Elnu Abenaki Tribe facts for kids
| Formation | 2020 (Elnu Abenaki Incorporated) |
|---|---|
| Founded at | Brattleboro, Vermont |
| Type | state-recognized tribe, nonprofit organizations |
| Legal status | arts, culture, and humanities nonprofit; charity |
| Purpose | A23: Cultural, Ethnic Awareness |
| Headquarters | Jamaica, Vermont |
| Location | |
|
Membership (2016)
|
60 |
|
Official language
|
English |
The Elnu Abenaki Tribe is a state-recognized tribe in Vermont, who claim descent from Abenaki people. They are not federally recognized as a Native American tribe. Vermont has no federally recognized tribes. They are the smallest of Vermont's four state-recognized tribes with 60 members in 2016.
Leadership
Roger Longtoe Sheehan served as chief since at least 2016.
State recognition
Vermont recognized the Elnu Abenaki Tribe as a state-recognized tribe in 2011. The other state-recognized tribes in Vermont are the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, Koasek Abenaki Tribe, and the Mississquoi Abenaki Tribe.
Nonprofit organization
In 2020, the group created 'Elnu Abenaki Incorporated, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, based in Brattleboro, Vermont. Their registered agent is Rich Holshuh.
Heritage
St. Mary's University associate professor Darryl Leroux's genealogical and historical research found that the members of this and the other three state-recognized tribes in Vermont were composed primarily of "French descendants who have used long-ago ancestry in New France to shift into an 'Abenaki' identity."
The State of Vermont reported in 2002 that the Abenaki people migrated north to Quebec at the end of the 18th century.
Activities
They participate in Abenaki Heritage Weekend, held at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes, Vermont.
Property tax
Vermont H.556, "An act relating to exempting property owned by Vermont-recognized Native American tribes from property tax," passed on April 20, 2022.
