January 27, 2019

Dear Family, Friends and Everyone else reading this blog, Hello! I hope this finds all well. As I have mentioned in my other blogs, time waits for no one.  I look out the window and see we are in the middle of a sub zero temps and it’s about -7 degrees outside.

I wanted to share with you a photo of my grandson, Luke.  He was checking out a wigwam displayed indoors at the Sheboygan Historical Museum.

The next photo is of the Carlisle Indian School Farmhouse.  It is one of the original buildings still standing on what used to be the Carlisle Indian Industrial Boarding School Grounds. There is a website set up to share information on current efforts and information to keep this Farmhouse and ‘fix it up.’  Carlisle Indian School Descendants and all Visitors have no place to meet up, to greet each other, to share each others’ stories, except in the school’s cemetery. As a descendant myself, I feel it is fitting to honor all the children who attended Carlisle, their parents, relatives, tribes and everyone.  It is also where all can learn the true, hidden history of the government’s assimilation experiment to change indigenous children into the white culture, work as servants or menial jobs in this country. Here is the e-mail:  cisfarmhousecoalition@gmail.com for further information.  Here is the website to make a donation to fix up the Farmhouse:  https://www.gofundme.com/carlisle-indian-school-farmhouse&renovation.

During this winter I have met with a few book clubs in the Wisconsin area to discuss my book, Sky Woman Lives in Me.  I am honored to talk to these book clubs, share my story and answer any questions. I have learned that many, ‘many’ people do not know about our true history. They do not know about the government’s reason for setting up Indian Boarding Schools; why the government set up the reservations for indigenous people to live on; why my own Great grandmother, Elizabeth Hill Huff and her marriage to my Great grandfather, Nicolas Huff, wasn’t recognized as legal because their marriage was an Oneida Indigenous Marriage Ceremony. The government did not accept this type of marriage. I could go on and on and on. Here is a photo of the cover of my book, Sky Woman  Lives in Me and a brief summary of my story.

Kudos to Nathan Phillips for keeping his cool, keeping his dignity, beating his drum and singing his prayer song despite a young man blocking his path and being extremely disrespectful to an elder human being. Mr. Phillips could have been any nationality, but he is indigenous we know. I was brought up to respect all elders no matter what color or nationality they are.

Kudos to the University of Notre Dame for deciding to cover up murals of Christopher Columbus on the walls of a school building. The University announced this deliberately on Martin Luther King Day.  In the murals Columbus is portrayed as a pioneer and devout in Catholic Faith.  But, he was also a brutal leader and encouraged genocide of indigenous peoples.  He didn’t discover America!  He never set foot in North America! He named indigenous people Indians because he though he landed in the Indies.  His ships were not the Nina, Pinta and Santa Maria as we were taught in school. In 1892 students at the Carlisle Indian Industrial Boarding School participated in a 400th celebration of Columbus by marching in parades in New York City  and Chicago. The students marched behind a banner that read, “Into Civilization and Citizenship.”

Here is a photo of my grandson, Clyde. Clyde turned 6 months old this past January 3rd.  I was thrilled to see him in December.  His smile makes me smile!

Here is another photo I just wanted to share.  It is beautiful artwork! The 50 foot sculpture is called “Dignity” to honor Sioux Women.  I share it to also honor my grandmothers’,  Mildred Elm,  Sophia Huff, Lily Huff, Elizabeth Hill…for their strength and dignity in keeping their Oneida Heritage and Language.

My prayers have been answered! I thank the Creator, God. The government shutdown has ended temporarily.  I am grateful the 800,000 Federal Workers can go back to work and receive their paychecks so they can provide for their families and themselves.  I hope this country is never held hostage again for a wall! A new wall is never going to stop a tunnel!

Thank you for reading this blog. Please share if you can, I would appreciate it. Sincerely, Roberta Capasso, a proud member of the Oneida of Wisconsin.

December 28, 2018

Dear Family and Friends and Everyone reading this blog,

I hope all had a wonderful Christmas.  Have a healthy, happy 2019!  I cannot believe how fast this past year has gone!  I was hoping to write a blog earlier but caught a virus and then a flu bug, (before the virus was gone)!  These two illnesses knocked me off my feet!   Well, I am better now, so here I share my continuing story with all of you.

My Grandson, Luke, was here for Christmas.  It is a blessing to be a grandmother.  This little fifteen month old boy was checking everything and anything out!   Here’s Luke at a farm checking out the billy goats!

I have done further research on Grace Thumbo, who was a servant at the turn of the century, along with my Great Grandmother Sophia Huff.  I have mentioned wanting to find descendants of Grace who many still alive and residing in Arizona. She had married a man named Max Pelchu in 1905. They had three sons. Much to my dismay,  all of her descendants have passed on. Tuberculosis was rampant during the early 1900’s. Her husband, Max, son Paul both passed of this terrible disease.  I am pretty sure Grace also succumbed to tuberculosis.  Her other two sons were raised by an Uncle, who also died from tuberculosis. Grace probably died around 1915 and was buried in an unmarked grave at the Arizona State Hospital. Sadly, a fire destroyed all records from this hospital, including information on the cemetery where Grace was buried. I have been able to give this information to the descendants of the Tomlinson Family of New Jersey, where Grace was a servant. The Tomlinson Family loved Grace!

Above is a photo of the Carlisle Indian Industrial Boarding School Farmhouse.  Here is a website to go to for information on current efforts to keep the Farmhouse and fix it up. The goal is to have this Farmhouse as place for descendants of  the Carlisle Indian Boarding School Students and everyone, to meet up when visiting Carlisle. The only other place to meet up is at the cemetery.  For the indigenous children who were forced to attend Carlisle, I feel it is fitting to honor them with a renovated Farmhouse, where visitors can share stories and the true history of these children and their families. If you have any questions you can contact the Farmhouse Coalition. Their e-mail is https://www.gofundme.com/carlisle-indian-school-farmhouse&rcid=r01-154024865326-872a3e051ff74848&pc=ot_co_campmgmt_Louellyn White, PhD (Akwesasne Mohawk)CIIS Descendant,Carlisle Indian School Farmhouse Coalition Founder and SpokespersonEMAIL:  cisfarmhousecoalition@gmail.com

Well, a year ago in December, 2017, Barbara Smith passed away. She was 99 years old. She was instrumental in helping me research the Quaker Family where my great grandmother worked as a servant for ten years. Barbara Smith will always be in my heart. I am grateful to have met this wonderful lady. Here is a photo of Barbara and I. 

Here is a photo of my other grandson, Clyde.  Clyde was born in July.  He too, is

a blessing from Our Creator!

I sincerely wish everyone a very Happy New Year!  May 2019 be a healthy, good year for all.  Hoyan, Oneida word for Happy New Year, is only days away. Oneidas celebrate the New Year by making donuts and other treats and going outdoors from house to house, yelling “Hoyan, Hoyan!” …giving the donuts and treats to children in the neighborhood. Grandma Millie told me she and her family traveled by sleigh or horse drawn wagon on New Year’s Day morning.  They all screamed “Hoyan”!  She said it was fun and she loved it. So, I say, “Hoyan, Hoyan to all of you!  Thank you for reading this blog. Please share this blog because I don’t know if Facebook is sharing this.  Sincerely, Roberta (Bobbie) Capasso, a proud member of the Oneida Indigenous Tribe of Wisconsin (formerly from New York State)

November 5, 2018

Dear Family, Friends and Everyone else reading my blog,

Hello! I hope all had a Happy Halloween.  The leaves are almost all down and we are supposed to get snow this weekend!

November is Native American Heritage/History Month.  As a member of the Oneida Indigenous Tribe of Wisconsin, I intend to honor this month by sharing my grandmothers’ stories (and mine) from my book, Sky Woman Lives in Me.  My book definitely explains why I am just now learning about my Oneida Culture and why I was never taught my own Oneida Language.  Realizing at around fifty years old that I was one of many indigenous people in our country colonized Euro-white. Why? I researched for fifteen years and then wrote my book. I wrote to share the real story, set the record straight and give people the true history of what happyed to indigenous tribes here in our country.  Here is a photo of the cover of my book.  It is available at 25% discount through lulu.com.  If you want to pay more money, buy it at Amazon, etc. 

October seems to have flown by.  Time waits for on one! I was able to attend two conferences commemorating the 100th Anniversary of the closing of the nation’s first Indian Boarding School, Carlisle Indian Industrial Boarding School. I shared how my great-grandmother and her sister were forced to attend Carlisle to be assimilated into the Euro-White culture in 1891.  I had researched how Carlisle Indian School (set up in 1879 until 1918) was the first experiment by the government to assimilate Native Children into the Euro-white culture.  My Great Grandmother, Sophia Huff and her sister, Lily were part of this experiment.  I learned that most Indian Boarding Schools in this country were set up to assimilate Indians to the Euro-white culture.  Here it is the year 2018 and this assimilation experiment has caused pain and heartbreak to many indigenous people in our country.  So I was honored to talk at the National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition Conference held this October in Carlisle, PA.  I met many other indigenous people, like me, who knew little about their indigenous culture. The conference was excellent! I sincerely thank NABS (National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition), staff and Christine McCleave for having this long overdue conference.  Attendees heard indigenous people share their stories of what they or their descendants experienced as a result of the government’s boarding school assimilation experiment.  No wonder I never knew much about being Oneida.  My ancestors weren’t permitted to share their indigenous culture to their future generations, thus, I and many, many descendants have been colonized white.  This conference was very moving and emotional. Sharing our stories has given us the chance to work to heal our hearts!  We all need to share our stories to let the true history come out!  Most people have no clue about the government’s boarding school assimilation experiment which was to “Kill the Indian, Save the Man.”

The second conference, Carlisle Journey’s was held a few days later at the Cumberland County Historical Society in Carlisle, PA.  I sincerely thank Barb Landis for allowing me to share my Great-Grandmother Sophia Huff’s story as a student at Carlisle and her ten years as a servant for Quakers in New Jersey.  Her sister, Lily, was listed as a student at Carlisle. However, Lily only spent three days at the school and then was sent out to be a servant in the countryside for a non-white family.  This conference was also very emotional as indigenous people shared stories of their ancestors attending boarding schools to be assimilated into the white culture.  This conference taught me a lot and gave me the opportunity not only to share my book, but to meet other indigenous people in this country who also had stories like mine to share.

I have been to the grounds of the Carlisle Indian Industrial Boarding School three times now.  Most of the original school buildings are torn down, gone!  When visitors come to this area, they see a Army War College now on the grounds. To visit, one has to show an ID and check in with Army personnel first. Once on the grounds after being allowed on them, the very first thing every visitor will see is the Carlisle Indian School Cemetery.  Then you can walk the rest of the grounds, further down the road you will see a replica Bandstand, Hessian Guard House, Jim Thorpe Gymnasium, etc.  Another building is the original Carlisle School Farm House.  It is a goal of the Carlisle Farmhouse Coalition committee to gather donations in hope of renovating the School Farmhouse. This Farmhouse would be used for visitors, indigenous descendants and to meet and greet each other.  Right now, the only place to gather is at the cemetery.  To honor those children, who were mostly forced to attend Carlisle to be assimilated, restoring this Farm House to be a Heritage Center would be fitting and wonderful for everyone.  There is a Go Fund Me started on Facebook for this Carlisle Farmhouse renovation. What a tribute to those boarding school students to have a Farmhouse Heritage Centre!  The Farm House Coalition can be reached at   Cisfarmhousecoalition@gmail.com  Barb Landis and Lu White can also give you more information at this email address.  Below is a photo of the Carlisle Indian School Farmhouse.

Lastly, my great grandmother wasn’t allowed to vote until the year 1924.  In her honor and for me, I will be voting November 6.  Sad that even today North Dakota is trying to suppress the Indian vote. Another state is trying to suppress the Puerto Rican vote!  Please, everyone, VOTE as it your life depended on it.  This country cannot continue to be run by the 1%! The other 99% of us have to go out and VOTE!  This is our country, not the 1%!

Thank you for reading this blog! Please share if you wish. I am going to watch the PBS Documentary,  DAWNLAND, that airs at 10pm eastern time, 9 pm central!  PBS is going to re-air this documentary at different times in country.  This documentary is an untold story of Native American Child Removal in the US through the nation’s first-ever government-endorsed truth and reconcilations commission.  Please watch this documentary if you can. Thank you!  Sincerely,  Roberta Capasso, Author of Sky Woman Lives in Me,  and a very proud member of the Oneida Indigenous Tribe of Wisconsin

Dear Family and Friends and Everyone else reading this blog, Hello! I hope all are having a wonderful summer.  It has been over a month since I last blogged here.  I am trying to blog once a month, but sometimes circumstances prevent this from happening.  I have been busy taking care of my husband, Chick, who had his fourth surgery this year! He is getting better each day and I thank God, Our Creator for this.

I continue to tell my story, Sky Woman Lives in Me, to share the true history of what happened to indigenous tribes here in our country.  The government decided to experiment assimilating indigenous children into the white Euro culture, by taking these children away from their families to far away boarding schools during the turn of the century.  If my husband had not helped me to self-publish my story, this hidden history wouldn’t be told today. I am quite sure no popular publisher would have helped me get this hidden story out by publishing my book.  The subject matter is quite taboo.  Assimilation, boarding schools were and are a dark chapter in this nation’s history.  And, this abuse still goes on today, with immigrant children being taken away from their parents and locked up in cages! Abuse of indigenous people and other nationalities in this country still continues.  I sincerely thank my husband, Chick, for helping me share this true history that was never taught in school.

In October there will be two conferences held to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the closing of the Carlisle Indian Industrial Boarding School in 1918. The National Native American Boarding School Healing Coalition (NABS) will be having a conference in Carlisle, Pennsylvania October 2-3.  The second conference called Carlisle’s Journey Symposium will be held October 6-7 also in Carlisle. I will be sharing my story at the symposium. No, I am not getting paid to share my story.  My payment is sharing my deceased grandmothers’ story because they cannot.  Yes, it hurts to share their story, but the pain is worth it to tell the truth, not the government’s  false historical version! I will do this until the day I die to honor my grandmothers’ and descendants who had to endure the governments assimilation experiments.  It is my sincere hope that my sharing will inspire other to share their stories.

To all of you reading this blog, I need your help.  In February of this year I blogged about my wanting to find any descendants of Grace Thumbo. Grace was a Mohave-Apache who attended Carlisle from 1899 until 1904.  I want to find her relatives who may still be living and share with them what happened to Grace when she was a servant in New Jersey for a Quaker Family for years. Grace had crossed paths with my great grandmother, Sophia Huff, who was also a servant for years to a Quaker Family. Grace’s brother came to New Jersey to bring her back to Arizona and California so she wouldn’t become assimilated! She and her brother (whose name I do not know) returned to Camp McDowell, which is now called Fort McDowell in Arizona.  She married a man named Max Pelchu (or Pelcher). She and Max had three sons, William, Herbert and Paul Pelchu (or Pelcher) . Eventually Grace moved to Phoenix, Arizona. I show a photo of Grace taken at the turn of the century.  Her Quaker Family, Tomlinson, wrote an inscription on the back of the photo.  Anyone with any information on contacting Grace’s descendants would be greatly appreciated.  My e-mail is  https://skywomanlivesinme.wordpress.com/   You can also reach me at  https://www.facebook.com/TurtleDescendent/  

Speaking of grandmothers…I became a grandmother for the second time this past July 3rd.  Here is Luke at 11 months and Clyde who was born July 3rd!  I am the lady in the pink shirt holding 1 day old Clyde!

Lastly, my book, Sky Woman Lives in Me, is discounted at 25% through Lulu Publishing. Thank you for reading this blog. Please share if you wish. Sincerely, Roberta Capasso, Author, Sky Woman Lives in Me, and a very proud member of the Oneida tribe of Wisconsin.