My Thoughts on Claims to Cherokee Identity -- and Art Coulson

I've been reading, studying, and writing about children's books for over thirty years. The ones I write about are those about Native people, and those written by Native people. 

How do I know if someone is Native? 

For most of those thirty years, I've taken a person's word. In some cases, they were circulating with people I know to be Native. My assumption is that a person that claims to be Native and hangs out with other Natives is who they say they are, but as I reflect on that assumption, I see it as naive. 

When I find out later there's no substance for a person's claim, I go through a range of emotions: humiliation, embarrassment, and dread. Dread, because now I have to withdraw my previous support or recommendations of their work. And I try to remember editors to whom I've said "work with this person" to let them know. I hate all of that. It feels awful. 

From past experience, I know the author will be upset and may write to me and have their friends write to me, angry, or pleading with me not to withdraw my support. 

The bottom line for me is this: I recommend books in which Native kids see themselves. Native kids are at the center of my work. I imagine myself, back in a classroom, handing a child a book and saying "this author is from the same tribe you are from!" And then I imagine myself trying to figure out what to tell that child when I learn the person is not who I thought they were. I could ignore it but that wouldn't be ethical. 

I agonize over saying anything at all, here on AICL, but I know that AICL creates ripples. What I say here is cited in book chapters and articles. What I say here is used by acquisition editors looking for books by Native writers. 

So here's where I am with respect to writers who say they're of Cherokee descent. 

In 2020, a group of Cherokee scholars, writers, and educators launched "Think Tsalagi: A Cherokee-centric place by Cherokee scholars." On their site is a statement called Cherokee Scholars' Statement on Sovereignty and Identity. I'm noting key parts of it here:

• In 2008 at a joint council meeting of the Cherokee Nation and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, a resolution was adopted that opposed non-citizen self-identified Cherokee individuals. 
• In bold, they write "Only individuals recognized as citizens of the Cherokee Nation, the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, and the United Keetowah Band of Cherokee Indians should claim a Cherokee identity as part of their professional or personal identity."
• They encourage individuals who believe they are Cherokee to contact the appropriate Cherokee government to inquire about citizenship. If that government determines they do not have a right to Cherokee citizenship, they should immediately cease identifying as Cherokee. 

The Cherokee Scholars' Statement also says:

Any person who publicly identifies as Cherokee has initiated a public discussion about their identity. It is appropriate to ask such persons to explain the verifiable basis upon which they are claiming a Cherokee identity.

So, I think that's what I'm doing with this blog post. I'm initiating a public discussion with Art Coulson about his claim to being of Cherokee descent. 

Since 2013, I've been talking about his books. I often include information about them in collection and curriculum development workshops I do with librarians and teachers. Two weeks ago, I was developing a presentation. In recent years, I've included a sentence that suggests how a teacher or librarian could introduce an author's book. I talk about that sentence and what it does, educationally. One: it has present tense verbs, which interrupts the idea we no longer exist. Two: it names an author's tribal nation, which interrupts the idea that we're all the same. 

So with Art Coulson, I was going to say "Art Coulson is ... " 

When I write those sentences, I often go back to an author's webpage to make sure I use what they say. I went to Art's page and clicked on the "About Art" tab. Not a word, there, about being Cherokee. I went back to the home page and there, I saw "Art Coulson is a writer of Cherokee, English and Dutch descent..."  

I was taken aback. I had been sure he was a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. I've met Art. I've talked with him online and in person. So I wrote to him to ask about the information on his website. He said it is correct and that he is ineligible for citizenship because his grandmother's family is not on the Dawes Roll, which is what the Cherokee Nation uses to determine who its citizens are. That did not sit well with me, and so I did not recommend his book in that presentation. 

With the Cherokee Scholars statement and the 2008 resolution in mind, it is important to respect their request and withdraw my recommendations of Art Coulson's books. If you're a person who asserts that you are Cherokee, I think it is important that you respect the Cherokee Nation, too. If you think you are a citizen of Cherokee Nation, get that figured out before you start using that information in your professional work. If you think your ancestry is from one of the other two Cherokee Nations, check with them.  

About Buffy Sainte-Marie

On October 27, 2023 CBC News published Who is the real Buffy Sainte-Marie? and The Fifth Estate did a segment, Investigating Buffy Sainte-Marie's claims to Indigenous ancestry. In Native networks, people were asking questions in the days leading to the broadcast. 

Since then, many Native people have written about her and the investigation. Below is a set of links to the items I read. It is a curated list. I do not include articles that repeat the information shared in the CBC and Fifth Estate broadcast. I selected articles primarily by Native people, or that include interviews with Native people. These are being shared in Native circles. Based on all I've read, I've decided to withdraw my recommendation of her picture book, Still This Love Goes On, published by Greystone Books in 2022. I will insert a note to the page where I recommended that book. The articles are arranged chronologically. The date on which I added an item is provided in brackets. The list is a work-in-progress. 

October 25, 2023

Canadian documentary focuses on 'icon' who based career on Native identity by Acee Agoyo at Indianz.com. [Date added: November 11, 2023]

October 27, 2023

Who is the real Buffy Sainte-Marie? by Geoff Leo, Roxanna Woloshyn and Linda Guerriero at CBC News. [Date added: November 11, 2023]

Investigating Buffy Sainte Marie's claims to Indigenous ancestry at The Fifth Estate. [Date added: November 11, 2023]

Buffy Sainte Marie is an icon of mythic proportions. There's nothing simple about questioning her origins by Drew Hayden Taylor at The Globe and Mail. [Date added: November 11, 2023]

Acting Piapot chief, other Sask. Indigenous people react to CBC investigation into Buffy Sainte-Marie by Alexander Quon at CBC News. [Date added: November 11, 2023]

October 29, 2023

I loved Buffy Sainte-Marie. Now, like many Indigenous people, I feel betrayed by Darrel Mcleod at Toronto Star. [Date added: November 11, 2023]

October 30, 2023

Indigenous Women's Collective calls for Buffy Sainte-Marie's 2018 Juno to be rescinded after CBC News investigation at CBC News. [Date added: November 11, 2023]

An advocacy group devoted to amplifying the voices of Indigenous women says Buffy Sainte-Marie, a musician known for decades of Indigenous activism, appears to have engaged in a great deception regarding her origins as an Indigenous Sixties Scoop Survivor.

Two Indigenous artists react to questions raised about Buffy Sainte-Marie's ancestry at CBC Arts. The artists are ShoShona Kish and Michelle Good. [Date added: November 11, 2023]

Those who pretend to be Indigenous distract from the things that really matter by Tanya Talaga at The Globe and Mail. [Date added: November 12, 2023]

October 31, 2023

Unmaking an Icon Named Buffy Sainte Marie.  by Kevin Ward at The Tyee. [Date added: November 11, 2023]

As much as anyone, I want the allegations of her deception and dishonourable conduct to be untrue. I want her to stay firmly on the pedestal I and many others have put her on. But the evidence against her, as hard as it is to say, does not look good. And now I'm reeling, as are all Buffy fans, especially Indigenous ones like me. 

November 2, 2023

The supposed unmasking of Buffy Sainte-Marie doesn't bring vindication--only more hurt by Eden Fineday at IndigiNews. [Date added: November 11, 2023]

November 5, 2023

January Rogers laments Buffy Sainte-Marie ahead of new play debut about Indigenous identity theft at CBC News. [Date added: November 11, 2023]

Unraveling the Buffy Sainte-Marie controversy with journalist Tanya Talaga at Global News. [Date added: November 11, 2023]

November 7, 2023

'Duped': Indigenous musicians upset over Buffy Sainte-Marie ancestry story, at North Delta Reporter. [Date added: November 11, 2023]

November 8, 2023

What's the Point of "Pretendian" Investigations? by Michelle Cyca at The Walrus. [Date added: November 11, 2023]

Whether we like it or not, at least part of the truth has been revealed. It is up to Indigenous people to make sense of it, to reconcile our pain and disbelief, and to figure out how to move forward with care and respect for one another's responses to these revelations. That's our burden, one that the CBC, or any major news outlet, does not have to carry. They can move on to the next story.

November 9, 2023

Artistic producer for Niagara's Celebration of Nations calls on Junos to rescind Buffy Sainte-Marie's awards by Bill Sawchuk at The Standard. [Date added: November 11, 2023]

Tim Johnson, an Ohsweken resident and the artistic producer for Celebration of Nations held annually at the Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines, said Sainte-Marie's deception about her Indigenous identity has caused incalculable reputational and financial damage to authentic Indigenous musicians. 

"When you are a Juno Award-winning artist, opportunities open for you both in terms of notoriety, income and prestige," said Johnson, a Mohawk, Wolf Clan, from Six Nations of the Grand River. 

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving, by Chris Newell and Winona Nelson

If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving

Written by Chris Newell (citizen of Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township)

Illustrated by Winona Nelson (member of Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa)

Published in 2021

Published by Scholastic

Reviewer: Debbie Reese

Status: Highly Recommended

****

There are many sentences and passages in If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving that I wholeheartedly welcome. Here's one from page 8:

"The story of the Mayflower landing is different 

depending on whether the storyteller 

viewed the events from the boat or from the shore."

That line jumped out as I started reading Chris Newell and Winona Nelson's nonfiction picture book. The cover art positions the reader in a different place. Think for a moment about the cover of most books you've seen about Thanksgiving. They show "Pilgrims and Indians" gathered around a table, or, they show the Mayflower en route. With the cover art of If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving, readers are invited to revisit this moment from the vantage point of a Native person. Here's a close up of that part of the cover:

Published in 2021 by Scholastic Press, it offers teachers a Native perspective--not just on Thanksgiving--but on history. Most readers are likely familiar with the "If You Lived" series that includes ones that purport to be about Native peoples but that are chock full of errors and bias. I'm glad to see this book -- written and illustrated by Native people. From that vantage point, everything in the book is different from the hundreds (thousands?!) of children's books about Thanksgiving. 

In this review, I'm choosing to select a few passages like the one on page 8 that are different than what you have probably seen in other books, before. 

Many books say the Mayflower arrived in the "New World." Newell's book says:

...the ship arrived in Wampanoag territory at the village of Meeshawm, in what is now known as Provincetown, Massachusetts.

Newell names the tribal nation (Wampanoag) and the name of their village, Meeshawm. I bet you've never seen "Meeshawm" before. And he used the phrase "what is now known." As you spend more time reading newer books and articles you'll see more and more writers using that phrase. It may feel awkward but those words are powerful. They tell readers there's a longer history to that place and its name. The phrase invites readers to ask 'what was it known as before?' and 'who called it that?' 

Throughout the book, Newell provides "Did You Know?" boxes in bright colors, like this one in yellow: 

The complete text in that box is:

The English commonly used the labels "Indians" or "savages" to describe the multiple nations of peoples and cultures they encountered in America. "Savages" was incredibly demeaning. Even though the terms were inaccurate and dehumanizing, they became familiar in English terminology. Today the language has changed and generalized terms like "American Indian," "Native American," "First Nation," "Indigenous," or 'Native" are all in use. However, Native peoples prefer to be called by their tribe or nation whenever possible. 

In professional development workshops I do, I talk about the importance of being tribally specific. That's what Newell is asking readers to do. Use the name of a person's nation. When you talk about Newell's book, you can say "This book is by Chris Newell, a citizen of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township. It is illustrated by Winona Nelson, who is a member of the Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa." You could show students the website of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township and the website of the Leech Lake Band of Minnesota Chippewa.  You can use their sites as primary sources of information. 

In many books you'll find information about Pilgrims camped on shore in December of 1620, huddled around a campfire for warmth. Illustrations will also show "Indians" in very little clothing shooting arrows at those Pilgrims. The "Indians" are shown that way throughout these books, no matter the season. Winona Nelson's illustrations in If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving are different. They are accurate. In winter, she shows them in clothing appropriate for the cold temperatures: 

I recommend you study illustrations carefully. In many books you'll see the "Indians" barefoot--again, regardless of season or what they are doing. In If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving, the only bare feet you'll see are those of this toddler-in-arms. Another reason Nelson's illustrations stand out is because they include women and children. 

I recommend that teachers get a copy of If You Lived During the Plimoth Thanksgiving and study it carefully. Use it with students, in part or in whole, but use it! What you gain from reading it yourself will help you improve your instruction about Native peoples, overall. What you learn by reading it will help you spot problematic text and illustrations in whatever book you're reading. It'd be great if you do more with it: consider forming a study-group with fellow teachers where you use this book to revisit the ways that the Mayflower or Thanksgiving or Native content is presented in your school. The possibilities! There are many. 

Debbie--have you seen ALONE by Megan E. Freeman?

A reader submitted a comment to my open letter to Kate DiCamillo about Island of the Blue Dolphins, asking if I've seen Alone by Megan E. Freeman. 

Freeman's book refers to Island of the Blue Dolphins. I haven't seen it, but am glad to know about the book and plan to get a copy as soon as I can. 

House and Senate Resolutions Regarding Book Banning and Threats to Freedom of Expression in the US

On 9/27/2023, the US Senate introduced S.RES.372 (a resolution). You can read and track the resolution here. I'm pasting it below, as part of the record that AICL maintains. It specifically mentions Kevin Noble Maillard's Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story. The House has a similar resolution: H.Res.733. I maintain a log of Native-authored books that have been challenged or banned. As of today (Oct 2, 2023) there are 29 different books, many of them challenged or banned in more than one location. The 29 books are by 31 different Native authors and illustrators from 22 distinct Native Nations.

****

S. RES. 372

Expressing concern about the spreading problem of book banning and the proliferation of threats to freedom of expression in the United States.

---

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

September 27 (legislative day, September 22), 2023

Mr. Schatz (for himself, Mr. Reed, Mrs. Feinstein, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Booker, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Sanders, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Markey, and Mr. Blumenthal) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

---

RESOLUTION

Expressing concern about the spreading problem of book banning and the proliferation of threats to freedom of expression in the United States.

Whereas the overwhelming majority of voters in the United States oppose book bans;

Whereas an overwhelming majority of voters in the United States support educators teaching about the civil rights movement, the history and experiences of Native Americans, enslaved Africans, immigrants facing discrimination, and the ongoing effects of racism;

Whereas, in 1969, the Supreme Court of the United States held in Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, 393 U.S. 503 (1969), that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate”;

Whereas, in 1982, a plurality of the Supreme Court of the United States wrote in Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District No. 26 v. Pico, 457 U.S. 853 (1982), that schools may not remove library books based on “narrowly partisan or political grounds”, as this kind of censorship will result in “official suppression of ideas”;

Whereas the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States protects freedom of speech and the freedom to read and write;

Whereas Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that “everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers”;

Whereas PEN America has identified nearly 3,400 instances of individual books banned, affecting 1,557 unique titles from July 2022 through June 2023 alone, representing a 33-percent increase in bans compared to the prior year of July 2021 through June 2022;

Whereas of the 2,532 bans in the 2021–2022 school year, 96 percent of them were enacted without following the best practice guidelines for book challenges outlined by the American Library Association, the National Coalition Against Censorship, and the National Council of Teachers of English;

Whereas the unimpeded sharing of ideas and the freedom to read are essential to a strong democracy;

Whereas books do not require readers to agree with topics, themes, or viewpoints but instead allow readers to explore and engage with differing perspectives to form and inform their own views;

Whereas suppressing the freedom to read and denying access to literature, history, and knowledge are repressive and antidemocratic tactics used by authoritarian regimes against their people;

Whereas book bans violate the rights of students, families, residents, and citizens based on the political, ideological, and cultural preferences of the specific individuals imposing the bans;

Whereas book bans have multifaceted, harmful consequences on—

(1) students, who have a right to access a diverse range of stories and perspectives, especially students from historically marginalized backgrounds whose communities are often targeted by thought control measures;

(2) educators and librarians, who are operating in some States in an increasingly punitive and surveillance-oriented environment and experience a chilling effect in their work;

(3) authors whose works are targeted and suppressed;

(4) parents who want their children to attend public schools that remain open to curiosity, discovery, and the freedom to read; and

(5) community members who want free access to a range of uncensored information and knowledge from their public libraries;

Whereas classic and award-winning literature and books that have been part of school curricula for decades have been challenged, removed from libraries pending review, or outright banned from schools, including—

(1) “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley;

(2) “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood;

(3) “Anne Frank’s Diary: The Graphic Adaptation” adapted by Ari Folman;

(4) “Their Eyes Were Watching God” by Zora Neal Hurston; and

(5) “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee;

Whereas books, particularly those written by and about outsiders, newcomers, and individuals from marginalized backgrounds, are facing a heightened risk of being banned;

Whereas, according to PEN America, 36 percent of instances of books banned or otherwise restricted in the United States from July 2021 to June 2023 have LGBTQ+ characters or themes that recognize the equal humanity and dignity of all individuals despite differences, including—

(1) “And Tango Makes Three” by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell; and

(2) “This Book Is Gay” by Juno Dawson;

Whereas 37 percent of instances of books, both fiction and nonfiction, that have been banned or otherwise restricted in the United States from July 2021 to June 2023 are books about race, racism, or feature characters of color, including—

(1) “The Story of Ruby Bridges” by Robert Coles and illustrated by George Ford;

(2) “Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr.;

(3) “Thank You, Jackie Robinson” by Barbara Cohen;

(4) “Malala: A Hero For All” by Shana Corey;

(5) “Fry Bread: A Native American Family Story” by Kevin Noble Maillard;

(6) “Hair Love” by Matthew A. Cherry;

(7) “Good Trouble: Lessons From the Civil Rights Playbook” by Christopher Noxon; and

(8) “We Are All Born Free: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures”;

Whereas the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has reported a dramatic surge in challenges at libraries and schools to the inclusion of graphic novels that depict the diversity of civic life in the United States and the painful and complex history of the human experience, including—

(1) “New Kid” by Jerry Craft;

(2) “Drama” by Raina Telgemeier;

(3) “American Born Chinese” by Gene Luen Yang; and

(4) “Maus” by Art Spiegelman;

Whereas books addressing death, grief, mental illness, and suicide are targeted alongside nonfiction books that discuss feelings and emotions written for teenage and young adult audiences that frequently confront these topics;

Whereas, during congressional hearings on April 7, 2022, May 19, 2022, and September 12, 2023, students, parents, teachers, librarians, and school administrators testified to the chilling and fear-spreading effects that book bans have on education and the school environment; and

Whereas, according to PEN America, from July 2022 to June 2023, States across the country limited access to certain books for limited or indefinite periods of time, including—

(1) Florida, where at least 1,406 books in total have been banned or restricted in 33 school districts;

(2) Texas, where at least 625 books in total have been banned or restricted in 12 school districts;

(3) Missouri, where at least 333 books in total have been banned or restricted in 14 school districts;

(4) Utah, where at least 281 books in total have been banned or restricted in 10 school districts;

(5) Pennsylvania, where at least with 186 books in total have been banned or restricted in 7 school districts;

(6) South Carolina, where at least with 127 books in total have been banned or restricted in 6 school districts;

(7) Virginia, where at least 75 books in total have been banned or restricted in 6 school districts;

(8) North Carolina, where at least with 58 books in total have been banned or restricted in 6 school districts;

(9) Wisconsin, where at least with 43 books in total have been banned or restricted in 5 school districts;

(10) Michigan, where at least with 39 books in total have been banned or restricted in 12 school districts;

(11) North Dakota, where at least with 27 books in total have been banned or restricted in 1 school district;

(12) Tennessee, where at least 11 books in total have been banned or restricted in 5 school districts; and

(13) New York, where at least 6 books in total have been banned or restricted in 3 school districts: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Senate—

(1) expresses concern about the spreading problem of book banning and the proliferating threats to freedom of expression in the United States;

(2) reaffirms the commitment of the United States to supporting the freedom of expression of writers that is protected under the First Amendment to the Constitution and the freedom of all individuals in the United States to read books without government censorship;

(3) calls on local governments and school districts to follow best practice guidelines when addressing challenges to books; and

(4) calls on local governments and school districts to protect the rights of students to learn and the ability of educators and librarians to teach, including by providing students with the opportunity to read a wide array of books reflecting the full breadth and diversity of viewpoints and perspectives.

"Is Joseph Bruchac truly Abenaki?"

On September 30, 2023 the Times Union (a newspaper in New York), published a commentary titled "Is Joseph Bruchac truly Abenaki?" 

It is the latest in many items about him and the groups in Vermont who claim to be Abenaki. This is the first one I know of in which he was asked directly. His answer, "Am I not a black belt because I wasn't born as one?" is deeply troubling. He is suggesting that anyone can be Native. That is not true!

In March of 2022, I attended (virtually) the Unsettling Genealogies Conference organized by Professor Gordon Henry (enrolled citizen of the White Earth Anishinaabe Nation in Minnesota), and hosted by Michigan State University. The online conference addressed race-shifting, pretendians, and other ways in which people appropriate a Native identity. You can view the presentations here.

Jacques Watso (Councillor, Odanak) spoke about groups in Vermont that claim to be Abenaki. One of them is the group that Joseph Bruchac claims. Watso's remarks begin at the 57 minute mark in this video. 

I found Mr. Watso's remarks compelling. In February of 2021 I had begun compiling a list of reading materials and videos about claims to Native identity. I added the conference to that list and continue to add to it. 

Some quick background: I grew up on Nambé Pueblo's reservation. Throughout elementary and junior high school, I knew kids from other pueblos. In high school when I started visiting colleges, I met people from other tribal nations. During undergraduate years at the University of New Mexico, I met even more people, primarily from Oklahoma. Their ways were different from ours but nothing about them made me doubt who they said they were. 

That sense of doubt changed when I went to Illinois in the 1990s, to work on my PhD. I started to meet people who said they were Native, but in some cases, what they said about who they are seemed off. That was my initial feeling about Joseph Bruchac but some people in Native circles worked with him, so I pushed those feelings aside. Since then I've gone through several painful episodes of having trusted someone's claim to Native identity, only to learn they are not. 

Prior to the Unsettling Genealogies conference, I had studied other writings about the groups in Vermont. Through Mr. Watso's presentation, I learned of an event that was scheduled to take place at the University of Vermont on April 29 from 8-11:00 AM ET, titled "Beyond Borders: Unheard Abenaki Voices from the Odanak First Nation." I registered and attended that event. Vermont Public Radio subsequently did a segment about it. I strongly encourage you to listen to/read it: Odanak First Nation denounces Vt. state-recognized Abenaki tribes as 'Pretendian.'

Based on what I've learned over the last several years, I no longer feel confident saying that Joseph Bruchac, his sister Marge, or his sons are Native. All of them have written books for children. For decades--teachers have used Bruchac's books believing he is Native. In the past--believing he is Native--I have recommended his books.

I can no longer recommend books by Joseph Bruchac, his sister Marge Bruchac, or his sons. 

I will be revisiting AICL pages on which I've written about them or their books or articles, and I plan to insert a link to this post and a brief note about my decision. 

For convenience I am pasting the items from the Native or Not resource here. I recommend you read them. I'm updating the list as I can. 

Reports, Statements and Articles about the four groups in 

Vermont that claim to be Abenaki, 

including the "Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe" that 

Joseph Bruchac, Margaret Bruchac, and James Bruchac claim:]

[Last update: Oct 20, 2023]

State of Vermont's Response to Petition for Federal Acknowledgement of the St. Francis/Sokoki Band of the Abenaki Nation of Vermont in December 2002. [Added on Oct 10, 2023]

Executive Summary and Background: Response to the Vermont Abenaki Petition for Acknowledgement as an Indian Tribe, from the State of Vermont, on December 2002. [Added on Oct 10, 2023]

Odanak Band Resolution, September 29, 2003 stating the Conseil de Bande d'Odanak "does not recognize at this time any organizations claiming to be Abenaki First Nations in the United States or Canada, with the exceptions of our brothers and sisters at Wolinak and Penobscot. Signed by Chief Gilles O'Bomsawin, and four Conseiller's. [Added on Oct 8, 2023].

Final Determination against Federal Acknowledgement of the St. Francis/Sokoki Band of Abenakis of Vermont published in the Federal Register on July 2, 2007. Below is the summary; I encourage you to read the entire document. 

The summary:

Pursuant to 25 CFR 83.10(l)(2), notice is hereby given that the Department of the Interior (Department) declines to acknowledge the group known as the St. Francis/Sokoki Band of Abenakis of Vermont (SSA), P.O. Box 276, Swanton, Vermont 05488, c/o Ms. April Merrill, as an Indian tribe within the meaning of Federal law. This notice is based on a determination that the petitioner does not satisfy four of the seven mandatory criteria for acknowledgment, specifically 83.7(a), 83.7(b), 83.7(c), and 83.7(e), as defined in 25 CFR part 83. Consequently, the SSA petitioner does not meet the requirements for a government-to-government relationship with the United States.

Odanak First Nation denounces VT-state recognized Abenaki tribes as 'Pretendian' by Elodie Reed, Mitch Wertlieb, and Karen Anderson at Vermont Public Radio on May 5, 2022 is good summary of "Beyond Borders: Unheard Abenaki Voices from the Odanak First Nation" [Added on May 11, 2022]

Beyond Borders: Unheard Abenaki Voices from the Odanak First Nation - full video (approximately 4 hours) of event posted to Youtube on May 12, 2022 includes Opening Songs, Welcomes, "The Past" panel, "The Present" panel, Closing Comments, and an Honor Song. [Added on May 12, 2022]

Letter from Rick O'Bomsawin, Chief of the Abenaki Council of Odanak, to Phil Scott, Governor of Vermont, requesting a meeting to discuss Vermont recognition of groups that Vermont recognizes as being nations. Letter is dated September 6, 2022. [Added on October 3, 2022]

Odanak First Nation's Mali Obomsawin tells Indigenous stories through music by David Hess at Vermont Public Radio includes conversation with Obomsawin about groups in Vermont that claim to be Native. Broadcast is dated September 8, 2022. [Added on October 3, 2022]

Abenaki Nation in Quebec says tribes bearing its names in Vermont should not be recognized by Tom Fennario at APTN National News on September 12, 2022. [Added on October 3, 2022]

Declaration: The Abenakis are the sole guardians of their language, culture, and tradition at Abenaki Heritage. [Added to resource list on May 31, 2023] 

Amid legitimacy dispute, Odanak Abenaki chief invited Vt. state-recognized tribes to visit by Elodie Reed and David Littlefield of Vermont Public Radio on March 10, 2023. [Added to resource list on May 31, 2023] 

As VT Truth & Reconciliation Commission begins, Odanak chief repeats request for inclusion by Elodie Reed of Vermont Public Radio on April 14, 2023. [Added to resource list on May 31, 2023]  

Controversy surrounding the Abenaki identity of four groups in Vermont by David Savoy of Radio-Canada on April 30, 2023. [Added to resource list on May 31, 2023] 

Odanak First Nation requests Burlington museum remove photo of ancestors from exhibit, by Elodie Reed of Vermont Public Radio on May 20, 2023. [Added to resource list on May 31, 2023] 

The real ethnocide is self-Indigenization: The Abenakis of Odanak and W8linak respond to self-proclaimed 'Abenaki' groups of Vermont, press release on May 8, 2023. [Added to resource list on May 31, 2023] 

Review of genealogies, other records fails to support local leaders' claims of Abenaki ancestry by Julia Furukawa of New Hampshire Public Radio on May 22, 2023. [Added to resource list on May 31, 2023]  

The editorial note accompanying Furukawa's article is compelling:

In reporting this piece, NHPR independently fact-checked claims of Indigenous ancestry using professional genealogies; requested verification from tribal nation records; and asked sources to share what evidence they have to support their claims of Indigenous ancestry. NHPR also consulted with members of the Native American Journalists Association (NAJA) and multiple experts on Indigenous identity, including this NAJA training on “Understanding Indigenous Claims and Connections.”

NHPR acknowledges that our newsroom has not sought to verify claims of Indigenous ancestry before, relying on sources to self-identify. We now understand that verifying such claims – especially when it comes to people who claim leadership or speak on behalf of an Indigenous community and are not members of a federally recognized tribal nation – is part of our basic responsibility as journalists. Going forward, we pledge to take steps to better ensure the accuracy of our coverage of Indigenous communities and issues. 

State Recognition and the Dangers of Race Shifting: The Case of Vermont by Darryl Leroux, published in American Indian Culture and Research Journal Volume 46, Issue 2, on July 14, 2023. [Added to resource list on July 17, 2023]

"Abenaki" Group of Missisquoi: Research Findings Reveal Troubling Irregularities in the State of Vermont's Recognition Process is a press release issued by Abenaki Heritage on July 31, 2023. [Added to resource list on August 19, 2023]

Why Vermont tribes, New Hampshire groups might claim to be Abenaki without even proving ancestry by Julie Furukawa and Elodie Reed at Vermont Public Radio on August 8, 2023. [Added to resource list on August 19, 2023]

Odanak Musician Mali Obomsawin Talks Music, Community and Vermont's 'Pretendian Problem' by Ken Picard at Seven Days on September 27 2023. [Added to resource list on September 30, 2023]

Is Joseph Bruchac truly Abenaki? by Chris Churchill at Times Union on September 30 2023. [Added to resource list on September 30, 2023]

Why are Abenaki Nations challenging legitimacy of Vermont's state-recognized tribes? by Elodie Reed, Josh Crane, and Sabine Poux on October 20, 2023. [Added to resource list on October 20, 2023]

NOT RECOMMENDED: "Native Americans Part 1" (a Video on PBS)

A reader wrote to ask me about a video on PBS, titled Native Americans, Part 1; 2nd [grade] Social Studies. I've loaded it and will watch and pause as I do to make notes here. The person in the video is a teacher, Mrs. Huson. She works in Missouri. The video aired on December 16, 2020 and is still available on the PBS site. I think this set of notes is going to make people feel bad for the teacher in the PBS video. She's doing what she thinks is good work and obviously someone at PBS thought so, too. But one minute after another, there are errors. (For those who don't know who I am, I'm tribally enrolled at Nambé Owingeh, was a schoolteacher and assistant professor in American Indian Studies, and now work as an educational consultant.)

At the 1:04 mark Huson asks "Have you ever heard of Native Americans? Do you know what a Native American is?" 

Deb's notes: the teacher is assuming there are not Native children in the audience for the video. If questions like that are asked in an actual classroom, how does it land with children who are Native? Huson is speaking as if we no longer exist. That's a common misconception. In fact, we're still here, thriving as hundreds of tribal nations across the continent. Due to government programs, many of us were removed from our homelands. Today there aren't any Tribal Nations in Missouri, but if you're a fan of professional football, you may know that Native people attend mascot protests in Kansas City. We live all across the country. Do not assume that there aren't a Native children in your classrooms! You've been mis-educated to think we don't exist anymore, and that if we do, we have dark hair and dark skin -- but that's not true!  

At the 1:14 mark, the teacher says "We're going to learn about Native Americans, who they were, and we're going to learn a lot about their culture." 
Deb's notes: Two errors in that sentence: first, she used the past tense verb "were" as if we aren't here, today, and she used "culture." As I continue to watch, I wonder if I'll hear her use present tense verbs? Will I hear her use the word nation? A common mistake is to speak of us as cultures. We are people with distinct languages, songs, histories, stories (those are parts of cultures) but we are first, and foremost, nations of people. Remember learning about treaties? We were nations with leaders who negotiated treaties with leaders of other nations. We were nations before the US was a nation. 

At the 1:53 mark, the teacher says "the settlers discovered the United States of America." 

Deb's notes: There's a lot wrong with that phrase! For decades Native people have asked that people not use the word "discovered" to describe what happened. And, the land they arrived on--or invaded--was not called "the United States of America." That phrase (USA) did not come into existence until later. 

As I continue to watch I see very broad definitions for words like "culture" and "tribe" and verbs the teacher is using are past tense. I understand she is pitching this to children in second grade but they're being given information that is reductive and most definitely not educational. She's speaking as if we're all the same. An example is what she says about totem poles. She's speaking as if we all carve them. We don't. 

Her explanation of a powwow is a bit of a mess. She says it is a festival where Native people gathered to celebrate something. She talks about kids going to parties to celebrate birthdays as being similar to a powwow. 

Oh.... dear. Tribes had chiefs, she says, and they were "extravagant headdresses" and tells students if they encounter a tribe (based on all she's said so far, I think she means "encounter" in a book rather than in person) you can tell which one is the chief by the headdress. No, no, no! 

I can't go on. Pausing here. I don't know if I'll be back. I'm going to get in touch with PBS in Missouri. This is deeply problematic content and should not be on any website. 

 

A Remarkable Headline

Typically, AICL looks at books for young people. Today, I (Jean) am inspired to do something a little different: a close reading of a headline about a book for young people. Its origin is Alaska's News Source, (KTUU/KYUS in Anchorage) September 17, 2023. Here's a screen shot, and the whole story is here. (To view the video, you have to wait a bit to skip an advertisement.)

Context: The woman holding the book in the photo is Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson. I met her when Debbie and I attended Loonsong Turtle Island in 2018. She's from the North Slope of what's currently known as Alaska. 

It's a remarkable headline for several reasons. Let's go piece by piece. And you should know that I'm learning as I go, and I hope someone will tell me if I get something wrong! The headline reads, 

Iñupiaq author and illustrator's book "Eagle Drums" sells out at book signing

1) Iñupiaq... That's not a word often seen in headlines where I am, in what's sometimes known as The Lower 48. Here's what the Alaska Native Language Center website says about it:

The name "Iñupiaq," meaning "real or genuine person" (inuk 'person' plus -piaq 'real, genuine'), is often spelled "Iñupiaq," particularly in the northern dialects. It can refer to a person of this group ("He is an Iñupiaq") and can also be used as an adjective ("She is an Iñupiaq woman"). The plural form of the noun is "Inupiat," referring to the people collectively ("the Inupiat of the North Slope").

So, the person who's the focus of the photo, the headline, and the story is from the homelands of the Inupiat -- an Iñupiaq woman. It's significant that the headline-writer didn't use a generic term like "Alaska Native." Eagle Drums is a specifically Iñupiaq book.

2) ...author and illustrator's...  Not only did Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson get her story published -- she also made the art for it! That's not unheard-of in child lit circles, of course, but it's still a bit out of the ordinary. And the pool of Iñupiaq author-illustrators is small indeed. There's a chance she's the only one. 

Check out her art and info about her other publications on her website, which features the covers of two anthologies that include short stories she wrote.

3) ... book Eagle Drums ... This middle grade novel came out just this month (September 2023) from Macmillan, which has also published Turtle Mountain Ojibwe author Carole Lindstrom's We Are Water Protectors (illus. by Caldecott Medal winner Michaela Goade, Tlingit/Haida). Here's what the publisher says about Eagle Drums:

A magical realistic middle grade debut about the origin story of the Iñupiaq Messenger Feast, a Native Alaskan tradition.
As his family prepares for winter, a young, skilled hunter must travel up the mountain to collect obsidian for knapping—the same mountain where his two older brothers died. When he reaches the mountaintop, he is immediately confronted by a terrifying eagle god named Savik. Savik gives the boy a choice: follow me or die like your brothers. What comes next is a harrowing journey to the home of the eagle gods and unexpected lessons on the natural world, the past that shapes us, and the community that binds us.

4) ... sells out at book signing. Let's sit with that for a moment. When a book sells out at a signing event, it's because readers have shown up for it. That's evidence of a demand for the material. For far too long, we would hear that there just wasn't a market for Indigenous stories told by Indigenous people. Non-Indigenous writers were the ones who could tell --and sell -- stories about Native lives. But as the headline suggests, people were at this event, eager to buy a new book by an Indigenous (specifically Iñupiaq) author, and to have her sign it!

Much more could be said about the event, about Eagle Drums, and about Nasuġraq Rainey Hopson herself, but I came here to share a close look at that unusual headline. 

Here's what the book cover looks like. Take a close look at the art -- it tells readers just enough about the story to invite them in. And I think it's gorgeous!

We hope you'll get your own copy of Eagle Drums, read it, share it -- and if the book tour comes to your area, ask the author to sign it in person!