Basic Information

Laura (Miriam) Cornelius Kellogg, born on September 8th, 1880, in Seymour, Wisconsin, was a member of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, which encompassed the Mohawk, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Seneca, and Tuscarora nations (Stanciu, 2013). Kellogg’s life’s work aimed to revitalize Haudenosaunee culture and return to traditional practices rather than assimilation into White American culture. Her legacy as an activist, author, speaker, and head of the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin was molded by her resolve and dedication to the struggle for American Indian equality and treaty rights (Stanciu, 2013). She also engaged in writing short stories, crafting plays, composing poetry, and contributing to political essays (Academy of Poets, 2017). Her main priority for more than twenty years was the restoration of Oneida lands, which she advocated for through lectures, publications, and nationwide meetings with Indian leaders (Stanciu, 2013).

Background Information

Laura Cornelius Kellogg, a prominent member of indigenous tribal leadership with roots in the Oneida tribe, played a significant role in promoting and advocating for her community. She was heavily involved in the broader movements for American Indian revitalization and Iroquois politics, religion, and land claims. She comes from a historically significant family, born to Adam Poe Cornelius and Celisha Bread. Her grandfather, Daniel Bread (Dehowyadilou, “Great Eagle”), played a vital role in Oneida’s history and was instrumental in securing land for the Oneida people after their forced relocation from New York State to Wisconsin (Faurot, 2023). Kellogg’s early years were shaped by stories that recounted their ancestral homeland in New York and the ongoing struggle to reclaim it.

At the age of 7, the Dawes General Allotment Act in 1887 was passed (Oneida Nation, n.d.). Five years later, the Dawes Act was applied to the Wisconsin Oneida Reservation, resulting in a devastating loss of around 65,000 acres over the course of forty years. By the early 1930s, the Oneida Reservation had shrunk to less than ninety acres in Wisconsin, leaving only thirty-two acres of land in New York State. This held significance for her because these lands had been assured through treaties dating back to 1784, encompassing an estimated six million acres (Stanciu, 2013).

Kellogg’s lineage also included remarkable Iroquois women who held significant political and social authority within the Six Nations communities. These women not only contributed to the tribe’s sustenance but also participated in the selection of representatives for the league’s council. Growing up in a family emphasizing education and hard work, Kellogg’s educational experiences diverged from the typical Bureau of Indian Affairs curriculum, which she criticized for excluding Native Indian traditions and ideologies. She studied with non-Indian classmates at the exclusive boarding school Grafton Hall, where she graduated with honors in 1898. Although Kellogg did not receive a degree, she attended esteemed colleges and universities, including Barnard College, Stanford University, the New York School of Philanthropy, Cornell University, and the University of Wisconsin during her academic career (Oneida Nation, n.d). Kellogg was highly skilled in speaking and interpreting three languages – Oneida, Mohawk, and English. Her exceptional linguistic abilities made her one of the most renowned Oneida speakers and linguists of her time (Ackley & Stanciu, 2015, p. 6).

In 1912, she married Orrin Kellogg, a non-Indian Minneapolis attorney. Orrin Kellogg was instrumental in bolstering her campaigning and activism on behalf of Native American tribes and causes. He served as an advisor and attorney for many of the Native American tribes that Laura Kellogg actively engaged with (Faurot, 2023).

Contributions to the First Wave

Kellogg co-founded the American Indian Association in April 1911 with a number of other Indian leaders; the organization was subsequently renamed the Society of American Indians (Oneida Nation, n.d). She was chosen to serve as the secretary, which consisted of educated and progressive Indian leaders striving to promote the welfare of all Indian people. The society advocated retaining Indian identity while reforming to enable self-help and reduced government intervention. Kellogg firmly asserted her position, stating, “I am not in the new Indian, I am the old Indian, adapted to contemporary circumstances” (Oneida Nation, n.d).

She actively participated in various organizations, focusing on education and economic matters. During that time, Native American children attended Indian boarding schools across the country, leaving their families and homes behind. The goal was to assimilate them, which resulted in many students never returning to their families or communities. However, Kellogg criticized Indian boarding schools for erasing Native Americans’ cultural heritage and held the Bureau of Indian Affairs responsible. Kellogg also showed great concern for the economic well-being of reservation communities.

In October 1911, she presented a paper titled Industrial Organization for the Indian at the first conference of the Society of American Indians, emphasizing the potential for Native people to live on reservations while earning a sustainable income through marketable skills. Her ideas aligned with the principles later found in the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934 (Oneida Nation, n.d).

Kellogg gained significant recognition through her notable publication titled Our Democracy and the American Indian: A Comprehensive Presentation of the Indian Situation as it is Today (1920) (Ackley & Stanciu, 2015, p. 4). The publication emphasizes economic empowerment, “Lolomi”, an Indian industrial village plan (Ackley, 2008). During a period characterized by government efforts to assimilate indigenous communities and suppress tribal cultures, Kellogg actively championed a shift from federal paternalism to self-governance. Her fight to restore tribal lands, which she deemed crucial for preserving Native nations, securing economic stability, and attaining political autonomy, exemplifies her unwavering commitment to tribal sovereignty and individual empowerment.

During the early 1920s, Laura Kellogg spearheaded the Iroquois land claims movement, attracting followers referred to as the Kellogg Party in both the United States and Canada. She organized meetings to garner support and financial assistance for the Oneida cause and traveled extensively for research, lobbying, and advocacy, even representing herself in court. The land claims settlement never materialized during her lifetime, as the US district court dismissed her suit in 1927. However, she laid a strong foundation and left behind a framework that eventually led to a favorable ruling in 1985 by a federal court (Ackley, 2008).

I would not be anything but an Indian, I am not weaned from my people and never will be. More schooling than usually falls to the lot of an Indian woman and more contact with Caucasian artificiality and insincerity have graduated me into what might be called a polite Indian, and the process, I sometimes think, has taken a lot out of me.

~ Laura Cornelius Kellogg (Faurot, 2023)

Analysis and Conclusion

Laura Minnie Cornelius Kellogg’s legacy reflects her enduring commitment to Native American rights and cultural preservation. Her advocacy encompassed education and economic concerns, challenged assimilationist practices in Indian boarding schools, and proposed sustainable solutions for tribal economies. Kellogg’s unique perspective combined Haudenosaunee traditions and non-Indigenous viewpoints. She envisioned Indian reservations as cooperative, self-governing communities striving to advance economic sovereignty and autonomy.

While not directly involved in the suffrage movement, her work encompassed feminist elements, expressing surprise at white women’s belated advocacy for rights inherent in the history of Indigenous women (Schenandoah, 2023). She supported women’s political and social agency within Native American communities, aligning with the matriarchal traditions of the Six Nations. Her rejection of the assimilationist boarding school model reflected feminist principles, which encompassed the recognition of women’s significant roles in their communities, including the preservation of cultural practices, languages, and traditions. She also challenged stereotypes like the “Indian Princess,” dismantling traditional gender roles and objectification. Kellogg’s leadership in Native American activism defied gender norms, demonstrating the potential for women to hold influential positions.

Her advocacy for the restoration of tribal lands underscored her unwavering commitment to tribal sovereignty and individual empowerment. Despite the absence of a land claims settlement in her lifetime, her groundwork contributed to a favorable ruling in 1985, leaving a lasting impact on Native American history. In Kellogg’s words, “There comes a time when people must measure themselves by the things they have not done” (Oneida Nation, n.d). Her journey, from confronting stereotypes to becoming a figure in Native American history, is a source of inspiration for the ongoing struggle for Oneida land claims. Laura Cornelius Kellogg is remembered for her resilience, cultural pride, and advocacy for the rights and empowerment of Native American communities.

References

Academy of American Poets. (2017, November 1). Laura Cornelius Kellogg. Poets.org. https://poets.org/poet/laura-cornelius-kellogg

Ackley, K. (2008). Renewing Haudenosaunee Ties: Laura Cornelius Kellogg and the Idea of Unity in the Oneida Land Claim. American Indian Culture And Research Journal, 32(1), 57–81. https://escholarship.org/content/qt8mq7382t/qt8mq7382t_noSplash_904e06fd8cf5aae09f188665e3e6be3e.pdf

Ackley, K., & Stanciu, C. (Eds.). (2015). Laura cornelius kellogg : Our democracy and the american indian and other works. Syracuse University Press. ProQuest Ebook Central. https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/washington/detail.action?docID=3440572.

Faurot, C. (2023, May 31). Laura Cornelius Kellogg: Reclaiming an indigenous visionary. Rematriation. https://rematriation.com/laura-cornelius-kellogg-reclaiming-an-indigenous-visionary/

Laura Cornelius Kellogg. (2014, June 7). Wikimedia Commons. [Photograph]. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Laura_Cornelius_Kellogg#/media/File:Laura_Cornelius_Kellogg.1.png

Oneida Nation. (2023) Oneida Women in History. Educational campaigns. https://oneida-nsn.gov/pressroom/educational-campaigns/#Oneida-Women-in-History

Schenandoah, M. S. (2023, September 25). Indigenous women’s influence on modern democracy and women’s suffrage. PBS. https://www.pbs.org/native-america/blog/indigenous-womens-influence-on-modern-democracy-and-womens-suffrage#:~:text=Cornelius%20Kellogg%20was%20notes%20for,far%20back%20as%20history%20traces.%E2%80%9D

Stanciu, C. (2013). An Indian Woman of Many Hats: Laura Cornelius Kellogg’s Embattled Search for an Indigenous Voice. Studies in American Indian Literatures 25(2), 87-115. https://doi.org/10.5250/studamerindilite.25.2.0087.