Copyright © 2001 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Oneida Indian Territory, Oneida, New York - Danielle Patterson, an Oneida Indian and mother of three children, ages 7, 9, and 10, was forcibly and violently removed from her home and arrested last Friday evening by armed Oneida Nation Police for not allowing them to enter her 1985 home to inspect it. She feared that if her home was inspected, it would face the fate of 11 other homes on the Oneida Indian Territory all of which were inspected, condemned and immediately demolished. Approximately 30 armed Oneida Nation Police officers arrived at her home.

While Danielle stood in front of the door of her home, the police officers attacked her physically when she asked why they were there. They yanked her mother, 69 year-old Wolf Clanmother Maisie Shenandoah off the porch while 5-7 of the officers shoved Ms. Patterson repeatedly against the door. They grabbed her from all sides and forced her off her porch while they yanked on her arms, back and neck and pulled out chunks of her hair. One proclaimed, "You are under arrest for resisting arrest". Her glasses were broken and her heavy silver bracelet was bent out of shape as they slapped handcuffs on her.

When she screamed that they were hurting her and that she was not provoking them, one of the officers threatened her by shoving a can of mace in her face before she was hustled into one of the police cars. One of the officers took a crowbar and pried her door open and the police forcibly swarmed into her home to inspect it. The door is now broken beyond repair and cannot be closed. During the inspection, the police ripped open her bedroom drawers, throwing her clothes all over the floor, broke a lamp, dismantled her kitchen pipes and ripped out a triangular door in the bathroom. Ms. Patterson was not read the Miranda rights nor charged with contempt of a court order until she arrived at the Oneida Nation Police headquarters in Canastota. This attack was led by Oneida Nation "Public Safety Commissioner" Art Pierce who takes his orders directly from Oneida Indian Nation CEO Arthur Ramon Halbritter. Mr. Pierce and the entire 54-member Oneida Nation Police force are not Native American and are United States citizens.

Last week, after Ms. Patterson's furnace malfunctioned, Stoneleigh Housing, a contractor with Madison County, had approved Ms. Patterson for a furnace. However, Pierce threatened to take away Ms. Patterson's children because she had no heat, then wrote a letter to Stoneleigh Housing, ordering them not to have the furnace delivered until the Oneida Nation Police carried out their inspection. Since then, there have been two to four Oneida Nation Police cars stationed 24 hours at the front of the Territory to prevent any furnace delivery, and periodically stop vehicles to check if they carry any furnaces.

Last month, Oneida Nation Judge Hancock, an Oneida Nation employee, ruled that inspections by the Oneida Nation Police on the Oneida Nation Territory are legal. Many of the homes previously demolished were in excellent condition, the residents of which are now denied a new home on the Territory.

Ms. Patterson had been trying to fix her home on her meager income, doing beadwork. The Oneida Nation refused to comply with a 1998 Madison Court Order to garnish her ex-husband's paycheck, who is an Oneida Nation employee, because of Ms. Patterson's political views. Nor has she received any help from the Oneida Indian Nation over the past 7 years because of her political views.

Ms. Patterson's children have been traumatized over this constant harassment by the Oneida Nation Police. The children had been living with Ms. Patterson's sister since Mr. Pierce's threat over a week ago. One of the children, 7-year old Jolene fully witnessed this recent attack on her mother.

Ms. Patterson went to the Oneida City Emergency Room on Friday evening and was treated for severe bruising, neck and back injuries and emotional trauma resulting from the arrest.

For more information, contact Vickie Schenandoah, phone: 315-361-4383.