Statement on the VT State-Recognized Abenaki and Abenaki of Odanak and W8linak First Nations

Written By Education Justice Coalition of Vermont

***This statement is from Alyssa Chen and Kayla Loving. It does not reflect the views of the entire coalition or all of its core members.*** 

Many people in our community have heard about the conflict between the Abenaki of the Odanak and Wôlinak First Nations, and Vermont’s four state-recognized tribes. Beginning in [2003] elected tribal representatives of the Odanak and Wôlinak First Nations issued a proclamation denouncing Vermont’s state-recognized tribes for falsely claiming an Abenaki heritage. The Vermont Abenaki have said that they are the legitimate and legal Abenaki people of Vermont, and that the Canadian Abenaki Nation is trying to erase them.

Whether or not we address this conflict publicly, these conversations are happening and intersect with the mission and vision of the Education Justice Coalition. We believe in education justice, which means we also promote teaching accurate history and engaging with Native studies and Indigenous issues, especially within Vermont. This controversy impacts what educators teach and how to teach this subject, and therefore we believe falls in the realm of the coalition. Our values guide us in determining how to address this conflict: 

  • We are still learning and believe that regardless of citizenship or residency, that we all belong. 

  • See and name the truth. 

  • Don’t leave people impacted by oppression behind. 

  • Believe in process being more important than product. 

  • Believe that when stories are silenced, we can’t do the work. 

We want to bring these values to this complex situation. There are issues of history, political analysis, and responsible public discourse at play. This conflict hinges on a question of identity. The Education Justice Coalition of Vermont is not in the position to mediate this conflict or to pick a side. Right now there are two groups that claim Indigenous heritage with very different viewpoints on how that is defined. Our values guide us to explore and listen to both perspectives. Our values also encourage us to pursue a rigorous factual and historical analysis of these perspectives in order to move the conversation forward. 

The role we are taking right now is to encourage people in our community to do this reading and research for themselves. We want to recognize the gravity of the implication on both sides of this argument; therefore, both perspectives need to be given equal consideration.

Implications if the Vermont state-recognized Abenaki are accurate

If the indigenous heritage of the four state-recognized Abenaki tribes is legitimate, then what the Abenaki of Odanak and Wôlinak First Nations are doing may be causing harm, and would play into a historical pattern established by White settlers of denying indigenous identity and suppressing indigenous cultural practices and language as a tool of genocide. From boarding schools where the motto was “kill the Indian, save the man” to the sterilization of the indigenous women, to the degradation of ancestral land, we acknowledge there is a historical pattern in America of erasing indigenous culture and indigenous people. This is done by our Settler-Colonial culture in an effort to erase the massive theft of indigenous land our country is founded on.

Implications if the Abenaki of Odanak and W8linak First Nations’ claims are accurate

If the Abenaki heritage that the state-recognized Abenaki tribes claim is not legitimate, then what they are doing is appropriating an Indigenous identity, history and culture that is not their own. This adoption of an Indigenous identity is called by Native Americans “pretendianism” — people ‘playing Indian’ when they have no Native heritage. Indigenous scholars say pretendians occupy Indigenous spaces, silence legitimate indigenous voices, and co-opt indigenous opportunities and resources. They also have access to monetary resources and white settler privilege that indigenous people do not have access to. This act of Indigenous identity exploitation contributes to the further erasure of actual indigenous culture.

We believe it is our responsibility to recognize the implications of both perspectives, share how this dynamic is showing up in spaces, and suggest what skills, frameworks, and values would support generative engagement with these patterns. Instead of choosing a side and determining who’s indigenous identity is true, we want to offer resources that we hope will encourage people to engage in this conflict with rigor, respect and nuance.

How should I teach indigenous studies and issues in my classroom right now?

  • Consider using this multiple perspectives framework designed to teach about Palestine to teach about this conflict directly in your classroom - Independence or Catastrophe? Teaching Palestine through multiple perspectives

  • Teach indigenous books that have been recommended by American Indian Children’s Literature 

  • Teach about indigenous history, current struggles, and current events in the United States and globally. Consider how indigenous issues intersect with things you’re already teaching about in your classroom such as environmental justice, public health, social movements, and more. 

Resources for general understanding of indigenous identity:

News specific to this conflict: 

Resources from the Vermont State-Recognized Abenaki Perspective:

Resources from the Abenaki of Odanak and W8linak First Nations Perspective:

***This statement is from Alyssa Chen and Kayla Loving. It does not reflect the views of the entire coalition or all of its core members.*** 

Shout out to Harmonize for your guidance in crafting this statement thoughtfully!

Education Justice Coalition of Vermont
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