On Friday, February 28th, myself and two other students in the TLAM class were given the opportunity to join members of the TLAM Student Group for a trip up to the Oneida Nation. This trip was particularly opportune because it allowed for us to finally gain an introduction to the team of people we would be working with while continuing the Oneida Film Preservation Project.
Oneida Records Center: Our trek began at an early 6:30am, with our first destination set as the Oneida Records Center. Following our timely arrival, we were greeted by the small but vibrant staff that includes Steve, Loretta, Josh, and Eliza. The Records Center, as we would learn during our subsequent tour, is the primary location for the tribes archival and artifact collection.
Steve gave us a good idea of some of the improvements that had already taken place in the building and also explained some great plans for future development. I think it was really encouraging for the new members of the project, myself included, to see the products of the program’s past labors and hear the charisma and ideas of Steve and his staff. The tour contextualized our project and made us all feel that we can contribute to some tangible change. It was an invigorating way to start out our introductions.
Cultural Heritage Division: Following the tour of the Records Center, our TLAM team spent some time at the Cultural Heritage Division getting to know Loretta, the reservation historian, while also learning a bit more about the reservation’s history. Loretta undoubtedly has a knack for pulling a person in with her vast knowledge of Oneida history. We didn’t have as much time to spend at the Cultural Heritage Division as we would have liked, but that only brings hope for additional visits.
Oneida Nation Museum: Following our time with Loretta, the TLAM group spent some time taking a tour of the Oneida Museum with Sarah. The tour was just before lunch. For lunch, Sarah was kind enough to serve us a traditional recipe of organic white corn stew. I may be able to speak for the entire TLAM group when I say that the tour was great, but the stew spoke to our hearts.
Driving Tour: Before taking the trip back to Madison, we were given a driving tour by Eliza to give us a better idea of what the remainder of the reservation was like. The driving tour was a great way to gain some insight as to how the reservation has changed in the past few decades through Eliza’s personal accounts.
Check in soon for more trip updates!
-Jacob Baker