VCNAA Meeting Minutes 6/21/11 (with my commentary)

I believe that the VCNAA website needs someone that knows how to work on websites because the link for the May 17th minutes brings one to the June 21st minutes.

Not bad for a website funded by the taxpayers of the State of Vermont!

(By the way, this was one of the same points that the Vermont Indigenous Alliance used when attacking the former commission.)

VCNAA Meeting minutes June 21 2011

My commentary as follows below:

1. Approve minutes of May 17, 2011.
Charlene moved to approve the minutes. Melody seconded and all agreed.

As I just mentioned, where are these minutes?

2. Testimony of Senator Hinda Miller
The testimony was cancelled. No rescheduling was needed.

Oooh, Hinda decided not to testify? Oh pray tell, what could be the reason behind that? Hinda Miller’s been a strong proponent of this VCNAA/Alliance bullshit from day one. I don’t think her testimony means a goddamn thing at this point.

3. Consider Draft Recommendation Report to General Assembly for: St. Francis/Sokoki Band

The commission looked over the recommendation report with the following changes:

1. Page 6: line 2: add “…with portions of Swanton, Alburg, Highgate
towns and other areas in Franklin…”
2. Page 6: line 4: remove “map of Lake Champlain”
3. Page 6: line 10: add “…Sokoki Band, I. E. clothing, tools,…”
4. Page 6: line 11: start new paragraph with “Many Indian identifying customs, such as keeping fish eyes warm by keeping them beneath tongue, separated Missiquoi Abenakis from their Anglo and Franco-VT neighbors…”
5. Page 6: line 12: replace “gross” with “primitive.”
6. Page 6: line 13: remove “would”
7. Page 6: line 16: remove “Abenaki”
8. Page 6: line 17: replace Vermont with “the region”
9. Page 6: line 18: remove “to destroy”. Add period after “some of these
sites. Begin new sentence with “Missisquoi…”
10. Page 6: line 20: replace “destroyed” with “threatened”
11. Page 6: line 21 & 22: Remove “80 of these grave sites were located in
the Boucher cemetery which was later purchased by the State of
Vermont where the exhumed bodies were…”
12. Page 6: line 25: replace “house” with “housing”
13. Page 6: line 26: start new paragraph with “Today Missiquoi…” and
replace “yearly” with “annual”
14. Page 6: line 26 – 28: remove paragraph “Reaching out to the community…oral history and its people.”
Discussion was held. Charlene moved to accept the draft with noted edits. Shirly seconded.
All agreed.

Now we’re crackin’! The fun part of these minutes is where they take pre-existing information (courtesy of Mr.Freddy M. Wiseass PH.D(umbass)) and modify it to make it more “acceptable” to these flakes.

Nowhere is there a mention of the tribal rolls, which I assume they wish to keep the same.

4. Indian Child Welfare Act
Discussion was held. Luke will continue meeting with Sherry Gould and Betty Johnson regarding Abenaki children in foster care. Luke will set up a meeting with the Department of Health & Human Services.

Sherry Gould? The same Sherry Gould that’s currently working to scam the state of New Hampshire in the same way that Luke Willard and his co-horts have done to the state of Vermont? Give me a break!

1. Abenaki Heritage Week in May
Discussion was held. Luke suggested to get in touch with people who participate in the previous heritage week. Questions that came up: Funding resources? Presenters? It was decided to speak with Jeff Benay regarding the previous events. Charlene will work on next year’s event and bring to the next meeting.

It’s no shock that the Missisquoi Pow-Wow was canceled this year. Perhaps they didn’t “raise” enough money to pay the vendors to come?

2. Nulhegan requesting assistance in securing funds for DOL INAP and Title VII
Indian Education Fund.Luke read a letter from Nulhegan Chief Don Stevens requesting assistance inimplementing the programs in the Northeast Kingdom. Discussion was held. Luke willdraft a letter from the Commission to DHP and the Governor’s office requesting the necessary resources.

It wouldn’t be long before they starting requesting “funds” that we all know are going to go straight into the pockets of Donald Stevens and perhaps also into Luke’s pockets over time. Don’t lie to us, people. You’re not fooling anyone but the State of Vermont.

3. Special meeting
It was decided to invite Jeff Benay to attend a special meeting to discuss Title VII and Abenaki Heritage Week. We’re looking at a special meeting at National Life at 5:30pm at a date most convenient for Jeff.

That is, if Jeff stops hiding under a rock long enough. Trust me, you don’t want his advice on anything at this point.

There we have it, folks. Meeting minutes from your wonderful sham of a Commission. I shall continue to comment on their foibles and hold nothing back. After all, only the people can hold each other accountable in situations such as this.

VCNAA Meeting Minutes 4/7/11 (with my commentary)

Commentary is as follows:

Once again, the public hearing for the St.Francis/Sokoki band involved more fudging of the numbers. Funny how April asks if it would be best to withdraw the application and for some reason, has not done so. Trust me, they do not have the 51% they claim. For the last time, the application is outdated and should be rescinded.

3. You can clearly see where they attempted to change things around by including Chittenden County. Just another attempt to keep the people on the rolls and/or to make them seem more current so the application can stand. Clever.  And not surprisingly, they all voted yes. Typical.

3b. “New Information”.  Funny how Skinas and Lacy allegedly broke their own rules and now the commission claims they haven’t. It’s even more disgusting that Skinas will remain on the scholar panel.

If he hadn’t bribed them with sweetgrass, who knows?

This commission lost credibility right at the beginning. They are continuing their downward slide into the ridiculous.

VCNAA Meeting Minutes 3/15/11 (with my commentary)

Apologies for the late post as life has been incredibly hectic as of late. Below is the attached pdf file with my comments.

VCNAA_Minutes_of_March_15_2011

Update on current recognition legislation.

Luke brief those present on his understanding of the current bills. The Nulhegan and Elnu bills passed the House and are now with the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs. The Commission’s recommendation of the Koasek Band of the Koas was passed to the House and Senate. No action has been taken at this time.

Leave it up to the State of Vermont to IGNORE the evidence against both groups and approve their applications anyway. The people shall speak at the polls when the time comes. After all, the State of Vermont just can’t resist the idea of money flowing into the coffers from recognition of these voodoo groups.

Update on Public Records Redaction Process. The redaction of genealogical data and specific archeological locations
from all current recognition related documents has been completed under the supervision of Division for Historic Preservation legal counsel.

You can thank the DHP, especially Giovanna Peebles, for helping these groups to conceal their identities even further. Unfortunately for these fools, one can go onto a website such as ancestry.com and look up this information. Or, they can pour through documents that have been posted on blogs. It’s too late to redact information that is already out in the public spectrum!

2:00PM – PUBLIC HEARING re: Missisquoi St. Francis/Sokoki Application

Luke welcomed all present, provided a reminder that there was no quorum, announced the purpose of the hearing, and welcomed testimony from anyone present. Missisquoi Chief, April Merrill, was recognized. Chief Merrill thanked the Commission for its work and the opportunity to speak on behalf of Missisquoi. She spoke briefly about the significance of recognition and the history of Missisquoi’s struggle for it.

Luke referenced Criterion 1 of Act 107 and asked April if he understood correctly that Missisquoi’s ‘specific geographic location within Vermont’ is roughly Franklin and Grand Isle counties which April confirmed.

Luke asked Professor Peter Thomas, who reviewed Missisquoi’s application as an expert panelist to brief the Commission on his review which he did. Referencing Criterion 1 again, Luke asked Professor Thomas what method he used to verify that a majority of Missisquoi’s members reside in a specific geographic location within Vermont. Professor Thomas referenced the application’s response to the criterion. Luke asked Professor Thomas if he considered the historic chief, Louis Gill (whose parents were white captives), to be Abenaki. This created much discussion.

Jim McCahey, a member of Missisquoi, was recognized and gave testimony in favor of recognition of the tribe. John Churchill, a member of Missisquoi, was recognized and gave testimony in favor of recognition of the tribe.

David Vanslette, a member of Missisquoi, who recused himself from all Commission action in regards to Missisquoi, provided a brief testimony regarding Missisquoi.

Just typical fluff. No mention of the duplicate/triplicate names, dead people or non-members on the tribal rolls that were submitted as part of Missisquoi’s application. No mention of the people who protested such a thing. Nothing. Just typical baseline fluff.

Native people in Vermont should know by now that the VCNAA cannot be trusted to be fair, transparent and respectful of others. It exists solely for the purpose of recognizing the Alliance frauds. Despite the fact that she’s under investigation, April Merrill couldn’t resist a chance to cheerlead for her cause.

That’s the VCNAA in a nutshell.

By the way, they’re meeting in Swanton tomorrow at 12pm at the Village Complex. This meeting was on their website at least 2 months ago but they waited until very recently to announce it.

Were they trying to discourage the opposition from attending, knowing that most people would be working and/or unable to attend?

VCNAA Meeting Minutes 2/15/11 (with added commentary)

It’s that time of the month where I critique yet another set of minutes from the biased, fraudulent VCNAA. Original minutes are in the link below with commentary below that as well:

vcnaa_minutes_021511

Commentary starts here:

2. Update on current recognition legislation

Luke gave a briefing on the status of the bills regarding the State Recognition of the Elnu and Nulhegan tribes. The two House bills have passed and crossedover to the Senate.

This was done by a voice vote after the House claimed that they had poured over all of the documentation. I don’t believe it. Neither application should have passed.

Peter Thomas was recognized by the chair. He asked if scholars from the Review Panel would be testifying in regards to pending applications (ie Missisquoi). Luke explained that the legislative committees had taken testimony from Review Panel scholars during the Elnu and Nulhegan committee hearings. Presumably, the committee will do the same with future recommendations.

I assume that both David Lacy and Dave Skinas will not be able to give any more testimony, which makes sense considering what they did.

3. Public records redaction process

After requesting clarity on the process of redacting information that is exempt from the public record (ie Archeological site locations, Genealogy) from recognition applications and reports from the Commission and Scholar Review Panels, legal counsel from the Division for Historic Preservation is helping to develop a process.

When was genealogy made exempt from the public record? These people just do not want anyone pouring over their genealogy because it does not line up with what they are trying to do!

Luke has made it clear to legislators and Historic Preservation that the Commission does not have the resources to perform legal redactions. Luke suggested that the Commission consider adopting a policy that instructs applicants that this information can’t come to us.

He could ask his pal, Mr.Illuzzi, to pull a few strings. Illuzzi’s already at it, helping these people to obscure the truth about themselves.

Dawn mentioned that it would be difficult for us to establish the kinship criteria in our reports without the genealogical references. Luke noted that the Scholar Panels would still be able to access the information and we can reference their responses in our reports.

Fred moved to make it policy from this point on that applications may not include genealogical information that identifies specific living individuals or archaeological site locations. This information may be included in the Expert Review Panel packets.

Only these “review experts” will have access to this information. And, if they are connected to the members of this commission? You can bet your bottom dollar that the public will not hear or see this information.

Nathan suggested that we use the word “must”, rather than “may” in the last sentence. Fred amended his motion to replace “may” with “must”. Takara seconded Fred’s motion. Luke stated the motion with the exact wording, “Applications may not include genealogical information that identifies specific living
individuals or archaeological site locations. This information must be included in a separate packet that only goes to the expert review panelists.” All agreed.

This whole process is comical. Only in the state of Vermont, can you invent a tribe, join a commission and make your own rules. What about transparency in government? Are these people really afraid that others are going to harm them if their genealogical information is out there?

4. Review draft Commission Report re: Koasek of the Koas

Dawn began by noting that the addendum satisfied any concerns from the initial review but voiced a concern about some names and addresses that were not included in the application. Luke mentioned that the Commission has already voted unanimously to recommend recognition of Koasek to the General Assembly. He noted that Nathan had originally brought up the fact thatthere were Koasek members whose names and street addresses were left out for privacy purposes. Luke confirmed it as 17 members and that their Band ID numbers and town/state of residence were listed in the roster to document their existence. This is detailed in the Commission’s draft report to the legislature. Luke asked how we interpret Criterion 4.

Despite the fact that some of the scholars expressed doubt as to the legitimacy of this incorporation (mainly Lacy & Skinas), they approved the application.

This is totally not a surprise at all. Anyone who thought that these people were going to do the right thing, obviously had no clue about their true purpose on this commission.

He mentioned that, fundamentally, the criterion is to establish the existence of the applicant’s “organizational structure” and how the fact that a tribe keeps a detailed census of its members
supports that. He said that although some names were left out for privacy purposes, the Commission was still able to confirm that the applicant maintains a census of its members. Fred mentioned that the criterion did not specify that ‘all’ names and addresses be included. Discussion continued around the purpose and intent of the names and addresses. Nathan voiced
that his concern is that we will set a precedent. Luke mentioned again that we must look at the criteria. We use the names and addresses for two purposes: To establish that a majority of the
applicant’s members currently reside in a specific geographic location within Vermont; and to support that the applicant maintains an organizational structure that exerts influence and
authority over its members. We’ve seen this.

It seems to me like Nathan was right to ask questions. It’s too bad that Luke and Fred aren’t interested in listening. Nope, can’t have Nathan rocking the apple cart.

Chief Nancy Millette-Doucet was recognized. She explained that this particular family would not permit the publishing of their personally identifiable information for reasons of privacy. She
said that Koasek is a tribe, not a dictatorship, and she cannot force them to be public or expelthem from the tribe for exercising their own right to privacy.

It’s not a tribe, it’s an incorporation. The “Queen Bee” makes yet another appearance. The funny thing is, no one has said just who this “family” is.

Nathan said that the law needs to be changed.Luke said that there is definitely a gray area in the law, however, we already voted to unanimously to recommend Koasek for recognition. No one brought this up at the public hearing or any of the other meetings we have had since Koasek’s application was submitted on November 16th of last year. We need to provide a report to the legislature and that is the item at hand. It can be amended to say anything we want but we need to provide the legislature with a report.

Just because no one brought it up, doesn’t mean that there wasn’t opposition to it. Also, who writes these minutes?

Nathan moved to not approve the draft report. No one seconded.

See what I mean? They were going to approve it regardless of what Nathan and others said. This is why this commission should be disbanded.

Fred noted that he is fine with the report because we noted in it that the 17 names were redacted for privacy purposes. We are up front about it in the report and we explain our decision.
Nathan brought up how Chief Roger Longtoe asked about the names and addresses in Newport and we told him that they have to be included. Everyone should have to do the same thing.
Luke said that Koasek did provide names and addresses and that he told Chief Nancy the same thing that he told Chief Roger. Luke said we may be forgetting that Eloise Beil, Bill Haviland,
and David Skinas all provided detailed reports of approval, that include the fourth criterion.

Everyone should do the same thing, unless their name is Nancy Millette-Doucet. See what I mean? I figure, if you’re going to hold one of these groups to a standard, you might as well hold all of them to the same standard.

Nathan brought up that he hadn’t received the tribal rolls until recently. Luke brought up that it is up to Historic Preservation to provide you with handouts if you are absent from a meeting.

Actually, Luke should have copies of these handouts on him at all times. He is the Chair after all.

Takara said that we each have the personal responsibility to request the handout if we don’t have it. All handouts are recorded in the agendas and minutes. Fred said that we drafted this report based upon what we were given. We’ve done our job. Takara said we need to get back to the report and moved to approve the draft report and forward to the legislative committees. Fred seconded. Motion passed by unanimous vote.

After they finish brow-beating Nathan, they decide that it’s more important to get a crock report to the Legislature instead of fleshing out all of the details.

What’s the hurry? You’ll find out below.

5. Missisquoi Application Review

The Commission looked at reports from the Scholar Review Panel (Peter Thomas, Kevin Dann,and Bill Haviland). All were positive. Nathan mentioned that he did not have a copy of the
Missisquoi application because he was absent from the January 19th meeting when they were passed out. Melody has excused herself from the Missiquoi review because she is a former
member and because she is mentioned in the application, so she offered her copy to Nathan.

Dawn had positive remarks about the Missisquoi application but has an issue with the names and addresses because there are people listed who are not members of the tribe anymore. Dave
mentioned that the tribe has procedures that members must file to be removed from the tribe’s rolls. Luke noted that he understands that but having Don Stevens, who is Chief of the Nulhegan Tribe listed, is a conflict. It is common knowledge that Chief Don is no longer a member of Missisquoi. These names conflict with other applications that have already been checked for accuracy. It looks like an older list that just needs some updating. No harm done. We can work with Chief April when she returns from vacation to amend the list. We must do this so that wecan accurately determine the percentage for the first criterion.

Do the Feds know about April’s little vacation? Also, if your family tree is held at the Missisquoi Building on Grand Ave. in Swanton, you may be on the list for Missisquoi. Unless you specifically request to have your records removed, they WILL use it to try and get recognition.

Also, it’s true that Donald Stevens should no longer be on the Missisquoi list. I’ve heard rumblings about how these people “jump” from one incorporation to another in order to try and get recognition.

Nathan said we should look over all information first to make sure it is correct before it is sent to the scholars. Luke said that we can’t do that. The scholars examine information that we’re not even allowed to see. Addenda are forwarded to scholars. Dave said it’s up to the applicants to provide correct information. We can ask for clarity and additional information and send it along to the scholars but our job is to facilitate, review, decide, and report. More discussion followed.

I’m not sure if Nathan is truly ignorant of the processes but I will concede that they seem to be giving him hell just for asking uncomfortable (but very legit) questions.

6. Status of Active Scholar’s List

David Lacy and David Skinas were both given ethics violations by the USDA for using Forest Service and USDA letterhead on their reviews. Luke found this interesting since Mr. Lacy was given permission to conduct his review during work hours and Mr. Skinas has worked with Native American tribes for a long time. He found it even more interesting that chain of
communication in regards to these “violations” originated from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Identical reviews (minus the letterhead) were provided for our files so that the record would reflect that the federal government does not share the views of their employees. The Commission was less than impressed and even less surprised.

Luke Willard, if you’re reading this blog, then you of all the people should know by now that both Dave Skinas and David Lacy illegally used those letterheads for their respective federal employers in their letters of recommendation. Federal law has established that by writing such letters, it gives the false impression that the agencies on those letterheads ENDORSE these groups, which they obviously do not.

If the part about letters minus the letterheads is correct, then why didn’t the commission submit those letters instead of the letters WITH the letterheads? Something isn’t adding up here and I think that by using the letters with those official-looking letterheads, that the Commission was trying to build “legitimacy”.

Peter Thomas added that BIA should have no interest in State Recognition review panels. Nathan asked if we would be issuing a response. Luke mentioned that our process and the individuals themselves have been harmed by this. Even on personal time, Lacy can’t participate anymore. Nathan asked if they are allowed to volunteer at the local food shelf or anywhere else. Takara said that this is a free country and it was even on their own time. Luke said we didn’t ask the USDA or the Forest Service for anything. Our interest is in the scholar’s experience and education and not their title. Nathan suggested we give the two agencies some extra paper for their time. Luke added that hostility from the feds is nothing new.

Actually, when you misuse Federal letterheads, it becomes the business of the Federal government.

The VCNAA willingly used these recommendation letters with the hopes that they would “legitimize” this whole process.

You know, I just find it funny that these people are just now claiming that the departure of Skinas and Lacy is “harming” them and this process.

Let’s see, they sit on a biased and compromised VCNAA in which each member is intimately connected. They voted to pass on bills to support recognition of their friends. They worked with scholars that have known them for years and would obviously approve their recognition.

They have it easy here. There’s no hard questions being asked. Their genealogy is not being addressed by the State of Vermont. They are practically cruising through without many speed bumps. Well, not anymore.

Who’s really being harmed by this process? Hint: It’s not the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs!

It’s the Odanak people who reside in Vermont who are being harmed. It’s the people who aren’t part of this Alliance that are being harmed.

People who find this VCNAA to be a complete and utter joke! Right now, the VCNAA has the credibility of tyrants like Gadhafi, Ben Ali and Mubarak!

To the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs: STOP PLAYING VICTIM HERE!

You are making victims out of people, not the other way around!

Koasek Application Exposed (with my commentary)

If you’re like me, you may have not heard of the Koasek of the Koas. Personally, until 2008, I had no clue who they were. Regardless, a link to their application is below with my analysis.

Koasek Application

Comments below:

853 (c)(1) A majority of the applicant’s members currently reside in a specific geographical location within Vermont.

According to the Koasek’s tribal rolls, the majority of the members reside in Vermont.

Vermont “indians” with a chief that resides in NH (Nancy Millette-Doucet). Where have I seen this before? Oh right, Ralph Swett of the Clan of the Hawk, who lives in Florida during the colder months.

Edit: Mr.Swett informed me that he’s back in Vermont right now. Duly noted.

853 (c)(2) A substantial number of the applicant’s members are related to each other by kinship and trace their ancestry to a kinship group through genealogy or other methods. Genealogical documents shall be limited to those that show descendency from identifiedVermont or regional Native people.

Other than some members having the same last name, I did not see where kinship was established. I would suggest a sample of a family tree tracing a name to an ancestor. That would give a clear understanding to those who do not know what names are Abenaki names. (Or use a member who traces themselves to John Battist or Indian Joe for reference)

Even the scholars (including David Lacy!) are unsure about this group. Uh-oh! Strike one?

853 (c)(3) The applicant has a connection with Native American Indian tribes and bands that have historically inhabited Vermont.

There is substantial evidence of interaction between Koasek and the others Bands petitioning for state recognition. I have no doubt that historically natives have lived in that area of Vermont. (I would suggest the date that White Pine Association was established for timeline sake)

See the underlined part. Here on this application, we have scholars openly admitting that they don’t know the timeline of these people. They want the date that the WPA website was established for a timeline.

853 (c)(4) The applicant has historically maintained an organizational structure that exerts influence and authority over its members that is supported by documentation of the structure, membership criteria, the names and residential addresses of its members, and the methods by which the applicant conducts its affairs.

The band has included its constitution (which should show the date that it was accepted by members). It also includes the membership criteria. (I’m still uncomfortable with the use of DNA but that’s just a personal opinion.)

I can certainly understand why the use of DNA would make the scholars uncomfortable.  Unlike an indian tribe or family history, you cannot fake your DNA. It simply does not lie. You should embrace who you are, rather than hiding from it by creating a false identity.

853 (c)(5) The applicant has an enduring community presence within the boundaries of Vermont that is documented by archaeology, ethnography, physical anthropology, history, folklore, or any other applicable scholarly research and data.

The Connecticut River valley has been home to Natives peoples for over 11,000 years inhabiting areas near what is now modern day Newbury, VT, and south to the White River valley. There is archaeological evidence of Native villages throughout this area.

Ok. And? Please tell us which native people you’re referring to. Making such a broad statement leaves too much room for false interpretations.

I scanned through the rest of the information, which is used to create a historical basis for these people. It was similar to the information presented in other applications. Standard scholarly stuff.

However, this line stood out because it ties in with a line at the beginning of the application:

There is recorded evidence that Newbury resident and Native John Battist later moved from the Newbury area to the upper Coos, Indicating that the Native peoples of Vermont settled in many different areas therefore creating kinship between tribes

The line I’m talking about is here:

Other than some members having the same last name, I did not see where kinship was established. I would suggest a sample of a family tree tracing a name to an ancestor. That would give a clear understanding to those who do not know what names are Abenaki names. (Or use a member who traces themselves to John Battist or Indian Joe for reference)

The line above the last does not make sense anymore. How can the “native peoples” of this area create a kinship when there’s a lack of any evidence (sample of a family tree) to trace a name to an ancestor? I’m not sure if I’ve got it right but basically, there’s a contradiction here between what the scholars claim and what the history claims.

Which is which? Do they or do they not have a kinship with John Battist?

853 (c)(6)(A) The applicant is organized in part: to preserve, document, and promote its Native American Indian culture and history, and this purpose is reflected in its bylaws.

The Koasek have formed a non-profit organization called the White Pine Association, which is dedicated to the preservation of the history, culture, and language of the Abenaki people.

The organization in point has a website here:

http://www.whitepineassociation.org/

Granted, having a constitution and a website does not make a group a tribe. More to come on this website.

853 (c)(6)(B) The applicant is organized in part: to address the social, economic, political or cultural needs of the members with ongoing educational programs and activities.

The social and cultural programming of the Koasek primarily centers on Nawhila and it’s auxiliary organization, the White Pines Association. Nawhila is a Native American cultural weekend and powwow.

As with the Missisquoi, Clan of the Hawk and Nulhegan groups, a pow-wow/cultural weekend is standard operating procedure. Granted, pow-wows can be fun and educational. They can also be used to reinforce false identities.

853 (c)(7) The applicant can document traditions, customs, oral stories, and histories that signify the applicant’s Native American heritage and connection to their historical homeland.

In the application they have provided the traditions they follow, they also listed customs they still practice today, using white suckers for fertilizer. The Koasek oral stories focus around the 17th and 18th centuries in the viable Indian community.

Another mistake in this application: Where is this information? Is there some other application that they have filled out? It just seems like sloppy editing to refer to an application in the 3rd person sense. Again, too vague for my liking.

853 (c)(8) The applicant has not been recognized as a tribe in any other state, province, or nation.

The Koasek have not been recognized by any state or federal governments.

And I doubt they would be in any other state. But then again, this is just my opinion.

853 (c)(9)(A) Submission of letters, statements, and documents from: municipal, state, or federal authorities that document the applicant’s history of tribe-related business and activities.

The Koasek have many supporting letters from state and federal officials: Dave Skinas, USDA; Catherine Brooks, VT Cultural Heritage Coordinator; VT Senator Hinda Miller; Suzy Chaffee, US Native American Olympic Team Foundation; and Governor-Elect Peter Shumlin.

Yes, the same Dave Skinas who erroneously used his position as an USDA employee to “endorse” these groups of the Abenaki Alliance.

I do want to make a point that these letters are useless in the long run. Where are the letters from other, legitimate indian tribes offering support? I would think that nothing would be more powerful than to be recognized by a group of peers with a similar background, especially those that already have federal and/or state recognition.

853 (c)(9)(B) Submission of letters, statements, and documents from: tribes in and outside Vermont that attest to the Native American Indian heritage of the applicant.

The Koasek have many supporting letters from other tribes such as the Elnu Abenaki Tribe, the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe, and the Vermont Indigenous Alliance.

Except that these groups are incorporations, not tribes and they are not from outside Vermont. I’m sorry, but this part just does not count.

There are copies of endorsement letters enclosed. I believe there is more information out there and I will add it when it becomes available. If you’d like to comment, do it through email. Comments on this blog itself are disabled.

As for this application itself? Only one word comes to mind: Incomplete.

Running For Cover: Alliance and State of Vermont Attempts to Obscure Truth

There’s a glitch with the applications for the Alliance groups.

Take a look at this file:

letters-of-recommendation

And look at this snippet:

5 C.F.R. § 2635.702, Misuse of Position, Subsection (b), prohibits a Federal employee
from creating the appearance of Governmental sanction or endorsement of his or
another’s personal activities.

Therefore, a Federal employee may sign a letter of recommendation using his/her
official title and/or agency letterhead only in response to a request for an employment
recommendation or character reference based upon personal knowledge of the ability
or character of an individual with whom he/she has dealt in the course of Federal
employment or whom he/she is recommending for Federal employment.

Official Title and Agency Letterhead May Not Be Used:

• to write a letter recommending a personal friend or relative;
• to write a letter recommending a colleague being considered for tenure;
• to write a letter recommending a contractor, vendor, or supplier of goods or
services;
• to write a letter recommending a grant applicant in support of a grant
application to the USDA or another Federal agency;

Such a letter may violate the anti‐representation statutes. USDA employees may write
letters representing their own opinions regarding an individual only if they are
personally familiar with the applicant. This means that the knowledge gained about the
individual must not have been gained through Federal employment.
Employees may provide a factual letter that simply verifies that a contract or project
was completed and that the individual or organization accomplished objectives agreed
upon under the terms of the contract or project in a successful manner. However, in
order to avoid accusations of favoritism, agencies choosing to issue these types of
letters must be consistent and prepared to issue such letters in response to every
request.

Now, let’s take a look at the letterheads on the letters of recommendation from Dave Skinas and David Lacy in the Koasek,  Elnu and Nulhegan applications:

Dave Skinas:

Koasek application

Nulhegan application

 

David Lacy:

Elnu application

Nulhegan application

Therefore, by studying these images, one can conclude that both Dave Skinas and David Lacy have committed an ethical violation as described above.

By recommending these groups for recognition, they are giving the impression that these Federal agencies support the recognition of such groups. This is erroneous.

Apparently, the commission is aware of this violation and now must find some new scholars.

Take a look here:

http://vcnaa.vermont.gov/agendas

Check out the bold text:

AGENDA

12:00 POTLUCK:
Potluck & Community Discussion
1:00 CALL TO ORDER

1. Approve minutes of January 19, 2011
2. Update on current recognition legislation
3. Public Records Redaction Process
I. Names and addresses
II. Genealogical information
III. Archaeological site location data
4. Review Draft Commission Report re: Koasek of the Koas
5. Missisquoi Application Review
I. Review Scholar Reports
II. General Discussion
6. Status of Active Scholar’s List
I. How do we attract more experts?
New Business
Handouts:
Minutes of January 19, 2011
Draft Commission Report re: Koasek
Missisquoi Scholar Reports

The first part of the bolded text concerns legislation that would redact public records, such as geneological records and other sensitive records. Here’s a link to the bill as proposed:

http://www.leg.state.vt.us/database/status/summary.cfm?Bill=H.0016&Session=2012

H-016

BILL AS INTRODUCED H.16

2011

Introduced by Representatives Obuchowski of Rockingham and Partridge of Windham

Referred to Committee on Date:

Subject: Crimes; disturbing peace by use of telephone or other electronic communications; Internet website postings

Statement of purpose: This bill proposes to permit a person to be charged with a violation of Vermont’s disturbing the peace statute if the person, with the intent to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass, or annoy another person, knowingly and intentionally uses false and defamatory Internet website postings to disturb the other person’s peace, quiet, or right of privacy.

An act relating to harassment and disturbing the peace through false and defamatory Internet website postings to disturb the other person’s peace, quiet, or right of privacy.

It would not be out of place to assume that a blog post(s) could be considered harassment or disturbing the peace under this act.  I think this vague and a direct violation of the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. Posting about something and harassing someone are two completely different things.

By tying both together, this Act will make it possible for the Alliance groups to effectively hide their genealogy further and do it in a legal manner.

It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Vermont:

Sec. 1. 13 V.S.A. § 1027 is amended to read:

§ 1027. DISTURBING PEACE BY USE OF TELEPHONE OR OTHER ELECTRONIC COMMUNICATIONS

(a) A person who, with intent to terrify, intimidate, threaten, harass,
annoy, makes contact by means of a telephonic or other electronic
communication with another and (i) makes any request, suggestion,
proposal which is obscene, lewd, lascivious, or indecent; (ii) threatens to inflict
injury or physical harm to the person or property of any person; or (iii)
disturbs, or attempts to disturb, by repeated anonymous telephone calls or other
electronic communications, whether or not conversation ensues, the peace,
quiet, or right of privacy of any person at the place where the communication
or communications are received shall be fined not more than $250.00 or be
imprisoned not more than three months or both. If the defendant has
previously been convicted of a violation of this section or of an offense under
the laws of another state or of the United States which would have been an
offense under this act if committed in this state, the defendant shall be fined
or both.12 not more than $500.00 or imprisoned for not more than six months,

(b) An intent to terrify, threaten, harass or annoy may be inferred by the
trier of fact from the use of obscene, lewd, lascivious, or indecent language or
the making of a threat or statement or repeated anonymous telephone calls or
other electronic communications as set forth in this section and any trial court
may in its discretion include a statement to this effect in its jury charge.

I’m not sure why they want to regulate ANNOYING speech. Are we not to hold the Vermont media to the same standard, being that they write ANNOYING articles and report ANNOYING news that make some people uncomfortable?

(c) An offense committed by use of a telephone or other electronic
communication device as set forth in this section shall be considered to have
been committed at either the place where the telephone call or calls originated
or at the place where the communication or communications or calls were
received.

(d) As used in this section:
(1) “Disturbing or attempting to disturb the peace, quiet, or right of privacy by electronic communications” may include knowingly and intentionally causing a false and defamatory posting to be made to an Internet website.

There’s nothing false or defamatory about the truth, especially that of the Abenaki Alliance and their intentions!

(2) “Makes contact by means of an electronic communication with another” may include causing a posting to be made to an Internet website.
Sec. 2. EFFECTIVE DATE
This act shall take effect on July 1, 2011.

This means that Representatives Partridge and Obuchowski want to make it a crime for you to criticize other people on your blog. They want to equate posting the truth about other people with harassment and threatening language.

H.16 is a terrible idea, a dictatorial wet dream. This effectively would put an end to your right to speak out against something, a right that was guaranteed to you by the founding fathers of this country.

Write to Reps. Obuchowski and Partridge and tell them how you feel!

Edit:

In a letter to the editor of the Newport Daily Express on January 20th, 2011, Donald Stevens Jr. acknowledged that two members of the scholar panel (David Lacy and Dave Skinas) are federal employees.

Mr.Stevens and the VCNAA knew about this ethical violation but did nothing.

Edit #2:

In the minutes for the December 21st, 2010 VCNAA meeting, the following line is mentioned:

2. Scholar’s Panel Update

Due to work restrictions, David Lacy, having completed his review of  two applications must be removed from the active scholar’s list.

It doesn’t say WHY he must be removed but this goes to show that they knew something and again, did nothing about it or were vague about what he did.

It’s a no-brainer for one to assume that he was told to stop writing endorsements of these people by the federal agency he works for.

VCNAA Meeting Minutes 1/19/11 (with added commentary)

FYI, these meeting minutes are PUBLIC record. As far as I know, you cannot deny someone access to them. I see that Mark Mitchell’s website has been given preferential treatment as it has these minutes, yet I was left out of the loop on them.

No worry though. I have created a PDF file (albeit a bit blurry) of these minutes for you to read.

VCNAAMeetingMinutes1-19-11

2 and 3. The first two parts of the minutes are standard meeting procedures (checking statuses, approving minutes). The only thing that jumps out in this section is the recognition of Jeff Benay, who asked the commission to allow Mississiquoi to distribute their application due to “time constraints”. I wonder what those constraints are? Perhaps they’re running out of time to keep this sham going? I’m just assuming and even that has pitfalls.

April Merrill presented the application and then talked about her late father, the issue of recognition since 1976, etc. Why does she insist in bringing up her father all the time? Would he really be proud of this “alliance” and the sham they’re trying to pull over the State? I’ll concede, he was a strong and fiery opponent of the State of Vermont. However, April does not have even an ounce of the courage that he displayed when he was alive.

4. If there’s anything that should upset you, it’s the fact that both Melody Walker-Brook and Luke Willard were allowed to testify on behalf of the Elnu and Nulhegan Incs. respectively. This is outrageous and a conflict of interest. They are supposed to refrain from voting/advocating for their bands and yet, they were allowed to testify? They couldn’t have someone else from these groups do so? Do they not give a damn about the ramifications of this action?

THIS is why you, the reader, should not take the VCNAA seriously. They are a commission, made up of people who support these bands, that are members of these bands and have worked with these bands to attain recognition. How is that not a conflict of interest?

5. It’s no secret that they would approve the Koasek application. Remember, they are all working with each other behind the scenes. The fact that there were no votes against this PROVES that this commission should not exist!

Nancy Millette-Doucet must have been beaming with pride at the fact that these brazen fools would approve her application. They know very well what she has done in the past and continues to do and yet, they don’t have the brain cells left to say “hey,wait a minute! this doesn’t make sense!”.  When you make the rules, you can do whatever you want. That’s exactly why this commission is a farce.

6. Oh, why do I bother commenting? It’s just more of the same ‘ol crap from this commission. I am providing links to information regarding Missisquoi’s attempts at federal recognition:

Summary on the Criteria for the Proposed Finding on the St.Francis/Sokoki Band of Vermont

Pages 1-9
Pages 10-19
Pages 20-30
Pages 31-43
Pages 44-53
Pages 53-67
Pages 68-75
Pages 76-84
Pages 85-96
Pages 97-108
Pages 109-117
Pages 118-127
Pages 128-137
Pages 138-146
Pages 147-149

State of Vermont’s Response to St.Francis/Sokoki Petition for Federal Recognition

Table of Contents
Pages 1-8
Pages 9-16
Pages 17-24
Pages 25-32
Pages 33-40
Pages 41-48
Pages 49-56
Pages 57-64
Pages 67-74
Pages 75-81
Pages 82-92
Pages 93-100
Pages 101-110
Pages 111-120
Pages 121-130
Pages 131-140
Pages 141-150
Pages 151-159
Pages 160-169
Pages 170-179
Pages 180-190
Pages 191-200
Pages 201-210
Pages 211-218
Pages 219-229
Pages 230-244

Final Determination Against Federal Acknowledgment of the St. Francis/Sokoki Band of Abenakis of Vermont

Pages 1-7
Pages 8-13
Pages 14-31
Pages 32-42
Pages 43-52
Pages 53-60

Lots of links to sort through. I’ve personally read through the majority of these documents on my own. I encourage you, the reader, to go through them as well and draw your own conclusions. If I’m correct, the State of Vermont seems willing to allow the St.Francis/Sokoki band to go through in applying for state recognition,despite the evidence against them in their petition for federal recognition.

Nulhegan Application Exposed (with my commentary)

Much like the Elnu application that was posted earlier, I have the Nulhegan application. To view it in its’ entirety without comments, go to the link below:

Draft Nulhegan Review

See below for my commentary on this application.

Disclaimer: I am not a genealogist, nor will I ever be a genealogist. I am attempting to interpret and piece together the information in this application. Feel free to contact me for any inaccuracies.

Thank you.

Comments start below:

The Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk-Abenaki Nation is a medium-sized tribe located in the Northeast Kingdom and headquartered at the Abenaki Nation of Nulhegan Headquarters in Brownington, VT. The Nulhegan Band presented a sufficient and compelling argument that directly responds to each of the nine criteria in S.222. Nulhegan’s lengthy narrative spans three centuries historical evidence and data that documents an enduring community of interrelated Native-practice families centered in and around Orleans County. A great deal of work has gone into this well-sourced narrative and supporting documents.

Three centuries, you say? Hmm. The documents I have tell the truth about the Nulhegan incorporation:

The Nulhegan incorporation was formed on August 25, 2004. The registered office/agent was Nancy Cote-Rolls (now deceased) with both Luke Andrew Willard and Dawn Macie as officers. Nulhegan is listed as a “Native American Tribal Entity”  on the second page of this form. Several people are listed as members (Gail Girard, Alain Berube and Chad Abbott).

If you look at the images below, you will find a summary at the end that ties together the going-ons of this incorporation. The reader must understand where these people came from and what they are claiming in order to make sense of these facts.

Read the images and make your own conclusions. There is more information available at the following link:

http://www.sec.state.vt.us/corps/corpindex.htm

Look up Luke Willard, Dawn Macie or any other officers of Nulhegan for results

Nancy Cote-Rolls, Luke Andrew Willard and Dawn Macie were all part of the Ralph Swett “Clan of the Hawk” incorporation and Luke Andrew Willard was a prior member (and the financial officer) for the North American People Of The Dawn group.

They don’t shy away from admitting that they are incorporated. However, if you’ll look at their incorporation documents above and follow the link as well, you’ll see that they are an “on again-off again” type of organization that was never firmly established.

(All images sourced from The Reinvention of The Alleged Vermont and New Hampshire Abenaki blog)

853 (c)(1) A majority of the applicant’s members currently reside in a specific geographic location with Vermont.

According to the tribal rolls residency information dated Sept. 13, 2010, approximately 91% of their registered citizens reside in Vermont. Approximately 75% reside within the boundaries of Nulhegan’s defined territory in the Northeast Kingdom. Approximately 62% reside in the greater Newport/Derby area around the lakes and along the rivers of the Nulhegan and Memphremagog basins.

“Chief” Donald Stevens does not reside within the Nulhegan territory. His most recent address is in Shelburne, VT. Regardless, fair enough statistics.

853 (c)(2) A substantial number of the applicant’s members are related to each other by kinship and trace their ancestry to a kinship group through genealogy or other methods.Genealogical documents shall be limited to those that show a descendancy from identified Vermont or regional Native people.

According to the tribal rolls, dated 9/13/10, there are approximately 260 full status citizens. Approximately 96% are related to other (non-nuclear) citizens by kinship. This high rateindicates a significant community with ties based substantially on kinship.

Chief Don Stevens is related by blood or marriage to at least 160 full status members.

Here’s a genealogical chart that documents Mr.Stevens ancestors (as compiled by the editor of the Reinvented Abenaki blog):

The Phillips Family Band was a major family band (kinship group) that showed their connection to people listed on the tribal rolls. Chief Antoine (Anthony) Phillips Sr. was born in 1787 at Lake Memphramagog, Vermont.

His native ethnicity and Vermont residency is validated by the
Vermont Eugenics Survey as having “French and Indian Blood” as well as being leader of a tribe. This constitutes a kinship group for purposes of this criterion.

There are several document that you should take a look at, especially those concerning both Antoine Phillips Sr. and Antoine Phillips Jr.

Below, is an image that appeared in Frederick M.Wiseman’s document, “Decolonizing the Abenaki.”

Below this, is another version of the same picture. Pay close attention to the wording on both images.

There is also a third version of this photo below:

If you’ve paid attention to the writing, it is different in all three photos. Also, I’ve been told that the man in the picture is in fact Antoine Phillips Jr., not Antoine Phillips Sr. as Mr.Wiseman’s document claims.

Here are a few more documents on both men.

Baptismal record for Antoine Phillips Jr from the Notre Dame de Rosaire Church in St.Hyacinthe, QC. This is dated from July 1834.

Antoine Phillips Jr. death record. This is the Antoine Phillips Jr. alleged to be in the photo above. It is dated from March 11, 1918 and lists his age as 90 years.

This is the death record for Antoine Phillips Sr.  It is dated September 1st, 1885 and lists his age as 98 years.

This is a descendant chart of Antoine Phillips Sr.  The picture came from Elizabeth Mae Foster and “Granpa” is on it. Common sense says that the man in the photo is the grandfather of  Elizabeth Mae Foster, based on the Phillips line document above. As a result, it has to be Antoine (Anthony) Phillips Jr., not Antoine Phillips Sr.

The reason for this analysis has to do with the presentation of something as “evidence”. The evidence must be just that. It must be accurate and it must be verified by historians and family members as well.

The Phillips family still resides in the Lake Memphramagog area. Chief Antoine was a direct forebear of numerous Vermont Indigenous people. His son, Pierre (Peter) Phillips (born 1809) had a daughter, Rosa Delphine Phillips (b. 1868) who had a daughter, Lillian “Delia” Bessette (b. 1909) who had a daughter, Margaretia Burbo (b. 1931) who has a son, Donald Stevens (b. 1966), who is an active memberof the Vermont Indigenous community, a former Chairman of the VT Commission on NativeAmerican Affairs, and is now the Chief of the Nulhegan Band

This does line up with the chart posted above. The only issue at hand concerns Antoine Phillips Sr. and Antoine Phillips Jr. If you have more information, feel free to come forward and discuss it.

853 (c)(3) The applicant has a connection with Native American Indian tribes and bands that have historically inhabited Vermont.

Nulhegan has a strong political connection with three other indigenous bands in Vermont,including the Elnu Abenaki Tribe from Southern Vermont, the Koaseks from the Newbury region of VT, and the St. Francis-Sokoki Band of Swanton, VT. Each of them can demonstrate that they have “historically inhabited Vermont”. They have joined together to form the Indigneous Alliance. The coalition has proven to be a great benefit to each other. The association has found genealogical connections among the bands. For instance, Nulhegan tribal citizens Nancy Cote and Dawn Macie are related to Missisquoi Tribal Historian Fred Wiseman. The Demar family has many Missisquoi relations. Tom Phillips, a descendant of Chief Phillips is a cousin to Nulhegan Chief Don Stevens. Historical connections are addressed at length in their responses to criteria 4 and 5.

I’m not sure why they chose to include this as criteria as it has absolutely nothing to do with recognizing Nulhegan and more to do with “pimping” their alliance as much as possible. Also, the majority of this application is based around Donald Warren Stevens Jr.

853 (c)(4) The applicant has historically maintained an organizational structure that exerts influence and authority over its members that is supported by documentation of the structure, membership criteria, the names and residential addresses of its members, and the methods by which the applicant conducts its affairs.

The application shows dates and locations documenting their continuous political organization.Their historic period case began with Chief Philip of the Upper Coos when he signed a document called the “Deed of the Coos Country” in 1796. David Skinas commented that, “The 18th century Nulhegan organizational structure may have been more complex than the individual family band structure that they refer to as ‘branches,’ where extended families maintain enduring collective memories and relations that work together for the common good.” This shifted to “Katunks” in the 19th and 20th centuries in which they would discuss business. The shift then moved onto their current structure representing a continuous political authority over the people.

But, the Nulhegan  band was not incorporated until 2004!  They are talking about things that happened decades ago, long before Luke Andrew Willard, Nancy Cote-Rolls and Dawn Macie came along!

The present government organizational structure is a standard three-branch government. The Executive Branch is Chief (Sogomo) and a Vice-Chief (Sogomis) who are nominated by the councils and confirmed by election. The Legislative Branch is composed of an elected Tribal Council of 5-13 members from various families within the tribe. The Judicial Branch is represented by an Elders Council which is an evolution from the former “Ladies Judiciary” Also in the tribe’s government is a Board of Trustees. There are three and they are entrusted with the Continuity of Government. They protect the tribal government from takeover and/or dissolution.

According to Article IV (Citizenship – General Council) of the Nulhegan constitution, all people of the greater Abenaki Nation must be blood relations as proven by genealogical and/or family historical evidence.

A link to the Nulhegan constitution can be found at the following link:

http://reinventedvermontabenaki.blogspot.com/2011/01/nulhegan-band-coosuk-abenaki.html

Here’s some information on this particular article:

Article IV. Citizenship – General Council

Section 1. All People of the greater Abenaki Nation must be Citizens or “blood relations” as proven by genealogical and or family historical evidence. All Citizens (blood relations), as a collective body, shall be called the General Council of their respective Band or group and the greater Abenaki Nation. Spouses of Citizens with Native American Indian blood and the Children from a Citizen are given Citizen status. Non-blood Spouses and adopted children of Citizens are limited to Member status. All Non-blood Members and adopted child Members shall not be included in any General Council. Adult adoptions are not authorized or recognized for Citizen or Member status.

I love how they act like the founding fathers of this country. I have to admit, for a questionable group of people, they are well organized in this area.  Greater Abenaki nation? Who do they think they are? The St.Francis/Sokoki band?

Section 2. There shall be established a Citizen and Member Register, to be kept by the Grand Council (of each Abenaki Band or group) or Registrar, for the inclusion of any person for Citizenship or Membership purposes in their respective Band or group and the greater Abenaki Nation, who presents the necessary evidence of eligibility for registration. Each Abenaki Band or subgroup shall establish a Registration Committee. It shall be the duty of the Registration Committee to consider the qualifications and to determine the eligibility of those applying to have their names entered in their Band or group and the Abenaki National Register. The Registration Committee shall consist of one (1) Grand Council member, one (1) Council of Elders member, one (1) General Council member, a Registrar, one (1) or more Genealogist, and one (1) or more Historian. All members of the Registration Committee shall be appointed by the Kchi Sag8mo, and confirmed by the Grand Council of each Band or group of the greater Abenaki Nation.
A. There shall be a number assigned to every name which is approved and entered into the Abenaki National Register. This number shall be preceded by a letter or other notation to signify “blood” Citizens, “non-blood” Member relations or adopted Child Members. The suggested notation is the letter “C” for blood Citizens or the letter “M” for Members.

Is this “Abenaki National Register” included as part of their evidence? I’ve never heard of such a thing and once again, they are pretty damn crafty.

B. The decisions of the Registration Committee shall be subject to review by the Abenaki Band or group Grand Council.

Section 3. Registration as used in this article refers to the process of enrolling as a Citizen or Member of the Abenaki Nation and is not the same as the registration for voting purposes.

There shall be established Citizen and Member Register, to be kept by the Grand Council or Registrar for the inclusion of any person for Citizenship or Membership purposes in their respective band or group and the greater Abenaki Nation, who presents the necessary evidence of eligibility for registration. Registration Committee shall consist of one Grand Council Member, one Council of Elders Member, one General Council Member, a registrar, one or more genealogist, and one or more historians.

Again, crafty and clever. You can view the rest of this constitution at the link above.

The Nulhegan Band has presented information needed for 853 (c)(4), including the history of organizational structure, the “Government of the Abenaki Tribe at Nulhegan-Memphremagog”, excerpt sections from the Nulhegan Band Constitution, the application form to become a member, the names and residential addresses of its members, and Article II (Decision making)shows the documentation of the methods by which the applicant conducts its affairs.

You can find information on Article II as well below:

Article II. Decision Making

Section 1. All acts of the Abenaki Citizens shall be conducted and decisions made through traditional “Longhouse” consensus decision making. Consensus decision making is as follows:

Consensus:
General agreement;
Judgment arrived at by most of those concerned;
Group solidarity in sentiment and belief.

Goal: 

To make a decision that is in the best interests of all the People. Consensus does not mean that all agree, but that all understand the decisions.
Approach:
In entering the Consensual Decision-Making Process, whatever ideas are put into the process, the needs and attitudes of each are considered to complement the decision. Also, individuals have a duty to be directly involved, and to bring their ideas into the discussion within their group.
The final decision may be fully satisfactory to some, satisfactory to others, relatively satisfactory to most, and possibly un-satisfactory to someone. This is a slow and careful process requiring the full understanding by each individual, not a decision made by a “leader,” but it will be a decision that reflects elements from each group.Roles: 

Within any collective group of People, whether it is a Family, Clan, Group, Band, Tribe, Nation, or Confederation, equitable representation must be given to all groups. Spokes people are usually chosen from the smallest groups within the greater group. This may be the male or female head of a family, clan speaker, matriarch, elder, band chief, or whatever leader or spokesperson is chosen to speak for each group.
An impartial “Facilitator” (Speaker, Arbiter, Elder) should be chosen from the greater group gathered. This person is selected because of their ability and respect as an elder or leader. Their role is to provide control and order to assure that collective rational thought and behavior are followed to come to an agreement.

Process:

The smaller groups within the larger group of people will deliberate on an issue or matter. The leader of each smaller group reports their decision to the “Facilitator” If the smaller groups disagree, or there is an error or irregular proceeding the “Facilitator” will ask that they deliberate again. This process may need to be repeated until the “Facilitator” believes that all understand and the issue is agreed upon.

Three Truths:

When an issue is discussed, the groups consider the good and bad parts of the issue. The following “Three Truths” must be met for consensus:
1. Peace – Does it preserve the peace that is already established?
2. Righteousness – Is it morally correct?
3. Power – Does it preserve the present and future integrity of the group?
a. Present – What does it do for the present generation?
b. Future – How does it affect the future seven generations from now?
The decisions made today must benefit all the people from the present to the seven generations into the future.

Deliberations:
Persons are asked throughout the process if they fully understand. If not, the process stops until this is accomplished. One cannot simply be stubborn and refuse to understand as they will be questioned. Each must follow the Truths of Peace, Righteousness and Power at all times.
Every person has a responsibility to expand and exercise their minds. The forces of life have given the human being the potential to use the mind to create a better life through Peace, Righteousness and Power.

Decision-Making Process

> All opinions have to be considered;
> All must be completely reasonable;
> All should come with an open mind;
> All must fully understand the other’s viewpoint;
> Each participant cannot repeat a position once it has been fully explained and understood;
> A person who does not agree with the views stated must fully explain their dissenting views;
> No one can impose their will nor make a decision for another;
> All must understand the viewpoint and agree of their own free will;
> If there is no consensus, the consensus is to retain the existing position on the issue.

Again, very crafty. I think that they may have copied this information from another constitution. Regardless,it’s interesting.

853 (c)(5) The applicant has an enduring community presence within the boundaries of
Vermont that is documented by archaeology, ethnography, physical anthropology, history,
folklore, or any other applicable scholarly research and data.

The Nulhegan band petition presents a solid case for continuous occupation, especially during the years from 1780 to present. They used important anthropological, census data, historical (written and oral), geographic, legal (deeds), Eugenic records, art, and ethnographic sources including work by William Haviland, Frederick Wiseman, Colin Calloway, Gordon Day, Mariella Squier, etc. In several places, the authors expressed the reality that there has been little written and therefore some of the information has yet to be verified by scholarly sources.

There are pitfalls involved if one is to rely solely on the eugenics records, legal deeds and so forth. Regardless, if there was NO actual Nulhegan band/tribe during that time, how can they use this information to prove just who they are? This part does not make much sense to me.

Much of the application focuses on information sourced mostly by several books/authors. They say that they have oral records, etc as well. Still, was there an actual Nulhegan tribe/band during the following time period (1780-2004)?

They identify the 1796 “Deed of the Coos Country” as an important historical marker in which they signed over legal land ownership but maintained fishing rights and crops from the region forever.2 Importantly, this stipulation certainly identifies both the existence of Abenaki people. previous to and contemporaneous to the deed. It also represents their intention and as the rest of the petition exhibits, their continual occupation within the territory.

More on this specific deed is documented below.

Ok, to exercise a bit of common sense here, why are they using a land deed from Coos County, NH as proof of their ties to Phillip? Well, by reading the first page, you will see that Lake Memphremagog, the Clyde River, the town of Island Pond and “Nulhegan” are mentioned as part of this deed. This land was purchased from Phillip. At least this part is clear on the surface.

If they had no intention of staying, they would not have needed the stipulation that they were allowed to maintain fishing and other rights within the region. This deed was signed by “Philip” the chief, Molley Messel, and Mooselek Sussop.

Indeed it was signed by them as documented above.

One of the most interesting parts of this section is that they do not simply present the deed and the people but they tie Chief Philip to modern people within their own oral history as descendents.

I don’t think this is enough “proof”. Short of exhuming the bodies of the people who were present at the time of this transaction, there really isn’t much else you can do to prove anything. You could rely solely on books and scholars but you would be missing the extra information.

Though it would have been nice to have a specific source for this oral information, it is very difficult to follow the exchange of memory back more than two hundred years but a specific person with this information may have been useful.

Indeed. If they openly admit this, then how could they pass muster for recognition?

This certainly highlights the sometimes large gulf between the way that indigenous people view and understand history and the dominant history methods used in academia.There is value in both.

Both are necessary in order to link euro-centric history records with those of indigenous oral history. Hence, this application is incomplete in a way.

Furthermore, they supplied an impressive copy of the “Indian Encampment, Lake Memphramagog” by Cornelius Krieghoff done in 1854 as evidence of nineteenth century occupation within the region.

The Koasek also use this painting as “proof” of their existence during this time period. The painting itself does not specify WHICH indian band/tribe is occupying this encampment. How can two groups use the SAME painting as evidence when the artist has not specified who is occupying that encampment?  The painting is below and it was found on the Koasek’s webpage (http://cowasuck-abenaki.com/history.html)

Other items were presented as “evidence”. This information isn’t available to me. Regardless, it’s more interesting to wonder just who was camping in the painting. I just do not think that the Nulhegan and Koasek groups should use this as “evidence” because it is  a painting, not oral history and certainly not written history.

Although genealogy was not a part of the purview of the commission, their petition did a very nice job of explaining historical ties to specific families and people. They importantly used Chief Antoine Phillips’ (born in 1787) records. A tin-type photo of this person housed at the Wobanakik Heritage Center listed him as chief and the Eugenics records validated the French and Indian blood of this specific line and they provide the necessary source material for this
assertion.

You have Hinda Miller to thank for the part discounting genealogy, which is a shame. It opens the doors to just about anyone with a PH.D to invent tribes and histories. I already wrote about the tin-type photo of Antoine Phillips Jr. (not Sr. as they claim!).  I have no comment on the eugenics records as I do not have access to them. This was certainly a terrible time for native people in the state of Vermont. However, one should not rely strongly on these records if looking for proof of existence.

One of the most important aspects of the petition was the demonstration that they inherited a cultural tradition separate from the Euro-American community and continue to practice these traditions.

They would like it if people didn’t let the “white” on their birth certificates get in the way of recognizing them as indians.

Snow descendants are included throughout the petition to bring to light their unique indigenous practices, such as sugaring, mound horticulture, and Nancy Snow’s story. This continuous family line and their activities is extremely convincing and sets them apart as indigenous peoples. There isn’t just one activity in one time by a member of the family, they documented continuous activities that put together are expressive of their heritage.

Which Nancy Snow? The Nancy Snow (white) that married Norris Batchelder (also white)? Or the Nancy Snow from 1850 that lived at St.Regis? There are two Nancy Snows and they need to be more specific when mentioning either of them.

They also had a unique fancy basket tradition in the form of an over-weave cherry root design motif in the early nineteenth century.25 What is particularly important about this tradition is that it is not only unique to the region according to both John Moody and Dr. Frederick Wiseman but if this is documented to the early twentieth century then that means there was a continued presence through at least the early twentieth century. At a time that is particularly important for recognition purposes to prove that people were in Vermont, Nulhegan shows a continued agricultural, cultural, and genealogical settlement within the region.

Oh boy, a mention of both John Moody and Fred M. Wiseman in the same sentence?  Using a method that is unique to a region as “evidence” is not specific enough. Is it unique to the Nulhegan people only? Or did other natives in the area use it as well? I could go on and on and on but it would not be of much help in this analysis. Read it for yourself and follow the links mentioned in the footnotes.  There are enough holes in this “evidence” that should be enough for it to be thrown out.

853 (c)(6)(A) The applicant is organized in part: to preserve, document, and promote its Native American Indian culture and history, and this purpose is reflected in its bylaws.
Nulhegan used the preamble of their constitution to satisfy this requirement. Their “mission is to strengthen our government, protect our customs and traditions, and revive our heritage and culture while sharing it with those around us.” Nulhegan has done a great job of exemplifying this throughout the petition and their letters show a positive impact on the Vermont community.

I’ll be quite frank here:  It should be to “harm, distort and steal native american culture.” If it was, then yes, the Nulhegan group has done a great job.  Not bad for a 7 year old group claiming to have 18th century roots.

853 (c)(6)(B) The applicant is organized in part: to address the social, economic, political or cultural needs of the members with ongoing educational programs and activities.

Nulhegan satisfied this requirement by quoting the preamble to their constitution and also taking an excerpt from their website, “The Nulhegan is serious about achieving economic self-sufficiency and stability for our people … our sights are set upon utilizing our own resources and abilities to grow in the realm of economic development, more specifically, cottage industry and cultural tourism.”

This could be interpreted to mean literally anything in the way of economic development. If they wanted to build a casino, I doubt the state could do much. If they wanted to try and honor an 18th century land deed, well ditto.

They also actively seek Title VII Indian Education in their school systems in order to assist in proper educational programming, as has been described in several letters of support in the application.

Proper educational programming in this sense means an Alliance-centric view of Vermont Abenaki history. They want to be able to shut out Odanak and any other native communities (if they exist) in the state of Vermont so that their history will dominate textbooks. This is patently wrong and grossly unfair. The state of Vermont doesn’t seem to care.

They also seek achievement of political recognition for the people and many members work toward this effort, including two chairmen of the VCNAA – Don Stevens and Luke Willard.

To my knowledge, Donald Stevens Jr. never stumped for the Nulhegan people while chairman of the VCNAA. If he did, it was behind closed doors. It’s no secret that he is allied with Luke Willard, current VCNAA chairman. How else would he have become the Nulhegan chief? Both men were instrumental in libelous email communications, mostly about “unity”.  It’s unfortunate that the state of Vermont has blinders when it comes to recognizing such sleazy dealings. If you read the postings of an user named “Gluscabi” on this blog, he/she claims that the Elnu (and quite possibly Nulhegan and Koasek) groups do not want political recognition. This is patently untrue because they are kissing up to politicians and the Vermont media in hopes of winning recognition.

853 (c)(9)(A) Submission of letters, statements, and documents from: municipal, state, or federal authorities that document the applicant’s history of tribe-related business and activities.
Nulhegan included letters from the Newport City Council, a letter documenting their participation and integral membership of the Vermont Indigenous Alliance, newspaper article from the Newport Daily Express discussing the intent to gain recognition in 2002, a letter from the Green Mountain Central Labor Council of the AFL-CIO, a letter from the Vermont Sierra Club, a letter from the Vermont Workers’ Center, a letter from the Vermont Professional Archaeologists Association, etc. Several of the letters including Senator Hinda Miller, Representative Carolyn Branagan, Representative Kate Webb, former Lieutenant Governor Brian Dubie, and Governor Peter Shumlin show a continued positive relationship with senators, legislators, and members of the executive branch. Governor Douglas in November of 2010 issued a proclamation of Native American Heritage Month and specifically mentioned Nulhegan
as people indigenous to the state. These letters exemplify their continuous presence within the political realm, in conservation efforts, and their efforts to educate children in a positive way that would support their own identity.

None of these letters mean anything in the long run. Politicians are endorsed by the AFL-CIO all the time.  Ditto on wasteful proclamations like those made by former governor Jim Douglas.  Governor Shumlin, like his predecessor, could probably care less about the outcome of this issue. Ditto on Hinda Miller. This is just a problem with the criteria itself and not something that you can blame on the actual groups, unless they were involved in the formation of said criteria.

853 (c)(9)(B) Submission of letters, statements, and documents from: tribes in and outside
Vermont that attest to the Native American Indian heritage of the applicant.
They included a letter documenting their participation and integral membership of the Vermont Indigenous Alliance; newspaper article from the Newport Daily Express discussing the intent to gain recognition in 2002; a letter from the Elnu Abenaki Tribe of Jamaica, VT; a letter from the Koasek Abenaki of the Koas in Newbury, VT; and a letter from the Koasek Traditional Band of the Sovereign Abenaki Nation in Milford, NH. These letters exemplify their continuous
presence within the political realm and social realm of the Native American community. David Lacy commented that “…It is encouraging to see the mutual respect, support and solidarity offered by other members of the Vermont Indigenous Alliance.”

Wait a minute? Attempt to gain recognition in 2002? But, they became an incorporation in 2004! This has to be a typo or perhaps there is something that they are not telling us. It’s really too bad that they couldn’t get a letter from a tribe outside of Vermont (Koasek Traditional Band does not count). Are we to assume that said tribes outside of Vermont do not recognize the Nulhegan people? What does this tell you, the reader, about these people?

I hope you will read this and draw your own conclusions. In my honest opinion, I do not think that the Nulhegan group should be recognized in the state of Vermont for obvious reasons. However,  I do not have much of a say in this. That is perfectly fine. It’s important that the people know what’s going on and someone has to point out the inaccuracies, etc that make up these applications.

Feel free to offer constructive dialogue if you so disagree. Tell me why the Nulhegan people should be recognized.

Show Up, Speak Up: Hearings on Abenaki Recognition

http://www.leg.state.vt.us/schedule/frame.cfm?CommitteeMeetingID=7539

Text as follows:

House Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs

AGENDA

Room 44

January 22, 2011 – January 30, 2011

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

10:00 AM                    FLOOR

15 Minutes after Adjournment   Commission Discussion

TBA

12:00 – 2:00 pm           Lunch & Caucuses

2:00 PM                       Budget Address

3:30 PM                       Veteran’s Service Organizations

Committee will mee with representatives from Veterans Service Organizations in Room 10

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

9:00 AM                      H. 85 – An act relating to recognition of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation as a Native American Indian tribe

Don Stevens, Chief, Nulhegan Band of the Coosuck Abenaki Nation

David Skinas, Expert Review Panelists

Melody Walker Brooks, Vice Chair, Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs

12:00 PM                     Lunch

1:00 PM                       H. 86 – An act relating to recognition of the Elnu Abenaki tribe as a Native American Indian tribe

Roger Longtoe, Chief, Elnu Abenaki Tribe

Eloise Biel, Expert Review Panelists

Luke Willard, Chair, Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs

3:30 PM                       Overview and Goals

Alan Yandow, Executive Director, Vermont Lottery Commission

If you care about the truth, please try and attend the meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday regarding recognition. It’s your chance to show the Vermont Legislature why these people should not be recognized.

This is a call to arms. Please heed the call.

Elnu Application Exposed (with my commentary)

I was able to obtain a copy of the Elnu application for recognition to the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs.  It is enclosed below:

Draft Elnu Review

Disclaimer:  I am not, nor will I ever claim to be a genealogist. I am merely reading through this application and picking it apart in my own way.  Feel free to point out any inaccuracies in my analysis. Thank you.

Application analysis begins below:

853 (c)(1) A majority of the applicant’s members currently reside in a specific geographic
location with Vermont.

The Elnu Abenaki Tribe presented a list of members with names and street addresses. Currently,Elnu has 43 enrolled members. 23 of those members live in the towns of Jamaica, Townsend, and Westminster in southeast Vermont. This qualifies as a majority residing in a specific geographic location.

Seems like an awful small band of people. I can think of bands with more members than this that have been around longer.

853 (c)(3) The applicant has a connection with Native American Indian tribes and bands that have historically inhabited Vermont.

But, this is an incorporation, NOT a tribe! They have a connection with the other Alliance incorporations  (Nulhegan, St.Francis/Sokoki and Koasek).

For example, Vera Schulmeisters’ 3rd Great Grandmother, Julia Patnode-Loncto (“an old Indian woman”) lived some of her life at Missisquoi. Elnu, Missisquoi, and Koasek all have members who descend from the Patnode/Patenaude line. Some Elnu and Missisquoi members also share Charles Partlow as an ancestor. He was listed as one of “four Indians” in the October 1863 Civil War conscription list from the Alburgh, VT Land and Miscellaneous Records Book. Alburgh is only a few miles from Missisquoi. Charles Partlow’s sister, Eliza, had a daughter, Jenny Covey,who had a son, Herbert Hilliker, who had a daughter, Doris Hilliker, who had a daughter, Betty Reynolds, whose daughter, Cathy Cline, is the mother of Melody Walker Brook.

Hmm. To verify these claims, we need to go and look at the genealogy of Charles Partlow. Luckily, there are a few good resources for this information.

Carollee Reynolds reference to Charles Partlow as ancestor

Reference to Charles Partlow in Alburg Town History

Now, read the response quoted below:

“Indeed, this is the document page out of the Alburg Town history, of which Carollee Reynolds refers to, in the above bit. The Bureau of Indian Affairs OFA dept. actually addressed this document, its merits and foundation. The conclusion was that this document mean absolutely NOTHING. The document was concluded to be dubious, questionable and it was determined that the document may NOT be referring to these four men “as Indians” nor were they identified as “Abenakis” or “Native Americans” or “Indian” (these four Indians could have been an additional 4, to equal the 8 of the four men that were mentioned by name). [121]A Civil War pension record for Charles H. Partlow of Alburgh, Vermont, marrield to Sophia (nee: Blair/ Blain) Partlow, was located by OFA. It does NOT identify Charles Partlow as an Indian. Page 131 of the Proposed Findings on the St. Francis/ Sokoki Band of Abenakis of Vermont group. Dated November 09, 2005.”

Here’s a link to the document in question in the last line of this paragraph:

Image from Page 135 of State of Vermont Response to Petition For Acknowledgment of the St.Francis/Sokoki Band

Page 135 of State of Vermont Response to Petition For Acknowledgment of the St.Francis/Sokoki Band

“Family: Partlow
Date Arrived in Swanton: 1900
Former Location: New York
Source: Charles Partlow was born in Alburg, VT, but he married Sophie Blair in Clinton County, NY, and all their children were born in New York. Only two family lines are provided for the subsequent generations. Their son George married a woman from Massachusetts and they moved to Swanton before their first child was born in 1902. Charles and Sophie’s son Frank married a woman from New York and their first two children were born in New York. Charles Partlow Chart.”

To understand this part of the Elnu application better, it’s a good idea to provide links to genealogical records of the Partlow line.

Birth record of Patsy Partlow (mother of April Merrill, married to Homer St.Francis, parents were Clifford Partlow (son of ) and Marion Friot, both listed as White):

Patsy Partlow Birth Record

A long (but difficult to read) list of people descended from the Partlows can also be found here:

Frank Lawrence Sheehan ancestors

It clearly shows that both Patsy Partlow, Carollee Reynolds and even Melody Walker-Brook are related through that same line (this list shows that Ms.Reynolds is actually descended more closely from James Partlow than Charles Partlow while Melody Walker-Brook is descended through the sister of Charles Partlow, Eliza Partlow.), though the list makes it difficult (at least to my eyes) to put together the relations. Unless further evidence is presented, one has to cede the authority to the BIA in their conclusion on Charles Partlow. If you scroll back up and read the document from the Alburg history books, you’ll notice that even though 4 men are listed and the line “four indians” is underneath them, it’s possible that the document was referring to these 4 men AND 4 additional indians (whose names were not listed). Regardless, unless any corroborating evidence can be shown, it appears that the BIA’s conclusions are correct.

Also valuable to this section is a piece of oral family history handed down to John Sheehan who recounted the story of an Indian village that came under attack, “…The village our family lived inwas attached because we are Indians. Everything was being burned and people were getting killed. Our grandmother, your grandmother and her brother were put down in a well to hide.They must have been too small to run. They tried to stay quiet and clung to each other. They could smell the smoke from everything burning and hear the cries and screams of their family and friends. They didn’t know for how long [they were in the well for]. Time passed, the screams quieted. Your grandmother and her brother slowly came out of the hole. Their home and village was destroyed, ashes smoldered; many people were killed. The ground and rocks near the river was stained with blood. There was more but I don’t remember…” (John Sheehan,
2010). This main very well be a memory, passed down through generations, of the Missisquoi raid or possibly the Roger’s Rangers raid on St. Francis.

This incident with Rogers Raiders has been well-documented, even to a point where it was in the Swanton History book.  I don’t understand the 2010 reference though. Was this story recently recounted? Recently recorded?

The language of this criterion, “The applicant has a connection with Native American Indian tribes and bands that have historically inhabited Vermont”, is very broad. Elnu undoubted has political, familial, social, and/or cultural ‘connections’ with Missisquoi, Koasek, and Nulhegan

This incorporation certainly does have a connection but mainly with the Alliance tribes. Do other native tribes in/around the state of Vermont recognize the Elnu? Up until the S.222 process, I personally had NEVER heard of the Elnu people and I grew up in the Swanton area!  If they do not, are we to assume that the Elnu are still legit? This part is too vague and unfortunately, it shows a poorly-worded attempt by Mr.Wiseman to create standards for criteria and to meet those same standards.

853 (c)(4) The applicant has historically maintained an organizational structure that exerts influence and authority over its members that is supported by documentation of the structure, membership criteria, the names and residential addresses of its members, and the methods by which the applicant conducts its affairs.

Ok, please define “historic” in the context that applies to this application. Does “historic” mean 50 years? 100 years? 30 years? 25 years? The Elnu incorporation has not been around long enough to be considered “historic” in any measure. Keep in mind that anyone can form a group, call themselves indians and then fill up a list of people who they then try to pass off as their “members”. The Elnu did exactly this and for that reason, the historic part should be struck from this record.

According to Wikipedia, “In anthropology, bands are the tiniest societies, consisting typically of 5-80 people, most or all of them close relatives by birth or by marriage. In effect, a band is anextended family or several related extended families.” Bands are organizational structures. There is no question that Elnu is a Band.

This is a part that simply does not pass muster in my eyes. Using Wikipedia as a source implies laziness and poor research skills. As an UVM student, I can attest that Wikipedia is not considered to be a serious source by most academic scholars. If I were to cite it, even for something similar to this, my professors would certainly remove points for using it as a citation. Mr. Wiseman should be ashamed of himself.

The tribe’s membership criteria and the names and residential addresses of members are presented. Acceptable forms of documentation for membership include a combination of genealogical, adoption, historical, DNA, and other records; family and oral traditions; pictures and artifacts; etc. Also detailed in the membership criteria are various reasons for denial or revocation of membership.

This clearly shows a maintained organizational structure that exerts influence and authority over its members.

If you scroll back up, you’ll find that the genealogy of some members is dubious, especially those related through the Partlow line.  If the Partlow line itself is up for question, then how can the Elnu use it as part of their genealogical basis? The document “Decolonizing The Abenaki” does not count as supporting evidence as it is an amateurish document. No dice.

853 (c)(5) The applicant has an enduring community presence within the boundaries of Vermont that is documented by archaeology, ethnography, physical anthropology, history, folklore, or any other applicable scholarly research and data.

Lyman Simpson Hayes pointed out in some detail in his ‘History of the Town of Rockingham, VT 1753-1907’, that there was a large ancient Indian town in the area. Especially important to local history was a “large Indian village of wigwams extending from the south end of Mount Kilburn, where the Fitchburg station of Cold River now is, nearly a quarter of a mile south, and that it was a sub-tribe of the great Abenaquis…” A village almost a quarter mile long would have
been home to hundreds of indigenous people. Recently, Robert Smith noted, “Reliable sources indicate that dozens of Abenaki skeletons and graves have been unearthed in downtown Bellows Falls, along with many times that number of Native artifacts.”

Sure, “Abenaki” skeletons, not Elnu skeletons. How can this be used as evidence? There is no reference to these people being the Elnu people because they were not incorporated at the time! The mention of native artifacts is also vague. I’m sorry, but to my eyes, this is NOT proof of the existence of the Elnu people!

Above is just an example of the mountain of evidence that Elnu has presented to satisfy the antecedent Indian presence of the 1600’s and 1700’s. The identity of the people who inhabited Elnu’s region and also to the south, are what historians would call the Sokokis (named for the Squakeag Village at Northfield, MA. Calloway noted that “They (the Sokokis) occupied the region … to the great rapids at Bellows Falls.” Elnu’s M’Sadoques family has direct family tradition of a Sokoki connection and also a connection to the Longto line through the Patenaudes. Norman M’Sadoques was told by his grandfather that his surname meant the “big river people” in the Abenaki, a direct reference to the Connecticut River. In addition, he was told that he was of the “turtle clan” from the old Sokoki region. In Colin Calloway’s book, his research uncovered the “return from Canada” of Sachem Sadochquis and 156 men, women, and children
to Schaghticoke in 1685.

Are you telling me that you’re using evidence of the SOKOKIS as evidence of the Elnu people? How does this work again? Why don’t these people try to apply for recognition as Sokokis instead? I’m sure that these events did take place but in the context of the Elnu people using them as evidence, it does not hold water. I have seen the words “turtle clan” bandied about by many different people but I have yet to see a clear explanation of just what the turtle (or tolba) clan is. Howard F. Knight Jr. has also used the term. My mother has used the term. Just who ARE the Turtle (Tolba) Clan?

This community also used material indicative symbols of ethnic destinctness. Julia Patnode-Longto was described as wearing “Indian clothes” and accessories with beaded and ribbon detail. A close look at Julia’s daughter, Nellie Longto, in an image presented in Elnu’s application
reveals a necklace shows a long thin claw. Nellie’s photo (ca 1873) leaves little doubt to her ethnicity.

Wearing “indian clothes” does not make you an indian. Actors wear indian clothes. From what I have been told, the only time that people wear headdresses is for ceremonial purposes. With the arrival of missionaries, one would assume that indians would not wear “indian clothes” for fear of repression. I don’t personally think that this picture counts as evidence.  Just look at the Elnu and other incorporations and their insistence on dressing as indians. Is this a sign of their insecurity?

Elnu referenced more recent (late 19th and early/mid 20th century) examples of “enduring community presence” in their region such as miscellaneous records, census’s, and gravestones of relatives in the area which is archival evidence of local residency. Memories of John Sheehan pounding ash to make basket splints, memories of relatives conversing in the “old language”, and memories and photos of Elnu ancestors in Indian apparel are presented in great detail from multiple sources

Ok, here’s where the logic gets fuzzy. Take a look at the image and text below (from the Reinvention of the Alleged Vermont and New Hampshire Abenakis blog). You may have to zoom in but you will clearly see the following:

12.Frank Lawrence Sheehan-renter-“white” age 44 yrs-married-Chaffeur-Taxi driver

13. Leona nee: MacDonald-wife-“white” age 38 yrs-married-born Connecticut

14. Edward B. Sheehan-son-“white” age 10 yrs-single-born New York

15. John F. Sheehan-son-“white” age 12 yrs-single-born New York

Ok, so, if all members were listed as White, then why would John be “pounding ash to make basket splints?”  Surely, ANYONE can make a basket, whether they are white, native or whatnot.  I’m just not buying the idea that the Sheehans had native ancestry.  When I imagine the Sheehan name, I imagine a working class Irish family (as the Sheehans listed above certainly seem to be) and not an Abenaki family.

In this section, Elnu presented 42 pages of sourced data, oral testimony, images, and history. There is no doubt that the people of Elnu are the descendants of the Tolba (Turtle) Clan and that their small community has endured, for the most part, within the boundaries of Vermont. The people of Elnu are among the most traditional of indigenous people in Vermont. Their history and contemporary existence is deep and priceless to our state.

These 42 pages are unfortunately not public knowledge or they would be available for examination along with this application. This really doesn’t make sense and it allows the Elnu incorporation to “hide” their true intentions because if the general public does not know what is in those records, there is no way to know for sure if these people are who they say they are.

853 (c)(6)(B) The applicant is organized in part: to address the social, economic, political or
cultural needs of the members with ongoing educational programs and activities.

Social & Cultural needs: The preamble (above) from the Constitution of the Elnu Abenaki Tribe addresses the social and cultural needs of members through educational programming. Elnu is well known among the greater Abenaki and Native communities as a valuable social and cultural resource at powwows, gatherings, sporting events, presentations, and celebrations such as the Lake Champlain Quadracentennial and countless others. Elnu is indisputably and actively organized to address social and cultural needs and revitalization.

To be fair, I asked a member of one of the more prominent Abenaki families in Vermont if she had ever heard of the Elnu. She had not. I could ask other Vermonters I know if they too, had ever heard of the Elnu. I guarantee you that they would reply that they had not. I have to dispute the claim above. Also, the Elnu seem more interested in garnering attention in the media, hence their participation in the Quad celebration last year.  They needed to make their fabricated group “legit” in order to boost Fred Wiseman’s work on getting them recognized.

Economic needs: Elnu has made a commitment to encourage the economic and entrepreneurial aspects of Abenaki culture, especially in the craft arts, and this is accomplished by individual mentoring activities and multi-person teaching by Elnu’s elders at events as presented by various hands-on examples in their application as well as resources on their website.

They are not alone in craft-making among so-called natives in Vermont, nor are they the first ones to look for recognition to sell their crafts as “Abenaki” crafts. However, there are ways that they could make money for their tribe without formal state or federal recognition. Are grants and so forth more lucrative if you are a recognized tribe? I believe so.

Political needs: Quoted from Elnu’s website, “We limit ourselves in inter-tribal politics; however we will not be forgotten.” Since 2008, Elnu has been an active member of the Vermont Indigenous Alliance along with fellow Vermont tribes, Missisquoi, Nulhegan, and Koasek. Elnu has represented it’s citizenry at various legislative hearings and VCNAA meetings since 2007. Fairly recently, Elnu participated in an attempt to repatriate two Seven Nations wampum belts
that were held in New York City, thereby dealing peripherally with other Wabanaki Nations who are stakeholders in the repatriation.

When I was a member of the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs (2008-2010), I don’t recall ever seeing a member of the Elnu delegation come to our meetings. They mainly stayed away with other Alliance members so they could manipulate Vermont media outlets in their favor. These people did not want to work with that commission. They wanted recognition on THEIR terms and THEIR grounds only. That is the purpose of this Alliance. As for the Wampum Belts, what was the motivation there?

853 (c)(9)(A) Submission of letters, statements, and documents from: municipal, state, or federal authorities that document the applicant’s history of tribe-related business and activities.

Included in the application are letters from Bruce Hyde, Vermont Department of Tourism & Marketing; Senator Hinda Miller, D-Chittenden; Charles Delaney-Megeso, Former Chairman,Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs; Professor Frederick M. Wisemen, Ph.D,
Johnson State College; Albert Garlick, Travis Native American Heritage Council

Here’s where it gets tricky.

A state senator has no business meddling in this application process, since it implicates their bias towards said incorporation. Hinda Miller in her own arrogance, decided that she support these people no matter what. She compared them to the Semites (Jews) as  “lost tribes” and has mingled with the likes of Dwyani Ywahoo (who is a known new-age fraud, similar to “Little Grandmother” Keisha Crowther). Hinda Miller, along with Charles Delaney-Megeso and Donald Warren Stevens, were instrumental in painting the former VCNAA as “biased, hateful and unwilling to work with native people in Vermont.”  This was never true. These people made it impossible for the Commission to serve native people by hijacking the agenda using the recognition issue. Also, Fred M. Wiseman is given way too much credit for his (amateurish) attempts to gain recognition for these people.

Here’s Hinda Miller making her analogy:

853 (c)(9)(B) Submission of letters, statements, and documents from: tribes in and outside Vermont that attest to the Native American Indian heritage of the applicant. Included in the application is a statement of recognition from the Vermont Indigenous Alliance; a letter from Chief Don Stevens, Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe; notes from a Haudenosaunee Standing Committee in New York City; letters from Marketa Fisher, IMST Sales Manager and Choctaw Nation member; Chief Nancy Millette-Doucet, Koasek Abenaki of the Koas;Representative Kate Webb, Chittenden 5-1, Shelburne; Former Lt. Governor, Brian Dubie, etc.

Again, allowing letters from Nulhegan Chief Donald Warren Stevens and Nancy Millette-Doucet is just another way of allowing these people to stack their support with members of their Alliance. I find it interesting that they were able to get support from the Haudenosaunee Standing Committee and a member of the Choctaw Nation. However, they are still virtually unknown to most native people in the state of Vermont (except for those part of the Alliance).

The application also contains an “evaluation” of the application data by none other than Fred M. Wiseman. Again, too much Wiseman for my liking. He admits that he’s been a participant in Abenaki recognition since 1993, having worked with the St.Francis/Sokoki band in the past, in addition to the other Alliance bands.

While the Elnu appear to have met this (shoddy) criteria, it is not and never will be enough proof (in my eyes) that they are an legitimate native entity in the state of Vermont.  It’s really unfortunate that this process has been sabotaged right from the beginning and stacked strongly in the Alliance’s favor.

Hopefully, they all will be exposed and this sham stopped before it harms the State of Vermont and its’ taxpayers via land grants, casinos and other ill-cooked schemes that are sure to come. Don’t believe me? Watch and see.