Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation facts for kids

The Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation is a group of Native American people recognized by the state of Vermont. They are also a nonprofit organization called AHA "Abenaki Helping Abenaki". Their main office and land are located 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 of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation in 2011. They are one of four state-recognized tribes in Vermont. They work with the state in many ways, including being part of the Vermont Commission of Native American Affairs.

However, the United States federal government does not recognize them as a Native American tribe. Vermont does not have any federally recognized tribes.

What Does "Nulhegan" Mean?

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 a large part of eastern Vermont and western New Hampshire long ago.

How the Nulhegan Abenaki Are Led

The Nulhegan Abenaki government has a Chief, also called a Sogomo. The councils suggest who should be Chief, and then the tribe votes. The current Chief of the Nulhegan is Chief Don Stevens.

The tribe also has a Tribal Council, which makes laws. It has 11 members who are elected from within the tribe. An Elders Council of seven members represents the judicial branch, which helps make decisions fairly. This government manages the tribe's land, activities, and meetings. It also works with the state of Vermont on official matters.

Nonprofit Work

The Nulhegan Band started a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization called AHA "Abenaki Helping Abenaki" in 2006. A nonprofit organization uses its money to help people or a cause, not to make a profit. In 2019, the Tides Foundation gave this organization a grant of $50,000 to help with its work.

Lucy Neel, who lives in Barton and Derby Line, Vermont, is the official contact person for the organization. The current leaders are:

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

Another group, Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Nation Inc., was officially formed as a nonprofit in December 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 some land in Vermont. This was some of the first land owned and controlled by a tribe in Vermont in almost 200 years. The land is 65 acres in Barton, Vermont, and it is where the tribe's main office is 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

Effects of Past Surveys

In the 1920s and 1930s, some Abenaki families in Vermont faced difficult times. Because of certain surveys and practices, some Abenaki people felt they had to hide their heritage. Chief Don Stevens of the Nulhegan said that his grandmother was part of one of these surveys, which made her deny her heritage. She was not able to be proud of it.

In 2021, the State of Vermont and the University of Vermont both formally apologized. They recognized their part in these past surveys through an official resolution.

State Recognition in Vermont

The State of Vermont officially recognized the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation as a state-recognized tribe 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.

Before this, in 2006, the Vermont Legislature recognized the Abenaki as a "Minority Population." This meant they had protections as a group of people who faced disadvantages. However, since there were no officially recognized Abenaki Indian Tribes in Vermont at that time, 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 created it 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 by Wabanaagig TV in Canada. It showed the journey to get state recognition in Vermont and celebrated this achievement.

From August 19 to 22, 2015, the yearly Wabanaki Confederacy Conference took place in Shelburne, Vermont. This was the first and only time the Wabanaki Confederacy was hosted in Vermont.

Questions About Heritage

In 2019, the leaders of the Odanak Abenaki Band Council in Canada, which governs the Odanak band of the Abenaki First Nation, spoke out about some groups claiming to be Abenaki in the United States. They questioned if groups like the Nulhegan Band had strong historical connections to Abenaki ancestors.

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

What the Nulhegan Abenaki 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, which takes place every year in late August or early September.

Vermont began celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day instead of Columbus Day. This started unofficially in 2016 and became official in 2020. The state chose not to celebrate Christopher Columbus because of his role in the history of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Now, celebrations of Indigenous heritage and culture are held across Vermont. 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 important Abenaki historical sites, beginning in West Hopkinton, New Hampshire.

The Nulhegan Band has also talked with Middlebury College about the college's land acknowledgment. This acknowledgment recognizes the Western Abenaki people.

Laws and Rights

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

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

Because they are a state-recognized tribe, the Nulhegan Abenaki can legally get eagle feathers and parts of other endangered animals. They can use these for cultural purposes, but they are not allowed to sell them.

Notable People

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