The United States Mint today released its 2026 Native American $1 Coin in recognition of Oneida heroine Polly Cooper, who traveled with a band of Oneidas from their Upstate New York homelands to bring supplies and food to General George Washington's starving troops at Valley Forge. The coin has been created as part of a federal program that celebrates the contributions of tribal nations and Native American individuals to the country's development and growth.
ONEIDA INDIAN NATION HOMELANDS, N.Y., Jan. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- The Oneida Indian Nation's legacy as America's First Allies was recognized today by the federal government with the release of the United States Mint's 2026 Native American $1 Coin. This year's coin will feature Oneida heroine Polly Cooper in recognition of her efforts to bring supplies and food from her Oneida homelands in Upstate New York to General George Washington's Continental Army troops at Valley Forge during the harsh winter of 1777-78.
Recognizing Polly Cooper and the Oneida Indian Nation in this way is especially timely, as this year the United States will observe the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The coin represents the Oneida people's critical role in the founding of the United States through an alliance grounded in the strong belief in the right of all people to sovereignty and self-determination.
Since 2009, the Native American $1 Coin program has celebrated the many contributions of tribal nations and Native American individuals to the success and growth of the United States. The 2026 coin continues this tradition, depicting Polly Cooper with General George Washington as she holds a basket of the white corn she and her fellow Oneidas brought to the Valley Forge encampment. Cooper remained at the encampment all winter, teaching the soldiers how to prepare the corn and cooking for troops to ensure they survived the harsh conditions.
Due to their profound belief in the right of all to sovereignty and self-determination, the Oneida people broke away from their Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) brothers and sisters to side with American colonists in their fight for freedom on some of the bloodiest battlefields of the Revolutionary War, including the Battles of Oriskany and Saratoga in Upstate New York and Barren Hill in Pennsylvania. For their friendship and loyalty, the Oneida became known as America's First Allies. Nation Members proudly continue this legacy today, enlisting for military service at considerably higher-than-average rates and serving in every major American conflict since the Revolutionary War.
"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 to 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."
"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. This new coin will ensure the story of Polly Cooper's courageous role in the American Revolution lives on for generations to come," said Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator (NY) and Senate Minority Leader. "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."
"New York is home to so much Revolutionary War history, and Polly Cooper and the Oneida Indian Nation are at the center of it," said U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (NY). "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."
"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," said U.S. Senator Markwayne Mullin (OK). "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."
"Today, we recognize and celebrate the contributions of the Oneida Indian Nation. Since our founding, the Indigenous People who have called this land home for centuries have been central to the success of our democracy. 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," said U.S. Representative and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (NY-8).
"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," said U.S. Representative Tom Cole (OK-4). "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."
"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. As a born and raised Upstate New Yorker, it is especially meaningful to see our shared history celebrated in this way. 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," said U.S. Representative Elise Stefanik (NY-21).
"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," said U.S. Representative John Mannion (NY-22). "I'm thrilled to see the Oneida people and one of their heroic ancestors, Polly Cooper, recognized for the partnership they have shown their neighbors since the United States' founding and for the special role they played in supporting the sovereignty of all Americans that endures today."
In addition to the 2026 Native American $1 Coin, Polly Cooper and the Oneida Indian Nation's roles as America's First Allies are showcased at the Smithsonian's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia's Museum of the American Revolution.
For an image of the 2026 Native American $1 Polly Cooper Coin and to download an informational video, click here.
About the Oneida Indian Nation
The Oneida Indian Nation is a federally recognized Indian nation in Central New York. A founding member of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy (also known as the Six Nations or Iroquois Confederacy), the Oneida Indian Nation sided with the Americans in the Revolutionary War and was thanked by Congress and President George Washington for its loyalty and assistance. Today, the Nation's enterprises, which employ more than 5,000 people. Proceeds from these enterprises are used to rebuild the Nation's economic base and provide essential services, including housing, health care, and education incentives and programs, to its Members.
Media Contact
Joel Barkin, Onieda Indian Nation, 1 315.361.8173, [email protected]
SOURCE Onieda Indian Nation
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