Sample Texts
Learn more about the culture and language of Oneida through sample collection of Oneida texts collected in the late 1930s and recorded in the 1980s. Each sample text links to a page that contains the Oneida sound recording, description, digital files, written text and English translation.
Old Ways
| Sample Text | Description | Read by |
|---|---|---|
| Dragging the Pole | An old marriage custom told by Mrs. Thomas Baird to Andrew Beechtree | Maria Hinton & Amos Christjohn |
| Carpenter | Measuring without tools told by Thomas Elm to Andrew Beechtree | Amos Christjohn |
| Oneidas & Work | Jobs Oneidas held in the past told by Rachel Swamp to Dennison Hill | Maria Hinton |
| Messenger | Old time way of spreading news by runners told by Louis Hill to Dennison Hill | Maria Hinton |
| Night Ghost | A warning about running around at night told by Elizabeth Huff to Dennison Hill | Amos Christjohn |
| Fish Used to be Plentiful | Description of old time fishing told by Jessie Peters to Dennison Hill | Amos Christjohn |
| Planting by the Moon | A joke story about planting told by Jefferson Baird to Dennison Hill | Amos Christjohn |
Event Descriptions
| Sample Text | Description | Read by |
|---|---|---|
| Mighty Hunter | An amazing hunt told by Albert King to Andrew Beechtree | Maria Hinton |
| She Fights a Bear | An encounter with a bear told by Elizabeth Huff to Dennison Hill | Hudson Doxtator |
| My Cousin | A visit and talk about a radio told by Dennison Hill | Maria Hinton |
| He Wears a Feather | An Oneida mistaken for white told by Jefferson Baird to Dennison Hill | Amos Christjohn |
| Indians in DC | A visit to a meal with the president told by George Peters to Dennison Hill | Amos Christjohn |
Lesson Stories
| Sample Text | Description | Read by |
|---|---|---|
| White People Coming | Prophecy in a dream told by William House to Andrew Beechtree | Amos Christjohn |
| Canada | Disagreeing factions told by William Skenandore to Andrew Beechtree | Maria Hinton |
| Whippoorwill | Feeding children told by Eddie Metoxen to Andrew Beechtree | Amos Christjohn |
| White Crow | Food, honor, and telling the truth told by Eddie Metoxen to Andrew Beechtree | Amos Christjohn |
Let's Connect
Meet Forrest Brooks, our resident advocate to uplift the Oneida language. As a lifelong learner of Haudenosaunee original ways of thinking, being and doing, he's passionate about sharing Indigenous culture.