Well "digging" through some papers I found these interesting tidbits. The first document (top one) is where Odanak resident Walter Watso claimed to be "Grand Chief" of the Abenaki People (Yet he never held any position of official capacity at Odanak, Quebec, Canada after the year 1979, in all truthfulness then, really the late Walter Watso thereafter was ONLY REPRESENTING "himself"). It is most interesting that this October 10, 1996 Littleton, N.H. Courier Newspaper article states that this so-called "Unity of the National Federation of the Sovereign Republic of the Abenaki Nation" DECLARED, as of July 1996 (or was it really 1997?) that Richard "Rick" Ray Hunt of Littleton, New Hampshire has been appointed "Diplomatic Ambassador to the State of New Hampshire". By whose honest decent authority? Why, because the late Walter Watso was no longer an official representative or had any political authority of and from Odanak, Quebec and subsequently it appears that he may have been simply "feeding" his hungry inflated ego, down State side here in Vermont and New Hampshire?! I think that is exactly what was going. Did Odanak know of his activities, endeavors, and the usage of that Odanak "seal" down here in Littleton, New Hampshire? One Watso family member that once held office in Odanak, years earlier, and a whole bunch of wannabe undocumented alleged Abenaki descendants who "incorporated" into a "Council" or Organization then claiming to be an Vermont Abenaki Tribe and or Band. You do the math. I know I have. How many so-called official "Abenaki" documents had that indented or pressed "seal" of approval, in which was pushed in front of the Vermont and or New Hampshire Politicians over the years by these so called appointed "Abenaki" "Diplomatic Ambassador's", so as to very likely decieve and manipulate those very politicians into assuming those very documents (such as those numerous Gov. Proclamations etc) that Nancy Millette (now Doucet) thrust out into the public media every chance she got, were even legitimately created in the first place?!
Then, on February 04, 1997 "alleged Cowasuck Chief" Howard F. Knight Jr. wrote to Eric Floyd, of Pitsfield, MA stating that "the genealogist and I have concurred the findings of, and the verification of, Eric Floyd's genealogy and his Native American bloodlines from early Abenaki ancestors". Oh, there is that "change of the Membership Cards" ploy again. Re-designing and reissuance of these "Cards". Everyone was redoing "Membership Cards". Purge Purge Purge. That's how they got rid of some "follower's" and made it look more and more fancifully legit. Just like their websites now, such as the Koasek website, the Nulhegan website, the El-Nu website, the Missisquoi website. Puke. Hey, it was GOOD $$$$. Ka-Ching Cha-Ching. Who was this unidentified "genealogist" I do wonder!. Who were the so-called alleged "proper Tribal authorities? Instead of "Rushing Water", Howard Knight Jr. was referred to as "Rushing B.S." in some circles.
On May 13, 1997 it seems there was some sort of altercation/ and or subsequent interaction between Howard F. Knight Jr. and David A. Hill (Wawanolette) allegedly claiming to be "The True Hereditary Grand High Chief or Prince". Yet, previously on May 15, 1996 (a year before) "Cowasuck N.A." or Howard F. Knight Jr. as representative of the above "incorporation" sought Judicial Relief against said David A. Hill and his wife Sheila Hill to stop them from "interferring" with Knight's incorporate activities, etc.
Aah, and then we arrive at Rick Hunt's cousin Nancy Millette Cruger Lyons Doucet's particular document. This was "a gem" that I didn't know I had in my "stuff". NOTICE THE LETTER HEAD on this document and compare to the other documents in this post. On June 24, 1997 Nancy Millette/ now Nancy Doucet, was declared formally that she was appointed as the "Diplomatic Ambassador of the National Federation of the Sovereign Republic of the Abenaki". They made the Incoporated Organization, and then they made themselves "Grand Chief's, elections were held, and they slapped each other on the backsides supporting each other in this Grand Scheme. Sounds VERY similar to the Red Man's Order if you ask me. So, according to this document "Chief Diplomatic Ambassador Darrell Richard Larocque (father of Jesse James Larocque whom Nancy retrospectively had met in August 1993 in Bath, Grafton County, N.H. next to her mother's house) appointed her to this position. Then it was subsequently "ratified" by all Council's of Unity present (at the time) and was unanimous with the approval of "Grand Chief" Walter Watso. Hmmmm interesting (wonder if Odanak Quebec, Canada's Abenaki Community knew the kind of monkey business going on down in New Hampshire at the time and approved of it going on?). After all this went down, allegedly a "surprise award" on July 16, 1997 during her Twin Mountain N.H. Pow-wow Event, "Supreme Council Chief" (and don't forget "Grand Chief" too) Walter Watso presented this "appointment" to Nancy Cruger a.k.a. Song of the Winter Fox. Also participating in the award ceremonies was State Senator Fred King, and Van McLeoud, the Commissioner of Cultural Affairs (who issue's the Gov. Proclamations of which Nancy Millette or Nancy Doucet as she is known now, kept bringing attention too over the years).
If I remember correctly, Nancy Cruger, wrote in the Littleton Town Report, that it was with much regret that she left her post with Littleton (as Town Promoter) in January 1996 after four (4) eventful years. She stated inthe Town Report, "The Native American Cultural Weekend is a project that I'm continually working on with Native People from acrosss the country year round. There will be more events to come but not as a part of the Town Government's event. The response from the public, tourists, Native People, and the Governor's Cultural Affairs Office has been so overewhelmingly supportive over the past four years, that Im deeply committed to continue that event in the future for all of those that look so forward to it every year".
Seems to me that the Littleton Town Selectman Earl Ellingwood "retired" as well, that very same year. It does make me wonder how many "protectors and or supporter's" kept Nancy Cruger in her position for as long as she was in it; and how many others wanted to be rid of this "circus" of alleged Abenakis from the Town of Littleton, N.H. once and for all? Once, those particular person(s) were removed from their position(s), that didn't leave Nancy Cruger "protected" as Town Promoter for the Town of Littleton any longer, to my thinking. According to the Littleton Town Reports, which are a matter of Public Record, the position of Town Promoter for the Town of Littleton in 1996 was $50,000.00 dollars. That monetary figure proposal was brought down to $20,136.00 dollars for the year 1997. The Littleton, N.H. Selectmen's Proposed Budget for the Town Promoter Budget was further downsized monetarily to $9,311.00 dollars for the year 1997. A decrease in budget for the Town Promoter Nancy Cruger of 81.38 % percent. Naturally, financially speaking they told her the position of Town Promoter was no longer financially viable for whatever reason(s) whether it was lack of revenue, or dwindling taxes, or simply that they had, as a Township, had enough of this Pow-wow business in that they realized they were losing money, and not gaining any.
So naturally, by June 24, 1997 Nancy Cruger was appointed to the position of "Diplomatic Ambassador" just like her cousin Rick Hunt was appointed in October 1996. It gave her something to "lean on" and to promote herself and these other people as being legitimate representatives of the Abenaki People, when in fact, they were not legitimate at all. It was all based on deception and deceit; etc. If I am wrong in my conclusions, these so-called Diplomatic Ambassador's of the Abenaki ought to show and provide the documentation that proves me wrong, publicly.
Why can I say this? Because Walter Watso was not, in any way, truthfully representing his Abenaki Community of Odanak, Quebec in any official capacity or position since after 1979. He empowered and allowed these people such as Nancy Cruger to go around "Playing Indian". They were implying they "represented" ALL THE ABENAKI PEOPLE, which they most certainly did not have authority to do so or to imply that they were. If everything was built on their association and interaction with the late Walter Watso, then anything he signed and "sealed" with that Odanak "stamp" wasn't done in truthfulness, honesty, and transparency to my thinking. Everything falls apart, like a house of cards built on a windy day! The likes of Jeanne Lincoln - Kent, Homer St. Francis Sr., Howard F. Knight Jr., and on and on the list is long, all "supported" Walter Watso and even today these very people will continue to espouse that these alleged "Grand Chiefs" and Abenaki Ambassadors" were such "wonderful people" who represented and alleged helped the Abenaki People. But were they really just serving each others "interests" and or perspectively serving their own individual self interests in promoting their little scheme of recreating themselves into being alleged Abenakis of and from Vermont/ New Hampshire? Lining whose pockets with $$$$. Certainly these documents imply and indicate the deception ran deep and far. If indeed these so-called "Diplomatic Ambassadors" and or "Grand Chiefs" were going about deceiving, manipulating, and perhaps even lying to themselves and to others, what does that say for the whole Abenaki People that these particular people allegedly "represented"?
If you look at the letter head "title" portion of each of these documents and the content of each, it certainly reminds one, of the Red Man's Order Fraternity Organizations in which Philip Deloria speaks of in his book, "Playing Indian". I highly recommend reading this book and then comparing the content of this book, to what is contemporary (ca. 1970's to present) what is happening here in Vermont and New Hampshire with these various "groups" proclaiming to being "Abenakis" from the historical Abenaki.
