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A history of our ancestors….

While the Patriots had relatively little success in counteracting these British alliances with many of the Indian nations, most notably the Iroquois and Cherokee, they were successful in attaining their own allies.

The first official commitment to employing Native Americans by Congress was on May 25, 1776, when it resolved “That the Commander in Chief be authorized and instructed to employ in the Continental Armies a number of Indians not exceeding _______” (the number to be employed was agreed upon in June 1776 when Congress set the number “not exceeding two thousand men”). Following the call for allies, Congress relied upon the “New England Indians, [who] supported their colonial neighbors,” such as the Penobscot, Nova Scotia, Mashantucket, Pequot, Brotherton, and St. Johns.  On July 8, 1776, Congress resolved that Washington had permission “to call to our Aid so many of…” these New England Indians. (Passage taken from “‘Rebels and Indians’: The Participation of and Relationship between Native Americans and the American Patriots during the Revolutionary War 1775-1783 – by Bryan Rindfleisch, 2007)

An Important occurrence of Brothertown history happened in February of 1776 in a letter from George Washington to Joseph Johnson.  Taken from the National Archives, the letter begins:

“Sir,

I am very much pleased to find by the Strong recommendations you produce, that we have amongst our Brothers of the Six Nations a person who can explain to them, the Sense of their Brothers, on the dispute between us and the Ministers of Great Britain; you have seen a part of our Strength, and can inform our Brothers, that we can withstand all the force, which those who want to rob us of our Lands and our Houses, can send against us… You can read the entire correspondence here…

Take a moment this 4th of July to remember our Brothertown ancestors who helped create and forge this new nation with their sacrifice,

The known names of our ancestors include (Their names have been proudly placed on our Veteran Memorial Wall (view here…):

The Revolutionary War (1775-1783):

1. John Adams
2. Samuel Adams
3. Solomon Adams
4. Timothy Brushel
5. Andrew Currycomb
6. Christopher Harry
7. Joseph Johnson
8. Daniel Mossuck
9. James Niles
10. Thomas Occom
11. David Occom
12. Thomas Patchauker
13. John Paul
14. Abraham Simons
15. Emanuel Simons
16. James Simons
17. John Skeesuck
18. Benjamin Toucee
19. Roger Wauby

“We Keep a Fire For the Dead”

“Nuwacônumumun yoht wáci napukak”

We keep a fire for the dead whose spirits walk before us

Who, shoes exchanged for eagle’s wings, now sing angelic chorus

Though they no longer walk the land in Brothertown today

Our hearts remain forevermore where’er our brethren lay

~Brothertown Citizen

WAUPUN (6/21/2022 Green Bay Press Bay Press-Gazette) – The End of the Trail sculpture in Waupun depicts a weary, historic Indigenous person on a weary horse and some locals are questioning the city’s mayor’s desire to market the statue on the city’s logo. view full article here…

“Many tourists take pictures with it,” said Waupun Mayor Rohn Bishop. “It’s here in Waupun and we should be proud of it. The statue is not racist. The statue is a tribute to what Native Americans went through.

“Firstly, it’s nice that the town has this beautiful piece of art,” said Renee Gralewicz, a citizen of Brothertown Indian Nation and peacemaker for the tribe’s judicial system, but who spoke as an individual and not on behalf of the tribe. “The problem is, what have they done lately for Indigenous America? It seems that in the U.S., Indigenous peoples are always placed in historical context, as if we are no longer here and no longer matter.”

So, if the town of Waupun only likes historical images, then the statue has little meaning to me and my relatives,” Gralewicz said. “It only allows the town to feel good about itself without doing anything to aid and honor the living. However, if the town is actually working to educate their citizens about real U.S. history and all its messiness, then the statue can be a good talking point.”

Reached for comment;

The results of the 2022 Tribal Election are in! The election for Chair, Treasurer, and Peacemaker were held on May 19th. The election for the Council seat was held on June 17th after a revised ballot was sent out following a printing error. Thank you to ALL candidates for running to serve the Tribe!

Chairperson:

Phyllis Tousey: 211

Richard Schadewald: 175

Treasurer:

Michelle Wood: 345

Councilmember (one seat):

Austin Hammond: 145

Hector Marroquin: 83

Peacemaker:

Greg Wilson: 351

Information for the upcoming Pacific North West Gathering

of the Brothertown Indian Nation

More information will be coming shortly, please check the calendar page when we get updates….

Wonderful news for the Brothertown Indian Nation Membership. The Oneida Nation Business Committee approved the transfer of ownership for the Brothertown Collection.

I was honored to be on the Council when the collection became known to the Tribe. There are so many gratitude’s needed here are just a few:

• Loretta Metoxen, rest her soul, brought the collection to our attention. She also made the request for the Oneida Nation to purchase the collection.
• Caroline Andler who spent countless time with Loretta verifying the collection.
• Richard Hill, former Oneida Chairperson, who graciously reached out to me when Loretta made a request to purchase the collection on behalf of the Brothertown Nation.
• Courtney Cottrell-Gerzetich, Brothertown Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, who worked hard with the personnel of Oneida Culture Department on the Collection. Dr. Cottrell also began the process of the Oneida Nation returning ownership to the Brothertown. She created the tribe to tribe document for access to the collection and was instrumental in the transfer document that was approved.
• Oneida Nation Business Committee for all they have done for the Collection.
• Brothertown Chairperson Bob Fowler, Vice Chairperson Jessica Ryan and the Council for steadfast support throughout the Collections journey back to us.

I know I missed too many people so forgive my oversight. A deep personal thank you to my Oneida relatives and friends.

*Post provided by Craig Cottrell

Join the Brothertown Indian Nation June 16,17.18

The Ceremony and Walk begins 6 am at the Columbia County Park

N 10340 Calumet Harbor Road, Malone, WI 53409

On Sunday, June 12 at 10am, there will be a memorial bench dedication at Brothertown’s Union Cemetery in honor of Mark Alan Baldwin.  Mark was born and raised in Sheboygan, Wisconsin but later relocated to California’s Bay Area where he passed away suddenly, at his home, on April 25, 2021.

For over four decades, Mark worked in service of the Brothertown Indians. He began a contemporary tribal newsletter in the 1980s, spearheaded numerous grants, served on Tribal Council, and volunteered for countless projects and committees. A few years ago, Mark helped to establish, and served as president for, Calumet and Cross Heritage Society; a nonprofit that works to preserve and share the history of the Brothertown Indians. 

One of Mark’s final projects with Calumet and Cross was to begin work on a series of historical markers for culturally important sites in and around Brothertown, Wisconsin. Union Cemetery is one of these sites and is the final resting place for many Brothertown Indians; including some of Mark’s relatives. The new bench will sit under the trees near the entrance; ready to offer assistance, as Mark always was, to anyone in need.

The Brothertown Indian Nation is seeking a part-time Project Assistant to help lead efforts to restore wild rice in the Lake Winnebago watershed. View the full announcement here!