Post by Okwes on Dec 20, 2005 12:11:48 GMT -5
About the Abenaki nation of Missisquoi
Published: Sunday, December 11, 2005
Since the mid-1970s, I have studied and worked as an ethno-historian on Abenaki history, language, culture, and traditions in Vermont as well as Vermont history, regional, national, and international Native and indigenous people history, languages, and cultures.
In my and other scholars' studies at Missisquoi starting in the 1970s, it has become clear that there was an 18th century entity called many things including the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi. During the American Revolution, the Abenaki decided, (encouraged by no less important figures than George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette as well as Moses Hazen, Ethan Allen, Jacob Bailey, and Timothy Bedell), that the already largely anti-British Abenaki population in Vermont, New Hampshire, and western Maine should remain neutral or even fight on the American side in the war. In exchange for ranger service in the war, the Abenaki were guaranteed their homeland. Like many tribes at the time these promises were either set aside or forgotten after the war.
I am convinced that if the Abenaki in Vermont had been treated with any fairness by 18th century American standards they would have at least been encouraged to retain an "Indian town" or reservation at Swanton and Highgate centered on Monument Road in perpetuity by 1800. Unfortunately, any American or Vermont advocates for the Abenaki were largely swept away by the early 1790s, and the Abenakis have had to deal with the consequences ever since.
In research since the 1970s these essential themes have emerged.
There was a branch of the Abenaki Nation, also known today as the Western Abenaki who were based at Missisquoi from ancient times down to the present. One document noting the tribe of the Missisques is dated from 1835. There are many others from the 18th century. They were and are called many different names including the St. Francis Indians, the Missiasiks, the St Francis and Sokoki Indians of Missisquoi, and the Missisquoi Indians. They were and are closely related to the Odanak Abenakis of Quebec and other, related Abenaki peoples in the rest of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Western Maine, at the core.
There is abundant evidence that the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi, St. Francis-Sokoki Band are survivors of nearly 170 years of underground existence in the Missisquoi region. They are genealogically, politically, culturally, and linguistically directly descended from the 18th century Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi.
This community has been largely hidden from Vermont historians, the press, and the rest of the intelligentsia while being more obvious iin various ways to local non-Native friends and supporters down to the 1970s. Thee is abundant, concrete evidence that the Abenaki are and have been a distinct community at Missisquoi since the 18th century. Many sources have confirmed their existence in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Abenaki community has had a tribal government led by family and community leaders since the 18th century continuously down to present day which has maintained a good deal of political influence and authority in the Abenaki community throughout that time period. In fact, some of those leaders, like old Nazaire St. Francis, and old John Lampman were well known, respected, even protected by non-Native local people, and non-Native leaders in their time.
The Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi, St. Francis-Sokoki Band is an Indian tribe directly descended from the historic and ancient Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi, which has been in continuous existence since the 18th century throughout Vermont's history, and has existed as a distinct, self-governing community throughout this period, and has exerted political influence and authority on their Abenaki people over this entire period.
Of course, most Vermonters, were raised in ignorance about Indian history in our public schools right down to the 1970s. We have Francis Parkman, among others, to thank for the myth that Vermont was a "no man's land" with no permanent Indian population. And we have James Fennimore Cooper and countless Vermont authors who also mythologized the last of the St. Francis Indians in numerous Vermont towns into the mid-19th century.
It was not until the early 20th century that the linguistic term Western Abenaki ws coined, and not until the late 1950s and 1960s that Gordon Day exhaustively studied and described for the National Science Foundation, and the rest of the academic world, a unique language, culture, history, and people who we call Abenaki, and were called, more often than not, St. Francis Indians or just Indians in 18th to 20th century Vermont history.
Vermonters have a great deal to learn about this remarkable and ancient Native community.
John Moody is an ethno-historian who lives in Hartford.
Published: Sunday, December 11, 2005
Since the mid-1970s, I have studied and worked as an ethno-historian on Abenaki history, language, culture, and traditions in Vermont as well as Vermont history, regional, national, and international Native and indigenous people history, languages, and cultures.
In my and other scholars' studies at Missisquoi starting in the 1970s, it has become clear that there was an 18th century entity called many things including the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi. During the American Revolution, the Abenaki decided, (encouraged by no less important figures than George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette as well as Moses Hazen, Ethan Allen, Jacob Bailey, and Timothy Bedell), that the already largely anti-British Abenaki population in Vermont, New Hampshire, and western Maine should remain neutral or even fight on the American side in the war. In exchange for ranger service in the war, the Abenaki were guaranteed their homeland. Like many tribes at the time these promises were either set aside or forgotten after the war.
I am convinced that if the Abenaki in Vermont had been treated with any fairness by 18th century American standards they would have at least been encouraged to retain an "Indian town" or reservation at Swanton and Highgate centered on Monument Road in perpetuity by 1800. Unfortunately, any American or Vermont advocates for the Abenaki were largely swept away by the early 1790s, and the Abenakis have had to deal with the consequences ever since.
In research since the 1970s these essential themes have emerged.
There was a branch of the Abenaki Nation, also known today as the Western Abenaki who were based at Missisquoi from ancient times down to the present. One document noting the tribe of the Missisques is dated from 1835. There are many others from the 18th century. They were and are called many different names including the St. Francis Indians, the Missiasiks, the St Francis and Sokoki Indians of Missisquoi, and the Missisquoi Indians. They were and are closely related to the Odanak Abenakis of Quebec and other, related Abenaki peoples in the rest of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Western Maine, at the core.
There is abundant evidence that the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi, St. Francis-Sokoki Band are survivors of nearly 170 years of underground existence in the Missisquoi region. They are genealogically, politically, culturally, and linguistically directly descended from the 18th century Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi.
This community has been largely hidden from Vermont historians, the press, and the rest of the intelligentsia while being more obvious iin various ways to local non-Native friends and supporters down to the 1970s. Thee is abundant, concrete evidence that the Abenaki are and have been a distinct community at Missisquoi since the 18th century. Many sources have confirmed their existence in the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Abenaki community has had a tribal government led by family and community leaders since the 18th century continuously down to present day which has maintained a good deal of political influence and authority in the Abenaki community throughout that time period. In fact, some of those leaders, like old Nazaire St. Francis, and old John Lampman were well known, respected, even protected by non-Native local people, and non-Native leaders in their time.
The Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi, St. Francis-Sokoki Band is an Indian tribe directly descended from the historic and ancient Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi, which has been in continuous existence since the 18th century throughout Vermont's history, and has existed as a distinct, self-governing community throughout this period, and has exerted political influence and authority on their Abenaki people over this entire period.
Of course, most Vermonters, were raised in ignorance about Indian history in our public schools right down to the 1970s. We have Francis Parkman, among others, to thank for the myth that Vermont was a "no man's land" with no permanent Indian population. And we have James Fennimore Cooper and countless Vermont authors who also mythologized the last of the St. Francis Indians in numerous Vermont towns into the mid-19th century.
It was not until the early 20th century that the linguistic term Western Abenaki ws coined, and not until the late 1950s and 1960s that Gordon Day exhaustively studied and described for the National Science Foundation, and the rest of the academic world, a unique language, culture, history, and people who we call Abenaki, and were called, more often than not, St. Francis Indians or just Indians in 18th to 20th century Vermont history.
Vermonters have a great deal to learn about this remarkable and ancient Native community.
John Moody is an ethno-historian who lives in Hartford.