“Our Good Friends and Neighbors”: Approaching Oneida-Norbertine History in Its Ecumenical Context

precis: This essay traces the history between the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and the Norbertine (Premonstratensian) Order with attention to the longer practice of Episcopalian Christianity by Oneida citizens and to contemporary opportunities for Oneida and Christian dialogue and collaboration. Norbertine canons were instrumental in the growth of the Catholic Church amid a predominantly Episcopalian and Methodist Oneida population. This shared history in the wider history of Christian-Indigenous encounters calls for a thorough and dialogical consideration of the relationship among the Oneida Nation, the Norbertine Order, and other Christian groups important in the Oneidas’ history through time. The essay will draw on historical accounts of the Oneida Nation and Norbertine Order, primary documents from Oneida and Catholic archives, and works on Indigenous and Norbertine spirituality.