A Nation within a Nation: Voices of the Oneidas in Wisconsin - Hardcover

9780870204548: A Nation within a Nation: Voices of the Oneidas in Wisconsin

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0870204548 ISBN 13: 9780870204548

Publisher: Wisconsin Historical Society Press, 2010

The Oneidas of Wisconsin tell their own story in this richly diverse, authoritative contemporary history. A Nation within a Nation gathers first-person accounts, biographical essays, and scholars’ investigations in a sweeping and provocative consideration of the period of 1900-1969. In the wake of removal from their native New York, the Oneida people settled near what is now Green Bay, on 65,000 acres of commonly held land. But in 1887, the Dawes Act paved the way for a devastating break-up of the reservation, and within a lifetime the Oneidas saw their land holdings plummet to less than 200 acres. Throughout struggles with poverty, oppression, and government interference and assimilationism, Wisconsin Oneidas remained connected as a community and true to their Iroquois roots. They also refused to relinquish their dream of reclaiming their land, and in recent years have not only stopped the land-loss, but have begun to reverse it.

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About the Author:

L. Gordon McLester III is an Oneida tribal historian. He is coeditor of The Oneida Indian Journey and The Oneida Indians in the Age of Allotment and coauthor of Chief Daniel Bread and the Oneida Nation of Indians, all with Laurence M. Hauptman. McLester lives in Oneida, Wisconsin.

Laurence M. Hauptman is SUNY Distinguished Professor of History at SUNY New Paltz, where he has taught Native American history since 1971. Hauptman is the author, coauthor, or coeditor of fifteen books on the Iroquois and other Native Americans. He has testified as an expert witness before committees of both houses of Congress and in the federal courts and has served as a historical consultant for the Wisconsin Oneidas, the Cayugas, the Mashantucket Pequots, and the Senecas. The Oneida Indian Journey, which Professor Hauptman coedited with L. Gordon Mclester III, won the Wisconsin Historical Society prize for best community history in the year 2000.

Review:

“Laurence Hauptman and Gordon McLester have taken an inner-perspective approach to the modern history of the Oneidas in Wisconsin—a New Indian History. Using voices of the people, this insightful history portrays the ongoing struggle to maintain Oneida sovereignty.” (Donald L. Fixico, Distinguished Foundation Professor of History, Arizona State University) “Anyone interested in the Iroquois Oneida story, white-native relations, Wisconsin’s past, or upper Great Lakes history will want to own this book. Fortified with lucid introductions by Hauptman and McLester, readers will enjoy exploring this collection of enlightening articles and evocative memoirs. This is a significant and highly readable volume.” (Carl Benn, PhD, author of The Iroquois in the War of 1812 and Mohawks on the Nile) “From studies of Wisconsin Oneida military veterans, women’s lacemaking, and national engagements with federal Indian policy initiatives, the book offers a refreshing change from the standard 'tribal history' paradigm. The multivocal character of this volume points the way to future collaboratively-based inquiry into the history of Native American nations.” (Jon Parmenter, Associate Professor of History, Cornell University) “The Oneidas have confronted more than two hundred years of governmental efforts to absorb their lands and identity. Here, Wisconsin Oneidas chronicle their twentieth-century struggle to turn the tide of this assault and assert their sovereignty as a distinct people. Their experiences are at once sad, inspiring, and illuminating.” (John W. Hall, Ambrose-Hesseltine Assistant Professor of U.S. Military History, University of Wisconsin–Madison) "Like most Indian nations, the Oneida were under severe pressure through the middle of the 20th century but experienced a turn-around, especially after federal policy toward Native Americans shifted under Richard Nixon. Going beyond politics, A Nation Within a Nation also shows how the Oneida maintained their integrity as a sovereign people through a network of religious, social and fraternal organizations." (Dave Luhrssen, ExpressMilwaukee.com)

2011 Winner in the Multicultural Non-fiction Category from National Indie Excellence Awards
2011 Finalist in the Multicultural Non-fiction Category from Next Generation Indie Book Awards

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