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- By Native News Online Staff
The Oneida Indian Nation’s legacy as America’s First Allies is being recognized by the federal government with the release of the United States Mint’s 2026 Native American $1 Coin, which will feature Oneida heroine Polly Cooper.
The coin honors Cooper for her role in helping save George Washington’s Continental Army during the brutal winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge, when she and other Oneidas carried food and supplies from their homelands in what is now upstate New York to the encampment. Cooper remained there through the winter, teaching soldiers how to prepare white corn and cooking for troops to help them survive.
The release comes as the United States prepares to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Federal officials and tribal leaders said the coin highlights the Oneida Nation’s critical role in the country’s founding through an alliance rooted in the belief in sovereignty and self-determination.
Since 2009, the Native American $1 Coin program has recognized the contributions of tribal nations and Native individuals to U.S. history. The 2026 coin depicts Cooper alongside Washington, holding a basket of white corn.
During the Revolutionary War, the Oneida broke away from other members of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy to side with the American colonists, fighting in key battles including Oriskany and Saratoga in New York and Barren Hill in Pennsylvania. Their loyalty earned them the name “America’s First Allies.” Oneida citizens have served in every major American conflict since.
“The Oneida people became America’s First Allies on some of the bloodiest battlefields of the Revolutionary War,” said Oneida Indian Nation Representative Ray Halbritter. “One-third of our ancestors at that time were lost to these conflicts, yet their lives were given proudly for the right of all to sovereignty and self-determination. As we look ahead to the 250th anniversary of the United States, the recognition of this legacy and of Polly Cooper’s contributions serves as a great source of pride for our people, as well as for all Upstate New Yorkers and all Americans who strive to uphold these principles.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said Cooper’s actions were pivotal to the survival of the Continental Army.
“During a harsh winter, Polly Cooper led Oneida warriors from Central New York to Valley Forge to provide food and relief to George Washington’s army, ensuring their survival,” Schumer said. “This new coin will ensure the story of Polly Cooper’s courageous role in the American Revolution lives on for generations to come. With America’s 250th birthday here, it is fitting to honor her legacy with the release of this new coin. I am proud to have fought to establish the Native American $1 Coin to honor heroes like Polly Cooper.”
Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., said the recognition highlights New York’s central role in the nation’s founding.
“New York is home to so much Revolutionary War history, and Polly Cooper and the Oneida Indian Nation are at the center of it,” she said. “I am proud to see the U.S. Mint highlight the pivotal role that New York and the Oneida people played in the founding of our country.”
Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., said the program helps ensure the full story of the nation’s founding is told.
“As the 250th anniversary of the United States approaches, it is especially important that we continue to tell the stories of all who played a part in the remarkable history of its founding,” Mullin said. “The U.S. Mint’s Native American $1 Coin program is an important part of these efforts, as it highlights the tribal nations and individuals, like the Oneida Indian Nation and Polly Cooper, who helped establish a country grounded in the rights of all people to freedom and self-determination.”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York said the coin honors both history and enduring contributions.
“Today, we recognize and celebrate the contributions of the Oneida Indian Nation,” Jeffries said. “That storied history is reflected in the legacy of Polly Cooper, a selfless young woman from the Oneida Indian Nation, who gave starving American soldiers the nourishment they needed to continue the fight for independence during the Revolutionary War. The designation of the 2026 Native American $1 Coin is a small token to honor the impact that the Oneida Indian Nation has had on our past, and will continue to have in shaping our future.”
Rep. Tom Cole, R-Okla., said the recognition extends beyond one tribe.
“The U.S. Mint’s annual Native American $1 Coin program is an important reminder of the critical role Native people have played in American history since this country’s earliest days,” Cole said. “While this recognition is a great source of pride for the Oneida Indian Nation, it also lifts up all Native people whenever our contributions and achievements are celebrated in this way.”
Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said the honor is especially meaningful to the region.
“I am proud to see the U.S. Mint honoring the remarkable patriot Polly Cooper of the Oneida Indian Nation with this year’s Native American $1 Coin,” Stefanik said. “The Oneida Indian Nation bravely fought alongside the Continental Army and provided critical support for the patriots throughout the Revolutionary War — including the food and supplies Polly Cooper carried to Valley Forge — making the Oneida people among America’s very first allies.”
Rep. John Mannion, D-N.Y., said the recognition reflects a long-standing partnership.
“Our region has always enjoyed a strong partnership with the Oneida Indian Nation, and recognitions like this remind us that this partnership began even before the founding of the United States,” Mannion said.
In addition to the new coin, the Oneida Indian Nation’s role as America’s First Allies and Cooper’s legacy are also highlighted at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American Indian in Washington and at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.
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