Nancy Millette-Doucet Attacks Rep.Kesha Ram

The following image is from a letter from Nancy Millette-Doucet in which she refers to Rep.Kesha Ram as a “23 year old child from California”.

I have had my own disagreements with Rep.Kesha Ram over Abenaki recognition. However, Mrs.Doucet’s conduct is unacceptable and no one in their right mind would accept one of her letters as “proof” for recognition.

Mrs.Doucet is upset that she and her cronies must fill out formal applications for recognition.

I must remind her that the Alliance has had this whole process handed to them by the State of Vermont. They control the commission. They control the view of Abenakis in the media.

What more do these people want? Why should anyone give them more, especially since they have failed to prove that they are the rightful descendants of the Western Abenaki people?

It will be interesting to see what Rep.Ram’s response to Mrs. Doucet’s letter will be. This letter will not help the Alliance in their cause.

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!

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.

“The Fix Is In”: 2/9/11 Seven Days column mentions Abenaki recognition

Shay Totten has done a brief write-up on the continuing issue of abenaki recognition, especially where it concerns the Abenaki First Nation’s grievance:

http://www.7dvt.com/2011fix

Excerpt as follows:
Abenaki Angst

A group of Abenaki that opposes the recognition of several Vermont-based tribes won’t be allowed to testify before a key Senate committee.

The Abenaki First Nation initially got the OK to testify before the Senate Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee, but that offer was partially rescinded by Sen. Vince Illuzzi (R-Essex/Orleans), the committee’s chair and a proponent of Abenaki recognition.

Illuzzi said the group’s in-state members can testify, but the out-of-state members can only provide written testimony. “We only meet for three hours a day and only have so much time to take direct testimony,” he said. “We’ve done the same for other out-of-state witnesses on bills.”

That’s not good enough for Denise Watso of the Abenaki First Nation, which has tribal members in Vermont, New York and Québec. Watso questions the authenticity of at least two tribes seeking state recognition.

“Why are lawmakers like Sen. Illuzzi afraid to hear what we have to say? Why are they scared to look us in the eye?” she asked. “These are not rhetorical questions. They are willing to take the time to hear testimony, they just refuse to hear from us. It’s just a lot easier to ignore emails and letters than it is to hear real-life Abenaki people speaking out for truth and justice in the halls of the Statehouse.”

The House General, Housing and Military Affairs Committee has not established such restrictions this year, but it has yet to receive a request from out-of-state groups.

To date, two tribes that claim Abenaki heritage are seeking recognition: the Nulhegan and the Elnu. A third, the Koasek, has been approved for recognition, but no formal bill has been introduced.

It’s unclear if other tribes or family bands will follow suit this session under a new state recognition law passed last year.

The Missisquoi Tribe was in the process of gathering up the necessary documents, but its leader — Chief April St. Francis-merrill — was arrested last week for allegedly stealing money from a vulnerable adult.

It’s about time that the Vermont media heard from people with legitimate Abenaki standing.

Mr.Illuzzi claimed that he gave Skip Bernier time to testify but it was inadequate and when compared to the hours of testimony from Alliance groups, was a pittance. Nancy Millette-Doucet, a New Hampshire resident, has had more opportunities to speak out (mainly at VCNAA meetings) than Skip Bernier. This must be rectified as the Abenaki First Nation and anyone else who opposes recognition of these fraudulent tribes, must be given equal standing to speak up on this issue.

Fred M. Wiseman Complains about “Hate blogs”

The “Short and Skinny” Of It by Fred M. Wiseman

Just go to the link and read it for yourself.

Here’s a priceless quote:

Unfortunately, with the withdrawal of a common enemy to Vermont’s Indigenous people, the vacuum has been filled by individuals, because of personal or community animosity, who choose to deny the ethnic identity of their neighbors, and even, unfortunately, their family. The reasons for this hatred are varies, feelings of personal insult, jealousy that someone else is going to get a “bigger piece of the pie,” uncertainty about their own ethnic identity, or in some cases a misplaced desire to protect Vermont against the “casinos and land claims” stereotype promulgated by the State in the 1995-2006 period.

Since when did having a desire for the truth constitute “hatred”? What planet are these people from? Has Fred not read up on Luke Willard’s past? Did he not see the casino management contract or the check stub of the North American People Of The Dawn Inc? Has he read the birth and death certificates of the ancestors of the people in these groups? Has he talked to people who associated with them and asked them why they no longer do so? What makes him think that Alliance opponents want a “bigger piece of the pie?” Hello? Only the Alliance folks are seeking the riches here.

There are many reasons to oppose the recognition of the Abenaki Alliance groups.

1. Genealogy

Read it for yourself on either my blog or the other “hate blog” that Fred refers to. Birth and death certificates are public records in the State of Vermont. My question is, why do the birth certificates of many of these people list “White” as their race? I suppose that we could use the Vermont Eugenics Survey and the idea that these folks were “hiding in plain sight” as a defense. We could also use the arrival of Jesuit priests and the conversion of these so-called Indians to a Catholic or Christian faith as an excuse. However, these excuses and defenses will only go so far on their own.

If the Alliance can prove it, come out and do so.

2. Land Grants/Grants/Casinos

We know for a fact that there is no guarantee that these people will not build casinos or pursue land/educational grants. As I have mentioned above, why is there a casino management contract in existence for the group that Luke Willard was previously associated with (North American People of The Dawn Inc.)? How do we know that they won’t mismanage educational grants? How do we know that they’re not going after the “Phillip’s Deed”?

Personally, I view casinos as reinforcing gambling and drinking stereotypes of Native Americans. Casinos bring in money by “hooking” people in and then proceed to fleece them using hidden tricks. They promote irresponsible gambling habits and are a hotbed for organized crime. This is why I personally oppose casinos and why plenty of other people do as well, including the State of Vermont.

To their credit, the St.Francis/Sokoki band tried to start a small business producing a soda called “Oligen (It is Good)” back in the mid-90s. It went nowhere for some reason. There is nothing wrong with seeking out funding for a small business. Why would you need recognition for this? Is the money more lucrative this way?

Again, if the Alliance can prove that they’re not out for casinos and land grants, then come out and do so.

3. Biased and compromised VCNAA

We know for a fact that the Alliance groups have “stacked” the current VCNAA in their favor so that they may easily win state recognition. Does Mr.Wiseman not find this to be unfair? Does Mr.Wiseman even care at this point? He worked with these groups, he wrote their “criteria” and now his son sits on this same commission. How can someone fail to see the bias present here?

Luke Willard (Nulhegan) —> Dawn Macie (Nulhegan) —> Takara T.K Matthews (Carol-Lee Reynolds’ daughter) —> Melody Walker-Brook (Elnu) —> David Vanslette (Missisquoi) —> Shirly Hook (Koasek) —> Nathan E. Pero (Koasek) —> Charlene McManis (supports Missisquoi)

Do I need to make a more complicated chart to show the bias? All Alliance, all the time!

4. Revisionist History

On the Nulhegan application, they supposedly trace their existence back to 3 centuries. However, they were incorporated in 2004. Is this not revisionist history? Does Fred not recognize this? What about the Elnu and Koasek groups? Prior to 2008, they were not well known in the state of Vermont (perhaps in their local communities, but not the state as a whole). Did they just magically appear overnight?

To their credit, the St.Francis/Sokoki band has had the most exposure in the state of Vermont. However, it is not much of a credit when we look at the issue of genealogy.

5. Hatred of anyone who opposes them

The fifth and final reason (in my opinion) is the hatred and venom these people have towards their political enemies. They are hypocrites because they can willingly drag people to court and trash them in front of state officials. It was Mr.Wiseman himself who trashed these same groups that he now works with. Do a search on this blog and you will see what I mean. If Nancy Millette-Doucet had her way, her political enemies would not have access to her genealogy or that of any of the other Alliance members.

So in all fairness, Mr.Wiseman has failed to prove the existence of these “hate blogs”.

In 2010, the Vermont General Assembly created a fair and equitable process for establishing the legitimacy of claims for recognition as an Indian tribe. There are safeguards in place to prevent any abuse of the recognition process, including 1. A rigorous and thorough set of criteria for recognition 2.) charging the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs to thoroughly review the applications. 3. An advisory panel of three scholars in appropriate field to also review and approve the applications and auxiliary documentation. 4. Public hearings on each application to give voice to advocates and opponents of recognition. 5. Review and approval by the legislature.

Except this process is no longer the “fair and equitable” process that Mr.Wiseman claims. It is a power play by the Alliance groups to speed through their recognition without anything to stand in their way. Unfortunately for them, there are people who will stand in their way and not allow this to happen, not out of hatred, but out of concern for the possibility of illegal actions.

Here’s an example of what happened in Tennessee with their Commission. It concerns the recognition of 6 groups of people in Tennessee who claimed to have connections and ancestors of the Cherokee Nation. The Cherokee Nation had contended that there were no bands,tribes or nations left in Tennessee that they recognized as their own. Also,these groups did not meet the criteria set forth by the BIA. The Cherokee Nation (Oklahoma), along with two other groups (United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians in Oklahoma and the Eastern Band of Cherokees in NC) are the only legitimate, federally recognized Cherokee entities in the United States.

Regardless, on June 19, 2010, the State of Tennessee granted recognition to 6 groups (Cherokee Wolf Clan, Chikamaka Band, Central Band of Cherokee, United Eastern Lenape Nation, Tanasi Council and Remnant Yuchi Nation). This recognition was hasty and done in violation of Tennessee’s “sunshine” or Open Meetings Act. People who opposed this recognition were not given adequate time to make their arguments.

As you can see, the same mistake is about to be repeated in the State of Vermont. Regardless of what happens, the truth will prevail. If the State of Vermont chooses to recognize the Elnu, Koasek, Nulhegan and St.Francis/Sokoki people, it will be their mess to deal with. The people have a right to inform the government of their wishes and concerns. This is how a Democracy is supposed to work.

Mr.Wiseman can continue to complain about “hate blogs” all he wants. It will not matter because the truth will prevail, one way or the other.

What Are They Afraid Of?

The above article appeared in today’s edition of the Caledonian Record. I am not sure why Mr.Willard has requested security though.

Perhaps he doesn’t want to hear or see the opposition to his racket? After all, enough people have rolled over and played dead over the years while Luke and the Alliance cruised through the Vermont Statehouse on their “indian” rafts.

Let’s be frank here: No one is calling for violence, not even me. In the wake of the shootings in Arizona, it is not wise to do so. Perhaps an Alliance member saw a post on here and interpreted it as a call for violence. “A Call To Arms” was a poor choice of words and I hastily corrected it when I found out that it was Sarah Palin who used that same term to stir up her fanbase. I personally detest Sarah Palin and the Tea Party. They have made a mockery of politics in this country.

What I am calling for is for people to go to Montpelier and testify against this recognition process. After all, we as citizens have every right to let our representatives know how we feel, as long as it’s in a civil manner.

There really is nothing to be afraid of here with the exception of the truth. If that’s the case, then there’s nothing that can be done.

 

Richard “Skip” Bernier letter to Caledonian Record, 1/25/11

Enclosed within is an image from the letter that Richard “Skip” Bernier wrote to the Caledonian Record. It was published on 1/25/11.

Skip makes some great points and I think it’s interesting that Rep. Bob Lewis is questioning the legitimacy of these tribes. It’s encouraging to see more voices come out to show their opposition to this recognition. Whether or not it will be effective remains to be seen.

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.

Interesting Tidbits from “Against The Darkness”

I recently acquired information from Fred M. Wiseman’s document, “Against The Darkness.” As with any other Fred M. Wiseman PH.D(!) document, one must certainly put on their bull-shit filter (which he actually mentions!) and gas mask in order to wade through this murky swamp.

Page 16 with the “BS Filter” remark. Just thought it was interesting that Fred knows what a BS Filter is. I’ve used mine on more than one occasion when reading his documents.

But, Page 14 is even more interesting because in this document, Fred seems to be attacking/making fun of the very same groups that he’s trying to get the state of Vermont to recognize. It’s a covert attack that probably means little today (they likely forgave him) but shows that he can be two-faced at times.

1. This is somewhat true as before 2008, I personally had never heard of any other group/tribe/whatever of indians within the state of Vermont. I’m not sure about the “drunken frenchmen” part as I’ve never heard that term used. I have personally heard the term “injun” used more.

2. These “other organized groups” must refer to people like the El-Nu, Koasek and Nulhegan. They seem to fit Fred’s own criteria (recently emerged, little or no political clout (hence the need for an alliance) and generally unknown to most non-natives in Vermont).

3. “Professional Abenakis” can mean anything. Generally, people who make their living from crafts, storytelling and so forth.

4. “Assimilated Abenakis” are generally Abenakis that recognize their culture but wish to be known as Vermonters or Americans. With all of the current political crap, I can’t blame people for wanting nothing to do with their heritage.

5. “Abenaki Deniers”. I know a few of these, people who acknowledge that they have Abenaki blood but are crude and racist in nature.

6. “Wannabes” can apply to the three groups mentioned above (El-Nu, Koasek and Nulhegan) because even though they claim a great deal of native spiritual knowledge, they live in an age where anyone can look up stuff on the internet, come up with a group structure and apply for incorporation. The Clan of the Hawk also fits this mode, though they are somewhat honest about their actual mission (to a degree). Another group that could fit here is Mazipskwik.

The timeline of this film falls before the formation of the “Abenaki Alliance.” I personally have no idea why Fred decided that it was important to prop up these groups. One theory is that he had a falling out with April Merrill and the St.Francis band, which possibly lead him to find another group(s) that he could exploit. He found three and that explains the current “Abenaki Alliance.”

Don’t get me wrong. I’m sure that on the surface, Fred M. Wiseman is a nice guy. I just think that he’s spent too much time at the tribal headquarters and not enough time in an actual classroom. Someone with a PH.D should not be using Wikipedia as a resource. That just sets off alarm bells.

I could read the rest of this document but I know exactly what to expect out of Mr.Wiseman.

Wikipedia and Fred Wiseman

There’s a section of the Elnu application post that mentions just how Fred M. Wiseman gets his research:

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.

I offer you tidbits from an email exchange calling out Mr.Wiseman on his research methods.

Subject: Department of Anthropology Oregon State University versus Wikpedia
To:
Date: Friday, January 21, 2011, 10:10 AM

The following is in reference to Dr. Weisman’s statement addressing Elnu as a band and using Wikpedia as his source.  In particular, Dr. O’Neil at the U.of Palomar College, San Marcos, California has described a band as being acephalous.  If this is so then how can any of these “Abenakis” corporations be bands seeing that they are all governed by a dominate small group of individual “chiefs” or “sagamos”.

Secondly, it only took me less than two minutes to find credible academic resources on the internet that defined the term of “band: without having to settle for Wikpedia.

“band – a small group of related people, who are primarily organized through family bonds. Foraging typifies the subsistence technology. A respected and older person may be looked to for leadership, but the person has no formalized authority.”

Department of Anthropology
Oregon State University

“Definitions of Anthropological Terms”

http://oregonstate.edu/instruct/anth370/gloss.html

Band;  the level of political integration in which a society consists only of an association of families living together.  Bands are loosely allied by marriage, descent, friendship, and common interest.  The primary integrating mechanism is kinship ties.  There is no economic class differentiation.  All adults of the same gender are more or less equal as far as community decision making is concerned.  However, some individuals in a band may stand out for their skills and knowledge.  These often are the people who have the best memories, are the best hunters, most successful curers, most gifted speakers, etc.  Such people become informal leaders.  Most often they are given authority by community consensus arrived at through casual discussion without the need for a formal vote. Leaders generally have temporary political power at best, and they do not have any significant authority relative to other adults within their band.  Subsequently, bands are essentially acephalous societies.  The total number of people within these societies rarely exceeds a few dozen.  Bands are found among foraging societies.

Acephalous societies; a society in which political power is diffused to the degree that there are no institutionalized political leadership roles such as chiefs and kings.  Bands and tribes are acephalous.  Most foragers and simple horticulturalists have highly egalitarian, acephalous societies.  The word “acephalous” is Greek for “without a head.”

source; Dr. Dennis O’Neil
Behavioral Sciences Department

Palomar College

San Marcos, California

http://anthro.palomar.edu/tutorials/cglossary.htm

Dept. of Anthropology

University of Alabama

Band, a small, loosely organized group of hunter-gatherer families, occupying a specifiable territory and tending toward self-sufficiency.
Source: Harris M (1997) Culture, People, Nature: An Introduction to General Anthropology, seventh edition. New York: Allyn and Bacon.

I honestly think that Mr.Wiseman “purchased” his Ph.D from a phony degree service. He would not need to be called out if he would do the proper research before presenting such information to the state.

I guarantee you that he would lose points if he submitted his “work” to an actual professor.