Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation facts for kids

The Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation is a Native American group. They are recognized by the state of Vermont as a tribe. They are also a nonprofit organization called AHA "Abenaki Helping Abenaki". Their main office and land are in Vermont. People often call them the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe or just Nulhegan.

About 1,400 people are members of the Nulhegan Band. Most of them live in the Northeast Kingdom area of Vermont.

Vermont officially recognized the Nulhegan Band in 2011. They are one of four state-recognized tribes in Vermont. They work with the state in many ways, including on the Vermont Commission of Native American Affairs.

They are not recognized by the United States federal government as a Native American tribe. Vermont does not have any federally recognized tribes.

What's in a Name?

The Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation gets its name from the Nulhegan River. This river flows into the Connecticut River near Brighton, Vermont. The name "Nulhegan" means "the place of log traps."

The band is also named after the Cowasuck people and Abenaki people. These were tribes that lived in much of eastern Vermont and western New Hampshire long ago.

Who Leads the Tribe?

The Nulhegan Abenaki government has a Chief, also called a Sogomo. The Chief is chosen by the councils and then elected by the tribe members. The current Chief of the Nulhegan is Chief Don Stevens.

The tribe's laws are made by the Tribal Council. This council has 11 members who are elected from within the tribe. The Elders Council handles justice and includes seven members. Joseph Bruchac is one of the Elders Council members. This government manages the tribe's land and activities. It also works with the state of Vermont on official matters.

Helping Others: Nonprofit Work

The Nulhegan Band started a nonprofit organization called AHA "Abenaki Helping Abenaki" in 2006. A nonprofit group uses its money to help people, not to make a profit. In 2019, the Tides Foundation gave AHA a grant of $50,000 to help with their work.

Lucy Neel is the registered agent for the organization. She is based in Barton and Derby Line, Vermont. The current leaders of AHA are:

• Chief Donald Stevens, who is the president
• Nicole St. Ogle, who is the treasurer
• Lucy Cannon-Neel, who is the secretary

Another nonprofit group, Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Nation Inc., was started on December 9, 2022. It is also based in Derby Line, Vermont, and Lucy Neel is its registered agent.

Tribal Land

In 2012, the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe gained ownership of land in Vermont. This was the first tribal-owned land in the state in almost 200 years. The land is 65 acres in Barton, Vermont, where the tribal headquarters are located.

This land is important for the tribe's economy, education, and culture. The tribe worked with the Vermont Land Trust and the Sierra Club to get this forestland.

A Look at History

State Recognition Journey

The Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation was officially recognized by the State of Vermont in 2011. This recognition happened under Vermont Statutes Title 1, Section 854. The other three state-recognized tribes in Vermont are the Missisquoi Abenaki Tribe, Elnu Abenaki Tribe, and the Koasek Abenaki Tribe.

In 2006, the Vermont Legislature recognized the Abenaki as a "Minority Population." This gave Abenaki people protections as a group that had faced disadvantages. However, at that time, there were no officially recognized Abenaki tribes in Vermont. This meant there were "legally" no Abenaki people under the law.

To change this, the Vermont Indigenous Alliance was formed on March 16, 2008. The Elnu Abenaki Tribe, Koasek Abenaki Tribe, and Missisquoi Abenaki Tribe joined together. Their goal was to unite the tribes and seek official state recognition from Vermont. Finally, on April 22, 2011, the Nulhegan was officially recognized by the State of Vermont as an Abenaki Indian Tribe.

In 2013, a movie called The Vermont Abenaki: A struggle for recognition was made. It showed the journey for Vermont State recognition and celebrated when it happened.

From August 19 to 22, 2015, the annual Wabanaki Confederacy Conference was held in Shelburne, Vermont. This was the first and only time this important meeting was hosted in Vermont.

Tribal Heritage

The Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation identifies as being Abenaki and Cowasuck.

What They Do

The Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe holds several gatherings each year. These include drumming events and an annual pow wow.

• The first gathering is at the Winter Solstice in late December.
• The second is the annual Snow Snake Games, held in late February or early March.
• The largest gathering is the annual Nulheganaki gathering, held in late August or early September.

Vermont started celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day. This happened unofficially in 2016 and officially in 2020. The state chose not to celebrate Christopher Columbus because of his role in the harm caused to Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Now, celebrations of Indigenous heritage and culture take place across the state. The Nulhegan Abenaki host an event called "Indigenous People's Day Rock."

In 2020, the Nulhegan Band started the Abenaki Trails Project. This project provides educational materials about historic Abenaki sites. It begins in West Hopkinton, New Hampshire.

The Nulhegan Band has also talked with Middlebury College about their land acknowledgment. This is a statement that recognizes the Western Abenaki people as the original caretakers of the land.

Laws and Rights

The Vermont Fish and Wildlife Department gives members of state-recognized Vermont tribes a free permanent fishing license. If they qualify for a hunting license, they can get a free permanent combination hunting and fishing license.

A new law, Vermont H.556, was passed on April 20, 2022. This law means that property owned by Vermont-recognized Native American tribes is exempt from property tax.

As a state-recognized tribe, the Nulhegan Abenaki can legally get eagle feathers and other parts of endangered animal species. They can use these for cultural purposes, but they cannot sell them.

Notable People

• Jesse Bruchac, an author and linguist
• Joseph Bruchac, an author