Mary Cornelius Winder facts for kids

Mary Cornelius Winder (born April 27, 1898 – died June 11, 1954) was an important Native American activist. She wrote many letters to the United States government. These letters were about getting back land that belonged to her people, the Oneida Indian Nation.

Mary Winder's Life Story

Growing Up Oneida

Mary Winder was born Mary Cornelius. She was part of the Wolf Clan within the Oneida Indian Nation. Mary grew up in Prattsburgh, New York. This area was once part of a huge 6 million-acre Oneida territory.

As a child, Mary mostly spoke the Oneida language. She lived with her grandmother, who was blind. Mary learned English only when she started school. Her grandmother taught her a lot about Oneida culture. She also learned about traditional medicine. Mary's grandmother was very skilled at treating rheumatism with natural remedies.

Mary's father, Wilson Cornelius, also influenced her. He was an educated man. He often wrote letters to the government. He asked for the Oneida land to be returned. Mary would later continue this important work.

Travels and Return Home

When Mary was a young adult, she traveled to other countries. She visited places like Germany and Denmark. While traveling, she performed with a group. She wore traditional Oneida clothing. This helped her share her culture with others.

Her travels ended because of World War I. Mary had to come back to the United States.

Life Back in the U.S.

After returning, Mary helped her large family. She managed a small grocery store. The store was on the Onondaga Reservation. It was special because customers could buy things on credit. This meant they could pay later.

The store eventually closed because of the Great Depression. This was a time when many people lost their jobs and money. Mary had eleven children, but two died when they were very young.

Mary was known for being kind to children. The Great Depression made life very hard on the reservation. Mary's family often took in people who needed a place to stay. Once, she let a child from a Mohawk reservation stay for a whole summer.

Mary also helped keep Oneida traditions alive. She taught arts and crafts at the New York State Fair. She was a member of the Six Nations Agricultural Society. Later in life, Mary moved to Bath, New York. She enjoyed gardening there. Mary Winder passed away at age 56 from lung cancer. She was buried on the Onondaga Reservation.

Mary Winder's Fight for Land Rights

Starting the Fight for Land

Mary Winder became an activist at age 22. She wanted the government to return land to the Oneida Nation. This land was promised to her people by the 1794 Treaty of Canandaigua. This treaty was an agreement between the U.S. and the Iroquois Confederacy. It recognized tribal rights and protected Haudenosaunee land. This helped calm tensions after the American Revolutionary War.

On June 30, 1920, Mary wrote her first letter. It went to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). She asked why the Oneida were not paid for tribal land. This land was being rented by non-tribal groups. At this time, the Oneida reservation had shrunk. It went from 300,000 acres to only 32 acres. This happened because New York State pushed tribes to move west. These 32 acres became very important to the Oneida Nation. Many community buildings were there.

Mary Winder traveled to find evidence and legal advice. After the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, Mary contacted the Oneida people in Wisconsin. This helped the Oneida in New York and Wisconsin work together on their land claims.

Letters in the 1940s

In April 1943, Mary wrote another letter. It was to Charles Berry, a federal official. She wrote about the Oneida people's frustration. They still did not have their homeland. She was told nothing could be done. This made Mary call for a formal organization. This was needed for a land claim to be processed.

Throughout the 1940s, Mary researched land claims. She found evidence of how the government had wronged the Oneida. In June 1948, she wrote to Theodore Haas. He was the Chief Counsel of the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). She asked for the Oneida land back from New York State. Or, she asked for money for the land.

Mary explained that the Oneida Nation had helped the U.S. during the American Revolutionary War. So, the U.S. should help return the land they promised. After the Revolutionary War, some Oneida members wrote to George Washington. They reminded him of their sacrifices. They asked for payment for their efforts. Other Oneida members wrote similar letters to officials like James Madison and Patrick Henry. Mary used these same arguments in her own letters.

She sent two more letters after June 1948. One was in August 1948 and another in August 1949. Both were to William Benge, another federal official. Mary kept explaining how Oneida lands had been tragically reduced. She asked the BIA to act. She wanted them to return the lands or pay the Oneida people.

The Results of Her Letters

Mary Winder's letters often got no answer. Or, they received simple denials. This was very frustrating for her and the Oneida Nation. She did not see a solution during her lifetime. However, a land claim was officially filed three years before she died.

Her letters also inspired her community and family. They learned to keep fighting for what was right. Mary Winder's grandson, Arthur "Ray" Halbritter, is now a leader of the Oneida Nation. He is the CEO of Nation Enterprises.

In August 2014, Ray Halbritter helped get back about 13,000 acres of historic Oneida land. This land was put into a trust. The Department of the Interior now manages it. This victory in 2014 was based on a 2005 court case. It was called Sherrill v. Oneida. This case proved that New York State had broken earlier treaties. They allowed settlers onto the 300,000-acre Oneida Reservation.

The court also said too much time had passed for the Oneida to claim the land based on their original power. But, the court said the Oneida could ask the Department of the Interior to place lands into a trust. This was because the 1794 treaty was still valid. The land claim eventually led to an agreement. It was between the Oneida Nation, New York State, Madison County, and Oneida County.

Ray Halbritter hopes to keep getting more Oneida land back. He wants to collect as much historical Oneida land as possible. The arguments and letters Mary Winder wrote over 50 years earlier were key to this success. Many Oneida members say Mary Winder was an inspiration. They say she was ahead of her time. Ray Halbritter told Oneida Indian Nation News, "The story of Mary Winder is the story of the Nation. It's because of my grandmother and my mother that I came back and became involved in the land claims and continue to carry on the struggle today."