⤓ Download a transcript of the Episode as a PDF // → Subscribe

Introduction #

• This is an episode of the Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery podcast, featuring a presentation by Susan Brewer, a retired professor and author. The discussion centers on the history of "the best land"—a specific area in Madison County, New York—and the dispossession of the Oneida Nation during the development of the Erie Canal.

Key Themes and Summary #

• The "Best Land": Brewer describes her family farm in Oneida, New York, which sat upon a geographically vital route through the Appalachian Mountains . This land was historically the territory of the Oneida people.
• Innovation vs. Dispossession: While the Erie Canal is often celebrated as an engineering triumph, Brewer highlights it as a story of "ruthless and corrupt dispossession" . New York State frequently acquired Oneida land through treaties that violated federal law .
• The Denny/de Ferrier Family: Much of the narrative follows Polly Denny (an Oneida-Mohawk woman) and her husband Angel de Ferrier (a French refugee). They acted as "go-betweens" for the Oneidas and the State, eventually owning the "best land" before it passed to the Brewer family as the Oneidas were pressured to move to Wisconsin .
• Historical Erasure: Brewer notes that while Angel de Ferrier was honored as a "pioneer," Polly’s identity and the ongoing presence of the Oneida people were often erased from historical records and textbooks, portraying them as a "vanishing" people despite their continued legal battle for their ancestral lands .

Resources #

• Brewer, Susan A. The Best Land: Four Hundred Years of Love and Betrayal on Oneida Territory. 1st ed, Cornell University Press, 2024.

Credits #

• Music: Onondaga Social Dance songs performed by Orris Edwards and Regis Cook
• Producers: Jordan Loewen-Colón and Adam DJ Brett and Crow Richardson
• Show notes: Adam DJ Brett

Citation #

Philip P. Arnold and Sandra Bigtree, "06E06: Brewer - Sloan Lecture- The Oneidas, the Best Land, and the Erie Canal - By Susan Brewer " Mapping the Doctrine of Discovery (Podcast), 2026-02-01. https://podcast.doctrineofdiscovery.org/season6/episode-06/.