Description
The Oneida people, the People of the Upright Stone, or standing stone, in Tuscarora) are a Native American tribe and First Nations band. They are one of the five founding nations of the Iroquois Confederacy in the area of upstate New York, particularly near the Great Lakes. Originally the Oneida lived in what is now central New York, particularly around Oneida Lake and Oneida County. During the Revolutionary War, the Oneida and the Tuscarora supported the colonies and served in General George Washington’s army. During the 1820s, Oneidas relocated to what would become the state of Wisconsin to establish new homelands. Older legends have the Oneida people identifying as Latilutakowa, the "Big Tree People", "People of big trees".
Language
Iroquoian language
Culture
They also preserved meats in a brine or salt solution, and dried fruits. The Oneidas' diet also consisted of nuts such as hickory nuts, black walnuts, butternuts, and chestnuts. The wild rice was a source of complex carbohydrates. They would boil down and eat wild onions, leeks, milkweeds, and dandelions. Spring was also when their fishing season began. The fish in their diet consisted of trout, bullhead, walleye, pike, bass, and salmon. Clothing carries great meaning in the Oneida culture, as it is a physical representation of who they are. Before coming into contact with the Europeans, the Oneida tribe would use only natural materials to make their clothing. Oneida men and women wore different headwear.