Evolution of Oneida Science Through Tsyunhehkw^ (Life Sustainers): A Look at the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin.

Abstract

The Oneida Nation in Wisconsin has exhibited place-based adaptation and resiliency, resulting from years of knowledge accumulated and now being shared throughout the community. The emergence of Oneida Science as a new and practical approach to protecting ancestral seeds and agricultural practices, Tsyunhehkw^ (life sustainers), has assisted the community in preparing for an uncertain future. Despite their removal from their ancestral home in New York, this community has used their Haudenosaunee beliefs to develop their own knowledge system. Additionally, the community has adapted and continued to evolve in Wisconsin, revitalizing their reciprocal responsibility to ancestral White Corn in an uncertain climate. Finally, it will address Oneida Nation’s current government structure and the how the pursuit of a One Mind is necessary for moving forward with our new knowledge system. In order to protect this new knowledge system, the nation must call on their tribal government and community members to come together with One Mind and make decisions that prepare us for this future.