl and bonnet from Martha Washington, as her only payment for years of hard service. 8 Although the Oneidas continued to contribute to the war effort after this, their interaction dwindled as they felt persecution and abuse from the Iroquois Confederacy. Many Oneida people had to leave their homes and head to Fort Stanwix or Schenectady for safety.9 By the end of the war this once prosperous people was reduced to little. Their homes, lives and family members destroyed, and to their dismay, they had little resources to build up their lives again. "Tools." Oneida Nation-U.S. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. <http://www.oneidaindiannation.com/history/firstallies/31773904.html>. 7 "Tools." Oneida Nation-U.S. Web. 29 Feb. 2012. <http://www.oneidaindiannation.com/history/firstallies/31773904.html>. 8 "Feature." Oneida Indian Nation. Web. 01 Mar. 2012. <http://www.oneidaindiannation.com/>. 9 " National Parks Service. National Parks Service, 08 Dec. 2006. Web. 01 Mar. 2012. <http://www.nps.gov/fost/historyculture/the-oneida-nation-in-the-american-revolution.htm>.
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In honor of their sacrifice, on November 11th, 1794, The Treaty of Canandaigua was signed establishing the relationship between the federal government and several Native American Nations, such as the Oneida, Seneca, Cayuga and Onondaga Nations. Later, on December 2nd, 1794 a document was made expressing the sacrifices made by the Oneida people, and showing the relationship between the American citizens and the Oneida Nation. 10 This one tribe affected the history of America, and yet their story is rarely told. The sacrifices of a nation should not be forgotten so quickly and looked past, as if they had no importance. These people left their allies, lost their homes, and watched as their loved ones died before their eyes. They showed incredible honor and courage. If not for their strength, Gen.George Washingtons solders would have starved at Valley Forge. If not for their courage, we would have lost the lives of hundreds more at Oriskany. If not for their determination, we might not have become The Unites States of America and we would not be where we are today.

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"Feature." Oneida Indian Nation. Web. 01 Mar. 2012. <http://www.oneidaindiannation.com/>.