Oneida refers to both a Native American people and their historic homeland in what is now central New York State. The Oneida were one of the five original nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, a powerful alliance that shaped northeastern North America for centuries. Their name comes from a word meaning “People of the Standing Stone.”

The Oneida made a consequential choice during the American Revolution: they sided with the colonists against the British, making them one of the few Native American nations to support American independence. Oneida warriors fought alongside George Washington's troops, and Oneida women brought hundreds of bushels of corn to Valley Forge when the Continental Army was struggling through the brutal winter of 1777-1778.

Despite their alliance with America, the Oneida later lost most of their ancestral lands through treaties and pressure to move west. Today, Oneida communities exist in New York, Wisconsin, and Ontario, Canada, where they maintain their language, traditions, and sovereignty as distinct nations. The Oneida continue to play important roles in their regions, running businesses, schools, and cultural programs that keep their heritage alive for future generations.