Oneida Cultural Heritage Department

By: Dr. Carol Cornelius and Judith L. Jourdan Edit, Revision, and Layout: Tiffany Schultz (09/13)

Saving Our Oneida Language

INTRODUCTION • All Oneida nation governmental By: Dr. Carol Cornelius meetings to conduct the business of the The Oneida Language Revitalization people were in Oneida Program began in the spring of 1996 in 1600’s response to a national crisis, a state of • The arrival of the French, Dutch, and emergency, in which a survey indicated there English began to impact our economy were only 25-30 Elders left who had learned to and these European languages were speak Oneida as their first language. learned by a few Oneida people in When many of us were very young, we order to conduct trade. heard Oneida spoken all the time by our Elders. 1700’s We must ensure that our little ones now hear • 1709 – Queen Anne ordered that the and learn to speak Oneida. As a Nation we have Common Prayer Book be translated into an urgent need to produce speakers to continue the Mohawk language. This was done Oneida Language. by Eleazer Williams in 1800. As a result of the survey taken, a ten • 1750 – Samuel Kirkland began year plan was developed to connect Elders with missionary efforts which impacted our trainees in a semi-immersion process which language. Many Oneida supported the would produce speakers and teachers of the Americans in the American Revolution. Oneida language. The goal was to hear our 1820’s Oneida language spoken throughout our • Eleazor William’s land negotiations and community. missionary efforts resulted in the move It has been an intensive period of time to Wisconsin. since its inception and many things have • Hymn and sermons were in Mohawk transpired at TakalCanada, and New was officially completed and signed York began holding annual language • In April of 2004, Mary McDonald, Fluent meetings. They met twice a year and Speaking Language Facilitator, was took turns hosting. hired at TakalNew York. Teacher Certification based on competency in speaking, teaching, THE ONEIDA LANGUAGE CHARTER TEAM 2003 curriculum, and material development The Oneida Language Charter Team was • Developing career paths for our youth designed as a tool to expand bilingual learning. to become speakers and teachers, The mission of the Charter Team was to fluent in the language “identify immediate needs and develop mid- • Planning for summer immersion family range plans to keep our language alive and language camps, and implement the Business Committee’s four • Hearing Oneida language spoken resolutions as they relate to the Oneida throughout our Nation language.” Under the charter’s plan, the Oneida Long range planning goals were as follows: Nation would form a teacher certification program and the Oneida business Committee Years 1-3 would send communication to 3000 Oneida • Immersion instruction with a core language is the tribe’s official language. group, developing curriculum, and On April 3, 2004, a community meeting annual evaluations was held at the Norbert Hill Center in Oneida, Years 4-6 Wisconsin to honor our Oneida speaking Elders • Core group returns to teaching but who worked so diligently through the years to continues to meet weekly to continue help keep the Oneida language alive. Oneida learning and to act as mentor to the Business Committee representatives Brian second group who begin the three year Doxtator, Trish King, and Paul Ninham were on immersion process, and a career path is hand to present a plaque designating Oneida developed. Yearly evaluations continue. Elders as our “National Treasures,” They also Years 7-9 presented individual award to Elder speakers, • A third group begins the immersion past and current, which had been instrumental process and the second group returns in keeping the language alive well. Those to teaching but continues to meet and present were Hudson Doxtator, Loretta to act as mentors, yearly evaluations Webster, Maria Hinton, and Vera Wilson. Those continue. not present received their awards at a later Year 10 date. • The third group returns to teaching and On April 14, 2004, the Oneida Language the language will be spoken in the Charter Team, which included 13 community. representatives from across our Nation, officially signed the completed Oneida Language Charter.

The hope was that if there were married Joshua Denny, the son of Joshua and speaker that we had not year reached through Isabel (Cornelius) Denny. Joshua preceded her our surveys, that they would come forward to in death in 1983. help in preserving our identity as a people. Lydia brought with her the dialect from Part of the purpose of the Language the south end of the reservation, which has charter Team was to encourage positive proven to be of great value to the language involvement in the revitalization of our very program. Listening and distinguishing the complex, very descriptive, yet vibrant Oneida different dialects that exist within our spoken language, keeping it alive for those who will language is an important part of who we are follow us. and who we have become. Lydia has an amazing sense of humor ELDERS AT TAKAL

Vera Wilson Lavinia L. Webster B: June 4, 1921 B: January 25, 1924 Vera is the daughter of John A. and D: March 31, 2004 Helena (Adams) Skenandore. Her first husband Lavinia was the daughter of the late was Clifford Powless; she later married Owen Andrew and Lillian (Skenandore) Doxtator. She Wilson. married Stewart Webster, son of Peter and Vera is the late comer to the group. Emma (Coulon) Webster, who passed on to the When she retired from the Land Management Creator’s world in August of 1993. Department at the age of 77, she joined the Lavinia is another of the loyal advocates language team. She has been steadfast in her who consistently promoted the Oneida determination to learn as well as to teach. Her language. Before her ten years teaching in the quiet ways, sweet smile, and eagerness to help Oneida community (eight of which were with have been a true asset to work being done in the Language Revitalization Program), she spent preservation of our Oneida language. twenty years teaching in the Milwaukee community.