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Identity Politics

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Wednesday, 21 April 2010

Identity Politics Fair Game By Shay Totten [04.21.10] In 1993, Sen. Julius Canns (R-Caledonia) introduced a bill to recognize Vermont’s original inhabitants: the Abenaki people. Twelve years later, in 2005, Canns died on the eve of a hearing on the issue. He was 82. Canns, whose ancestors were white, African American and Cherokee, was a tireless champion of the Green Mountain State’s native people. Fellow Northeast Kingdom lawmaker Sen. Vincent Illuzzi (R-Essex/Orleans) said Abenaki recognition was one of Canns’ unfinished tasks — a dying wish, if you will, that he passed on to Illuzzi to fulfill. This year Illuzzi ushered a bill through his own Senate Economic Development Committee, which subsequently passed the full Senate. At a minimum, state recognition would allow the Abenaki to sell their arts and crafts with the state’s seal of approval — both in and out of state. Without it, they cannot legally claim their wares as “Native American made.” “This is not about land claims, or federal recognition — the Abenaki have already been denied that,” says Illuzzi. “All we’re trying to do is help Native Americans in Vermont be able to officially sell baskets and other arts and crafts. It’s that simple.” Recognition also helps tribes access housing and education resources, he added. The Senate bill recognizes four documented Abenaki tribes — Missisquoi, Koasek, Nulhegan and ELNU — and sets up a process for additional bands and tribes to gain recognition through an expanded Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs. It also spells out six key criteria for Native Americans to be recognized by the state. Rather than accept the Senate version, the House stripped out all references to specific tribes and will tweak the recognition criteria, and approval process, crafted by the Senate, keeping the VCNAA largely as is. Both bills charge the VCNAA with reviewing tribal recognition requests and forwarding rcommendations to lawmakers. As “Fair Game” readers may recall, the VCNAA has been plagued by age-old, inter- and intra-tribal rivalries that may have been exacerbated by insensitive gubernatorial appointments. “It does not appear to be just or reasonable to recognize any tribes before there [are] criteria in statute for them to meet,” said Rep. Kesha Ram (D-Burlington), who has taken the lead on the House version of the bill. “This decision will not only level the playing field, but my firm belief is that it will demonstrate to the Indian Arts and Crafts Board and other federal entities that we are standing on solid ground with our recognition process.” Illuzzi disagrees. “It appears as though she’s being influenced by tribes recognized in other states who want to keep their competitive advantage to keep the Abenaki from being recognized,” he said of Ram. The result of the House’s effort? It’s unlikely the Abenaki will see recognition this year, Illuzzi predicted. Ram said she has spoken with Abenaki who don’t belong to any of the four tribes, as well as other Native Americans. She says they felt left out of the Senate process and wanted to see a “fair and transparent” alternative in place. The tribes that are named in the Senate bill have a different view of the matter, of course. “This has been such a long, terrible process,” said Luke Willard, chief of the Nulhegan tribe. Three decades, in fact. Gov. Tom Salmon, a Democrat, first recognized the tribe by executive order in 1976, only to see that overturned by his successor Gov. Richard Snelling, a Republican, in 1977. “I will say this,” said Willard, “with or without a bill, with or without scholars, with or without a commission, we know who we are.” http://www.7dvt.com/2010identity-politics

 

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