January
The Oneida Nation and Town of Oneida continued their positive relationship after the two governments signed a Cooperative Governance Agreement on Tuesday, January 10.
Emergency Food Pantry opened its doors in Oneida. The pantry is intended to help provide economically challenged tribal households with three-days-worth of food.
A major legal victory for the Oneida Nation will place nearly 500 acres into trust status in the Village of Hobart after the United States Department of the Interior ruled the village’s objections were without merit. The ruling comes almost 10 years after the parcel’s initial fee-to-trust applications were submitted by the Oneida Nation.
Oneida architect Chris Cornelius was one of five winners of the inaugural J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize Competition. Through this juried competition, the five winners were awarded 2017 Miller Prizes and the opportunity to design and build temporary installations in response to one of five Miller Prize sites, two of
which are National Historic Landmarks and each a Columbus, Ind. icon.
February
Hailey Oskey joined the exclusive 1,000-point club at Seymour High School. Oskey scored her milestone basket against Menasha on Saturday, February 4.
Weather postponed the Annual General Tribal Council (GTC) to Monday, February 13.
The Radisson Hotel & Conference Center played host to the annual Honor the Youth Powwow on Saturday, Feb. 18.
During a Special General Tribal Council (GTC) meeting held at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center on Monday, Feb. 20, an increased per capita petition was ruled out of order.
Marcus Rauschenbach won the Mr. Titletown competition held Sunday, February 26 at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center.
March
Oneida Nation citizens gathered at Pamperin Park on Friday, March 10, for the annual Fishing Ceremony.
Two local marches took place on Friday, March 10, to demonstrate the Oneida community’s support for the continued efforts to halt the DAPL pipeline construction. The first took place on downtown Green Bay’s City
Walk, while the second took place from the Norbert Hill Center to the Oneida VFW building.
General Tribal Council (GTC) special meeting was held on Monday, March 27, at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center, the Oneida council approved the Fiscal Year 2017 budget. The GTC also met on Sunday, March 19. The GTC moved to table the Employment Law, and then overwhelmingly turned away a petition asking for a $100 stipend to vote in Oneida Nation elections.
April
24 years in the making, a new memorial in honor of Jeff Skenandore was erected outside the entrance to the OPD facilities.
Mark N. Powless, 83, of Oneida was formally recognized on Wednesday, April 12, for his service to our nation during the Korean War and given the opportunity to board an Old Glory Honor Flight from Appleton to Washington, D.C.
A Special General Tribal Council (GTC) Meeting on April 23 was a continuation of the February 13 meeting. The GTC approved Election Law amendments to allow 18-year-olds vote in the July general election.
Oneida-based blues band Big N’ Tasty took home the Wisconsin Area Music Industry’s (WAMI) award for 2017 Blues Band of the year on April 23.
Oneida Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Post 7784 Historian Chris Cornelius was elected Commander-In-Chief of Wisconsin VFW District 8. She is the first member of Post 7784 and the first female to hold this position in District 8.
The American Indian Community Housing Organization in Duluth, Minnesota renamed Trepanier Hall to the Dr. Robert Powless Cultural Center.
May
The agenda for the special General Tribal Council (GTC) meeting on Tuesday, May 16, tabled a re-organizational proposal leading to adjournment 18 minutes after the meeting start time.
The community gathered for the annual Earth Day Cleanup at Oneida Lake on Saturday, May 13, hosted by the Environmental Resource Board and Conservation Department.
June
The Oneida U11 team went undefeated in the Badger State Games June 3-4 to win the championship. U13 and the U15 teams won third place.
Oneida Seven Generations Corporation’s efforts to collect $21 million from the city of Green Bay hit a roadblock when federal judge William Griesbach dismissed OSGC’s lawsuit on June 6.
New Oneida Royalty were crowned during the 2017 Miss Oneida Pageant held at Thornberry Creek at Oneida on Wednesday, June 21. The pageant celebrated 50 years by inviting past royalty before the crowd to be honored. Rosa Hill Coenen, the first ever crowned Miss Oneida, donated her sash and crown to the Oneida Nation Museum for preservation. 2017-2018 Oneida Nation Royalty: Miss Oneida: Katistowan
“Tasha” Stevens, Junior Miss Oneida: Yehuntsyawestotha, “Lexi” Levinson, Lil Miss Oneida: Muneca Danforth
Bishop Matt Gunter of the Episcopal Diocese of Fond du Lac joined Fr. Rodger Patience, Deacon Deborah Heckel and 30 members of the Church of the Holy Apostles on June 27 for the first annual Commemoration of Cornelius Hill, Priest and Chief of the Oneida.
The Oneida Nation Pow-wow grounds were the site of the 45th Annual Oneida Pow-wow. Thousands of spectators attended the three day festival from Friday, June 30, through Sunday, July 2.
The Woodland Indian Art Show and Market was a success for the eleventh year in a row. It was held at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Center in Green Bay Wisconsin on June 30-July 2, 2017. Peter Jones, Onondaga, won Best of Show.
July
After months of preparation the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic took place July 3 – Sunday, July 9. And Australian Katherine Kirk was the winner with a score of -22. The tournament had a $2 million dollar purse, the largest of any of the four non-major tournaments. It featured 144 of the best female golfers in the world and showcased the Oneida community to a national TV audience.
Tri-annual elections were held for the Oneida Business Committee. Oneida citizens elected Tehassi Hill as Chairman, Brandon Stevens as Vice-Chairman, Lisa Summers as Secretary, Trish King as Treasurer, and David Jordan, Daniel Guzman, Jennifer Webster, Kirby Metoxen and Ernie Stevens III as council members.
The Oneida Nation was well represented on Team Wisconsin at the 2017 NAIG in Toronto, Ontario July 17- July 21. Team Wisconsin won 57 medals, the most of any team from the United States.
The General Tribal Council (GTC) met for the Semi-Annual Meeting on Monday, July 17, at the Radisson Hotel and Conference Hotel with nearly 1,500 GTC members in attendance.
The 2017 Wisconsin Native American Playwright Festival kicked off its season with two plays performed at the Oneida Cultural Heritage Ampitheatre Tuesday, July 25. The festival expanded by showing in four locations: Oneida, at the CMN Keshena campus, Mohican Family Center in Bowler and Siga Funmaker Community Center in Wittenberg.
Oneida artists made a splash at the Eiteljorg Indian Art Show and Market in Indianapolis, Indiana on June 24th and 25th. Mark Fischer won a 2nd place ribbon for his Sculpture, Stories from the Ancient copper Culture. Betty Willems got 3rd place ribbon in Traditional Bead-work for her blue birdcage, and a 2nd place ribbon in Accessories for a beaded leather bag called Rose Garden. Karen Hoffman received a 1st place in non-traditional beadwork for a beautiful urn. Judy Jourdan got a 1st and 2nd place in traditional bead work. Dawn Dark Mountain won 1st place for her watercolor, A Bear Dream.
The 21st Annual Oneida Relay for Life was held on Friday, July 28, at the Norbert Hill Center. More than $500,000 has been raised by Oneida teams across 21 years. It was the final Relay for Life to be held in Oneida.
August
The 2017 Inauguration of Elected Oneida Officials held at Turtle School.
September
Oneida Nation citizen Jon Kerstetter pulls no punches in his autobiography Crossings: A Doctor-
Soldier’s Story which hit bookstores nationwide on Sept. 5.
The annual Big Apple Fest took place Saturday, September 16 at the Oneida Culture Heritage grounds. The free event featured food, music, wagon rides, animal demonstrations, and a petting zoo.
The General Tribal Council (GTC) met for a special meeting on Sunday, September 17 to finish the remaining agenda from July’s Semi-Annual meeting.
October
The Oneida Nation hosted the 2017 Food Sovereignty Summit October 2-5 at the Radisson Hotel and Conference. Along with conference presentations, the Oneida Nation hosted training sessions throughout locations on the reservation.
Several varieties of corn soup, booyah, and other food were on the menu for the Annual Harvest & Husking Bee 2017 held on Saturday, Oct. 7, at Oneida’s Tsyunhehkwa Farm. Hundreds of guests visited the event which also featured a soup competition, corn husk doll and rug making demonstrations, snapping, corn braiding, traditional corn mush making, white corn roasting, Farmers Market vendors, and a tribute to late Tsyunhehkwa Director Jeff Metoxen.
The GTC passed the fiscal year 2018 budget at an October 8 meeting.
The group known as Enough is Enough began a 30 Day Sacred Fire on Sunday, Oct.15, in conjunction with several other Native nations at the same time in a show of unity in the fight against opioid addiction.
November
The winners of the Kalihwisaks photo contest were: First: Michelle Cottrell, Second: Joe Yazzie, and Third: Tim Denny
The annual Three Sisters Pow Wow was held on Saturday, Nov. 11, at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center.
The 2017 Semi-Annual Reports were accepted at the November 12 GTC meeting.
The first ever Tree Lighting Ceremony took place on Thursday, November 16, with nearly 50 entities decorating trees and the bridge on the Oneida Bridgeway.
The 18th Annual Community Thanksgiving Feast was held at the Oneida Parish Hall. Hundreds of community members came together to enjoy the meal complete with all of the traditional Thanksgiving fixings.
December
The Oneida Police Department (OPD), along with several other law enforcement agencies, came
together to make blankets for community elders, Oneida Birth to 6 program, Oneida Domestic
Violence program, Oneida Social Services, and OPD officers for ‘Random Acts of Kindness’ on Saturday, December 2.
The Oneida Recreation Department held their annual Breakfast with Santa event on Dec. 9 at the Civic
Center in Oneida. Hundreds of children showed up with parents for the chance to have their picture
taken with Santa and receive a gift.
The newest Oneida Convenience Store named Four Paths located at Mason and Packerland opened December 15 with a ribbon cutting.
