The Best Land: Natives and Settlers on Oneida Territory with Susan A. Brewer

Our 11th Annual NYS History Month Lecture Series begins with Author and Historian Susan A. Brewer presenting “The Best Land: Natives and Settlers on Oneida Territory.”

In her book, The Best Land: Four Hundred Years of Love and Betrayal on Oneida Territory, Susan A. Brewer traces the history of a parcel of land in central New York and the stories of the two families—her own European settler family and the Mohawk/Oneida family of Polly Denny—who called it home.

Her talk considers the struggle over this place in war and peace, tales of pioneer progress, and native dispossession. She explores how, as neighbors for centuries, these families moved from the Mohawk and Schoharie Valleys to Oneida territory to experience dramatic twists and turns over sovereignty, justice, and the land.

This program is free and open to the public. It will be held inside the Enders House on Schoharie Street, adjacent to our Visitor Center/Museum.