Post by blackcrowheart on Feb 26, 2007 7:19:11 GMT -5
New Monument Added to "Walk of Legends"
Who the
Packers are today is thanks to who they used to be in the late 1800's.
Back then, they were a group of guys who's heritage was Oneida. Members
of the Oneida Nation played on Green Bay's first football team. Now,
more than a century later, they're honored with pride. "It
was...awesome. It was really special," said Beverly King, whose
grandfather played football. The monument is part of the Oneida's Walk
of Legends. It's one of 12 monuments that will tell a story about the
Oneida's influence on the area. "Pride" is chapter one. "This is
certainly about football, but it's about history," said Anne
Wheelock-Gonzales. Her grandfather also played. "It's about heritage.
It's about honor, and it's about healing." The history etched in the
monument is really bittersweet. The football team was created after
dozens of Oneida kids were taken from their families and sent a thousand
miles away to boarding school. "We lost a lot of our knowledge of our
own people," Anne said. "To have a focal something people can see,
people will realize that the Oneidas do exist, have a history, and are
part of the community." Now the community has something to help them
remember the Oneida's legacy. A legacy Tony McNaughtan knows his great
great-grandfather helped create. "It's cool...pretty, beautiful," Tony
said. "For my children and great-grandchildren to come here and see
this it's beautiful," Anne said. "I know my father is somewhere is
watching over this with pride."
Who the
Packers are today is thanks to who they used to be in the late 1800's.
Back then, they were a group of guys who's heritage was Oneida. Members
of the Oneida Nation played on Green Bay's first football team. Now,
more than a century later, they're honored with pride. "It
was...awesome. It was really special," said Beverly King, whose
grandfather played football. The monument is part of the Oneida's Walk
of Legends. It's one of 12 monuments that will tell a story about the
Oneida's influence on the area. "Pride" is chapter one. "This is
certainly about football, but it's about history," said Anne
Wheelock-Gonzales. Her grandfather also played. "It's about heritage.
It's about honor, and it's about healing." The history etched in the
monument is really bittersweet. The football team was created after
dozens of Oneida kids were taken from their families and sent a thousand
miles away to boarding school. "We lost a lot of our knowledge of our
own people," Anne said. "To have a focal something people can see,
people will realize that the Oneidas do exist, have a history, and are
part of the community." Now the community has something to help them
remember the Oneida's legacy. A legacy Tony McNaughtan knows his great
great-grandfather helped create. "It's cool...pretty, beautiful," Tony
said. "For my children and great-grandchildren to come here and see
this it's beautiful," Anne said. "I know my father is somewhere is
watching over this with pride."