The Burlington City Council on Tuesday night delayed accepting a gift from the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi amid an ongoing debate about the group’s legitimacy as Indigenous people. Instead, the council voted unanimously to punt the issue to its Racial Equity, Inclusion and Belonging committee.
“This is clearly a very difficult issue with two points of view that I think we, tonight, would not do well to be adjudicating,” said Councilor Gene Bergman (P-Ward 3).
The tribe wants to give the city a piece of artwork valued at $20,000 that would replace the sculpture of 18th-century Abenaki Chief Greylock. The carved wood piece stood in Battery Park for decades before it rotted and was taken down. But the proposed replacement has yet to get city approval a year after it was offered.
Among those opposed to the gift are the two Western Abenaki nations based in Québec — Odanak First Nation and Wôlinak First Nation — and Vermont Rep. Troy Headrick (I-Burlington). He has spoken critically of Vermont’s state recognition process for Native American tribes, which took place in the early 2010s.
Headrick recently revealed that he’d been the subject of a House Ethics Panel investigation based on complaints brought by Missisquoi leaders, who said he had defamed them and undermined “Indigenous self-determination and dignity.” The state rep was vindicated by the panel.
Tuesday, Headrick spoke at public forum against the gift, as did David Massell, a University of Vermont history professor, and Denise Watso, a citizen of the Abenaki Nation of Odanak who lives in New York State.
Watso argued that the Vermont Abenaki’s “identity claims are unfounded” and that the statue they commissioned to replace Greylock was an “offensive, stereotype Indian” that wouldn’t honor the chief’s legacy.
“This can be a moment of reconciliation, dialogue and truth,” she said. “But for it to be meaningful, it must be based on authentic collaborations with the legitimate representatives of the Abenaki people.”
Speaking on behalf of the Missisquoi was tribal councilor Robert Richard, who was upset by the delay and what he called unfounded ongoing attacks from the Canadian-based Abenaki.
“I’ve been on this totem pole commission since day one,” Richard said, adding that he’d submitted concepts and drawings to city officials. “They’ve all loved it. For this to be happening at this late date is not right.”
The acceptance of the gift was initially meant to be on the council’s consent agenda, meaning there would be no discussion about it, just a vote. But Councilor Allie Schachter (D-East District) said she asked for it to be moved to the deliberative part of the meeting. While she acknowledged that the delay must be difficult for the Missisquoi, she also noted that there’s ongoing debate about the state recognition process in line with some of Headrick’s concerns.
“I feel that it’s important as a body that we sort of acknowledge and are cognizant of the complexities behind this,” Schachter said.
Earlier in the meeting, the council unanimously voted to approve an “ICE Out of Burlington” resolution that condemns the federal agency and calls for its dissolution.
The measure “formally opposes ICE activities within Burlington and the State of Vermont,” “strongly objects to the use of any facility within the City or State for ICE operations,” and “affirms its policy that ICE agents not be permitted entry into protected areas of municipal property absent a valid judicial warrant.”
