For Immediate Release

To the Honorable James Douglas, Governor of the State of Vermont:

September 1, 2008

It is with frustration, I tender my letter of resignation, effective immediately, as I was under the impression my term expired July 31, 2008.

With no subsequent action taken by your office as to the status of Commission appointments, it has been brought to my attention that you may choose not to act on reappointments thus extending current member terms as long as March 1st, 2009.

While there may be an implicit sense of endorsement in extending my status as Chair, I find little solace in reading Title 3: Executive, Chapter11: State Officers and Employees generally &255. Term of office appointed without advice and consent of senate (VT State Statute):"The term of an officer appointed by the Governor, without the advice and consent of senate, shall commence on the day when such appointee qualifies, and shall continue, where no other term is fixed by law, until March 1 of the next biennial year and until his successor is appointed and has qualified."

Quite frankly, I feel that I have been put in an untenable situation from the onset in that the VT Commission on Native American Affairs has established powers which are illusory; that is, how can the Commission maintain said established powers unless the State concomitantly recognizes Native peoples residing within its borders?

In other words, how can the State of Vermont establish a Commission with established authority yet at the same time failing to recognize the Native Americans, i.e. The Abenaki as delineated historically as the St.Francis/Sokoki Band of the Missisquoi?

To simply not address the recognition issue because of political nuance is nothing short of shameful in the year 2008.

Thus, I have no desire to convene the current Commission and in respect to the Abenaki peoples, I am stepping down as Chair of the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs since lack of respect by the Vermont Legislature leaves me no other choice.

Respectively Submitted, Mark Mitchell