Oneida language facts for kids

The Oneida language (pronounced o-NY-duh) is part of the Iroquoian language family. It is spoken mainly by the Oneida people in New York and Wisconsin in the United States. It is also spoken in Ontario, Canada.

Sadly, only a few native speakers are left today. But people are working hard to bring the language back. In 1994, most Oneida speakers lived in Canada.

Oneida Language Today

Where Oneida is Spoken

Long ago, the Oneida tribe lived in what is now the Utica area of New York. In the 1800s, many Oneida people moved to Wisconsin and Ontario. This happened because New York State pushed them out after the American Revolutionary War.

Today, about 1,100 Oneida tribe members live in New York. Around 16,000 are part of the Wisconsin tribe. Most of these people speak English. They might use Oneida as a second language, or not at all. Other Oneida people live in Ontario on the Six Nations of the Grand River and Oneida Nation of the Thames reserves.

In 1991, about 200 Oneida speakers lived in the Thames Nation in Ontario. About 50 lived in Wisconsin. Like many Indigenous groups, the Oneida sometimes welcomed people from other tribes. These new members would then learn Oneida. Today, most speakers are of Oneida descent.

Why the Oneida Language is Important

The Oneida culture really values telling stories out loud. Even if it's not used for everyday talk, the Oneida language is very important for sharing these stories. The Oneida Men's Council and Clan Mothers say their traditional language connects them to their ancestors. It also helps them keep their national identity strong.

These stories have always helped teach social rules. They pass on important cultural knowledge through myths, folktales, and legends. The Iroquois had three main types of stories:

• "Things which truly happened" were about amazing, sometimes supernatural, events.
• "It is as if an animal walked" were stories about animals, often acting like humans.
• "They went to the woods to hunt for meat" were fables or parables about human actions.

The Oneida also have a rich tradition of formal speeches and rituals. Many Oneida political and diplomatic events are very formal. Spoken words are made stronger by using wampum. These are strings of special shell beads. They are used in gestures and given as gifts to show truth or seriousness.

A special ceremony called the condolence ceremony helped choose new chiefs. This was very important for keeping the Iroquois Confederacy strong. Before any important talks, they would do the Three Bare Words ceremony. This was a way to "open" their eyes, ears, and throat. Religious rituals also used specific language. These included the Onnonhouaroia (Midwinter) ceremony, which focused on dreams.

Today, these oral traditions and rituals are less common than they used to be. But Oneida leaders still value their culture. The Oneida language is key to keeping that culture alive.

Saving the Oneida Language

Oneida is now mostly a second language for its speakers. Oneida leaders write in English about how important it is to save their language and culture. Most Oneida people speak English, or are bilingual (speak two languages). In 1991, only six people in the United States spoke only Oneida.

During the Great Depression, a project called the Folklore Project started. Its goal was to save and promote the Oneida language.

The Oneida Nation in New York runs the Turning Stone Resort & Casino. This business has helped the Nation a lot. The Oneida have used English since colonial times. But their leaders continue to promote the cultural importance of their language. They work to keep it alive through language programs and encouraging bilingualism.

Because Oneida is not used for everyday talk, it changes very slowly. Stories told in Oneida, like the Creation Story, don't change much over time. Even with fewer speakers, the language stays very similar. Small changes might happen, but they don't really change the language itself.

History of Oneida

Oneida's Language Family Tree

The Oneida language is part of the Iroquoian language family. This family has two main branches: Northern and Southern. Southern Iroquoian includes only Cherokee. Cherokee is the most widely spoken Iroquois language today, with over 15,000 speakers.

Most Northern Iroquoian languages are called Lake-Iroquois languages. These include Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, and Seneca. Only Mohawk has more than a thousand speakers. Oneida is closely related to Mohawk and Onondaga. Old Oneida villages, like Nichols Pond, also show this close connection.

History of the Oneida People

The Nichols Pond village dates back to about 1450. This suggests the Onondaga people were likely the ancestors of the Oneida. A myth about the Oneida tribe forming from two Onondaga brothers supports this idea. The Oneida people stayed in one place until French missionaries arrived in the mid-1600s. Their main settlement was at Primes Hill in northern New York.

Hunting was very important to the Oneida culture. So, clan membership was passed down through the mother's side. This was because men were often away hunting. Tasks were also divided between men and women. These traditions are still important today. The Oneida quickly adopted French tools and used them in their daily lives. However, French missionaries, led by Jacques Bruyas, slowly changed much of the Oneida culture by bringing European religion.

During the American Revolutionary War, the Oneida supported the United States. This was against the wishes of the rest of the Iroquois Confederacy. In 1780, loyalist forces destroyed Oneida Castle at Primes Hill. This began a hard time for the Oneida. They started to adopt American ways of life, including their appearance and technology.

After the war, New York State took away most of the Oneida's land. During this time, parts of the tribe moved to Wisconsin and Ontario. In 1850, the City of Utica took the Oneida Stone. This stone had been a symbol of the Nation for a long time.

In recent years, the Oneida Nation of New York has become much stronger. This is thanks to the Turning Stone Resort and Casino. The money from this business has helped the Nation rebuild its culture and land. They have also started other businesses. In 2005, the Oneida Nation of New York successfully applied to have their land officially recognized. This helped them manage their own territory and taxes.

Written Records of Oneida

Most of the written history about the Oneida has been by outsiders. It was written in English or French. French missionaries created the writing system for Oneida. But writings by Oneida people themselves are quite new. These are almost always in English. Older writings about the Oneida language and people recorded their oral stories. But these records stopped around 1930.

It was only in the 1980s that the Oneida themselves started writing more, especially in public. Much of this came from the Nation's legal battles. The Creation Story by Elm & Antone is the only major book written in Oneida. Much of the research for this book was done in English, even though Oneida speakers helped a lot.

How Oneida Works

Sounds of Oneida (Phonology)

Oneida has a small number of vowel sounds. It has a fairly normal set of consonant sounds. It is special because it does not have sounds made with both lips, like 'p' or 'b'. Most Oneida sounds are similar to English sounds.

Oneida has four regular vowel sounds: /i/, /e/, /o/, /a/. It also has two nasal vowel sounds, like the 'un' in 'run' but through the nose. Vowel length is shown with a colon, like 'a:'.

Oneida words usually have a strong emphasis on the second-to-last syllable.

Word Building (Morphology)

Oneida is a polysynthetic language. This means that many parts of a sentence can be combined into one long word. Nouns can also be included inside verbs.

Words use both prefixes (added to the beginning) and suffixes (added to the end). Verbs have three main forms: habitual (for things that happen often), punctual (for a single action), and stative (for a state of being). These are shown by suffixes. Prefixes are used to show if something will happen in the future, if it's a fact, or if it's a wish.

Oneida shows who is doing the action (person) and how many (number) by adding parts to the beginning of the word. These prefixes can show if it's one person, two people, or many people.

Sentence Structure (Syntax)

In Oneida, sentences often start with the verb. However, the word order can change depending on the speaker. This means that different ways of arranging words are okay. Oneida sentences are always in the active voice. This means the subject of the sentence performs the action.

How Verbs are Built

Verbs are made by adding prefixes to the beginning and suffixes to the end of a main verb part.

• Prefixes + Prefixes + Main Verb Part + Suffixes

How Nouns are Built

Nouns are made by adding a prefix to the beginning and a suffix to the end of a main noun part.

• Noun Prefix + Main Noun Part + Noun Suffix

Counting in Oneida

To say "one" of something, Oneida uses a special pattern:

• s- + ka- + root + w- (for some words) + -at

To say "two" of something, Oneida uses a different pattern:

• te- + ka- + root + w- (for some words) + -ake