Institute for Tribal Environmental Professionals

Brian Patterson is a Bear Clan Representative to the Oneida Indian Nation’s Council, the tribe’s governing body, responsible for directing policy for the Oneida Indian Nation. Dedicated to the cultural and historical revitalization of the Oneida people, Patterson has worked diligently over the past thirty years to ensure that his tribe provides means for the well-being of the seventh generation to come.

Under the leadership of the Nation Council, the Oneidas have created numerous new economic and social opportunities for its people, including comprehensive health and community programs. Among those programs are housing initiatives; recreational programs, and educational incentives, including an Oneida language program that will ensure the Oneida language will thrive for generations. These achievements have been made possible by the revenue earned from the Oneida Indian Nation’s enterprises.

Patterson served five terms as President of United South and Eastern Tribes (USET), a national Indian organization that represents 26 tribes east of the Mississippi River. He has served as a Co-Chair, as well as Chairman, of USET’s Culture and Heritage Committee since its inception. The committee is involved with influencing and advocating federal laws and policies regarding proper repatriation of remains and artifacts, the protection of sacred sites and the promotion and protection of American Indian cultural identity.

At the Oneida Indian Nation, Patterson has been active in efforts to revitalize Oneida culture and heritage to counter the effects of 200 years of poverty and displacement. In 2005, he was named Cultural Affairs Director of Indian Country Outreach. He served as the tribe’s liaison to several local and national organizations, including the National Park Service, and has been dedicated to educating the community about the role the Oneidas played in the Revolutionary War and the founding of this country. Patterson maintained a relationship with and actively participated in events at National Historical Park sites, including Valley Forge, Saratoga Battlefield and Fort Stanwix National Monument – all locations where the Oneida Indian Nation played key roles in the Revolutionary War. Patterson also regularly leads a delegation of Oneidas in the annual Commemoration of the Battle of Oriskany, one of the bloodiest battles of the Revolutionary War and one that was vital to the American victory.

Patterson has played an integral role in efforts to repatriate ancient Oneida artifacts, including wampum. The Oneida Indian Nation has been acquiring notable pieces of Oneida and other Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) artwork for the past several years. Part of that collection includes over 700 pieces of beadwork, believed to be one of the largest assemblages of Haudenosaunee beadwork in existence.

He also was the tribal liaison for issues related to the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. He has been active in government-to-government consultations on a variety of issues with local and state governments and federal agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency, the federal Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the Fort Drum Army Base.

Patterson is an authority on contemporary American Indian cultural issues and has spoken on the topic at several conferences, including the annual American Indian Law Symposium sponsored by the St. Thomas School of Law. He has completed several continuing education and certification programs, most notably the “Leadership for the 21st Century” and “Senior Executives in State and Local Government” programs at Harvard University.

Patterson served on several committees and commissions, including the Community Policing Committee, which he chaired. He was the Chairman of the Oneida Indian Nation Athletic Commission, which oversees professional boxing matches on Oneida Nation tribal lands. He has also served on Board of Trustees for the National Museum of the American Indian.

With the help of his hard work and dedication, Patterson has seen the “rebirth” of his tribe, assisting his people with overcoming 200 years of poverty and hardship. The Oneida Indian Nation is once again a thriving economic leader able to provide for its people, as well as the surrounding community, and remains dedicated to holding fast the silver covenant chain of friendship with the United States.