The following letter was forwarded to me. It was apparently sent on 12/25/2009. It was eventually forwarded to the parties named so that we would have this information when dealing with elected officials who may have also received the letter.
Dear Mr. Rollo, Committee Members and other respected NH Representatives and Senators,
I recently received an email from Mr. Rollo that shows that some of my concerns about FN 1610 were miss- communicated or miss-understood. I thought in that case it would be best for me to write a proper introduction before I am before your board to testify against this bill.
I was born in 1953 in Haverhill NH as was my father (1927) and his mother and all her family before her well documented back to 1700’s. Our DNA has been proven Indian and linked directly to Haverhill / Newbury area which is historic known to the Abenaki as the KOAS. My family has continued traditional values throughout time to present within our home region. My Grandmother’s family even donated some of their own land to the town of Haverhill for the airport which still exists today.
My mother’s family is well documented in Grafton County also and has for generations passed the original homestead down from one family member to the other in Monroe NH. My mother and her family have for generations dedicated themselves to community projects and helping others. All of the males back to the beginning of time in New Hampshire have served the country in the Rev. war, Civil War, War of 1812, WWI WWII, Korean War Viet Nam and all men and women in my family have been members of the American Legion serving in any way they were needed or asked including commanders, helping the Mohawk Reservation children come to NH for camp and cooking meals for the needy etc etc. My father was a lifer in the Navy and fought in World War II, Korean War and Viet Nam. All his brothers fought in World War II also.
I myself, have worked as a community minded person all of my life as a fund raiser, promoter, public relations, marketing executive. My work has taken me to marketing positions at the Mount Washington Hotel and Resort, Economic Development, Public Relations and Event coordinator for the Town of Littleton where I hosted 9 Native American Cultural Weekends that three of our NH Governor’s signed proclamations for, Sled Dog Races, established the Oprah House as a working cultural facility and helped make Littleton the NINTH Best Small Town in America, raised money to send ME, NH and VT Hemophilia Children to camp in NH, was Co-President of Franconia Sugar Hill Chamber of Commerce and have from time to time worked with Van McLeod, Richard Boisvert, NH Tourism and NH council on the Arts, to just name a few things I have done to follow in the footsteps of my family.
I have also worked closed with NH Historical Resources over the years and the State of Vermont Historic Preservation in the protection of our Abenaki burial grounds and scared lands and history. I have for the last year worked with National Geographic on the preservation of our Language and also our DNA work for Abenaki Community in this region. Please see www.whitepineassociation.org
I am Chief of the Koasek Abenaki of the Koas and our tribe is united in an Alliance with the Historic Abenaki Nations; Nulhegan Coosuk, Missisquoi St Francis Sokoki, and El Nu. I know of the Intertribal Council and have known Peter Newell for many many years. I have welcomed him to Unity meetings I hosted for many of the tribes to come together to work on issues we are all concerned about. Pete was at my home in 2007 and I told him I would help him with support letter for a commission in NH. However, my support has changed which I will explain. At this time I DO NOT support HB 1610!!
Peter Newell is now involved with others who have been extremely threatening and hostile to Abenaki Historic Tribes within the alliance. These people who are involved with Peter Newell and the Intertribal council to write this bill are Sherry Gould (Intertribal Council and has a 501c3 although I can not find it registered in the state any longer), Paul Pouliot ( Calls himself CHIEF of the Cowasuck Pennacook) and Paul Bunnell ( Co- Chief of the Koasek which are based in MA if you look at their information you will see all their members are listed in MA except for Bunnell in Milford, N.H.)
Sherry Gould has hosted Language camps etc but has never invited the historic tribes to take part. As a matter of fact her ‘camps” have just the members above and her family at them with the exception of a few speakers she pays to come.
Paul Pouliot recently purchased land in NH. However, his Indian Identity is Iroquois from the 1600s. If you do the math of those few hundred years to an ancestor the blood quantum may be way below 1/1000th of the drop! He has been a combative force against all other Abenaki. Paul Pouliot petitioned the Town of Haverhill that he was “a federally recognized tribe” and he was coming to Haverhill to protest publicly our Native American Cultural Weekend. The Town of Haverhill finally had their lawyer write to him to stay away and he was NOT federal recognized. You see, he has incorporations in many states however, that does not make one recognized nor does it make one a “TRIBE”. He also has written to me saying he would only come to my Unity Meetings I invited him to armed. I then had to tell him he was not welcome as the meeting was in my Home and I do NOT allow weapons on my property! He has written to every VT senator and state representative threatening them if they continued working with the Abenak Alliance where the state would grant the historic Abenaki in Vermont recognition. He again used his false title of being federally recognized. I now see he is trying to claim this same recognized title in NH!! I have called the BIA about this. He sent them a letter of intent in 1996. Because they received a letter it had to be numbered for a file so it was number 105. However, the BIA says they do not know who this guy is nor have they heard a thing about him since. He cannot file for federal recognition because he has no historic standing, no linage to Abenaki in VT or NH and not even in Canada!!
Paul Bunnell and Koasek People (his chief is Brian Chenevert) are mainly based in MA. They have NO heritage or linage to NH, nor to VT. They have no connection to this place what so ever. In 2006 Brian Chenevert approached me to work with his group. I finally agreed thinking they were on a good level as human beings but after two years I found them all to be extremely rude and insulting to the Abenaki families from here and then refused to do anything with them. In other words the Abenaki here in NH sent them packing!! Paul Bunnell gave me false genealogy certificate claiming to be a registered and certified Genealogist. I later found it the certificate was a fake! He started contacting the Senators and legislatures in VT as well as the Quad Committee in Burlington VT that I worked with and the National Geographic people that I worked with and told them I was NOT Indian and he was certif. genealogist and could not find my genealogy, that If they continued working with me and my tribe he would sue them and he also tried this same tactic trying to discredit all the other Abenaki Historic Tribes. I also found that he and his band in MA have tried using our history here as their own and I have had to get a lawyer which cost almost $2000.00 to have them stop using my work history, my copyrighted logos and our history as theirs! He has also told many that I am mentally ill with a bi-polar problem which is totally false. If I hear he has said that again he will be facing some serious court charges!
These are just a few of the reasons why My tribe and other Tribes in the Historic Alliance are against this bill. These people associated with NH Intertribal have no right to have any say over any of our historic Tribal Nations, our burial grounds and have NO right being in a power position of choosing who should or should not be on the NH Native American Commission!!
Also it is our historic tribes that will be granted Recognition this year in Vermont. According to the Federal Law of the Indian Arts and Craft Board that will put us in a position where we would be legally entitled to have a position on a commission and non recognized would not have a legal right to have any say over our tribes or territories. As far as Territories go: Nulhegan Coosuk Abenaki territory in NH is from Indian Stream down to Our Koasek Region. Missisquoi is on the NH side and owns land in Derry. So with that said this bill has totally ignored the historic Abenaki Nations north of Concord!! We have been here generation after generation after generation. We have not just recently found out we are Indian nor did we just pay land in NH like the people associated with NH Intertribal Council. We are True by inherited rights Abenaki with blood and bone connection from the beginning of time to present here in NH.
I will be bringing historic and present day proof of my Abenaki People in NH and VT with me when I testify. I will also be glad to bring proof of the shameful tactics the people associated with NH Intertribal has used against the Historic Abenaki Alliance Tribes: Koasek Traditional Band of the KOAS, Nulhegan Coosuck Band, Missisquio St Francis Sokoki Abenaki Nations.
Thank you and if you have any further questions I would be glad to come to an appointment with you or talk at any time.
Thank you
Chief Nancy Millette Doucet
45 Pioneer Rd Bath NH 603-728-9646
Email: nmillette@roadrunner.com
Federal Indian Arts and Craft Law mentioned above: ......
H.R. 725: In dian Arts and Crafts Amendments Act of 2009
Congressional Research Service Summary
The following summary was written by the Congressional Research Service, a well-respected nonpartisan arm of the Library of Congress.
1/27/2009--Introduced.
Indian Arts and Crafts Amendments Act of 2009 - Amends the Indian Arts and Crafts Act of 1990 to: (1) authorize any federal law enforcement officer to conduct an investigation of an offense involving the sale of any good that is misrepresented as an Indian produced good or product that occurs within the jurisdiction of the United States; and (2) authorize the Indian Arts and Crafts Board to refer such an alleged offense to any federal law enforcement officer (currently, just to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)) for appropriate investigation. Permits a federal law enforcement officer to investigate such an alleged offense regardless of whether such officer receives a referral from the Board. Requires that the findings of an investigation of such an alleged offense by any federal department or agency be submitted to: (1) a federal or state prosecuting authority; or (2) the Board. Provides for the Board, upon receiving the findings of such an investigation, to: (1) recommend to the Attorney General that criminal proceedings be initiated (current law); and (2) provide such support to the Attorney General relating to the criminal proceedings as the Attorney General determines to be appropriate. Allows the Board, in lieu of, or in addition to, any such criminal proceeding, to recommend that the Attorney General initiate a civil action. Revises: (1) requirements for the initiation of civil actions for misrepresentation of Indian produced goods; and (2) penalties for the misrepresentation of such goods.
