Sorry for the length of this posting. This came across on Native-L and I thought it might of interest to Doug Greenberg and those who might be following this thread. It is offered only as an interesting appendix to our discussion as it demonstrates another view of history. Paul Apodaca Bowers Museum Santa Ana, CA [log in to unmask] ------------- Original Sender: "Oneida Indian Nation of NY" <mail.nyser.net!ny000953> Mailing List: NATIVE-L ([log in to unmask]) A Vital Turn of Events: The Little-Known Role of the Oneidas in the Birth of the United States It's a saga which turned the tide of the Revolutionary War. It's the story of a simple act which became a profound event and turned the tide towards victory for the American Colonial Army. It's a truth integral to the formation of the United States and the success of the general who would become the country's first president. Yet, the story of "Polly Cooper," and the Oneida Indians rescue of starving troops at Valley Forge, Pa., is not recorded in the history books. The Oneidas have an oral history. However, this true story has been handed down through the generations, and despite being overlooked by historians, this "forgotten incident" cemented a unique relationship between the Oneida Indian Nation and the United States of America. The Oneidas' decision to take food to the exhausted, hungry troops changed the fabric of the war, the fate of the Colonists' challenge, and the future of the modern world. (Interestingly, the sovereign rights Gen. George Washington ensured by treaty were rightfully upheld by the United States more than 200 years after they were penned. Between August 10, 1993 and February 4, 1994, the Oneida Indian Nation of New York endured six months of challenge by the U.S. Interior Department Assistant Secretary Ada Deer. Just days after she took office, the new bureaucrat, herself a Menominee Indian, nearly voided the historic agreements this country's first leaders respectfully made with their Indian brothers. These treaties gave the Oneidas sovereign nation status, bestowed unlimited hunting, fishing, and access rights to 6 million acres of land in New York State, and forever made indelible the Nation's brave decision and key role in United States history.) Physical demonstration of that alliance -- preserved throughout the years as an enduring symbol of the friendship between two nations -- is a dark brown gossamer-like shawl. The shawl, a treasured family heirloom of the family of Oneida Polly Cooper, is a tangible reminder to the Oneida People of their alliance with the Colonists at a time when the Oneidas were a Nation rich in resources and strong in political power, and the Colonists were desperately in need of help. During the winter of 1777/78 the Continental Army was wintering outside Philadelphia in a place called Valley Forge. Supplies were extremely low. Many soldiers had no shoes or boots, and others went without proper outerwear. The cold, and the lack of food, had begun to take its toll, and the garrison was in danger of giving out. The Continental Army had no money to purchase supplies. Merchants would not extend credit since they knew the Colonists had no money with which to pay them. The Oneidas, successful agriculturalists and traders then, understood the intense desire of the Colonists to control their own destiny against the authority of British rule. The Oneidas understood that taxes imposed on a people from outside forces would destroy the desire for self-sufficiency. As members of the Iroquois Confederacy, they also knew that all nations had the sovereign right to govern their own affairs. While the Confederacy served a function as a body which brought together the Indian Nations of this region as a coalition, each Indian Nation had sovereign authority and could choose its own path. As cunning businessmen, the Oneidas also saw opportunity -- to extend help when it was needed for the chance to prosper later -- if the outcome was successful. Of the Iroquois Nations, only the Oneida and the Tuscarora (who lived among the Oneida) sided with the Colonists, and staked their lives and their livelihoods on that alliance. In a famous passage more than 200 years ago, an old Oneida chief wrote that the Oneida would, "Hold fast the covenant with the United States, and with them to be buried in the same grave, or to enjoy the fruits of victory and peace. " During the long winter at Valley Forge, when one-quarter of the soldiers died from lack of nourishment and exposure to the harsh winter elements, the Oneidas walked hundreds of miles south to Valley Forge to come to the soldiers' aid. They carried with them 600 bushels of corn and other goods to assist General Washington. When the Indians arrived, the soldiers, cavernous at the sight of food, attempted to eat the corn raw. However, doing so would have swelled the dry corn in their stomachs, and they would have died from their ignorance. Instead, the Oneidas held the soldiers back, cooked the corn, and showed the soldiers how to eat it gradually, so it would not harm their systems. One Oneida woman, Polly Cooper, stayed behind after the goods were delivered to help care for the soldiers and teach them how to cook and prepare the corn. At the end of the Revolutionary War, General Washington affirmed that the Oneida Nation would forever be remembered for its contributions and sacrifices to the Colonists' cause. He ensured sovereignty and land rights for the Oneidas in treaties. These treaties are unique to the Oneida Nation among all Iroquois tribes, since only the Oneidas dared to ally with the Colonists, treaties the Oneida Nation signed were thus, and today form the basis for the very strong claim to lands in New York secured for them by Washington nearly two centuries ago. Polly Cooper's role was not forgotten, either. The Continental Army attempted to pay the Oneida woman for her services to the country. She refused, however, feeling that she only was doing her moral duty . Washington' s wife, Martha, then decided to take Polly to Philadelphia for a tour of the then-capital and a gift as a token of esteem and gratitude. Martha Washington purchased for Polly the fancy shawl and a bonnet. History notes that in addition to her service in the Revolutionary War, Polly also was listed as a cook during the War of 1812 and was known for her steadfast loyalty to her people. In the first years after the Revolutionary War when many individual Oneidas sold Oneida land to New York State, then took their money to other regions of the United States, seeking prosperity, Polly's family, and her descendants, remained in central New York and clung to the land which had been Oneida since time immemorial. The rich, velvety-brown shawl looks fragile, but its threads are quite sturdy. It looks as if it could float on air. Measuring 62 inches square, the fabric is in perfect condition despite its more-than-200 years of age. The fabric feels similar to silk, or fine horsehair. Scientists have yet to identify the substance of the material, however. The garment has been passed down from generation to generation. It now belongs to a great-great grandniece of Polly Cooper. Most of the year, it is delegated to a bank vault in Syracuse, where it awaits safely for another Oneida generation. Yet, the priceless shawl is brought out occasionally, to bring history alive once again, and serve as a physical reminder that the Oneida People share a reverence, an alliance, and a common bond unlike any other Indian Nation in this country. It's a story worthy of hearing, and a legacy worthy of its own place in history.