This commentary is by Don Stevens of Shelburne, chief of the Nulhegan Abenaki.
It is unfortunate that a history professor who works at the University of Vermont, who enjoys “white privilege,” feels that he has the authority or obligation to determine who is a legitimate Abenaki.
Although UVM may be a reputable institution, even these institutions make mistakes, and professors can be misguided. The misguided work of Henry Perkins and UVM conducting the eugenics survey is such an example. UVM and the state of Vermont have since learned from this mistake and have apologized for their work and “opinions” about human-subject research.
You would hope that history would not repeat itself. It is 97 years later, and we are still dealing with misguided UVM professors using their position to affect the Vermont Abenaki people. Let’s be clear, everyone can have an “opinion,” but no one has the authority to judge who we are as human beings or as a people.
Not unlike what we are seeing in national politics with presidential elections, there is a massive misinformation campaign being waged against the Vermont Abenaki — from inside and outside of the country — to affect political outcomes on the “recognition status” of our tribes for personal motives.
We should have learned by now that you don’t have to suppress someone else to uplift your own affiliation. I hope that educated people can see the parallel and understand that each tribe has equal rights and protections to coexist in the same space called Vermont.
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I would like to correct some of the inaccurate information being circulated.
Darryl Leroux and other experts have demonstrated that Vermont tribes have no Indigenous ancestry: Darryl Leroux, like the Odanak, lives outside of the United States and is relying on Canadian databases and other “experts” to do the work for him. They have no understanding of the Vermont Abenaki experience and very little expertise doing this type of research. We have our own experts who disagree with Leroux and his findings. In my case, state records clearly show that my family is Indian. If the definition of Abenaki is being only an Odanak citizen, well, that is narrow-minded and just not historically accurate. I am a Nulhegan Abenaki, which is a totally separate tribe and different lived experience.
The state of Vermont and the Vermont Abenaki are “erasing” actual Indigenous people: Have you not seen the massive media campaign that Odanak and their allies are waging against us? Odanak has had multiple opportunities and funding to tell their history and lived experience through UVM, Vermont Public and other large supporting media platforms. Odanak is just another tribe with their own history separate from the Vermont Abenaki. Odanak just happens to be in Canada with some citizens who visited the U.S. to sell baskets. They stated themselves that they left by the 1800s. Instead of attacking the Vermont Abenaki, why don’t they spend their resources on educating people about their history and lived experience. Nothing is preventing that. They should work together with us on preserving language and uplifting culture if it is important to them.
Odanak was excluded from the recognition process: This is simply not true. Odanak was represented by Richard “Skip” Bernier (who holds an official position with Odanak as their Vermont Fish & Wildlife Department representative) and Tim De LaBruere, who served on the Vermont Commission on Native Affairs when the recognition process began. Both are Odanak citizens and voiced their opposition to the recognition process on behalf of the Odanak Council. I know because I was in attendance at the testimony hearings.
Self-proclaimed “tribes” were not required to demonstrate Native ancestry: This is not true. The appointed scholars and Legislative Committee received a copy of the Nulhegan Recognition Application and our genealogy packets. Both were reviewed and accepted as part of the process.
Vermont Legislature has granted hunting and fishing licenses and property tax relief: This is true, however, this is nothing that other classes of Vermonters haven’t received. Any state of Vermont citizen can get a permanent hunting and fishing license when they turn 66 years old. Many other classes of Vermonters have the ability to get permanent licenses. Other businesses have tax-exempt properties as well, like humane societies, churches, etc.
Thank you for allowing me to clarify some of the actual facts and misinformation floating around.
Read the story on VTDigger here: Chief Don Stevens: Inaccurate information keeps getting circulated about the Vermont Abenaki tribes and their leaders.