Author Topic: Hiden Abenaki Tribes in VT  (Read 35191 times)

Offline wajo

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Hiden Abenaki Tribes in VT
« on: January 20, 2010, 03:52:36 am »
Hi all,
I feel I have come home, finally a group of Native people who are aware of the self identified groups and indiviuals who are usurping our Abenaki cultures, virtually identity theft.
Our tribal nation is federally recoginzed in Canada, Odanak Resrve and realy are Abenaki with lots of us tribal members here in New England.
These groups created non-profits, created chiefs, and are now demanding state recognition!! VT is fostering this Abenaki goldrush, VT is kust as liable for allowing this travesity. These groups and indiviudals make lots of money, Some self identiifed names to look into and request there evidence, one such claims we were all in hiding and now has her PhD, actually two now, that is the new method to defeat us when we speak up.
Names in VT who are self-identified as just gottn found because they were lost: Marge Bruchac, Joe Bruchac, Jesse Bruchac, John Moody and wife, Pouliot and wife Brooks, april st francis, Elnu Tribe, Nulhegan, Coowasuc, Koasek, on and on, this is unbelieveable the more I investigate and became aware of all this.

Fed. Rec. Nation actually gat a letter of support from April St Francis for our ancestors bones! THPO Sherry White of the Mohigans, out in Wisconsin. I Talked to Sherry personally and she actually believes these so called hiden "tribes"

anyway I will post, ck out reinventing vermont abenaki indians, a blog with lots of documents about this issue.
wajo

Offline karen mica

  • Posts: 34
Re: Hiden Abenaki Tribes in VT
« Reply #1 on: June 15, 2010, 03:57:53 am »
There are a few things everyone should know about this "Vermont Abenaki" ordeal occurring right now, and is why I have come here to ask for some help to stop it. 

First let me say that I am not a Vermont Abenaki, never was a Vermont Abenaki and have never claimed to be a Vermont Abenaki. I am from Massachusetts.

My own affiliation and kinship comes from Abenaki Sachem Madockawando and many of the St. Castine relatives, of Pentagouet and the early Acadian area.

I also have ancestors who were at Sillery as well.

Both Vincent and Anselme St.Castine were instrumental in preserving the rights of the Abenakis in the U.S. and saving the lives of many families by getting land concessions for them in Quebec (St-François-de-Sales, near Quebec, then St-François-du-Lac (Odanak) near Sorel in Nicolet) .... those who have read my blog will understand why I am so defensive of Odanak and those early connections that come from there.

When I first joined my family to a Vermont Band, I was roped into acting as the genealogist because there wasn`t anyone doing genealogies and people were being accepted on their word... and since I knew a little about genealogy, I was volunteered for the job.

This is where the trouble started of course, and is when Chief Brian Chenervert ( who shares many of the same ancestors with me ) and myself became the enemies of the "Vermont" Abenakis, since it didn`t take us much time at all to figure out what was happening and who was involved in the little "scam game" going on in Vermont.

And as I said even though neither of us are "from Vermont", there was no way we could just sit back and allow this blatant fraud attempted by the fab4... as we have named them to just continue and not do something, to stop it.

We have been threatened and cursed and verbally abused, but we are still trying to get the word out to enough people, that maybe someone can come up with something to put an end to this nonsense. before it goes any further...

Anyway, I was hoping that some of you might have time to go and have a look at the blog.

You are all welcome to leave a comment or a thought at any time as well.

And thank you...every little bit is deeply appreciated!
 

 http://abenakijustice.blogspot.com/2010/03/this-blog-is-primarily-for-use-by.html
 

Offline educatedindian

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Re: Hiden Abenaki Tribes in VT
« Reply #2 on: June 16, 2010, 08:54:46 pm »
Hi Karen, and welcome.

That blog of yours has gotten quite a lot of attention. Lots of information and debate for anyone wanting to look at the issues. I spent a couple hours there and still didn't finish it all. Could you give a brief summary of what's going on for the rest of us, just a quick break down of the main players and their positions?

Offline karen mica

  • Posts: 34
Re: Hiden Abenaki Tribes in VT
« Reply #3 on: June 17, 2010, 07:20:07 am »
First let me say thank you for taking an interest in this issue, it has become quite a battle!
 

The fab4 as we call them, consist of four new "bands" sprung up within the past few years and their leaders are "Chief" Nancy Ducett of the Koas of the Coo`s, "Chief" Luke Willard Koas something or other, "Chief" Roger Sheehan of the El Nu native interpreters and of course "Chief" April St. Francis-Merill who has already been disproved by the Federal Government and who has joined her "Missisquoi" group in an alliance with these three others.

They fully expected to be handed State recognition in Vermont and the whole thing was set up to exclude any others with a valid claim and had it not been for this battle and people having some say over this, with letters to the State house etc, it is a pretty sure thing that they would have gotten away with it.

As of now, it is looking as though the State of Vermont is backing away from the fight and have opted to create a Commission instead, that will handle "records and applications" and will approve or disprove applicants and refer those approved to a separate "committee" who will in turn hand it off to the Governor for the final stamp of approval.

Or at least this is the way I understand it.

And if this is what is happening, ( not much is being said at this point ) then there doesn`t seem to be much of a chance for the fab4 to get this recognition now anyway.

Unless they can stack the Commission which is also very unlikely.

So it appears that they have been stopped for the time being anyway, and if we can keep the pressure on them then maybe reality will sink in and they will give up this farce before it goes any further.

Please everyone, keep on eye on Vermont and lets see what they do with this and whether or not they will "recognize" these people in the end.

 

 

 

Offline karen mica

  • Posts: 34
Re: Abenaki frauds in Vermont
« Reply #4 on: September 05, 2010, 03:17:18 am »
Lol, it now seems as though the Governor of Vermont have "appointed" at least 6 of a 9 member "Commission" from people of the Fab4 fraudulent groups!

Talk about stacking the deck..and setting them selves up to control everything.

If their not stopped soon, there will be no stopping them later.

http://reinventedvermontabenaki.blogspot.com/

or
http://abenakijustice.blogspot.com/2010/03/this-blog-is-primarily-for-use-by.html?commentPage=5

Offline Diana

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Re: Hiden Abenaki Tribes in VT
« Reply #5 on: September 05, 2010, 07:33:30 am »
Here's an article from ICT. Very interesting on what is required from the applicant, there's no mention of any genealogical documentation, hmmmm. 




Vermont establishes recognition process for Abenaki bands and tribes
By Gale Courey Toensing

Story Published: Jun 17, 2010



MONTPELIER, Vt. – After years of frustration, distrust, divisiveness and recrimination, Vermont now has a process in place to give state recognition to the area’s Abenaki bands and tribes.

In a May 14 ceremony, Vermont Gov. Jim Douglas signed into law S. 222, An act relating to state recognition of Native American Indian tribes in Vermont, while a group of Abenaki leaders looked on.

Although it was the culmination of a long struggle, Abenaki leaders say S. 222 falls short of what Vermont’s indigenous people need and deserve, but it’s a first step in an ongoing process.

Commission Chairman Charles Delaney-Megeso, a Mazipskwik (Missisquoi) Abenaki, gave his perspective on the process as he stepped down from the commission.

“This year’s work on S. 222 has, I hope, given us another quarter of a loaf and gotten us that much closer to what we need and rightfully deserve as Indians. Although this law still leaves much work to be done, it does give N’dakinna’s (Vermont’s) aboriginal peoples a clear process for gaining recognition, something the previous law did not.”

Delaney-Megeso, who has served as chair since last November, and other commissioners were required to step down as a result of the passage of the bill.

Efforts to establish a state recognition process have been so contentious that the commission has had three chairmen since its creation in 2006.

The first, Mark Mitchell, St. Francis/Sokoki Band of Abenaki Indians of Missisquoi, resigned in September 2008 after a two-year tug of war with the state. He said the commission’s powers were “illusory.”

Donald Stevens, also a St. Francis/Sokoki member, served from September 2008 to May 2009. He resigned, telling the governor that conflicts among the Native groups would not be overcome until the state made changes in the legislation.

Under the new bill, the number of commissioners will increase from seven to nine members appointed by the governor for staggered two year terms. The state’s Division for Historic Preservation recommend candidates to the governor that are selected by the state’s recognized tribes – once they are recognized.

“As new people apply to reform the Native Affairs Commission, I hope that they are chosen for their dedication and driving vision to better all aspects of Vermont Indians’ lives. I believe that it is crucial that the incoming commissioners want to help heal wounds and dysfunctions in the Native community,” Delaney-Megeso said.

The state recognition process is complex and involves three levels of authorization: the commission, a review committee, and approval by the legislature.

A band or tribe that wants to be recognized by the state will file an application with the commission and will have to comply with eight seemingly overlapping criteria. The applicant must have:


•a majority of members must reside in “a specific location within Vermont;”
•a “substantial number” of members must be related to each other by kinship;

•a connection with Native American Indian tribes and bands that have historically inhabited Vermont;

•a documented historical “organizational structure” and authority over its members;

•“an enduring community presence” in Vermont documented by archaeology, ethnography, physical anthropology, history, folklore, or other scholarly research and data;

•organized “in part” to preserve, document, and promote its Native American Indian culture and history as reflected in its bylaws, and to address the social, economic, political or cultural needs of the members with ongoing educational programs and activities;

•documented traditions, customs, oral stories, and histories that signify the applicant’s Native American heritage and connection to its historical homeland;

•not been recognized as a tribe in any other state, province, or nation.

The commission will review the application and hold a public hearing. An application normally will be processed in one year.

The commission will set up a three-member review panel for each application. The panel will provide a detailed written report of its review and supporting documentation and make a recommendation to grant or deny recognition. Commission members will recuse themselves from their own tribes’ applications. Review panel members must be approved by the commission and the applicant.

The application then returns to the commission for an additional review and detailed written report, and if state recognition is recommended, the matter goes forward to the legislature for approval.

The commission’s recommendation to deny recognition is final, but an applicant can reapply if new information comes forward to support recognition.

The original 2006 bill that created the commission – S. 117 – was flawed. It recognized Vermont’s Abenaki “people” and “all Native American people who reside in Vermont as a minority population” instead of specifically naming the St. Francis/Sokoki Band of Abenaki Indians of Missisquoi and other Abenaki bands and tribes as state recognized tribes.

The original language also didn’t meet the criteria for Native artists to label their productions under the federal Indian Arts and Crafts Act, and the situation reached a level of absurdity when Jesse Larocque, a master Abenaki basket maker who receives federal grants for his work was issued a federal cease and desist order from the Indian Arts and Crafts Board to stop labeling his work as made by an Abenaki Indian.

The new bill still recognizes Indians who live in Vermont as “an ethnic minority.”

It also reveals the state’s underlying uneasiness about recognizing its indigenous people: fear of federal recognition, land claims, and Indian casinos.

“According to a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), state recognition of Indian tribes plays a very small role with regard to federal recognition. ... State-recognized Native American Indian tribes and their members will continue to be subject to all laws of the state, and recognition shall not be construed to create any basis or authority for tribes to establish or promote any form of prohibited gambling activity or to claim any interest in land or real estate in Vermont,” the bill says.


Offline karen mica

  • Posts: 34
Re: Hiden Abenaki Tribes in VT
« Reply #6 on: September 05, 2010, 08:18:12 pm »
And because of that "criteria" they have simply taken local lore and local artifacts and made the claim that it all relates back to them!

Fred Wiseman who is doing most of the writing for all four of these "groups" is himself a citizen of the April St. Francis " Missisquoi" bunch in Swanton Vermont, and simply uses his "credentials" as a means of promoting this bs, and attempting to make it all believable

because "he" says so! 

I personally attended one of the meetings at the Vermont State House where we ( the Koasek Trad`s ) were met at the door by a State Representatives and told flat out, that if we even in any way brought up the subject of "genealogical proofs", that we would be thrown out! 
It was pretty clear right then and there what they had in mind, and that the state was going to promote and protect the frauds, because these were the ones putting on the pow wow`s and bringing the money into the state. We were not. Odanak was not.

So we were basically out the door and Fab4`s are in... because they were the show ponies, bringing a few bucks into Vermont!  It didn`t matter that they are liars and fakes...Pure and simple.

This is simply the most outrageous and intentional injustice that I have seen happen anywhere! 
They purposely and willfully intend to disallow any and all Abenaki descendants from taking part in this phony recognition and replacing them with the "fabulous frauds", who have been shown to be early Vermont Colonists pretending to indians!

I still find it difficult to accept that this is actually happening ( for real ) since it seems that we should be waking up from this nightmare, but we are not!

 

Re: Hiden Abenaki Tribes in VT
« Reply #7 on: September 05, 2010, 09:48:07 pm »
Can you bring a lawsuit against the state of Vt for misrepresentation and fraud?
press the little black on silver arrow Music, 1) Bob Pietkivitch Buddha Feet http://www.4shared.com/file/114179563/3697e436/BuddhaFeet.html

Offline karen mica

  • Posts: 34
Re: Hiden Abenaki Tribes in VT
« Reply #8 on: September 07, 2010, 05:09:14 am »
Well, I`m not sure if we could, or even how to go about bringing a law suit.
Any advice on that?
Something has to be done and soon, or they are going to get away with this.

Re: Hiden Abenaki Tribes in VT
« Reply #9 on: September 07, 2010, 03:46:09 pm »
Well, I'd look in the yellow pages for a lawyer on civil rights or state/gov/fed law.. then I would explain the
situation. It might take a few tries to find one interested in taking on your case.  If nothing else, the
consultation they give might help better understand what is needed to stop this. Just seems crazy to me
that VT is going to recognize a bunch of people as ndn's when they are not and there is no proof.  Lawyer
may advise you take suit up with the groups getting recognized..

Anyway, with lawyers it's always best to consult more than one.. and if one says they can't ask
if they can recommend a lawyer who can ..

Do Native Americans have an association the way Black people have the NAACP? 
press the little black on silver arrow Music, 1) Bob Pietkivitch Buddha Feet http://www.4shared.com/file/114179563/3697e436/BuddhaFeet.html

Offline Camilla

  • Posts: 49
Re: Hiden Abenaki Tribes in VT
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2010, 09:37:13 am »
Hi Everybody

Could be NARF (Native Americans Rights Fund) of any help?

Here is the link

http://www.narf.org/

Nice day

camilla
Camilla

Offline karen mica

  • Posts: 34
Re: Hiden Abenaki Tribes in VT
« Reply #11 on: September 09, 2010, 05:18:56 am »
We will try to contact them. Thank you.

Offline Camilla

  • Posts: 49
Re: Hiden Abenaki Tribes in VT
« Reply #12 on: September 09, 2010, 07:51:13 am »
Good morning (for those on this side of the "pond") and good night (for those who are on the other side).

Here is another interesting link:

http://www.indianlaw.org/

Take care

camilla

Camilla

Offline Smart Mule

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Re: Hiden Abenaki Tribes in VT
« Reply #13 on: September 09, 2010, 05:12:13 pm »
If you were to go the direction of a lawsuit now, what would the premise be?

 

Re: Hiden Abenaki Tribes in VT
« Reply #14 on: September 09, 2010, 05:23:37 pm »
Well, I think it would be fraud and misrepresentation, especially if these groups
take away from real groups any benefits the state offers to them. But even
if there are no benefits, it's fraud and a misrepresentation of a real group of
people not to mention history itself.

I wouldn't be able to claim I was a doctor when I am not.. or a Rockfeller say, and
then misrepresent that families history..  they'd bring me to court for it.
press the little black on silver arrow Music, 1) Bob Pietkivitch Buddha Feet http://www.4shared.com/file/114179563/3697e436/BuddhaFeet.html