The Oneida Nation or Oneida Indian Nation (OIN) is a federally recognized tribe of Oneida people in the United States. The tribe is headquartered in New York, where the tribe originated and held its historic territory long before European colonialism. It is an Iroquoian-speaking people, and one of the Five Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy, or Haudenosaunee.
History with the Macy's Parade[]
In 2008, the Oneida Nation teamed up with Macy's to roll out a brand-new float for the 82nd edition of the Parade, entitled "The True Spirit of Thanksgiving", and represented a symbolic depiction of the legendary Oneida Creation story. The float depicts the tale of Sky Woman who one day came to rest on a Turtle's back, depicted on the float by a giant Turtle symbolizing Mother Earth. A 30-foot tall White Pine Tree symbolizing the Tree of Peace grows from the turtle's back, and climbs skyward, while its great white roots of peace spread in four directions- north, south, east and west. On top of the Great Tree is an eagle that keeps watching over the roots, symbolizing the constant watch and protection of Peace. Along for the ride, the float traditionally hosted Iroquois dancers at each root representing all Indian people from across the country.
After six consecutive appearances, the float was retired shortly after the 2013 Parade. The current whereabouts of the float are unknown, although it is possible that it was disposed of after its retirement, due to the limited space in the float warehouse.