VERNON, N.Y. (WKTV) - The Oneida Nation is showing the world how to go green!  The Turning Stone Resort Golf Championship is showing how the Nation is changing for the better when it comes to saving the environment.
    
If you step inside the concession tent at Atunyote, you will see all of your familiar concession stand foods, but you may not be familiar with what you will be using to eat that food.  The Oneida Nation has gone green in terms of eating utensils, plates and cups.  The utensils are made partially of bamboo, the plates are 100 percent biodegradable and the cups are actually made of corn.  So just about everything that is thrown away will go back into the earth naturally, rather than sit around on a dump site for years to come.
    
Bear Clan spokesperson Brian Patterson says it is not just about the present.  "We have a responsibility to future generations, there's a number of steps, we as an Oneida people have taken in recent years to preserve and enhance and protect our environment and the PGA allows us the opportunity to the world, the first green PGA tour event." Patterson said.
    
Even some of the clothing being sold at the tournament is 100 percent organic, including the green shirts being worn by volunteers.  The Oneidas say part of their culture is to keep the environment healthy which in turn, keeps their people healthy.
    
Turtle Clan spokesperson Clint Hill says being bring is part of their culture.  "It's one of the pillars of our ancient culture is we serve as caretakers of mother earth so this puts our culture into practice into 21st century value based on our ancient value."  Hill says "that's the whole point of it, to make sure it goes back in the earth, but goes back in the earth safely."