VT STATE RECOGNITION PROCESS RIDDLED WITH CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: STATE RECOGNITION PROCESS RIDDLED WITH CONFLICTS OF INTEREST, VT SENATE CONSIDERS INCREASING SECRECY AS A RESULT

March 30, 2011

Vermont's ill-conceived approach to its indigenous people fails Vermont voters and the Abenaki people and must be reconsidered. Instead, the Vermont Senate seems intent on making matters worse.


In 2010, Vermont passed into law a "state recognition" process administered by a new commission which was intended to be composed of Native American people. However, none of the commission members can prove any Abenaki ancestry, and Chairman Willard's claims descent from the Otôdoson (Watso). A fraudulent claim by Luke Willard to our family name and has been publically disproven.


Instead, the commission members were almost entirely selected from potential applicant groups, representing real conflicts of interest which cannot be surmounted by recusal from matters directly relevant to the applicant groups to which they belong. Each commission member is committed to recognizing all four of the organizations applying for recognition this year.


Conflicts of interest are also real and apparent within the group of "experts" assembled by the commission to review applications for recognition. To date – Mr. Lacy and Mr. Skinas were chastised by their Federal agency for using letterhead against Federal policy and both were forced to stepped down, although the reviewers were allowed to pass by the Commission and Senator Illluzzi. All of the “experts” have conflicting roles and long standing relationships with these groups.


A brief summary of the real and apparent conflicts on the review panel:


• Dave Lacy has worked with members of the "St. Francis/Sokoki" in this role as Green Mountain National Forest archaeologist.
• Dave Skinas, another archaeologist and Federal employee, actually sits on the board of directors of the Abenaki Self-Help Association, Inc., a non-profit corporation run by the "St. Francis/Sokoki."
• Eloise Beil has worked with the "Elnu" in their capacity as re-enactors working for her employer, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.
• Fredrick Wiseman, a member of the "St. Francis/Sokoki," has collaborated with "Elnu" members at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and has similar relationships with other groups.
• Historian Kevin Dann does not appear to have as close a relationship with applicant groups, although his review of the "Nulhegan" application was mostly devoid of substance. He prefaced his response, however, with a set of comments about OUR ancestors, NOT those of the "Nulhegan."


There has been no adequate review of applications for state recognition. This is clear from a close reading of the public portions of the applications themselves, the reviews of the "experts" assembled by the VCNAA, and the VCNAA's report to the legislature. The applications are characterized by inaccurate information and wild leaps made to convince people that our history is theirs. It is not. The entire application process is nothing more than a grant process, with letters of support and no credible substantiated evidence, proven by the citations allowed i.e. WikiPedia, and the Internet used as “sources of evidence”. One source “Charles Partlow” ancestral proof submitted by the “Elnu”, has already been entirely overlooked and ignored by this “expert” review panel, (the previous press release is attached with documents) while we have provided the document that proves otherwise.


Faced with the truth about these applications, Sen. Illuzzi and the Senate Committee on Economic Development, Housing & General Affairs, are now considering legislation "Relating to Exempting from Public Disclosure Records Related to Tribal Recognition." As certain genealogical information has already been exempted from public review by an 11th-hour amendment to last year's law, it appears that the committee is now moving to completely remove the state recognition process from public scrutiny. The committee seeks to deprive Vermont voters and the Abenaki people of the open government, transparency and accountability that we typically expect of democratic governments.


We ask all Vermonters to stand with us in opposing the conflicts of interest and increasing secrecy of the state's recognition process, led by Senator Illuzzi, the Commission and groups seeking to defraud the State of Vermont and Abenaki Nation citizens. We ask all Vermonters to take a stand for justice, historical truth, and respect for the Abenaki people and our history.


For more information, contact:


Denise L. Watso, Abenaki First Nation