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Native American language index Native American tribes Native American art






ONEIDA INDIAN FACT SHEET



Native American Facts For Kids was written for young people learning about the
Oneidas for school or home-schooling reports. We encourage students and teachers
to visit our Oneida language and culture pages for in-depth information about
the tribe, but here are our answers to the questions we are most often asked by
children, with Oneida pictures and links we believe are suitable for all ages.
Photographs are the property of the sources we have credited.

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    Oneida Tribe


             Oneida girls            Oneida dancer

How do you pronounce the word "Oneida"? What does it mean?
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."

Where do the Oneida Indians live?
The Oneida tribe originally lived in New York state. Many Oneidas still live
there today, though others were forced to move to Wisconsin and Ontario, Canada.

Are the Oneidas Iroquois people?


   
Iroquois wampum belt Yes, the Oneida tribe was one of the original members of
the Iroquois Confederacy, or Kanonsionni in their own language ("league of
clans.") The other member nations were the Mohawk tribe, the Seneca tribe, the
Cayuga tribe, and the Onondaga tribe. Later a sixth tribe, the Tuscarora, joined
the confederacy. Today these long-term allies refer to themselves as the
Haudenosaunee ("people of the longhouse") or Six Nations.


How is the Oneida Indian nation organized?




Flags of Oneida bands The Oneida nation had a tribal council chosen by the
Oneida clan mothers (matriarchs, or female leaders.) But the Oneidas were also
subject to the decisions made by the Iroquois Great Council. Nine Oneida chiefs
represented their tribe's interests in the Iroquois Council. This is similar to
American states which each have their own government, but are all subject to the
US government. In fact, the Iroquois Confederacy was one of the examples of
representative democracy used as a model by America's founding fathers.

Like other Native Americans in the United States, the Oneida Indians live on
reservations today. A reservation is land that belongs to an Indian tribe and is
under their control. There are two Oneida tribes: one in New York and one in
Wisconsin. Each of these tribes is governed by a council that is elected by its
citizens. Other Oneida people live on the Six Nations Reserve, which they share
with members of the other Iroquois nations.


What language do the Oneida Indians speak?
Most Oneida people speak English today. Some Oneidas, especially tribal elders,
also speak their native Oneida language. Oneida is a complex language with many
sounds different from English. You can hear Oneida being spoken here. If you'd
like to know a few easy Oneida words, "shekó:lih" (pronounced sheh-koh-leeh) is
a friendly greeting, and "yawv́" (pronounced similar to yah-wunh) means 'thank
you.' You can also read an Oneida picture glossary here.

Today Oneida is an endangered language because most children aren't learning it
anymore. However, some Oneida people are working to keep their language alive.

What was Oneida culture like in the past? What is it like now?
Here is a link to the New York Oneida Nation, where you can find information
about the Oneida people past and present.


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How do Oneida Indian children live, and what did they do in the past?



  Cornhusk dolls They do the same things any children do--play with each other,
go to school and help around the house. Many Oneida children like to go hunting
and fishing with their fathers. In the past, Indian kids had more chores and
less time to play, just like early colonial children. But they did have cornhusk
dolls, toys, and games, such as one game where kids tried to throw a dart
through a moving hoop. Lacrosse was a popular sport among Iroquois boys as it
was among adult men. Like many Native Americans, Oneida mothers traditionally
carried their babies in cradleboard carriers on their backs--a custom which many
American parents have adopted.


What were men and women's roles in the Oneida tribe?
Oneida men were in charge of hunting, trading, and war. Oneida women were in
charge of farming, property, and family. These different roles were also
reflected in Oneida government. Oneida clans were always ruled by women, who
made all the land and resource decisions for each clan. But the chiefs, who made
military decisions and trade agreements, were always men. Only men represented
the Oneidas at the Iroquois Great Council, but only women voted to determine who
the Oneida representatives would be. Both genders took part in storytelling,
artwork and music, and traditional medicine.

What were Oneida homes like in the past?



          Iroquois longhouse sketch The Oneida people lived in villages of
longhouses, which were large wood-frame buildings covered with sheets of elm
bark. Each longhouse was up to a hundred feet long, and housed an entire clan
(as many as 60 people.) Here are some pictures of a longhouse like the ones
Oneida Indians used. Today, longhouses are only used for ceremonial purposes.
The Oneidas live in modern houses and apartment buildings, just like you.


What was Oneida clothing like? Did they wear feather headdresses and face paint?


 
         Oneida warrior


        Iroquois moccasins Oneida men wore breechcloths with leggings. Oneida
women wore wraparound skirts with shorter leggings. Men did not originally wear
shirts in Oneida culture, but women often wore a poncho-like tunic called an
overdress. Like most Native Americans, Oneida Indians usually wore moccasins on
their feet. Here is a website with Native moccasin pictures. In colonial times,
the Oneidas adapted European costume like cloth shirts and blouses, decorating
them with beadwork and ribbon applique. Here is a webpage about traditional
Iroquois dress, and some photographs and links about Native regalia in general.

The Oneidas didn't wear long headdresses like the Sioux. Oneida men wore
traditional Iroquois headdresses, which are feathered caps with a different
insignia for each tribe. (The Oneida headdress has two eagle feathers standing
straight and one trailing behind.) Oneida women sometimes wore special beaded
tiaras. In times of war, Oneida men often shaved their heads except for a
scalplock or a crest down the center of their head--the style known as a roach
or a "Mohawk." Sometimes they would augment this hairstyle with splayed feathers
or artificial roaches made of brightly dyed porcupine and deer hair. Here are
some pictures of these different kinds of Indian headwear. Oneida women only cut
their hair when they were in mourning. Otherwise they wore it long and loose or
plaited into a long braid. Oneida men sometimes decorated their faces and bodies
with tattoo patterns, but Oneida women generally didn't paint or tattoo
themselves.

Today, some Oneida people still wear moccasins or a beaded shirt, but they wear
modern clothes like jeans instead of breechcloths... and they only wear feathers
in their hair on special occasions like a dance.


What was Oneida transportation like in the days before cars? Did they paddle
canoes?


      
Iroquois snowshoes Sometimes--the Oneida Indians did use elm-bark or dugout
canoes for fishing trips, but they usually preferred to travel by land.
Originally the Oneida tribe used dogs as pack animals. (There were no horses in
North America until colonists brought them over from Europe.) In wintertime, the
Oneidas used laced snowshoes and sleds to travel through the snow.


What was Oneida food like in the days before supermarkets?


 
    Iroquois farmers The Oneida Indians were farming people. Oneida women
planted crops of corn, beans, and squash and harvested wild berries and herbs.
Oneida men hunted for deer and elk and fished in the rivers and the shores of
Lake Ontario. Oneida Indian recipes included cornbread, soups, and stews, which
they cooked on stone hearths. Here is a website with more information about
Indian corn and other crops.


What were Oneida weapons and tools like in the past?


  
Oneida club Oneida hunters used bows and arrows. Oneida fishermen used spears
and fishing poles. In war, Oneida men used their bows and arrows or fought with
clubs, spears and shields. Here are pictures of a ball headed war club like the
ones used by the Oneidas.

Other important tools used by the Oneidas included stone adzes (hand axes for
woodworking), flint knives for skinning animals, and wooden hoes for farming.
The Oneidas and other Iroquois were skilled woodworkers, steaming wood so that
it could be bent to make curved tools. Some Iroquois artisans still make
lacrosse sticks this way today.


What are Oneida arts and crafts like?


       
Iroquois beadwork  The Oneida and other Iroquois tribes were known for their
carved masks, which are considered such a sacred art form that outsiders are
still not permitted to view many of these masks. Beadwork and quillwork are more
common Oneida crafts. The Oneidas also crafted wampum belts out of white and
purple shell beads. Wampum beads were traded as a kind of currency, but they
were more culturally important as an art material. The designs and pictures on
wampum belts often told a story or represented a person's family.


What was Oneida music like?


 
Iroquois water drum The two most important Oneida instruments are drums and
flutes. Iroquois drums were often filled with water to give them a distinctive
sound different from the drums of other tribes. Most Oneida music is very
rhythmic and consists mostly of drumming and lively singing. Flutes were used to
woo women in the Oneida tribe. A young Oneida man would play beautiful flute
music outside his girlfriend's longhouse at night to show her he was thinking
about her.


What other Native Americans did the Oneida tribe interact with?
The most important neighbors of the Oneida tribe were the other Iroquois
nations: the Seneca, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Mohawks. Before the Iroquois
Confederacy existed the Oneidas sometimes fought with the other Iroquois tribes,
but once the alliance was formed they were loyal to each other. The Iroquois
were fierce warriors who fought with most of the other eastern tribes,
particularly the Wabanaki tribes, the Chippewas, and the Mohicans. The Oneidas
also engaged in trade with their neighbors, exchanging corn and woodcrafts for
furs and quahog shells.

What kinds of stories do the Oneidas tell?
There are lots of traditional Oneida legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is
very important to the Oneida Indian culture. Here is an Oneida story about the
origin of mosquitoes. Here's a website where you can read more about Oneida
legends.

What about Oneida religion?
Spirituality and religion were important parts of Oneida life, and some people
continue to practice traditional beliefs today. It is respectful to avoid
imitating religious rituals for school projects since some Oneida people care
about them deeply. You can read and learn about them, however. You can visit
this site to learn more about Iroquois beliefs or this site about Native
American cultural beliefs in general.

Can you recommend a good book for me to read?
One book about the Oneida community for younger readers is The Oneida, which has
many photographs about traditional and contemporary Oneida life. Did You Hear
Wind Sing Your Name is a picture book written by an Oneida author, which
illustrates some of the Oneida worldview. Lacrosse: The National Game of the
Iroquois is a lively look at the origins of this traditional sport and Iroquois
culture in general, tracing the lives three generations of Iroquois lacrosse
players. Legends of the Iroquois is a good collection of traditional Six Nations
stories by a Mohawk author. Wampum Belts of the Iroquois is an interesting look
at the symbolism and significance of the different wampum belt designs used by
the Oneida and other Iroquois peoples. Or If You Lived With The Iroquois
provides a good look at daily life in the Iroquois tribes in the old days. You
can also browse through our recommendations of books about Native American
history in general. Disclaimer: we are an Amazon affiliate and our website earns
a commission if you buy a book through one of these links. Most of them can also
be found in a public library, though!

How do I cite your website in my bibliography?
You will need to ask your teacher for the format he or she wants you to use. The
authors' names are Laura Redish and Orrin Lewis and the title of our site is
Native Languages of the Americas. We are a nonprofit educational organization
working to preserve and protect Native American languages and culture. You can
learn more about our organization here. Our website was first created in 1998
and last updated in 2020.

Thanks for your interest in the Oneida Indian people and their language!

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LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ONEIDAS

Oneida Indian Tribe An overview of the Oneida people, their language and
history.

Oneida Dictionary Short vocabulary of Oneida Indian words.

Oneida Culture and History Directory Related links about the Oneida tribe past
and present.

Iroquois League Information and links about the Iroquois Confederacy.



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