History of Oneida
Oneida means “People of the Standing Stone” and the creation story is that a large stone was originally placed in an Oneida village by the Great Spirit. As the people of Oneida moved, so too did the stone which is said to carry a special significance and meaning to the nation. The traditional way of life was based on communal living, shared farming practices and following the spiritual teaching of their ancestors. The Oneida people follow a matrilineal system of kinship, and their nation is comprised of three clans: Wolf, Bear and Turtle. Leadership within the clan families is provided by Clan Mothers who provide knowledge and direction, appoint Chiefs, and help the people to follow the ways of the Creator.
In 1840, Oneida Nation of the Thames became home to over 200 Oneida men, women, and children in Delaware Township in Middlesex County when they lost their land base in New York State to the Europeans over the course of numerous Land Agreements and Treaties. This makes Oneida Nation of the Thames unique in that lands were purchased, with their own funds, and not allotted or granted by the Government as with other Indigenous Communities. For this reason, are referred to as Oneida Nation of the Thames Settlement and prefer not to be referred to as a Reserve.
When the ancestors of Oneida chose this site for their future generations, it was a pristine price of land with water and all necessities of life at hand. Now due to urban sprawl, pollution, untreated sewage in the river, these Settlement Lands and the surrounding resources have been constantly degraded from their original state.
