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From WCAX-TV website: " Vermont-based eco-friendly cleaning company Seventh Generation is teaming up with the Vermont Commission of Native American Affairs to bring new curriculum into the state’s schools." Please click on the following button to read the article and watch the news release.
October 23, 2022
Press Release: Immediate Release
Regarding: Lake Champlain Basin Program Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership Award for a Nulhegan Abenaki Cultural Education Program
Title: Nulhegan Abenaki Cultural Education Program
The Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk-Abenaki Nation is excited to announce an award provided by the Lake Champlain Basin Program Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership for the Nulhegan Abenaki Cultural Education Program. The Educational Committee, comprised of Nulhegan tribal citizens, will develop a resource framework that builds on existing traditional knowledge and supports research for new historical and cultural discoveries within our tribe. This research is designed to accurately represent and interpret the heritage of the Abenaki people.
The Educational Program will draw upon the ancestral connections to both land and water. The objectives consist of providing a means for tribal citizens (along with other indigenous people who have expertise and knowledge for traditional arts, stories, and customs) to develop and lead five workshops. Skilled workshop leaders will demonstrate cultural heritage through traditional skills. Workshops will be open to tribal citizens, other indigenous descendants, and the general public.
From these workshops, activity guides will be developed to provide instructions on how to replicate the activity (or a simpler version of the activity) and used in three Educational Kits. The Educational Kits will also include historically accurate replicated artifacts or guidance for a skill, and informational pages about the history, use, and resources of the artifact/skill. The kits will be available for educators in Lake Champlain Basin and throughout the State of Vermont.
For more information on the Nulhegan Abenaki Cultural Education Program, contact the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribal Council: council@abenakitribe.org.
Check out this great video
HOLDERNESS — Citizens of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation came to the Holderness Historical Society to demonstrate their traditional life-supporting and survival skills, including how to make a dugout canoe. Co-sponsored by the Hopkinton Historical Society, last weekend’s event drew hundreds of people for a demonstration of ash-splint basket-making, a display of pottery, construction of a birch bark canoe, storytelling and drumming, and the transformation of a 350-pound white-pine log into a dugout. To read the full article, please click on the link below.
Tribal Property is Now Tax Exempt
Here is another legislative bill that was passed this year that impacts our Nulhegan tribe. This will allow our tribal lands to be exempted from all taxes. This will most likely affect our tribal lands in Barton and any we acquire probably next tax year in 2023.
Act No. 90 (H.556). Taxation; property tax; exemption; Vermont-recognized Native American tribes An act relating to exempting property owned by Vermont-recognized Native American tribes from property tax This act creates a statewide education property tax and municipal property tax exemption for real and personal property that is owned by a Vermont-recognized Native American tribe or owned by a nonprofit organization. To be eligible for the exemption, the nonprofit organization that owns the property must be organized for the tribe’s benefit and controlled by the tribe, and the property must be used for purposes of the tribe and cannot be leased or rented for profit. Effective Date: July 1, 2022
View the great coverage of the partnership with Wiley Side Farm in Shoreham.
Please scroll down to read articles and view videos.
Several members of the tribe went to The Echo Center to Drum on Negoseban, which is the name of their big drum. Listen to and watch the video to experience Abenaki drumming and singing a traditional song.
This article was released on August 5, 2021 - please click on the link below to read it.
Image: Chief Don Stevens of the Nulhegan band of the Abenaki nation at home in Shelburne in September 2020. Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger
What Is The Status Of The Abenaki Native Americans In Vermont Today?
Video source and credit: http://www.cctv.org/watch-tv/programs/vermont-abenaki-heritage
Abenaki chief explains year without summer 200 years ago.
Abenaki historians celebrate harvest dinner at ECHO
Burlington, VT – Mayor Miro Weinberger and Chief Don Stevens from the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk – Abenaki Nation today announced that the City of Burlington and Vermont Abenaki Alliance (made up of the four Abenaki Tribes recognized by the State of Vermont) have agreed to explore several projects to promote awareness of Abenaki history and culture. This announcement is the result of conversations between the City and Chief Stevens that arose during the discussion of the Church Street “Everyone Loves a Parade” mural. In lieu of participating in the Mural Task Force to determine the future of the mural, Chief Stevens and the Abenaki Alliance have chosen to pursue other projects, which will include an annual summer event on Church Street and may include a display of cultural artifacts at the Burlington International Airport, among other potential projects. These projects will build on Burlington’s previous work with Abenaki communities to create the Chief Grey Lock statue in Battery Park and the City Council’s acknowledgment and support of recognition of the Abenaki Nation in September of 1995.
“Abenaki Tribes have a long history within the State of Vermont and with the City of Burlington,” said Chief Don Stevens. “As leaders within our Abenaki communities, the Chiefs have decided not to participate in the ‘Everyone Loves a Parade’ Mural Task Force, but to find other positive avenues to promote our culture within the City. We look forward to collaborating with the City on projects that will increase local and international awareness of Abenaki history and culture. Finally, if the mural is to be changed or altered, we do feel that the Native person depicted on the mural should accurately and historically represent Abenaki people from this region.”
“I appreciated Chief Don Stevens’ input as we have been working through the community challenges related to the ‘Everyone Loves a Parade’ mural,” said Mayor Miro Weinberger. “The City welcomes the opportunity to continue to work with the Abenaki Alliance to find ways of properly recognizing the role of the Abenaki in the history and future of this region.”
Please note that this communication and any response to it will be maintained as a public record and may be subject to disclosure under the Vermont Public Records Act.
GOVERNOR PHIL SCOTT SIGNS EXECUTIVE ORDER TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY, EQUITY AND EQUALITY IN STATE GOVERNMENT Montpelier, Vt. — Governor Phil Scott today signed Executive Order 04-18, to promote racial, ethnic and cultural diversity, equity and equality in state government. The Executive Order seeks to achieve the goals of a bill passed by the Legislature (S.281), which the Governor had to veto due to an unconstitutional provision in the bill, as passed.
Governor Scott’s message to the Legislature is included below and the Executive Order is attached.
“I support without reservation the goal of this bill to ensure State governance is conducted in an unbiased, open, inclusive and welcoming manner.
“Unfortunately, pursuant to Chapter II, Section 11 of the Vermont Constitution, I must return S.281, An act relating to mitigation of systemic racism, without my signature because of significant constitutional concerns given separation of powers violations described herein. Importantly, to ensure the intent of the legislation is fulfilled without delay, I have signed Executive Order 04-18. This Executive Order is modeled after S.281 but goes further in our effort to ensure racial, ethnic and cultural diversity, equity and equality – and avoids the unconstitutional provision included in the bill.
“I instructed the Agency of Administration to draft the order modeled after S.281 and to seek input from the Vermont Partnership for Fairness and Diversity and other stakeholders. Specifically, the order establishes the position of Chief Racial Equity and Diversity Officer, to be nominated and vetted by a five-member panel selected in consultation with the Judiciary, the Legislature and the Chair of the Human Rights Commission. The Chief Racial Equity and Diversity Officer will be housed in the Office of the Secretary of Administration. The duties and responsibilities of the Chief Racial Equity and Diversity Officer include those reflected in S.281.
“Additionally, Executive Order 04-18 goes beyond what was contemplated in S.281 and mandates training of appointed leaders in all agencies and departments on implicit bias and related issues that contribute to inequity or inequality as well as recruitment for increased racial, ethnic and cultural diversity in State jobs and on boards and commissions. It also directs the Officer to evaluate existing State Executive Orders, which are designed to address equity and diversity issues and recommend updates, modifications or sunset provisions to ensure these Executive Orders and the bodies created therein are effective and getting meaningful results.
“It is unfortunate that I must return S.281 when the Legislature and the Administration share the same goals on this critical issue. I appreciate the work of the Legislature in drafting this bill – much of which is adopted in my Executive Order – and the work of many to address the constitutionality concerns during the Legislative process. Unfortunately, during the last days of the session, language was added that would usurp the executive’s Constitutional authority to remove a cabinet member responsible for performing an executive function. The new executive branch official contemplated in this bill is both appointed by and accountable to the Governor. The removal power, incidental to the appointment power, is essential for a Governor to take care that the laws be faithfully executed in accordance with the Constitution. The exercise of executive authority by an inter-branch entity over a Governor violates the separation of powers dictated by the Constitution.
“While several specific alternatives to the unconstitutional provision were proposed – which included removal with notice to, and consultation with, the Panel; and a term of office and termination by the Governor for cause only – the Legislature passed the bill with the unconstitutional language on the last day of the session and over the clear objection of my Administration.
“It is important to note that, to date, the State of Vermont has demonstrated leadership in this area. For example, the Department of Public Safety’s Fair and Impartial Policing Initiative, the Agency of Transportation’s Office of Civil Rights, and the Agency of Education through partnerships with professional associations in anti-bias efforts. This is important progress, but as we have discussed there is still much more work to do. That’s why I felt it was important to issue Executive Order 04-18.
“With this Executive Order in place, there will be no delay in important work ahead of us, and the Legislature can take additional time to resolve the unconstitutional separation of powers violations detailed above. “I look forward to continuing our work on this important issue.”
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