Dr. Masta - A Skillful Physician and a Good Man

Dear Readers;
The news article below highlights another Abenaki historical figure and leader living and working in Barton, Vermont;
Dr. John Baptiste Masta as "A Skillful physician and a good man."

Today I am humbled by the fact that Dr. Masta happens to be my great-great-great-great Uncle. Another Abenaki Connection made here is Dr. John Masta's stepsister, Marie (Osunkherhine) Benedict, was the grandmother of Catherine Watso, my Dad's paternal grandmother. I thought my readers might find the article interesting. Please feel free to comment and let me know.

Also, a quote I found interesting from the article:
"To begin at the beginning, when the doctor was a leading citizen of Barton his Abenaki ancestry was no secret. It figured prominently in the Reverend Pond's funeral oration".


A skillful physician and a good man
Written by Chris Braithwaite

SharePublished on November 9, 1994

John Baptiste Masta, M.D.
Photo courtesy of Richard EbensA.A. Earle, editor of the Irasburg Independent and Standard, devoted a good deal of his issue of November 1, 1861, to the obituary of John Baptiste Masta, M.D., late of Barton.


"When men have attained to eminence in life by their individual efforts, and are beloved for the good they accomplish," Mr. Earle began, "there is a commendable desire to form an intimate acquaintance with their history - to study the motives by which they have been actuated, as well as the principles and efforts which have guided to success."


"But a few days ago and Dr. Masta was in our midst, actively engaged in going about doing good," the editor wrote. "Now he sleeps in death, and the community unites with the afflicted friends in mourning the loss of a skillful physician and a good man."


At that, the journalist turned the matter over to a professional, and printed a lengthy excerpt from the funeral sermon of the Reverend Mr. Pond of the Congregational Church of Barton.

CLICK ON LINK FOR THE FULL ARTICLE

Watso Family Historic Photo's

Dear Readers,
I have a link to share of a Abenaki historic family photo.

My Great Aunt Doris Dauphinais. I remember my great Aunt Doris coming to visit our family when we lived in Albany, New York. I was just a child and I remember her having a great time with my father Frederick Watso, who was making her laugh.

Dad was telling Aunt Doris tales of dealing with the unforgivable sun while working on the roofs' of Albany neighborhood residential homes for Alco Roofing. Abenaki families having a beer and enjoying the visit of familiar faces.

More to come...


CLICK ON LINK FOR PHOTO

Looking back on the life and times of John Mitchell, Abenaki of Indian Lake, NY

Dear Readers,

The article below is a great addition to the history of the Adirondack's and highlights our Abenaki family connections to the mountains and lakes north of Albany. 

Written By Christopher Roy & David Benedict
June 27, 2009


BLUE MOUNTAIN LAKE — Some years ago, visits with the late John Fish at the Indian Lake Museum left us wondering about the life and family of his Abenaki grandfather, John Mitchell. Visits with Town Historian Bill Zullo and with the late Warder Cadbury piqued our curiosities even more.

Old stories about the origins of the Mitchells seemed to contradict themselves, and their cousins, the Camps (particularly Emma Camp Mead), garnered more attention from local historians over the years and were better represented in the displays at the Indian Lake Museum. We knew that the Mitchells and the Camps were descendants of Sabael Benedict, but wanted to learn more. In the following paragraphs, we would like to share some of the results of our research.


Click on link to go to Full article

1860 “A Sketch of the Early History of Ferrisburg.” Vermont Quarterly Gazeteer

Dear Readers,

I was compelled to post this article of my grandfathers, grandfather, John "Jean Baptiste" Watso naming of the Champlain Valley in the Abenaki language, enjoy the beauty: 

Robinson, R.E. 1860. “A Sketch of the Early History of Ferrisburg.” Vermont Quarterly Gazeteer, Abby Maria Hemenway, ed. 1:31-35.

From pages 31-32:

            If the traditions of the St. Francois Indians are to be relied on, the eastern shore of Lake Champlain was anciently inhabited by the Zoquageers, a subdivision of the great Abenakee tribe or nation which once occupied the northern part of New England.  By the forays of their enemies, the warlike Iroquois, and the encroachment of the whites, the Zoquageers were gradually driven from Vermont, and their last village of consequence within its limits, was on Missisque Bay, in the present town of Alburgh.  They had, for the most part, removed before the Revolution to the St. Francois River, in Canada, where the survivors of this once powerful tribe now live, commonly known as the St. Francois Indians, though they style themselves as of old, Zoquageers and Abenakees, or as they pronunce it, Wau-ban-a-kees.  Their names of rivers in Ferrisburgh were, of Great Otter Creek, Pecunk-tuk, or the Crooked River; of Little Otter, Wonakake-tuk, [accents in original] or the River of Otters; and of Lewis Creek, Sungahnee-tuk, or the Fishing Place.*  Lake Champlain they called Pe-tou-bouque.+

* This was told to me by John Watso, or Wadhso, an intelligent Indian of St. Francois.  He also gave the names of some other rivers of the Champlain Valley.  Azzasataquake was their name for the Missisque River, signifying, The stream that turns back. [Missisque is a corruption of Masseepsque, The place of arrow flints; and applies only to the bay of that name.]  The Au Sable was known as Popoquamanee-tuk, The Cranberry River, and Saranac is corrupted from Senhalenac-tuk, The river of sumac-trees.  The dried leaves of the sumac were used by them for smoking, and hence the tree was of sufficient importance to give a name to the stream where it grew in abundance.

+ Watso’s definition of this word is, “The waters that lie between;” that is, between the countries of the Abenakees and Iroquois.  Others of the tribe with whom I have conversed interpreted this name otherwise, but cannot give an intelligible translation of it.

ABENAKI PEOPLE NEED INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

Email by Denise L. Watso of February 7th, 2011
Good Evening;


This email is directed to reporters in Vermont, whom I am asking to provide our Abenaki people the opportunity for a fair and equitable account of the State Recognition process unfolding in Vermont today. The greatest injustice ever NOT recorded in the history of the Abenaki people is being ignored by reporters who are too busy to investigate the facts and allow our Abenaki brothers and sisters the dignity of telling our side of the story, the historically known Abenaki who oppose the State Recognition of non-Indians, who have been allowed in the newspapers and blogs of Vermont to misrepresent the facts about who we are to the citizens of Vermont. We all deserve better.

I have sent press releases with facts, our opposition, and explanations, to no avail. The reporters of Vermont can and should do more of an investigation and should not be significantly influenced by these groups. Many promises made to us have been broken during our opposing State Recognition. Many ethical issues and conflicts of interest have not been questioned and are being overlooked by reporters too busy to report the issues clouding the State Recognition process.

I know the National dilemma facing newspapers and journalists today, but this does not excuse leaving our opposition ignored and unreported to the citizens of Vermont and allowing us to be shut out of the opportunity to represent our side. The issue in Vermont will have a permanent impact forever to our people, who have lived in the “U.S.” since time immemorial. Please give us the respect we deserve, to represent ourselves and stand up for our ancestors, therefore please dedicate more investigation and an opposing view to be expressed.

Promises have been broken, some actually denying us our basic Civil Rights and the legislature has not been in compliance with several articles of the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. I append just a few of the violations below for your reference:


Article 2
Indigenous peoples and individuals are free and equal to all other peoples and individuals and have the right to be free from any kind of discrimination, in the exercise of their rights, in particular that based on their indigenous origin or identity.
Article 4
Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinct political, legal, economic, social and cultural institutions, while retaining their rights to participate fully, if they so choose, in the political, economic, social and cultural life of the State.
Article 7
1. Indigenous peoples and individuals have the right not to be subjected to forced assimilation or destruction of their culture.
2. States shall provide effective mechanisms for prevention of, and redress for:
(a) Any action which has the aim or effect of depriving them of their integrity as distinct peoples, or of their cultural values or ethnic identities;
(b) Any action which has the aim or effect of dispossessing them of their lands, territories or resources;
(c) Any form of forced population transfer which has the aim or effect of violating or undermining any of their rights;
(d) Any form of forced assimilation or integration by other cultures or ways of life imposed on them by legislative, administrative or other measures;
(e) Any form of propaganda designed to promote or incite racial or ethnic discrimination directed against them.

SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS
CLICK ON LINK FOR FULL JOURNALISTS ETHIC CODE

Preamble
Members of the Society of Professional Journalists believe that public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. The duty of the journalist is to further those ends by seeking truth and providing a fair and comprehensive account of events and issues. Conscientious journalists from all media and specialties strive to serve the public with thoroughness and honesty. Professional integrity is the cornerstone of a journalist's credibility. Members of the Society share a dedication to ethical behavior and adopt this code to declare the Society's principles and standards of practice.

Honorable Words for Ernest Kaientaronkwen Benedict: (1918-2011) “Akwesasne’s Conscience”

The passing of Mohawk elder, Ernest Kaientaronkwen Benedict as written by Doug George-Kanentiio

News From Indian Country Febuary 2011

Obituary for Passing of Ernest Kaientaronkwen Benedict (1918-2011)

Abenaki Nation - Cherokee Nation Similiar Issues of State Recognition

The Cherokee Nation http://tribalrecognition.cherokee.org/ was successful in their quest to expose fraudulent groups claiming to be relatives of the Cherokee people. An excellent video on YouTube below about educating ALL people and the National Aboriginal rights issue of State's attempt to grant recognition to groups lobbying States to "become Indian".

Our Abenaki families are under going similar, if not the exact same issues as the Cherokee Nation with groups claiming to be Abenaki "Tribes", therefore, our family members in our original territories, Vermont.

The self-declared Abenaki, groups in Vermont are attempting to get in the back door of the State of Vermont and New Hampshire for recognition, because to go in the front door, they would be denied, as was the case with the most established group in Vermont, the St. Francis/Sokoki. The other groups have been in existence only recently, and are considered by the Federal government to be splinter groups of the St. Francis/Sokoki, and therefore would be designated as such, and denied.

The St Francis/Sokoki, after providing the Federal government the documentation requested, were denied Federal Recognition. The evidence was not sufficient, an extremely "weak petition and rare that the group should fail the most basic criteria, being Indian", as relayed by an NARF attorney familiar with the petition at time of submittal.

Please read the petition and related material of the St.Francis/Sokoki from the Bureau of Indian Affairs:
http://www.bia.gov/WhoWeAre/AS-IA/OFA/ADCList/PetitionsResolved/Petition68/index.htm

Weak State laws and even weaker criteria for what constitutes evidence for being Indian is being eroded by ill-informed and ill-equipped State lawmakers Nationally and now in Vermont and New Hampshire. Please watch the excellent video by the proactive Cherokee Nation.