Elnu Abenaki Tribe
The Elnu Abenaki Tribe is a state-recognized tribe in Vermont,[3] who claim descent from Abenaki people.
| Formation | 2020 (Elnu Abenaki Incorporated)[1] |
|---|---|
| Founded at | Brattleboro, Vermont[1] |
| Type | state-recognized tribe, nonprofit organizations |
| EIN 84-3882521[1] | |
| Legal status | arts, culture, and humanities nonprofit; charity[1] |
| Purpose | A23: Cultural, Ethnic Awareness[1] |
| Headquarters | Jamaica, Vermont |
| Location | |
Membership (2016) | 60[2] |
Official language | English |
| Website | elnuabenakitribe |
They are not federally recognized as a Native American tribe.[3] Vermont has no federally recognized tribes.[3]
Leadership
Roger Longtoe Sheehan served as chief since at least 2016.[2]
State recognition
Vermont recognized the Elnu Abenaki Tribe as a state-recognized tribe in 2011.[4] The other state-recognized tribes in Vermont are the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, Koasek Abenaki Tribe, and the Mississquoi Abenaki Tribe.[3]
Nonprofit organization
In 2020, the group created 'Elnu Abenaki Incorporated, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, based in Brattleboro, Vermont.[1] Their registered agent is Rich Holshuh.[5]
Heritage
The Elnu Abenaki Tribe are the smallest of Vermont's four state-recognized tribes. They had 60 members in 2016.[2]
St. Mary's University associate professor Darryl Leroux's genealogical and historical research found that the members of this and the other three state-recognized tribes in Vermont were composed primarily of "French descendants who have used long-ago ancestry in New France to shift into an 'Abenaki' identity."[4]
The State of Vermont reported in 2002 that the Abenaki people migrated north to Quebec at the end of the 17th century.[6]
Activities
They participate in Abenaki Heritage Weekend, held at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes, Vermont.[7]
Property tax
Vermont H.556, "An act relating to exempting property owned by Vermont-recognized Native American tribes from property tax," passed on April 20, 2022.[8]
Notes
- "Elnu Abenaki Incorporated". Cause IQ. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- Evancie, angela (November 4, 2016). "Abenaki Native Americans In Vermont Today?". Brave Little State. Vermont Public News. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- "Federal and State Recognized Tribes". National Conference of State Legislatures. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- Darryl Leroux, Distorted Descent, page 246.
- "Elnu Abenaki Incorporated". TaxExemptWorld. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- Dillon, John (20 March 2002). "State Says Abenaki Do Not Have "Continuous Presence"". Vermont Public Radio. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- "2019 Abenaki Heritage Weekend". Crazy Crow. Retrieved 30 January 2022.
- "H.556". Vermont General Assembly. Retrieved 10 May 2022.
References
- Leroux, Darryl (2019). Distorted Descent: White Claims to Indigenous Identity. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press. ISBN 978-0887558979.