The TRUTH about Frederick Matthew Wiseman PhD. - PART 1

Ok, so inside this blog I have made many mentions about Dr. Frederick Matthew Wiseman, PhD. from the Homer  W. St. Francis Sr. group (St. Francis-Sokokis) retrospectively. I will now post most of his articles etc that I have found. This is long-winded, but please do read through this material, much like walking down the yellow brick road to the Land of "Abenaki" La-La-Land in search of the ever elusive "Abenaki" wizard, that had his deceitful grubby little hands on the knobs and buttons of the fraudulent "Abenaki" - Vermont State Recognition Petitions etc from the very beginning ...

Frederick Matthew Wiseman's Ancestral Vital Records

June 10 1972

In Alexandria, Virginia, Frederick Matthew Wiseman, married to his first wife, Martha Hyde (nee: Ames). 

Both were identified as WHITE. Neither groom nor bride, were Abenakis, or Indians.

January 07, 1978

He married a second time, to Diane E. (nee: Peel) in Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana; this marriage ended in divorce on October 03, 1991.

May 01, 1988
The Burlington Free Press Newspaper
By Maggie Maurice – Free Press Staff Writer
An Old-Time Antique Sleuth: It’s elementary when it comes to teaching at Johnson College

JOHNSON – You can approach Frederick and Diane E. (nee: Peel) Wiseman’ house by way of the Sugar House or by the covered bridge. Either way, its Wyeth country, he says.
And it’s where he wants to be.
Frederick Matthew Wiseman is an antique’r. He’s also an archaeologist/ anthropologist by training, but he’s made a career of antiques – collecting, studying, and researching – which he catalogs on a computer. Nowadays he’s in big demand. In five courses at Johnson State College, he teaches undergraduates by day and adults by night about antiques.
His house, circa 1870, is on a curve of a well-rutted dirt road, with a view of the Gihon River Valley, and the mountains beyond. An ideal style, if you want to move in a lifetime accumulation of antiques. And it is surrounded by land with good soil, ideal for his wife’s organic garden.
“Not many people drive by here,” Fred M. Wiseman said. “The big deal is to eat breakfast and watch the milk truck go by.”
It was a cool, spring day, one of those contradictory days Vermont has, with vestiges of snow under the trees and bright-colored crocuses blossoming next to foundations. Fred M. Wiseman glanced around at the garden rectangles his wife Diane had planned last fall and covered with hay, then at the piles of wood and metal laths in the garage.
“We’re in the early stages of restoring our house. What you see is what you get,” he said. All the time they were living in Boston, Massachusetts, where he was principal research scientist for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology, they knew someday they’d have a house. Now, at last, they had it.
Although his family came from Swanton (his grandfather was head of the Robin Hood Powder Company and his grandmother was an Abenaki Indian, he spent only summers in Vermont.
He grew up in Maryland, was educated in Arizona with a Doctorate in Geosciences, and subsequently was a Professor of Geography and Anthropology at the University of Louisiana.
Even so, he said, “As a child, I wanted to teach at Johnson, I always thought it was the prettiest campus.”
If ever a man’s life paralleled his work, it’s Wiseman’. Antiques are the wave of the future, he says. He stresses the social value, attacks curators who believe status is everything.
His antiques are listed on his computer (pieces before 1850, after 1850, etc.). He designed a hypothetical house with specific rooms and furnished them on his IBM PC.
A prolific writer and researcher, he has a theory that you can determine an antique’s history from pollen you scrape off it. He documented it with a seventeenth century Spanish candle holder.
Here’s the way Technology Review described it:

“Could that moth-eaten $5.00 dollar chair purchased at the local flea market be worth $100,000.00 dollars? Armed with a scalpel, a microscope, a few chemicals, and a book on pollen, Frederick M. Wiseman makes furniture tell the truth about its history … Fred M. Wiseman combines his amateur’s interest in antiques with his training in palynology [the study of pollen grains and other spores, especially as found in archaeological or geological deposits] – or the study of ancient dust, as he puts it.”

He’s written many articles, including “Folk Art and Antiques: A Different View,” “The Case of the Peripatetic Candle holder” and “Why Not a Computer?”
“A computer is not a cold hostile thing. It can be warm and friendly,” he said, sitting in front of the bright blue screen in his office. He called up an outline of a dining room. Yellow, bright red, white. “Look at the colors, aren’t they garish?”
All the time he was talking, there were knocks on the door, telephone messages delivered, questions asked. A work-study student is asked to pick up information on Northwestern Mexico. The rest want to talk about computers.
He finds that amusing. “At M.I.T., I was computer-illiterate, yet here I’m considered a guru,” he said.
That day we watched him teach a class on pewter in Bentley Hall, passing around pieces to the students. “Here are three examples of ecclesiastical pewter,” he said.
He walked back and forth, holding up a flagon and a chalice, peering over his glasses, admiring them in his way. He picked up a teapot.
“This has been spun in two pieces, joined in the middle. It is symmetrical. To make it, they used one form for both halves. Here is a sugar bowl to match the teapot, with a flying saucer finial and scroll handle.
“Here is the damnedest creamer you’ve ever tried to pour cream out of. If you’re having the College Dean for tea, it pours find the first time around. The second time around, you tilt it, finally all the cream falls out.
“If you see one of them,” he said, eyeing the infamous creamer, “buy it, out it on the shelf, don’t use it.”
Later, walking across the windy campus, a tall lanky figure, he was still musing about his students. “I try to make them aware of history. I teach them metallurgy, how these things are made. When I teach that first, the women lose interest. When I teach art first, men fall away,” he said.
He shrugged his shoulders. “Women lose interest in technology, the men in art, but somehow they get a little bit of both.”
Ask any of the dealers at the 1829 House Antiques Co-op in Jeffersonville, Vermont about the new professor at Johnson State College and there’s instant recognition. A smile and or a nod.
“He’s good,” said Carolyn Hover, who owns 1829 House with her husband Richard. “I don’t know how anybody so young had time to learn so much.”
Frederick M. Wiseman has been at Johnson State College six months but already his courses and adult education classes have won a following, basically from people who say, “He knows his stuff.”
A lot of people know their stuff but sometimes in their absorption they become stuffy, boring, supercilious, or just plain dull.
Frederick M. Wiseman with his antiquer’s curiosity … is persuasive.
“Outside of Vermont, there’s an image that Vermont is a great place to go antiquing, with nice little antique shops,” he said, “part of the Ben and Jerry image. In Boston, Massachusetts, they take antique collecting more seriously, as collectors and scholars. Here it’s not a large part of people’s lives.”
What he’s trying to do is: show people antiques are of their heritage.
“We’re aware of our landscape and our buildings but antiques themselves are not thought out. Let’s look at what we have,” said Fred M. Wiseman, who started out when he was a boy, collecting antique rifles with his father.
In 1983, when he went to work with M.I.T., he was at the top, for the kind of work he did. And he discovered life at the top was not all it was cracked up to be. He wasn’t producing anything, he wasn’t teaching, he wasn’t doing any research.
Last summer [1987] he came to Johnson State College, in Vermont, for a visit.
“What would it take to bring you here?” the Johnson State College Dean [Who was the Dean of JSC before 2000 when Barbra Murphy became the JSC President?] 
“Not much,” Wiseman answered.
 And so it was that the Wiseman’s, with their 8 years old son Frederick William Wiseman made two runs with a U-Haul and moved their antiques to Vermont. And they found what they thought was impossible – an old house on good farm land.
It was a typical story – young couple finds house, sees an ad in the Sunday’s newspaper, sees the house on Monday, and closes the deal the same day.
It’s only a mile from the Johnson State College campus. “When mud-season is over, I can walk it,” he said.
While he’s teaching, Diane (nee: Peel) Wiseman has taken on the full-time job of renovating the house. She’s done the sheet-rocking, electrical work, and stenciling. “Ten years ago, she never thought she’d be doing this,” he said.
If he had his druthers, he’d go to auctions, but they take up too much time. So he goes to antique shops and big antique shows. His favorite place is Brimsfield, Massachusetts, near Sturbridge Village, which has 7,000 dealers.
“Picture all these fields filled with dealers,” he said, stretching his arm out to illustrate. “I’ll take class down there.”
Inside, the house has a new fireplace (“We bought the mantle at an auction”), a Pennsylvania dining room (“Furniture built prior to 1850”) and the Queen Anne chair is in the corner, just like the diagram he has on the IBM computer.
He smiled. There’s a matted sketch of an old house with a Victorian porch, with semi-formal gardens in front, by Diane (nee: Peel) Wiseman.
“Sinclair House restored in 1992.”

May 05, 1989
The Baltimore Sun Newspaper
OBITUARY – EVELYN WISEMAN
Retired secretary
Services for Evelyn Wiseman, a retired executive secretary for the Western Electric Company, will be held at 4:00 p.m. today at the Kidder Funeral establishment, in Swanton, Vermont.
Mrs. Evelyn Wiseman, who was 73 years of age, died Tuesday at her home in Swanton, Vermont after a long illness.
She moved to Vermont in 1974 following her retirement after 15 years with the telephone equipment company.
Born in Baltimore, Maryland, the former Evelyn Platt was a graduate of the Catonsville High School.
Her husband, Frederick Kermit Wiseman, a retired mechanical engineer for the state of Maryland, died in 1985.
She is survived by a son, Frederick Matthew Wiseman, of Johnson, Vermont; a sister, Thelma P. Schlining of Pasadena, California; and a grandson.

May 08, 1989
The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 10
OBITUARY – EVELYN (NEE: PLATT) WISEMAN
SWANTON – Funeral services were held Friday at 4:00 p.m. from the Kidder Memorial Home for Mrs. Evelyn Wiseman, who died Tuesday May 01, 1989. Internment followed in the Wiseman Family lot in Riverside Cemetery. The bearers were Kevin Parah, Ricky Savage, Eugene LaBombard, and Darwin Queary.

May 17, 1989

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 21

Bulletin Board Section

SWANTON ABENAKI COMMUNITY: We are a non-profit organization, which was organized to help the people of the Abenaki Community. If you are in need of help in any way, call 868-3452, or come by the office. We are located at 12 Canada Street and the hours are:

Monday, 9 a.m. – 2:00 p.m., Wednesday 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. and also Friday, 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. We are willing to help if we can.

ABENAKI ADULT BASIC EDUCATION: offers home tutoring for all persons of Native American ancestry. We can help you to prepare for the GED or to improve reading and math skills. We also assist with transportation and test fees for the GED. For information call Bob or Suzanne at 868-2559.

SWANTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY: Presents “A walking tour of Swanton’s Historic District and the Robin Hood / Remington Ammunition Complex” 

By Dr. Frederick Matthew Wiseman, Professor in Humanities and Environmental Studies, at Johnson State College, Saturday morning, May 20, 1989 at 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Historic District and Saturday afternoon, May 20, 1989 at 12:00-2:30 p.m. at Robin Hood / Remington. Start from the library on the Village Green. Free Admission. Bring a friend.

June 08, 1989

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 11

By Mary J. Sheldon: Secretary and Trustee Swanton Historical Society

Swanton Historical Society takes tour of village

Swanton Historical Society on Saturday, May 20, 1989, under its program director Judge Ronald Kilburn, presented a five-hour lecture and walking tour by Dr. Frederick Wiseman, Johnson State College Professor.

First, Frederick Wiseman gave an introduction to historic map reading at Swanton Public Library.

At the conclusion of his lecture at the Swanton Library, Fred M. Wiseman presented to Judge Ronald Kilburn, as representative of Swanton Historical Society, Inc., two artifacts for the society collection:

A framed map from the “Beers Atlas” and a book of historical data on early firefighting in Swanton.

Swanton Historical Society, Inc., had the entire tour videotaped for future reference.

August 05, 1989

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 12

Classified Section – Legal’s

STATE OF VERMONT

DISTRICT OF FRANKLIN, SS. PROBATE COURT DOCKET NO. 29-89E IN RE: ESTATE OF EVELYN P. WISEMAN

LATE OF SWANTON, VT … NOTICE TO CREDITORS

To the creditors of the estate of Evelyn P. Wiseman, late of Swanton, Franklin County, VT.

I have been appointed a personal representative of the above named estate. All creditors having claims against the estate must present their claims in writing within 4 months of the date of the first publication of this notice. The claim must be presented to me at the address listed below with a copy filed with the register of the Probate Court. The claim will be forever barred if it is not presented as described above with the four month deadline.

Signed,

Frederick Wiseman

C/O P.O. Box 148

Swanton, VT 05488

(802) 868-2929

First Publication Date: July 29, 1989.

Second Publication Date: August 05, 1989.

Address of Probate Court:             

Franklin County Courthouse

Church Street

St. Albans, VT 05478

March 04, 1990

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper

Abenaki Youths Design Science Logo

JOHNSON – Amber Laughlin and Jessica Richard of Swanton, Vermont have won a contest to design a logo for the new science laboratory at Johnson State College.

The two youngsters won a $50.00 dollar prize for their colorful logo of a circle with an eagle soaring over a band of blue water and green land. They are members of the Abenaki Youth group.

Associate professor Frederick Matthew Wiseman asked children in the group to submit entries for the design, hoping to stimulate their interest in higher education. Frederick Matthew Wiseman is the ambassador for scientific and cultural affairs of the Abenaki Nation.

March 10, 1990

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 10

Education Section

Abenaki Children Create Winning Laboratory Logo

Frederick Matthew Wiseman watches members of the Abenaki Youth Group draws an eagle on the computer.

JOHNSON, VT – Two Abenaki Indian children have created the winning logo to represent a new Science Laboratory at Johnson State College.

Associate Professor Fred Wiseman asked the Abenaki Youth Group, comprising children from Swanton and area communities, to help design a logo for The Center for Earth Resources Information and Imagery.

Thirteen children competed for a $50.00 dollar first prize. Amber Laughlin and Jessica Richard, both of Swanton, too the honors and split the prize money.

The colorful logo is a circle with an eagle soaring over a band of blue water and green land.

Frederick Matthew Wiseman said involving the Abenaki children could help prevent them from dropping out of school and start them thinking about going to college.

“We wanted to instill some hope in these kids,” said Fred Wiseman, himself a member of the Abenaki Nation and an Associate Professor of Humanities and Environmental Science.

“Just bringing them up to Johnson State College and assuming they are going to college and letting them know it’s not an alien place is a positive step.”

Frederick Matthew Wiseman last week invited the children to the laboratory to watch a computer recreate the design. “The computer system, known as the Geographic Information System and Image Processing, often has been used in warfare and for the economic control of the United States,” he said.

The computer system, widely used in Washington, is rarely used in the Northeast. Currently, Johnson State College is the only institution in Vermont with the system. Cornell University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology also use it.

Frederick Matthew Wiseman said he would like to see the computer system used for peaceful and environmental endeavors.

“My ironclad determination is that this teaches people only the good uses and ethical uses of this technology,” he said.

For those reasons, he decided to involve the Abenakis. “What better way than to have a Native American Youth group who is very aware of the natural world anyway?’ he asked. “It’s symbolic.”

Frederick Wiseman is Ambassador for Scientific and Cultural Affairs for the Abenaki Nation.

March 16, 1990

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper

Abenaki children win logo contest

JOHNSON – Two Abenaki Indian children have created the winning logo to represent The Center for Earth Resources Information and Imagery, a new science laboratory at Johnson State College.

Amber Laughlin and Jessica Richard, both of Swanton, Vermont, split the prize money of $50.00 dollars for their colorful logo featuring an eagle soaring over a band of blue water and green land.

The two were among 13 Abenaki children asked to submit designs.

Associate Professor Frederick Matthew Wiseman, a member of the Abenaki nation, said he hoped that including the Abenaki youth in a college environmental science program would encourage them to think about higher education.

April 03, 1990

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 02

Abenakis part of new program

Native American Perceptions of the Land is the first in a series of “We Vermonters: Perspectives on the Past” lecture being presented at Johnson State College.

The Native American lecture, being given Wednesday, April 04, 1990, at 7:00 p.m., at the Fletcher Free Library in Burlington, focuses on the Abenaki Indians of Vermont. Professor Frederick M. Wiseman, of Johnson State College, will provide a look at the 10 millennial history of Indians native to Vermont and why ecological awareness and rights to land remain important to Abenakis. The presentation is free and will be held in the Community Room at the library.

April 04, 1990

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper

Bulletin Board Section

Humanities Series Offers Free Programs

The two-year humanities series “We Vermonters” resumes this month and next week Part 2, “Landscape, Townscape, Cityscape.”

The opening session, “Native American Perceptions of the Land,” is set for 7:00 p.m. today at the Fletcher Free Library.

Frederick Matthew Wiseman, an Associate Professor of Anthropology at Johnson State College, is the speaker. An accompanying exhibit, curated by Louise Roomet of Hinesburg, opens at the Fletcher Free Library the same day.

Frederick Matthew Wiseman, Ambassador for Scientific and Cultural Affairs for the Abenakis of Vermont, will discuss why ecological awareness and rights to land are so important to the Abenaki community today.

Programs for Part 2 of the Series are planned for each Wednesday through May 23, 1990. “We Vermonters” is a joint project of the Center for Research on Vermont at the University of Vermont, the Fletcher Free Library and the Vermont Historical Society.

All programs are free. Information: 863-3403.

August 20, 1990

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 04

The Editorial Page – Letter’s to the Editor

A matter of history

To the Editor,

There has been some controversy concerning the Swanton School Board’s decision to purchase the land and buildings that were once the Robin Hood Ammunition Company, as a site for expansion of the Elementary School.

There have been numerous financial, environmental and logistical issues discussed; I would like to add another, one of history.

As a historian of the early twentieth century power mills of Swanton, I applaud the transferral of the properties to public ownership. The site is one of the most significant historical complexes in northern Vermont in that:

1.       It represents a specialized industry, firearms/ammunition manufacture, that was very important to our state’s history;

2.       The buildings are relatively unchanged from their original configuration by subsequent owners, and hence valuable historical documents;

3.       The Robin Hood/Remington Arms Companies were in Swanton at one time – by far the largest employer and a strong force in the social and community life to the Village and Town.

4.       Far from being a “pig in a poke”, these properties are a historical treasure that , in addition to providing the town’s young with expanded educational opportunities, could with proper planning and preservation once again become a focus of community life in Swaton.

Frederick Wiseman

Associate Professor

Humanities and Anthropology

Johnson State College

September 06, 1990

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Pages 01-10

By Mark Bushnell and Cathy Brauner

Indian remains to be returned to local tribe

Abenaki Indian Human remains now held in the Vermont Historical Society (VHS) Museum Collection will be returned to the tribe, according to the Society’s Director.

The Abenaki Indians of Missisquoi, who will receive the Human remains, are headquartered in Swanton. Mike Delaney, a tribal judge, said today, “I’m overjoyed. Actually, we’re hoping others will take the hint and return everything they have.”

Michael Delaney said he hoped that the Vermont Land Trust and the Vermont Historical Preservation Department would soon grant ancient burial sites back to the Abenakis. The returned human remains would be buried on those sites, Mike Delaney said.

The Vermont Historical Society acquired the human remains as gifts in 1951, but they have not been on exhibit in the Museum for many years.

In a related action, the Society’s Board of Trustee’s passed a resolution to cooperate with recognized representatives of the Abenakis in identifying sacred objects in the museum’s collections and returning them to the Abenakis as well.

VHS Director, Michael Sherman, said the Board’s actions conform in many aspects to standards presently being developed in the museum profession, and to legislation being drafted in the U.S. Congress.

“It is the society’s intention,” he added, “to cooperate with the Abenakis willingly, as a matter of conscience, and in conformity with accepted standards of museum ethics. We hope our effort will also help other museums in Vermont that have items of Native American origin develop policies and procedures for repatriation.”

A recently released society statement quotes Frederick Matthew Wiseman, Ambassador of the Abenaki Nation for Cultural Affairs and Professor of Anthropology at Johnson State College.

“As the Vermont bicentennial approaches, the decision of the VHS board of Directors to return human remains and sacred objects to the Abenaki Nation becomes an historic turning point in the relations between our Euro-American and indigenous peoples,” Frederick M. Wiseman said.

“The practice of museums being, in part, repositories of oppressed people’s sacred possession and deceased has been rejected for the first time in Vermont.”

“The VHS stands as an example of enlightened and ethical practice chosen freely and with consideration of others, rather than under threat of litigation. We will work to ensure that this example will not go unnoticed by other Vermont museum professionals and trustees,”

September 08, 1990

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper

Museum to return remains to Abenaki

MONTPELIER – The Vermont Historical Society will return to the Abenaki tribe remains of American Indians and sacred objects belonging to the Abenaki.

The Vermont Historical Society’s Board of Trustees voted to remove from its museum the human remains of American Indians, which were acquired as a gift in 1951.

The human remains have not been on exhibit for many years, according to general museum practice, a prepared statement said.

“It is the Vermont Historical Society’s intention to cooperate with the Abenakis willingly and as a matter of conscience, and in conformity with accepted standards of museum ethics,” said Michael Sherman, historical society director. “We hope that our effort will also help other museums in Vermont that have items of Native American origin develop policies and procedures for repatriation.”

Frederick Matthew Wiseman, a representative of the Abenaki Nation and professor of anthropology at Johnson State College, praised the society’s decision.

“The practice of museum’s being, in part, repositories of oppressed people’s sacred possessions and deceased has for the first time been rejected in Vermont,” he said. “The Vermont Historical Society stands as an example of enlightened and ethical practice chosen freely and with consideration of others rather than under threat of litigation.”

November 20, 1990

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 01-10

By Cathy Brauner

Gov. appoints panel to review Indian affairs

Vermont Governor Madeleine Kunin today announced the creation of a Commission on Native American Affairs.

“This is a historic way for Vermonters to celebrate Thanksgiving by recognizing the contributions of Native American culture to this state,” Governor Madeleine Kunin said in remarks prepared for a 10 a.m. press conference.

“I believe it marks the beginning of a positive relationship between the Abenaki Tribal Council and the State of Vermont,” said Madeleine Kunin.

Vermont Governor Madeleine Kunin’s order specifically states the move is not to be construed as according or granting official recognition of any specific tribe.

The creation of a Native American commission has been a political hot potato, and the subject of some bitterness among Abenakis, since the 1970’s.

On November 24, 1976, Vermont Governor Thomas Salmon issued an executive order in which he recognized the Abenakis as a tribe according to the Federal definition. He also established the Governor’s Commission on Indian Affairs.

Vermont Governor Thomas Salmon’s order referred specifically to Abenakis and other Native American Vermonters.

On February 28, 1977, Vermont Governor Richard Snelling revoked the recognition, and created the Vermont Commission on Indian Affairs. His order referred to person of American Indian lineage who are resident.”

Richard Snelling will take … fifth term in … Snelling spokesman …  aid the governor – aware of the development  … had no immediate …

… member advisory … established by Kunin will be chaired by Miles Jensen, of Westford, the executive director of Champlain Industries and former Director of the Abenaki Self – Help Association.

The Vermont governor also appointed Representative Alice Cook Bassett, of Burlington, Vermont; State Archivist Gregory Sanford of Marshfield, and Pamela Greene, of Fairfax, Vermont.

The Abenaki Tribal Council, which was authorized to appoint three members, chose Michael Delaney, of St. Albans, Vermont; Jim Ledeux, of Highgate, Vermont; and Frederick Matthew Wiseman PhD., of Swanton, Vermont, as members of the Native American Commission on Native American Affairs.

The Commission Chairman is empowered to call meetings and issue reports to the Vermont Governor.

The Commission will report directly to the Vermont Governor. It can also seek private and or Federal funding, but will not receive State of Vermont funding; beyond the expenses members incur, to attend meetings.

January 08, 1991

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Pages 01-08

By Mark Buchnell

Indian Affairs Panel finds benefits in first meeting

Vermont Governor Madeleine Kunin appointed Representative Alice Cook Bassett, of Burlington, State Archivist Gregory Sanford, of Marshfield, and Pamela Greene, of Fairfax. Pamela Greene has worked for the state on economic opportunity and human resources issues.

In addition to Michael A. Delaney, the Abenaki Tribal Council appointed Jim Ledoux, of Highgate, and Frederick M. Wiseman, of Swanton, Vermont.

February 21, 1991

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper

SHELBURNE

LECTURE SERIES: This year’s winner lecture series in the Shelburne Museum will explore the function of the historian in today’s world. Scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 12, 1991 and March 26, 1991, the series will examine ways in which contemporary technology and advancements in the field are shaping the historian’s work.

On Tuesday, Frederick Matthew Wiseman, associate professor at Johnson State College, will draw from his experience in environmental archaeology in the North American Southwest and the lowland of Central American, and from his work with the Sovereign Abenaki Nation of Missiquoi.

February 26, 1991

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 11

Practicing Historians: The Archaeologist, part of Tuesday series on the function of the historian. Frederick Matthew Wiseman, of Johnson State College will discuss environmental archaeology including his work with the Abenakis. 7:30 p.m. at the Shelburne Museum, Shelburne.

Information: 985-3346 ext. 395

February 26, 1991

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper

Lecture Series: “Practicing Historians,” 7:30 p.m. today, March 12, 1991 and March 26, 1991, McClure Visitor Center, Shelburne Museum. Tonight: “The Archaeologist.” Frederick Matthew Wiseman, professor and official liaison for Scientific and Cultural Affairs of the Abenaki Nation, will draw from his experience in environmental archaeology in the North American Southwest and lowlands of Central America. Free Event. 985-3346.

March 14, 1991

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 03

By the Associated Press

South Burlington

School contemplating a change in nickname

Students at Rice Memorial High School are debating whether they still want to be called the Little Indians.

The Student Council at this 360-student school is considering a nickname change upon learning that its athletic teams’ name is viewed as offensive by local Native Americans.

“We want to make sure that Rice Memorial High School portrays its sensitivity not only in our school but also in the community,” Student Council President Laura Bernardini said. “We don’t want to offend anyone.”

But there is also tradition to consider.

“We don’t want to offend alumni, so we are walking a delicate tightrope,” Laura Bernardini said.

Rice Memorial High School inherited the Little Indians name more than 60 years ago from its parent school, Cathedral High School. The name has been a source of controversy for a number of years, school officials said.

But the matter escalated last year when a parent on the School Board raised the issue and asked the Student Council to consider it.

Frederick M. Wiseman, a Johnson State College professor and member of the Abenaki nation, told students that the teams’ name puts Native Americans in the same category as animals, much like the Burlington Seahorses and the Milton Yellow-jackets.

“In my personal opinion, there should be no reference to Indians at all,” Frederick M. Wiseman said.

“The idea of Little Indians tends to belittle.”

“Would you have banners that say, ‘The San Diego Caucasians’ ...?” Frederick M. Wiseman said. “Now who would go for that? It would not make any sense.”

March 14, 1991

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper, Page 1B-4B

By Anne Geggis – Free Press Staff Writer

Rice may surrender its teams’ moniker

... Frederick Matthew Wiseman, who serves as an Ambassador of Scientific and Cultural Affairs for the Abenaki nation, was invited to address the Student Council Monday night on the subject.

Fred M. Wiseman, a professor at Johnson State College, told the students that the teams’ name puts Native Americans in the same category as animals – like the Burlington Seahorses and the Milton Yellow jackets.

“In my personal opinion, there should be no reference to Indians at all,” said Fred Wiseman, who is a member of the Abenaki nation. “The idea of Little Indians tends to belittle.”

“Would you have banners that say, The San Diego Caucasians?,“ Fred Wiseman said. “Now who would go for that? It would not make any sense.”

Frederick Matthew Wiseman’s sentiments were echoed by the head of the Abenaki nation, Chief Homer Walter St. Francis Sr., who said appropriating Native Americans as team mascots amounts to slander.

But objections to the name bewildered some members of the Rice community.

... Frederick Matthew Wiseman will address the Rice community on the matter next week. The Student Council will then submit a decision to Brother John Collignon, principal of the school, who will make the final decision.

March 27, 1991

The Times Argus Newspaper, Page 13

By David Gram

Abenaki Remains Threatened By Development of Burial Site

MONTPELIER (AP) – To archaeologists, it is one of the most important sites in the Northeast, replete with evidence that Vermont’s northwest corner was a center for trade in prehistoric North America.

To the Abenaki Indians, a spot called the Boucher property along the Missisquoi River in Highgate, Franklin County, Vermont is sacred, and its disturbance 18 years ago continues as a festering sore on the tribal spirit.

“Part of their culture has been, if not destroyed, certainly desecrated,” Miles Jensen chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Native American Affairs, told members of the Senate Institutions Committee on Tuesday.

Some Abenakis say the mistreatment of ancestral remains is to blame for tragedies befalling the tribe today, including the deaths of three teenagers in two care accidents in Franklin County in December 1990.

When a foundation hole was dug for a new house in 1973, University of Vermont Professor William Haviland recalled Tuesday, “some green round thing went rolling down the pile of back-dirt.” It was a human skull.

The state medical examiner was called, quickly determined the skull was of ancient origin, and contacted the anthropology department at UVM.

A meeting of the Northeast Anthropology Association happened to be going on in Burlington at the same time, and soon teams of archaeologists were on the site, combing through the soil and conducting a round-the-clock watch against amateur souvenir seekers.

The human remains of about 80 Abenakis dating from as far back as the eighth century, B.C., were found, along with copper objects from the Great Lakes, shell beads from the coast of the Carolinas and clay artifacts from Ohio and Kentucky.

The evidence showed that the mouth of the Missisquoi River in Vermont’s northwest corner was “the hub of a large trade network,” said David Skinas, an archaeologist with the state Division of Historic Preservation.

Artifacts from the site, including a tunic or jacket made of animal skins for a small child, were sent to Maine for study by archaeologists there., and their separation from the human burial remains was deeply troubling to the Abenakis, William Haviland recalled. William Haviland, himself, did not testify, but rather, he spoke in an interview.

The materials eventually were turned to Vermont, but their storage at the university raised a storm of protest from Abenakis who said they were being treated in a cavalier fashion.

Eventually, they were taken into the custody of the Division of Historic Preservation and now are under lock and key in a confidential location in Montpelier, Vermont.

But the Abenakis religious reverence for their ancestors – a reverence which Miles Jensen and others said exceeds that of Europeans – will not be satisfied until the human remains are returned to the ground in the Missisquoi Valley, the Abenakis ancient homeland.

Eric Gilbertson, director of the Division of Historic Preservation, said some Abenakis “feel things are happening to individuals in that tribe because their ancestors are not being treated properly.”

He cited the deaths of three teenagers, one of whom was Abenaki. Frederick Matthew Wiseman, an Abenaki on the Governor’s Advisory commission on Native American Affairs, later confirmed that the fear of disturbed ancestors bringing grief to the living was prevalent, especially among older Abenakis.

Frederick Matthew Wiseman said the feeling is that “We’ve got to get them back underground, or more people are going to die or be hurt … It’s a fear, and whether it’s true on the psychic or spiritual level, it creates a tremendous amount of unrest.”

Those testifying, Tuesday, told the Senate Institutions Committee panel that ta site adjacent to where most of the Abenaki human burial remains were found is now for sale. They said the state might wish to buy the main part of the site in case it ever goes on sale.

Senate Institutions Committee members recommended the Governor’s Advisory Commission panel meet with leaders of the Abenaki community and come up with a firm proposal of what the state should do.

John Fitzhugh, legal counsel to Vermont Governor Richard Snelling, told the committee that members of the commission testifying Tuesday had not come to the governor with their recommendations. He said they are required to do so under the executive order that established the commission last year.

He also cautioned against lawmakers making a highly public process out of a possible land purchase.

March 29, 1991

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper

By Rose M. Fox – Milton, Vermont

Letter to the Editor Section

Name is tribute

This is in response to “Name change” (Burlington Free Press Newspaper, March 14, 1991):

I … and both my children … are proud to be Rice alumni, just as Frederick Matthew Wiseman should be proud to be an Indian. Our teams are made up of young men and women who should stand up for a proud people like the Indians (and not some animal).

Frederick Matthew Wiseman should widen his views and know that our use of the word Indian is not a slanderous reference to our Native Americans. This use is a tribute to those Americans. Its saying we’re proud of those brave warriors who were here long before the settlers knew this land existed.

I should think Frederick Matthew Wiseman would be happy that such a fine school as Rice Memorial chose to be known as the “Little Indians.” …

Rose M. Fox – Milton, Vermont

March 31, 1991

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper, Pages 1A-4A

By David Gram – The Associated Press

Abenaki Welcomes Unknown Ancestry

This story is a first in a three-part series

SWANTON, Vt. – All the time he was growing up, Frederick Matthew Wiseman recalls, he had an uncanny attraction to things Native American.

In games of cowboys and Indians with his playmates in Windsor, he always wanted to play the Indian. Eventually, he went to college to study Native American archaeology, earning a master’s degree from a national leader in the field, the University of Arizona at Tucson.

Five years ago, when his father died, Frederick Matthew Wiseman began following an urge to learn something of his family history. Pressing older relatives for information, the Johnson State College archaeology professor made a discovery that changed his life:

His maternal grandmother was an Abenaki Indian who married a white man and “passed completely into white culture.”

“That really blew me for a loop. I thought I was Pennsylvania German and French,” the 42-year-old Fred Wiseman said recently.

Since then, Fred M. Wiseman has been on a journey both private and public, first trying to craft a new sense of identity within himself, and more recently becoming a spokesman for the Abenaki Nation, as they do the same.

From all accounts, it is a hopeful time to be an Abenaki. As Vermont celebrates the bicentennial of its statehood, its first people are rediscovering a heritage more than 10,000 years old.

“We’re celebrating our decimillenial,” Fred Wiseman said with a laugh.

Actually, it’s a little late for a 10,000^th anniversary. A 1989 Vermont District Court decision that recognized the Abenakis’ right to fishing their homeland’s waters without State of Vermont fishing licenses said there was evidence of them living along the banks of the Missisquoi River in Vermont’s northwestern corner at least since 9000 B.C., nearly 11,300 years ago.

When Samuel de Champlain became the first European to arrive in the Missisquoi river valley on July 04, 1609, he made no contact with the native people. That missed opportunity foreshadowed much of what was to follow; up until the middle of this century, it was commonly taught in Vermont schools that no Indians ever lived in the State of Vermont.

A history from the Depression-era Federal Writers’ Project, entitled simply, “Vermont,” said, “So far as known, there was never any permanent Indian settlement of Vermont comparable to the Iroquois occupation of parts of what is now New York.”

It added that “it is not likely that the story of the Indian in Vermont will ever emerge complete and current from unrecorded antiquity.”

The denial of Abenaki culture, even of Abenaki existence, was contagious. It has extended to this day in some of the Abenakis themselves, even to Frederick Matthew Wiseman’s own family.

Frederick Matthew Wiseman said that in order to be accepted into white society, his own maternal grandmother had to disavow her own Abenaki heritage. Ignored by most Vermonters, the Abenakis were viewed by many of those who came into contact with them as “gypsies”, “thieves”, “tramps” , “drunkards,” Wiseman said.

Ancestry became a source of shame for the family. When he was a boy “there were certain relatives we didn’t go see.”

Old habits of thinking die hard. His Aunt Dorothy, who is in her 90’s, “has almost disowned him over his decision to throw in his lot with the Abenakis,” Wiseman said.

He went to see his cousin Norma when she was in her final moments before death to cancer last year, and her last words were sarcastic. “There’s Freddy, the king of the Abenakis,” he recalled her saying.

“That hurt, that really hurt,” he said. Finding one’s native roots, “doesn’t live as good as it reads,” Wiseman said, “Especially when someone dies and leaves you with disdain.”

But if Abenaki culture has been ignored, even disowned by some, it has never been extinguished, Abenaki leaders said. Much of the tradition handed down since time immemorial has been kept within families.

Gabor Rona, a lawyer who has worked with the Abenakis, said there is a perception among many Vermonters of European ancestry that because the Abenakis drive cars and live in houses … instead of paddling canoes and living in teepees – their culture has disappeared.

Jeanne (nee: Deforge) Brink, an Abenaki who has co-authored a book and audio-cassette tape on the tribe’s language, objected to a newspaper headline saying Abenaki culture was “Back From The Brink,” first because of the bad pun on her husband Doug Brink’s surname, but moreover because it fostered the notion that the Abenakis had been diminished.

“It’s not bringing it back from the brink,” she said. “Abenaki culture has always been there. It’s just that it’s now more visible than it’s been in the past. People are becoming more aware of it.”

Vermont’s Abenakis are seeking to reassert themselves against the backdrop of some unusual circumstances. Unlike many other Native Americans, like the Mohawks of upstate New York or the Navajo of the Southwest for instance – Vermont’s Abenakis have never been recognized by the Federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Abenaki Chief Homer St. Francis Sr. said he and his people have no desire for Federal designation as a tribe. That would put the Abenakis on subordinate footing with the white-dominated government,” Homer St. Francis Sr. said.

“I don’t need any Federal Recognition.  We’re already a nation. I don’t see Russia going to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for recognition.”

For better or for worse, the lack of Federal Recognition designation has meant Vermont’s Abenakis never have lived on a reservation as have many other Native American tribes. Today, much of the impetus and instruction for cultural resurgence is coming from an Abenaki reservation in Odanak, Quebec, Canada.

Most of Vermont’s Abenakis have continued to live in their ancient homeland along the banks of the lower Missisquoi River in the state of Vermont’s northwest corner as the towns of Swanton and Highgate have grown up around them.

Intermarriage and genetic intermingling have been widespread. Frederick Matthew Wiseman has medium brown hair and eyes and European features.

Just how many Vermont Abenakis there are is open to question. Last year’s court decision put the number at 2,600. Other estimates range up to 4,000.

Fred Wiseman said the count depends on how many are, like him … for the past five years, “self-identified ‘Abenaki’.”

The increase in those who are self- identifying with their Native American heritage can be seen in Census data:

984 Vermonters responding to the 1980 Census identified themselves as Native Americans.

By 1990, the number had grown to 1,696.

Those of mixed ancestry who have become self-identified Abenakis tend to dismiss their white heritage, Frederick Matthew Wiseman said. When asked if he is one-quarter Abenaki, Wiseman responded, “one-quarter is a white idea.”

“The idea is ethnicity, the Abenaki cause. If it comes down to it, you to war on the Abenaki side. That’s a lot more than blood.”

NOTICE SO FAR IT IS STATED THAT IT IS HIS MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER that's the "Abenaki"... 

April 01, 1991

The Sun Journal [Maine] Newspaper Page 17

By Daivd Gram – Associated Press Writer

Heritage Revitalized for Abenaki Indians

EDITOR’S NOTE: Despised and more often ignored since the arrival of the first European settlers, Vermont’s Abenaki Indians are reasserting their culture, heritage and territorial claims.

SWANTON, Vt. – All the time he was growing up, Frederick Matthew Wiseman recalls, he had an uncanny attraction to things Native American.

In games of Cowboys and Indians with his playmates in Windsor, Vermont he always wanted to play the Indian. Eventually, he went to college to study Native American archaeology, earning a master’s degree from a national leader in the field, the University of Arizona at Tucson.

Five years ago, when his father died, Wiseman began following an urge to learn something of his family history. Pressing older relatives for information, the Johnson State College Archaeology Professor made a discovery that changed his life:

His maternal grandmother was an Abenaki Indian who married a white man and “passed completely into white culture.”

“That really blew me for a loop. I thought I was Pennsylvania German and French,” the 42 years old Frederick Matthew Wiseman said recently.

Since then, Fred M. Wiseman has been on a journey both private and public, first trying to craft a new sense of identity within himself and more recently becoming a spokesman for the Abenaki Nation as it does the same.

From all accounts, it is a hopeful time to be an Abenaki. As Vermont celebrates the bicentennial of its statehood, its first people are rediscovering a heritage more than 10,000 years old.

“We’re celebrating our decennial,” Fred Wiseman said with a laugh.

Actually, it’s a little late for a 10,000^th anniversary. A 1989 Vermont District Court decision that recognized the Abenakis’ right to fish in their homeland’s waters without state licenses said there was evidence of them living along the banks of the Missisquoi River in Vermont’s northwest corner at least since 900 B.C., nearly 11,300 years ago.

When Samuel de Champlain became the first European to arrive in the Missisquoi River valley on July 1709, he made no contact with the Native People. That missed opportunity foreshadowed much of what was to follow; up until the middle of the century, it was commonly taught in Vermont Schools that no Indians ever lived in the state.

A history from the Depression Era Federal Writers’ Project, titled, simply “Vermont,” said, “So far as is known, there was never any permanent Indian settlement of Vermont comparable to the Iroquois occupation of what is now New York.”

It added that “it is not likely that the story of the Indian in Vermont will ever emerge complete and current from unrecorded antiquity.”

The denial of Abenaki culture, even of Abenaki existence, was contagious. It has extended to this day by some of the Abenakis themselves, even to Wiseman’s own family.

Frederick Matthew Wiseman said that in order to be accepted into white society, his grandmother had to disavow her Abenaki heritage. Ignored by many Vermonters, the Abenakis were viewed by many of those who came into contact with them as “gypsies, thieves, tramps, drunkards,” Wiseman said.

Ancestry became a source of shame for the family. When he was a boy “there were certain relatives we didn’t go see.”

Old habits of thinking die hard. His Aunt Dorothy, who is in her 90’s, “has almost disowned me over his decision to throw in his lot with the Abenakis,” Wiseman said.

He went to see his cousin Norma when she was in her final moments before death to cancer last year, and her last words were sarcastic.

“There’s Freddy, the king of the Abenakis,” he recalled her saying.

“That hurt, that really hurt,” he said. Finding one’s native roots “doesn’t live as good as it reads,” Wiseman said, “Especially when someone dies and leaves you with disdain.”

But if Abenaki culture has been ignored, even disavowed by some, it has never been extinguished, Abenaki leaders said. Much of the tradition handed down since time immemorial has been kept within families.

Gabor Rona, a lawyer who has worked with the Abenakis, said there is a perception among many Vermonters of European ancestry that because the Abenakis drive cars and live in houses – instead of paddling canoes and living in teepees – their culture has disappeared.

Jeanne Brink, an Abenaki who has co-authored a book and audio tape on the tribe’s language, objected to a newspaper headline saying Abenaki culture was “Back From the Brink,” first because of the band pun on her name, but moreover because it fostered the notion that the Abenakis had been diminished.

“It’s not bringing it back from the brink,” she said. “Abenaki culture has always been there. It’s just that it’s now more visible than it’s been in the past. People are becoming more aware of it.”

Vermont’s Abenakis are seeking to reassert themselves against the backdrop of some unusual circumstances. Unlike other Native Americans, like the Mohawks of upstate New York or the Navajo of the Southwest, for instance – Vermont’s Abenakis never have been recognized as a tribe by the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Abenaki Chief Homer St. Francis said he and his people have no desire for federal designation as a tribe. That would put the Abenakis on subordinate footing with the white-dominated government, Homer St. Francis said.

“I don’t need any (federal recognition). We’re already a nation. I don’t see Russia going to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for recognition.”

For better or worse, the lack of federal designation has meant Vermont’s Abenakis never have lived on a reservation as have many other Native American tribes. Today, much of the impetus and instruction for culture resurgence is coming from an Abenaki reservation in Odanak, Quebec, Canada.

Most of the Vermont’s Abenakis have continued to live in their ancient homeland along the banks of the lower Missisquoi River in the state’s northwest corner as the towns of Swanton and Highgate have grown up around them.

Intermarriage and genetic intermingling have been widespread. Frederick Matthew Wiseman has medium brown hair and eyes and European features. Jeanne Brink has light skin and blue eyes.

Just how many Vermont Abenakis there are is open to question. Last year’s court decision put the number at about 2,600. Other estimates range up to 4,000. Fred M. Wiseman said the count depends on how many are, like himself for the past five years, “self-identified.”

The increase in those identifying with their Native American heritage can be seen in Census data: 984 Vermonters responding to the 1980 Census identified themselves as Native Americans; by 1990, the number had grown to 1,696.

Those of mixed ancestry who have become self-identified Abenakis tend to dismiss their white heritage, Frederick Matthew Wiseman said. Asked if he is one-quarter Abenaki, he responded, “One-quarter is a white idea.”

“The idea is ethnicity, the Abenaki cause. If it comes down to it, you go to war on the Abenaki side. That’s a lot more than blood.”

AGAIN, the above article states that it is HIS MATERNAL GRANDMOTHER that is the Abenaki.

December 21, 1991
He again remarried for a 3rd time to Cherri May (nee: McMurray) in Waterbury, Washington County, Vermont; which ended in divorce on August 16, 1996 in Chittenden County, Vermont.

And for a fourth wide, he remarried yet again, to Anna (nee: Roy), mother of Aaron Todd York.

March 26, 1992

Governor’s Advisory Commission on Native American Affairs

Swanton, Franklin County, Vermont

Attending: Chair Jeff Benay, Dee Brightstar, Mark Mitchell, Mike Delaney, Alice Bassett, Barbara Ripley, Pam Greene, Frederick Matthew Wiseman, Giovanna Peebles (representing the Eric Gilbertson)

June 05, 1992

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 01-12

By David Gram – The Associated Press, Coventry, Vermont

Abenaki changes creating internal friction

Such a renaissance has been going on for nearly 20 years in the Missisquoi River valley of northwestern Vermont, said Frederick Matthew Wiseman, an Abenaki and Professor of Archaeology at Johnson State College.

The Missisquoi, or St. Francis Indians, as they are sometimes known, have had a head start in the effort to reclaim their culture, Frederick M. Wiseman said, adding that this may explain why Howard Franklin Knight Jr. and some of his people feel left behind.

“The Missisquoi band has been fighting the fight for all the Native Americans of Vermont,” Frederick M. Wiseman said. “Now the other bands are just starting to organize themselves.”

He said the greater attention, and the Federal Funds, hat have come to the Missisquoi are “just because we’re more organized, not because we’re trying to muscle anyone out.”

June 06, 1992

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper, Page 1B-4B

By David Gram – The Associated Press

Abenaki criticizes chief’s style

Such a renaissance has been going on for nearly 20 years in the Missisquoi River Valley of northwestern Vermont, said Frederick Matthew Wiseman, an Abenaki and professor of archaeology at Johnson State College.

“The Missisquoi band has been fighting the fight for all the Native Americans of Vermont,” Fred M. Wiseman said. “Now the other bands are just starting to organize themselves.”

He said the greater attention, and the federal funds that have come to the Missisquoi are “just because we’re more organized, not because we’re trying to muscle anyone out.”

February 25, 1993

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 11

Destinations: A Weekly guide to upcoming events & concerts within driving distance of Franklin County, Vermont.

March 08, 1993 Part I - Presentation by John Scott Moody, and the  nd ‘Part II’ of the same, presented by Frederick M. Wiseman the following April 08, 1993 notification.

February 27, 1993

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 02

Notes of Interest Section

Upcoming lectures for Historical Society

At their regular monthly meetings on March 08, 1993, and April 12, 1993, respectively the St. Albans Historical Society will hear presentations on the history and culture of the Native Americans of Western Vermont.

The first presentation on March 08, 1993, on Native American history, will be by Mr. John Moody, Ethno-Historian from Sharon, Vermont. Mr. Moody is a graduate of Dartmouth University where he earned a degree in Native American studies and Anthropology. He has been studying Native Americans and the Western Abenakis for over 20 years and has written on the subject. Mr. John Scott Moody is also a member of the Abenaki Research Project, a group established by the Abenaki Nation of Vermont to conduct research on Abenaki ancestry and tribal history.

The second presentation on April 12, 1993, will be by Dr. Fred Wiseman, Associate Professor of Humanities, Johnson State College, in Johnson, Vermont. Dr. Wiseman who teaches a number of courses concerning Native Americans will display examples of Abenaki handicraft and art, and discuss Abenaki culture. Dr. Wiseman is a member of the Abenaki Research Project and also a member of the Governor’s Commission on Native American Affairs.

Research in archaeology, anthropology, genealogy and oral history over the past 35 years has established that Vermont has been occupied by native peoples for at least eleven thousand years. And in 1609 when the first Europeans viewed Lake Champlain there were thriving villages of Abenakis in the Swanton-Highgate area, St. Albans, Milton and in the Winooski area as well as in a number of other locations in Vermont. The Abenaki story is fascinating.

The St. Albans Historical Society is greatly pleased to host these two lectures which should be both timely and interesting.

All those interested in the history and cultures of the Native Americans of Western Vermont are cordially invited to attend the two presentations. The meetings commence at 7:00 p.m.

Refreshments and coffee will be served during the discussion period after the meeting.

March 11, 1993

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 20

Destinations Section

Monday April 08, 1993 – Native Americans of Western Vermont, last of a two-part series. Presentation is by Dr. Fred Wiseman, Associate Professor of Humanities at Johnson State College. He is a member of the Abenaki Research Project and also a member on the Commission on Native American Affairs. This event will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the St. Albans Historical Society Museum on Church Street in St. Albans, Vermont.

April 08, 1993

7:00 p.m. St. Albans Historical Society Museum on Church Street in St. Albans, Vermont

Native Americans of Western Vermont, last of a two-part series.

Presentation by Frederick M. Wiseman, Associate Professor of Humanities, at Johnson State College, and a member of the Abenaki Research Project and also a member of the Commission on Native American Affairs.

April 27, 1993

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper

Gallery Tour of Abenaki Exhibit, 7:30 p.m., in the Chandler Gallery in Randolph, Vermont

Dr. Frederick Matthew Wiseman of Johnson State College on the Abenaki Material Culture exhibit

Information: 728-9878

November 19, 1993

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Pages 01-12

By Mark Hollmer

Abenaki to establish Arts Council

The Abenaki community has decided to pursue the establishment of a community-based arts council.

The issue was discussed Thursday at the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Native American Affairs meeting, held at Abenaki Tribal Headquarters. ...

Commission member Frederick Matthew Wiseman questioned if an arts council would solely promote Abenaki art and culture or Native American art as a whole.

Tribal council member and commission liaison Dee Brightstar [Deanna Lou Dudley] said that before that point, “we need to be more sure of what our own heritage is … before teaching it.”

April 07, 1994

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper

In Brief Section

Ethan Allen Homestead plans lectures over lunch

The Ethan Allen Homestead and the Champlain Valley Agency on Aging will co-sponsor a series of lunch programs on Mondays, April 11, 1994 through June 13, 1994 for anyone age 60 years of age and over. Each week there will be a different presentation after a noon meal in the Homestead Tavern, located off Vermont 127 in Burlington, Chittenden County, Vermont.

Presenters include Frederick Matthew Wiseman of Johnson State College, and Native American consultant Jeanne (nee: Deforge) Brink, who will discuss and present Western Abenaki crafts. Andre Senecal of the University of Vermont and Anne McConnell of St. Micheal’s College will focus on Franco-American life. Joan Wry of St. Michael’s College, UVM Professor Samuel Hand, and Homestead research assistant Clifford Timpson will examine life during the Allen years in the late 18th century. Middlebury College geographer Robert Churchill and Colchester naturalist Laurie DiCesare will look at the landscape’s patterns, features, and plants, with physical presentations.

Suggested donation for lunch is $2.20. Reservations are required no later than noon of the Friday before each program. There is no program May 30, 1994.

For more information, call 865-4556.

May 21, 1994

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper, Pages 1D-4D

By Susan Kelley – Free Press Staff Writer

The Abenaki Aesthetic: Native American artists construct a cultural identity for the new millennium

Frederick Matthew Wiseman of Underhill, Vermont made authentic 18th century objects like a ceremonial cane and bear-law necklace.

Frederick Matthew Wiseman’s art is more scientific. Fred M. Wiseman is a professor of Native American studies and environmental studies at Johnson State College. He replicates 18th and 19th century objects.

“Instead of looking to the Plains Indians, as so many people do here, I look to the Abenaki past,” he said. “My goal is to look for things that are not from any place but from right here in Western Abenaki country, and use that as my base.”

Like Gerard “Tsonakwa” Rancourt, Frederick Matthew Wiseman was greatly influenced by the death of his father. He was 36 years of age when his father died in 1985. That’s when he learned he was Abenaki.

“It was kind of a shock, when I was mourning my Dad, that I discovered a lot of things I didn’t even know about my history,” he said.

“It came late, but it explains a lot about my interest in native cultures, even when I was a kid.”

He decided to apply his expertise in paleo-environmental archaeology to Abenaki culture – but that meant giving up some archaeological practices viewed as unethical by many Native Americans.

“It’s the whole issue of excavating human burial grounds and sacred goods – things that I had done unknowingly,” Frederick M. Wiseman said. “I figured it was best to let other people do that.”

In 1989, he took archaeology above ground, and studied Abenaki ceremonial and religious objects.

Except for his research, not much is known about this area’s Abenaki culture, for two reasons, Hill said.

First, scholars have always thought that Vermont was a no-man’s land, thanks in part to false reports by land speculators Ethan and Ira Allen in the 1700’s that the Abenaki had all but disappeared from the area, Fred M. Wiseman said.

“The early historians were just enthralled with the Allen’s and anything the Allen’s said was true,” Fred Wiseman said. “The things that were used as a political and land-venture ploy were accepted as dogma by the people writing the history.”

March 08, 1995

James B. Petersen Letter to Swanton, Vermont and John Scott Moody cc'd to Michael Delaney and Micheal Heckenberger, regarding the Ouimette Ancestry and possible Abenaki Ancestry. Was Petersen looking to gain a membership card from Homer & Co.? Did he receive one (?), like so many did.

January 1996

Wôbanakik Heritage Center’s Ginôdokawa Alnôbaiwi Vol. 1, No. 1 Newsletter

17 Spring Street

Missisquoi (Swanton), VT 05488

(802) 868-3808

ANNOUNCEMENT

The Wôbanakik Heritage Center will be opening at its new location in Swanton in the spring of 1996.

The mission of the Center is to reconnect the Abenaki people with those portions of their traditional heritage that have been taken by European scholars and collectors. Although much has been lost over the centuries of genocide, much remains, but dispersed in Euro-American writings, museums and antique shops.

Over the last seven years, we have analyzed thousands of historic Abenaki artifacts and collated extensive written, linguistic and oral descriptions of historic artifacts. Materials and equipment have been assembled over the years through monies collected as honoria for lectures and programs given by the director, Dr. Frederick Matthew Wiseman.

Wôbanakik Heritage Center is located in an historic Victorian House that was occupied by an Abenaki family for most of its history. It has several facilities for research and materials analysis and replication. 

January 19, 1996

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 02

SWANTON

Four Courses offered at College of Missisquoi

With Frederick Matthew Wiseman, an Abenaki from Missisquoi who had studied ethno-biology among the Maya of Central America and the desert people of the Southwest, as well as his own Nation, we will explore use of plants, minerals and animals by the Abenaki from mammoth hunting and whaling during the Ice Age to modern hunting with firearms and herbal medicine collecting.

Many families retain Abenaki lore, but some it is incomplete and unorganized, again due to the Europeans’ insistence that the Abenakis not show their heritage. This course, led by Frederick Matthew Wiseman will attempt to bring to the Abenaki people and their interested neighbors, as much of this information together as possible.

May 14, 1996

Highgate Manor, Highgate Falls, Vermont at 7:00 p.m.

“Always in Fashion, Seven Thousand Years of Abenaki Apparel” will be presented by Frederick Mathew Wiseman, an Abenaki ethno-botanist and material culture specialist and professor at Johnson State College. Other sponsors include the Wôbanakik Heritage Center, the College of the Missisquoi and the Johnson State College Native American Club. They will present this historical fashion show. There is a suggested donation of $5.00 dollars. For more information contact Fred Wiseman at 868-3808

November 23, 1996

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 01 –

By S. J. Richard – Messenger Staff Writer

Abenaki cultural heritage museum holds possibilities for tourism locally: Venture involves Indian, municipal planning efforts

SWANTON – A joint Abenaki and Swanton undertaking may result in a cultural heritage museum aimed at drawing tourists to the area. ...

The largest collection of Abenaki artifacts in the Northeast already exists in Swanton in the private collection of resident Frederick Matthew Wiseman, a professor of anthropology at Johnson State College.

Frederick M. Wiseman estimated the kind of Heritage Center the Museum committee is talking about would need 15 rooms to meet federal museum standards to qualify for government funding.

Representative John Edwards (R-Swanton) has taken part in committee meetings concerning the museum concept.

November 25, 1996

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 04

By Emerson Lynn

Abenaki Museum could be tourism boon for county

Frederick Matthew Wiseman, an anthropology professor at Johnson State College, reportedly has thousands of pertinent items that might be part of the museum.

The tribe itself does not have a place to show its ancestry.

April 18, 1997

By Christopher A. Roy

Also, Swanton is the home of a truly unique resource, the Wôbanakik Heritage Center, the Abenaki Nation’s museum and cultural center. Frederick Matthew Wiseman, a local Abenaki and professor at Johnson State College, has assembled the largest collection of historic Abenaki artifacts in existence, and has complemented this collection with replicas of artifacts and clothing found in pictures and or other museums. The Heritage Center is currently looking at a permanent home of sufficient size to exhibit its collections.

May 02, 1997

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 01 –

By S. J. Richard – Messenger Staff Writer

Swanton Group Says Museum Has Potential

SWANTON – A group of Swanton residents is in the process of forming a board to bring cultural tourism to Swanton, Franklin County, Vermont.

State statistics show that each year roughly 8 million tourists come to Vermont. Some Swanton residents believe there is enough history and interest in the area’s cultural past to bring more visitors to the town.

Part of creating a cultural tourism aspect locally would include establishing a museum dedicated to the Abenaki culture.

Frederick Matthew Wiseman, a professor at Johnson State College and collector of Abenaki artifacts, already possesses a collection to start a museum.

He estimates there are 2,600 pieces in the collection ranging from Native American tools to dress to jewelry.

This proposed museum would have at least eight rooms and need to be built to national museum standards to secure adequate funding, Frederick M. Wiseman said.

There is interest in the artifacts throughout the state, Frederick M. Wiseman said.

He spends an average of three hours each week cataloguing and registering parts of his collection he is loaning to schools and other groups.

However, there would be more to Swanton’s cultural tourism effort than the Abenaki component.

Other areas of interest mentioned by the group to draw tourists include Swanton’s firearms and munitions history, historical architecture and the railroad.

“I think the museum would be a good thing to have, but I see it as a larger part of the system,” Frederick M. Wiseman said. “I think there is enough here to make a good package to bring whole families to Swanton.”

May 14, 1997

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper

“ABENAKI MEMORIES”

7:00 p.m. today

Johnson State College

Multimedia presentation featuring costumes, dances, artifacts and customs of Vermont Native Americans

Hosted by Professor Frederick Matthew Wiseman

Adults $5.00

Children and seniors $2.00

635-1386

May 31, 1997

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper

By the Associated Press

New lab to help preserve ancient Abenaki artifact

FERRISBURGH – Vermont’s Abenaki Indians would like an ancient artifact pulled undamaged from Lake Champlain returned to them or perhaps put back into the water.

The unbroken pot, found by divers off Thompson’s Point in Charlotte, Vermont, is on display in a fish tank at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. The artifact is believed to be about 1,000 years old.

The museum’s experts plan to dry out and stabilize the pot so it can be preserved and displayed, but the Abenaki have a claim on the pot.

If the pot is associated with someone’s burial, however, it would have a far more sacred significance, said Frederick Matthew Wiseman, a professor of humanities at Johnson State College, who is of Abenaki descent.

The Abenaki would want it returned to the burial site for use by the person’s spirit.

June 27, 1997

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Pages 01 –

By Leon Thompson – Messenger Staff Writer

Officials Meeting for Discussion of Abenaki Museum

SWANTON – A meeting to discuss a proposed Abenaki Culture Heritage Museum will be held at the Swanton Town Offices, on Thursday, July 17, 1997, at 7:00 p.m.

“This is an exciting project,” said Jeff Benay, chair of the Commission on Native American Affairs. The commission met Thursday at the Indian Education Offices in Swanton, Vermont.

The idea to form an Abenaki Heritage Museum in Swanton surfaced two month ago, Jeffrey Benay said its purpose would be to make Swanton a destination point in Vermont.

The commission and Swanton officials met to discuss the possibility of working together to make the town and village a cultural tourist spot within the state. Jeff Benay said discussions at those meetings were positive and that the town and village unanimously endorsed the idea of pursuing the museum.

“For the first time – historically – we will be working hand-in-hand with Swanton,” said Jeff Benay. “Ten years ago, we would not be doing this. We are moving away from the “us-them” to the “we”.

Preliminary funds of $5,000.00 dollars have come from the Division of Historic Preservation to analyze the initiative.

A Board of Directors (Incorporation) will be formed soon, and Swanton resident Frederick (Fred) M. (Matthew) Wiseman has agreed to donate his extensive collection of Abenaki artifacts to the museum.

“This thing is going to happen. It will work,” said Jeffrey Benay. “I hope this is a way of breaking stereotypes that have pervaded generations and make people work together.”

July 09, 1997

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper

By Nancy Bazilchuk – Free Press Writer

State pitches in $5,000.00 toward museum project

Frederick Matthew Wiseman, of Abenaki descent and a professor of Humanities at Johnson State College, already has an extensive collection of Abenaki artifacts that could be used, along with the clay pot, to form the basis of a museum collection.

July 17, 1997

Meeting of Swanton Cultural Heritage Development Committee

Held at the Swanton Town Office

Present: Christopher A. Roy, Louise (nee: Lampman) Larivee, Carol (nee: Gromatski) Nepton, Dick Longway, Ron Kilburn, Ed Daniel, and Bruce Spaulding

The meeting opened about 7:15 p.m. The first item discussed was the Wôbanakik Heritage Center newsletter circulated at the meeting. It was prepared by Frederick Matthew Wiseman, who was not able to attend. While everyone was impressed with the amount of work and attention to detail evident in the newsletter, there was some concern about the scope of Frederick Matthew’s proposals for the Center, and the level of community involvement in the planning and managing of this endeavor. The group is anxious to meet with Frederick Matthew Wiseman next month to clarify his intention, and to better coordinate our efforts.

More discussion focused on the Memorial Auditorium as the probable site for a heritage museum. The State of Vermont has allocated $5,000.00 dollars to conduct a feasibility study for an Abenaki museum in a historic structure in Swanton, and further fundraising is underway. There was, however, a desire expressed by some to dovetail efforts for an Abenaki museum and a Swanton museum – creating a Swanton Heritage Museum that would reflect the history of the entire Swanton community.

Agenda

1.  Old Business

Wôbanakik Heritage Center Update – Frederick Matthew Wiseman

National Register Nomination of Village Churches Update – Ron Kilburn

Agency of Transportation Money Update – Christopher A. Roy

2.  New Business

League of Local Historical Societies 1997 Meeting Report – Ron Kilburn and Christopher A. Roy

VT Historical Preservation Conference Report – Christopher A. Roy

Missisquoi Bay Bridge Cultural Resource Management Report – Christopher A. Roy

3. Other Business

4. Next Steps

Board of Directors

Action Plans

July 17, 1997

WÔBANAKIK HERITAGE CENTER NEWSLETTER

17 Spring Street, Swanton, VT 05656

(802) 868-3808

DIRECTOR’S CHAIR

This summer has been a time of intense growth and change for the Wôbanakik Heritage Center. In 1996, the collections outgrew the small facility at Johnson State College. A decision was made to split the collections, with replicated historical materials, including clothing, and tools as well as the video, and slide collections remaining at the Laboratory for Traditional Technology at Johnson State College (JSC). Most original artifacts were moved to newly renovated quarters on the 2nd floor of 17 Spring Street in Swanton Vermont.

On the native front, the curator of the Musée des Abenakis met with us in late May 1997 and offered generous collections management, materials identification and conservation assistance.

Last fall 1996, Elders who are Abenaki language speakers offered their help in obtaining Abenaki names and translations for museum signage and interpretative materials. The leadership of various native groups and political entities has offered support and assistance ranging from the Abenaki Nation at Missisquoi to the Dawnland Center to the Keepers of the Eastern Door Dancers at Kahnawake, Quebec.

October 16, 1997

The St. Albans Messenger Newspapers, Page 03

Entertainment Section – Franklin County Journal

Swanton talk will put focus on native heritage

SWANTON – The local historical society on Monday, October 20, 1997, will hear a presentation from Frederick Matthew Wiseman, professor of Native American Studies at Johnson State College.

Wiseman will speak at 7:30 p.m. at the United Memorial Methodist Church Meeting Hall on Grand Avenue, located next door to the library.

His topic will be “Recapturing Vermont’s Native Past.”

Wiseman has a collection of more than 3,000 major items which he is planning to display in a future Wobanakik Heritage Museum in Northern Vermont.

At the meeting, he will display and describe some early examples of clothing, tools, implements, baskets and other objects of art common to this area.

A member of the Abenaki Nation, Frederick Matthew Wiseman is known internationally for his interest and expertise on the subject. He is also a recognized expert on the history of the Robin Hood – Remington Ammunition industry in Swanton, Vermont.

The professor is a resident of Swanton, Vermont.

December 14, 1997

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper

Behn-Poitras Marriage

POMFRET – Sona Poitras, daughter of Gretchen Lalonde of Milton, Vermont and Lawrence Poitras of North Ferrisburg, Vermont, and Nils Behn, son of Ulka Behn of Saratoga, New York and Peter Behn of Warren, were united in marriage on September 21, 1997.

Frederick Matthew Wiseman, cultural ambassador of the Abenaki Nation, officiated at the double-ring ceremony.

Kirstin Behn, daughter of the groom, was ring bearer.

A reception was held at Quechee Inn, after which the couple left for Lake Willoughby, Vermont.

Mrs. Sona (nee: Poitras) Behn graduated from Johnson State College. She is employed by Earth Circle School of Wilderness Survival and owns Earth Spirit Herbals.

Her husband Nils Behn graduated from Johnson State College.

He owns Earth Circle School of Wilderness Survival.

They reside in White Bird, Idaho.

April 17, 1999

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 01 – back page

By Anne Wallace Allen – Associated Press Writer

What future for Abenaki people? State recognition continues to be the stumbling block

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) – Even though similar efforts have been thwarted in the Vermont Legislature again and again, Senator Julius Canns, R-Caledonia, thought his resolution on Abenaki recognition would make it this time around.

“I’d like to see federal recognition,” said Swanton resident Fred Wiseman, who has started an Abenaki museum specifically to show that the tribe’s culture has survived as a discrete entity through the centuries – a criterion of the BIA. Frederick Matthew Wiseman is a casino supporter. “I think it will unlock economic opportunities and other opportunities that are close to us."

Frederick Matthew Wiseman opened the Abenaki Museum in Swanton this year as part of an effort to gain official and federal recognition of the Abenaki as American Indians. Vermont Governor Howard Dean opposes recognition, partly because it could lead to casinos and land claims.

April 18, 1999        

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper, Page 6B

By Anne Wallace Allen – The Associated Press

Museum aims to highlight pride

The quest for official recognition is what led Frederick Matthew Wiseman to open the museum and cultural center earlier this year. Through that recognition, he said, the Abenaki will be able to gain access to the money they need to pull their community from a tradition of unemployment, low education levels, and poverty.

Using his personal funds, he has collected relics and modern versions of things made by the Abenakis in western Vermont.

Frederick Matthew Wiseman also has artifacts too valuable to keep in the modest building for now. He handles the items, including a tomahawk from the 1700’s, and a ceremonial peace pipe, with reverence.

The artifacts prove the Abenaki have been around for thousands of years, Frederick Matthew Wiseman said. They were forced underground because their culture wasn’t accepted by the dominant culture.

May 14, 1999

Indian Times [Akwesasne Newspaper] Volume 17 #15, Page 04

Lecture, Slide Show and Discussion at the Akwesasne Culture Center

Library & museum – May 19, 1999 at 6:30 p.m.

Frederick Matthew Wiseman, director of the Wobanakik Heritage Center in Swanton, Franklin County, Vermont will give a presentation on the Great Council Fire – an alliance between Mohawk mission villages and Algonquin speaking neighbors such as the Abenaki. Fred Wiseman is an Abenaki who has previously spoken on this topic at Kahnawake and Odanak.

The Wobanakik Heritage Center focuses on the history, materials and ceremonies of the alliance between the Wabanaki people and their neighbors. His presentation will cover the little-known friendly relations between the Six Nations, the Three-Fires, the Seven Nations, and the Wabanaki Confederacy.

May 28, 1999

Indian Times [Akwesasne Newspaper] Volume 17 #17, Page 06

NOTICE

There will be a meeting of the Akwesasne Genealogy and Historical Society “Kahwa:tsire” on June 09, 1999 at 7:00 p.m. at the Museum of the Mohawk People Akwesasne Library and Cultural Center, Akwesasne. Our guest speaker will be ‘Medawas’ Frederick Matthew Wiseman, Missisquoi Nation, Swanton, Vermont of the Wobanakik Heritage Centre. Open to the public, new members welcome.

May 29, 1999

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper, Pages 1A-4A

By Michael Corkey – Free Press Staff Writer

New Swanton museum opens doors to Indian nation’s past

When the doors to the new Abenaki tribal headquarters and museum swung open Friday, Frederick Matthew Wiseman let out a whoop.

For years, his family has ignored their Native American heritage, but on this day, the Johnson State College professor was proud to be Abenaki.

“People can come here and see that we didn’t just come out of nowhere,” Fred Wiseman said. “We have always been here.”

Many Abenaki have hid their ancestry out of shame. Frederick Matthew Wiseman said he didn’t know about his native heritage because his family never spoke about it.

Frederick Matthew Wiseman grew up in the South, but he met some Abenaki relatives while visiting his grandparents during summers in Swanton, Vermont. He discovered other evidence of his heritage – an old photograph from 1910 showing some of his grandfather’s Abenaki fishing buddies.

He also learned that one of his relatives spent time in jail because he refused to participate in a 1931 Eugenics Survey project in which hundreds of Abenaki were sterilized in an effort to “purify” Vermont’s gene pool.

The idea for the tribal museum grew out of Fred Wiseman’s quest for his lost heritage. 

Frederick M. Wiseman takes any money he earns from consulting or lecturing about Abenaki, and gives it to the museum, he said. Most of the replicas of Abenaki artifacts were made by his students at Johnson State College.

September 15, 1999

The Burlington Free Press Newspaper

By Michael Corkery – Free Press Staff

Abenaki Doubt Census Numbers

They say after decades of feeling ashamed of their heritage, more and more Vermonters are self-identifying themselves as American Indians.

Jeff Benay, the chairman of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Native American Affairs, said given the stronger sense of self-identification among Indians and a more accepting social climate, the Census data doesn’t make sense.

“This is very troubling to hear,” said Jeff Benay. “We are talking about proportionally losing 200 people over the past eight years – that’s a high percentage and given my recent experience, I don’t think it’s accurate.”

The state of Vermont does not recognize the Abenaki as a bona fide tribe, but group members say they are still thriving in Franklin County and parts of the Northeast Kingdom.

Despite the Census estimates, Abenakis say that numbers are not shrinking; but claim that they are growing stronger.

In 1980, only 1,074 Vermonters identified themselves as American Indians. In 1990, that number increased by 60% percent.

“I would be shocked and heartbroken if people were burying their heritage,” said Frederick Matthew Wiseman, an Abenaki who runs the tribal museum in Swanton, Franklin County, Vermont. “I don’t think that is what’s happening. I think self-identification is on the rise.”

September 21, 1999

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Page 02

Abenaki Museum Observes Vermont Archaeology Week

As we plan to celebrate our passion for Vermont’s archaeological past, the Native American community has yet to speak. The Abenaki owned and operated Tribal Museum and Cultural Center in Swanton, Vermont is sponsoring two events highlighting a Native perspective on archaeology on Friday, September 24, 1999 at the Abenaki Tribal Museum, 100 Grand Avenue (Route 7 south) in Swanton, Vermont, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.

From 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Museum, Andrew Star Lee of Morrisville, Vermont, the Museum’s lithic (flint-knapping) technologist, will share his enthusiasm and expertise in crafting stone arrowheads, knives and spear-points from local Vermont stone. Andrew Starr Lee says flint-knapping is an excellent pastime or career.

“It gives me a chance to return something to the native community; I’m proud that my work can take(s) the place of delicate original artifacts in the museum.”

The Museum’s director, Frederick Matthew Wiseman adds that Andrew Starr Lee’s labor of love has been instrumental in allowing visitors to see and even handle replica artifacts rather than originals.

“Ancient artifacts are believed by many of our elders to be sacred relics, best reburied or at least kept from casual view,” Fred Wiseman says. Mr. Andrew Starr Lee also believes that flint-knapping has decreased his interest in looking for and collecting artifacts, also in line with native desires. Come and learn how to make these tools and share Mr. Andrew Starr Lee’s unique perspective on this engaging past time and its connections to the Native Renaissance in Vermont. Wear sturdy pants and old shoes if you would like to give flint-knapping a try.

At 7:00 p.m. Dr. Frederick Matthew Wiseman will give an illustrated lecture “Indians and Archaeologists.”

Frederick Matthew Wiseman has a doctorate in Paleo-ethno-biology (Biological Archaeology) from the University of Arizona. He has participated in excavations of Maya sites in Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; big-game-kill sites in Arizona; and directs a facility at MIT’s prestigious Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology.

Frederick Matthew Wiseman will focus on contemporary native concerns about excavation of Indian sites and ownership of Native American artifacts taken from them. Treatment of burial bone and grave goods, archaeology as entertainment, scholarly responsibility to the descendants of the creators of the ancient artifacts, spiritual issues, and the political use of the archaeology to deny modern native people rights will be among the topics addressed.

Citing experiences with the Tribal Museum, he will show how archaeology can turn from what some call “neo-colonial exploitation” to advocacy for native rights. Frederick Matthew Wiseman’s talk will be followed by lively discussion of how these ideas can be applied to Vermont.

September 24, 1999

The St. Albans Messenger Newspaper, Pages 01 – back page

By ary Rutrowski – Messenger Staff

U. S. Census poses worry for Abenaki: Accurate count difficult, but will be crucial

SWANTON – The importance of Abenaki involvement in the 2000 U. S. Census was cited Thursday when the Governor’s Commission on Native American Affairs met here.

According to officials, thousands of dollars in federal funding will be at-risk if a projected decrease in the Native American population is confirmed in Vermont.

According to a recent projection, the number of Native Americans living in the State of Vermont has declined from 1,700 to 1,500 during the past decade.

Commission members were skeptical of the extrapolated numbers, saying that Abenaki do not have the same rate of migration as is exhibited by others in U. S. Society. Also cited was the presence of 600 Native American children enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade locally.

January 11, 2000

St. Francis – Sokoki Abenaki Tribal Council Meeting

Meeting opened at 6:18 p.m.

Present: April (St. Francis) Merrill – Rushlow, Burton DeCarr, Frederick Matthew Wiseman, Homer St. Francis Jr., Chief Homer Walter St. Francis Sr.

Absent: Harold St. Francis

Guest: Carol Delorme, Marjorie Greenia, and Lawrence LaFrance

Frederick Matthew Wiseman brought in some draft letters for Senator Vincent Illuzzi and Senator Julius Canns about Vermont State recognition for Abenakis.

Chief Homer Walter St. Francis Sr. suggested letters come from Chief (himself) and Tribal Council. These letters should state the fact that we have a right to a Nationality.

Discussed dental records:

A person applying for citizenship and has a letter from a dentist saying that his teeth are indicative of being a Native American, is wondering if this is acceptable proof that he is an Abenaki.

Sinodont pattern in the Han Chinese, in the inhabitants of Mongolia and eastern Siberia, in the Native Americans, and in the Yayoi people of Japan.

Sinodonty is a particular pattern of teeth characterized by the following features:

The upper first two incisors are not aligned with the other teeth, but are rotated a few degrees inward and are shovel-shaped. The upper first premolar has one root.

(Whereas the upper first premolar in Caucasians normally has two roots), and the lower first molar in Sinodonts has three roots.

(Whereas it has two roots in Caucasoid teeth)