FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contacts:
Joel Barkin, VP of Communications
Oneida Indian Nation
315-361-8173
jbarkin@oneida-nation.org
Dana Nimey-Olney, Village Clerk
Village of Whitesboro
315-736-1613

Village of Whitesboro, Oneida Indian Nation,
Descendants of Hugh White Family Come Together to
Design New Village Seal
The communities have a shared goal of creating an emblem to
accurately reflect their relationship – past, present and future
(Jan. 22, 2016) Today the Mayor of the Village of Whitesboro and the Oneida Indian Nation
announced they will meet to discuss the creation of a new emblem for the Village of
Whitesboro.
This joint effort opens the door to establish a new legacy, as well as accurately represent the
historical and current relations between the Nation and the Village. The story of Whitesboro and
the Oneida Indian Nation is one of communities working together.
This seal, which appears on Village vehicles and signage in Whitesboro, including the welcome
sign in the village green, has received much interest and attention lately. The seal has been called
into question as of late making local, national, and international headlines. On January 11, 2016,
the residents of the village turned out and supported keeping the seal as part of a non-binding,
public opinion vote. In a village board meeting and in the days that followed, many residents

 that supported keeping the seal had since voiced their opinion to keep the history, but have the
seal re-drawn in a more modern, detailed, and culturally appropriate way.
Mayor O’Connor was also contacted by descendants of the White family. While humbled that
the community wanted to preserve the history of the seal and Mr. White’s involvement, they
supported the effort of designing a new logo that would celebrate the Village’s proud history.
“In speaking with a lot of the residents that voted to keep the seal, I think they were surprised at
the negative attention that Whitesboro was receiving as a result of the vote. They wanted to
preserve history at the time of the vote, but also want to ensure that Village is seen as the
inclusive place that it is” Mayor Patrick O’Connor said. “This is an exciting opportunity for our
community to create its own piece of history that they can be proud of for the next 100 plus years
to come. We are extremely fortunate to have members of the White Family and the Oneidas
involved in this process.”
“As we’ve always said, we are happy to work with anyone who wants to make sure the symbols
they are promoting are honoring and respecting all people. We applaud the Village leaders’
willingness to evaluate their own symbols and how to make sure they accurately reflect their
community’s core values,” said Oneida Indian Nation Representative and Oneida Nation CEO
Ray Halbritter. “This is but one of many important examples of communities taking welcome
steps to be inclusive and promote our region’s commitment to civility. This is what makes
America so exceptional - we are an increasingly diverse county that is always working to make
sure the messages being promoted by our political, cultural and government institutions reflect a
respect for all heritages.”
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