The "Abenaki" of Vermont: A Living Culture Video

The "Abenaki" of Vermont: A Living Culture was produced over a 4 year period with the cooperation of a number of alleged "Abenaki" families (those persons and or some of their relatives who claim to be "Abenakis" now living within VT and or NH) around the state and the guidance of volunteer Native American Advisory Panel (that evolved into the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs today). Jeffrey Benay, Frederick Matthew Wiseman etc all had been involved with this Advisory Panel to the VT Governors over the years...

I do not own this video.

No Copyright infringement is intended or implied by my person. This upload is for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES and to expose the Cultural Appropriation by Non-"Abenaki" of Vermont and New Hampshire, etc.

While Cheryl L. (nee: Anderson) Heath is a descendant of the Odanak Obomsawin family, having lived in VT for several generations whose ancestors came from N'dakinna throughout, some of the parties/persons in this film have NEVER proven a shred of documented Abenaki connection(s) EXCEPT by what comes out of their mouths as "oral history" that has to this day, not been substantiated or proven. Lampman's have NEVER proven connection(s) to ANY historical community of Abenakis, let alone proven ANYTHING. The family allied with Homer St. Francis Sr. and his family in Swanton, VT. and were a very dynamic documentarily within the Incorporation of "Abenakis" so called, now recognized by the State of VT. By what evidence or proof documentarily now one in the VT or NH Public has yet to view or substantiate. April (St. Francis) Rushlow - Merrill claims as she does in this video, and yet after 2007 still has yet to substantiate or prove a single argument that she throws out there to the VT Public, that they, or she is in fact, connected to any historical Abenaki Community, Tribe or otherwise. Even the BIA OFA stated as such. The claims and stories are built on sands of illusions and delusions. profiting and pilfering, appropriated and outright perpetuating GENOCIDE in just another varied form, against Abenakis, in Vermont and throughout the Northeast, the likes of which the Eugenics Survey would admire indeed. State Recognition in VT of incorporate groups does not validate any of these people, then or now. Video taping alleged re-invented appropriated "traditions" "histories" "alleged "values" and "experiences" does not validate these people. The VT Folklife Center attempted to document Abenakis. Are Abenakis of and from VT being shown, or is a grab bag of wannabiak, appropriated and implied that they are "thee Abenakis" of VT and NH without so much as any evidence/ connection to historical Community?

http://reinventedvermontabenaki.blogspot.com/

Study their GENEALOGIES. Study their HISTORICAL RECORDS. Study their Incorporation(s).

This video is uploaded for EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES and no infringement against copyright is intended or implied by my person.

This video was obviously created and perpetuated for POLITICAL PURPOSES to sway both naive Politicians and the VT and NH Public.

Some are obviously wannabiak, most are disconnected, most are perpetuating an Indian-ist or Pan-Indian-ism within this video.

Are these people Abenakis? Or are they wannabiak, using surrounding Abenakis, to legitimize themselves?

For example, Louis Lampman - Larivee claims her father Blackie Lampman TOLD his children about HIS GRANDMOTHER, so it is his perception that he perpetuated into his children AFTER they had joined up, and allied with Homer St. Francis Sr. and his family. So it is a matter of perception and indoctrination of what they believe about their ancestor. Not what is documented pre-1970. Even the BIA's OFA revealed this in their 2005-2007 Reports on this Incorporation that implied that they are "Abenakis".

The Abenaki Dance Troupe that Cheryl L. Anderson (wife of David N. Heath) speaks of, is culture that comes from and derived out of Odanak, an Abenaki Community both historically and comtemporaneous, through Jeanne (nee: Deforge) Brink, who is an Abenaki Obomsawin descendant. The Abenaki dances did not come from ANY known VT Abenaki family from of VT not connected to Odanak. Same dynamics with the language (contrary to Louise Lampman and her cousin Brent Reader). Again, STUDY the genealogical and historical records of the varied persons in this video. See where the ancestors have come from, how they were, themselves, identifying themselves to be, throughout the generations. Homer St. Francis Sr. and his daughter April St. Francis - Merrill hijacked an "Abenaki" persona along with a thousand other people (wannabiak) and a few legitimate Abenakis from and of Odanak who happened to live in the States, decided to cluster around the fake "Abenakis" because it helped to promote themselves. The dynamics benefited, and so Molly Keating and her daughter Lynn Murphy etc helped in the GENOCIDE of their own people to my thinking, and they didn't even fathom that, until it was too late to stop what they were doing!

Either way, its an "entertaining" video and while I do not agree with the "message" or the authenticity of the contents, for its time and place, the people therein this video obviously believed in their illusions and delusions, what with the Indian-ism's and Pan-Indian-ists perception(s) etc. Some of the people in this video are now deceased, or have moved on, relocating outside the state of Vermont when the Indian persona or their endeavors caught up with them.