Post by Okwes on Jul 21, 2006 10:26:36 GMT -5
Benay withdraws name from new Native Commission
Written by Jedd Kettler
Thursday, 20 July 2006
Appointments to the new Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs are not due until Tuesday, Aug. 1, but the longtime chairman of the advisory committee it will replace is making sure his name is not in the running.
Current Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Com-mission on Native American Affairs and Abenaki advocate Jeff Benay said this week that he is stepping aside from the nomination process in part because of health issues.
“Yet more importantly, I believe that as Vermont enters a new era in its relationship with Native people and the Abenaki in particular, it is time the Chair of the newly formed Commission be a Native American,” Benay said in a prepared statement Monday, July 17.
Benay said on Tuesday he believes all other similar commissions in the country are chaired by Native Americans, and Vermont should be no different. Benay, who is not a Native American, has served on the commission for 16 years.
“We have never had a majority being native,” Benay said. “No governor has ever appointed a native person ... so I felt real strongly that this new commission should be all native.”
Benay has worked tirelessly with the Missisquoi Abenaki not just on high-profile issues such as state recognition, but in education courses and funding, re-interment legal battles and cultural projects.
Benay had strong support within Vermont’s Abenaki community to continue on the new commission, but health issues and the desire to see the Native community take the helm led him to this week’s decision, he said.
He was nominated for appointment by a recent gathering of Abenaki in the southern part of the state.
“So I had near-unanimous support in the Abenaki community, which is very humbling ... but there are these mitigating circumstances,” Benay said.
Benay will continue working with the Abenaki and stay on as Director of Indian Education for Franklin County schools, work he has been doing for 26 years.
Written by Jedd Kettler
Thursday, 20 July 2006
Appointments to the new Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs are not due until Tuesday, Aug. 1, but the longtime chairman of the advisory committee it will replace is making sure his name is not in the running.
Current Chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Com-mission on Native American Affairs and Abenaki advocate Jeff Benay said this week that he is stepping aside from the nomination process in part because of health issues.
“Yet more importantly, I believe that as Vermont enters a new era in its relationship with Native people and the Abenaki in particular, it is time the Chair of the newly formed Commission be a Native American,” Benay said in a prepared statement Monday, July 17.
Benay said on Tuesday he believes all other similar commissions in the country are chaired by Native Americans, and Vermont should be no different. Benay, who is not a Native American, has served on the commission for 16 years.
“We have never had a majority being native,” Benay said. “No governor has ever appointed a native person ... so I felt real strongly that this new commission should be all native.”
Benay has worked tirelessly with the Missisquoi Abenaki not just on high-profile issues such as state recognition, but in education courses and funding, re-interment legal battles and cultural projects.
Benay had strong support within Vermont’s Abenaki community to continue on the new commission, but health issues and the desire to see the Native community take the helm led him to this week’s decision, he said.
He was nominated for appointment by a recent gathering of Abenaki in the southern part of the state.
“So I had near-unanimous support in the Abenaki community, which is very humbling ... but there are these mitigating circumstances,” Benay said.
Benay will continue working with the Abenaki and stay on as Director of Indian Education for Franklin County schools, work he has been doing for 26 years.