Hello,
I am sending you this email because I want to ask you a few questions about your “lecture” at the Missisquoi general meeting this past Sunday. I was one of the many people who had to pause for coffee/bathroom breaks because quite frankly, you were boring the living crap out of everyone.
First of all, why did you bring up the Elnu and Nulhegan groups? Allow me to remind you that this was a general meeting of the St.Francis/Sokoki band of the Missisquoi Abenaki Nation, not the Nulhegan and not the Elnu!
Second of all, I spoke with quite a few people who were personally insulted by your “lecture”. They felt that you were using your status as a Professor at Johnson State College to lecture us on what is supposed to be OUR heritage, not yours, not the Elnu and certainly not the Nulhegan. These folks and I as well feel that you were talking down to us in a manner that you had no right to do.We, the St.Francis/Sokoki band, were here long before Luke Willard and his merry band of greasy-haired “indians” came along. We were insulted by your dog and pony show.
Third of all, how did you come to become a member of the the Missisquoi tribal council? As much as I hate to be the bearer of bad news, you are not, and never will be, an Abenaki, no matter how much you try to convince yourself. That council should be open to only members of the St.Francis/Sokoki band. This reminds me of a similar play by Jeff Benay to weasel his way onto the VCNAA, though he too, has absolutely NO Abenaki heritage. Either the Missisquoi council is naive, or you just had to find a way to get involved.
I know that in the past, you have accused people like myself of being “hate bloggers”. You must hate the St.Francis/Sokoki band enough to put the Elnu and Nulhegan people above us at our own general meeting! Why aren’t you riding the coattails of one Luke Willard, ex-chairman of the VCNAA? You should be up in Brownington, patting these frauds on the back instead of talking down to the good people of Missisquoi!
For years, we sat by and watched you tell lie after lie about our heritage while simultaneously back-stabbing each and every one of the St.Francis/Sokoki band members.
We sat there and watched as you helped the Elnu, Nulhegan and Koasek frauds obtain recognition that they were never entitled to in the first place!
Come October, we will no longer sit and watch. We will take action. We will use the power of Democracy to cast you out of our tribe and our community.
We will take back our band and Missiquoi for ourselves!
Vermont Native Justice 