Abenaki Curriculum Should Reflect the Complexity of the Current Moment
The Education Justice Coalition of Vermont is committed to inclusive, accurate, and nuanced teaching. The ongoing debate over Abenaki identity and Vermont’s state-recognized tribes directly impacts how Native history is taught in our schools. We believe that this is an important discussion for any educators wishing to teach about Native Vermont history.
We are concerned about the soon-to-be-released “Vermont Native Tribes” curriculum funded by Seventh Generation. This curriculum fails to reflect the full complexity of the issue—particularly the perspectives of the Odanak and Wôlinak First Nations. As such, we cannot currently support or recommend it.
Since 2003, the Odanak and Wôlinak First Nations, located in present-day Quebec, have publicly asserted that Vermont’s state-recognized tribes are neither genealogically nor historically Abenaki—a position supported by academic and governmental research. In contrast, Vermont’s state-recognized tribes claim ancestral ties to the region, stating they resisted colonial erasure and that Canadian tribes are denying their existence. This dispute carries significant implications for education, recognition, and representation.
On February 12, 2025, Jeff Benay, Vice-Chair of the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs (VCNAA), stated in response to a question from an educator, that the upcoming curriculum would not include the perspectives of Odanak and Wôlinak. This is despite clear historical evidence that their ancestral lands include most of Vermont.
This concern and statement was not however recorded in the VCNAA minutes.
We are also troubled by the implied exclusion of the Mohawk (Haudenosaunee) Tribe and the Stockbridge-Munsee Band, both of whom have historical territorial claims in Vermont.
As an education coalition, we do not define Indigenous identity. But we do expect educational materials to reflect historical complexity and honor multiple perspectives. A curriculum that excludes any Native groups with clear ancestral ties to Vermont fails to meet that standard. Such omissions create a one-sided narrative, risk erasing vital documented histories, and exclude Native voices and perspectives.
Seventh Generation, a company that publicly states it values social responsibility and Indigenous rights, has a duty to ensure the curriculum it funds is accurate, inclusive, and reflective of the full historical record. Anything less—intentional or not—perpetuates harm.
Despite their goals of living up to the values of their name, the Seventh Generation corporation has refused to acknowledge or reply to these concerns of exclusion raised by the Abenaki First Nations of Odanak and Wôlinak who have multiple times attempted to begin a dialogue with them. We also call on Seventh Generation and its parent company, Unilever, to reconsider their funding and endorsement of this curriculum.
Just as we've been calling for teaching about Palestine and Israel with rigor and nuance, we believe that Abenaki curriculum should be upheld to the same high standards. Until a curriculum includes all relevant voices, we cannot endorse it. Education justice demands honesty and respect for the communities whose histories are being taught.
