A Nation Within a Nation: Voices of the Oneida in Wisconsin (Wisconsin Historical Society Press), edited by L. Gordon McLester III and Laurence M. Hauptman

The Oneida weren¹t native to Wisconsin but became‹since their forced migration from New York in the early 19th century‹one of the region¹s prominent tribes. The essays that comprise A Nation Within a Nation explain that the Oneida have almost always been at the forefront of American Indian causes, often by simply asserting their sovereign rights as a nation‹a status alluded to in the U.S. Constitution¹s reference to Native Americans and made explicit in treaties. Like most Indian nations, the Oneida were under severe pressure through the middle of the 20th century but experienced a turn-around, especially after federal policy toward Native Americans shifted under Richard Nixon. Going beyond politics, A Nation Within a Nation also shows how the Oneida maintained their integrity as a sovereign people through a network of religious, social and fraternal organizations.