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MARCH | APRIL 2008
By Nakki Goranin
The Abenaki Story
Looking back

I didn’t know what to expect from my first meeting with Homer St. Francis. He was polite, gracious, but incredibly intimidating. He had the type of presence that filled a room. Powerful, full of years of anger, limited by the economic constraints of the world he grew up in, he still was single-minded and entirely focused on bringing not just recognition, but education, jobs, and social justice to the Abenaki Indians who lived by a thread on the rim of the Northern Champlain Valley and hidden in the Kingdom’s mountains.

-Excerpt from The Abenaki Story by Nakki Goranin. To read this story in its entirety, subscribe to Livin’ Magazine.


2 Responses to “The Abenaki Story”

  1. Joelen Mulvaney Says:
    June 4th, 2008 at 12:18 pm

    Imagine my surprise when I read the article, The Abenaki Story: Looking Back”. You put of picture of Chief Blackie Lampman on the cover and never mentioned him! You quote people who are not Abenaki about sensitive issues that only someone of Abenaki descent should rightly have the honor of answering. Contrary to your words, Mattie is still alive, as are others who you photographed and descendents of those now passed could have been contacted for a more accurate description of what’s happening in the community today.

    The numerous community activists who have been working as volunteers over many years to help “the younger generations to have a better life” are not mentioned. Only those who are on some payroll, whose job it is to work for the community are credited. As long as those who work for love, not money, remain anonymous, the real progress of the community will not be honored. Who saved the largest wetland as a nature preserve? Who reclaimed the sacred burial ground and repatriated remains? Who organized the community health center? Who set up harvest suppers, winter give-aways at the holidays, the original youth dance troupe, youth craft projects, basket-making and other cultural heritage apprenticeships, who gave of their time to add to recorded oral tradition?

    There is much happening in the heart of Ndakinna, but as long as writers like Goranin don’t take the time and make the effort to research more deeply, no one will ever know about it. Her article focused on the negative. Yes,”life is tough in the north country”, but the survival ofAbenaki people, even in the face of American genocide is the good news. The real nasty secret and the irony of this article is that snubbing the Abenaki continues, even by “Livin’”.

    Joelen Mulvaney
    Barre, Vermont

    58 Pleasant Street
    802-379-1931

  2. Angela Says:
    October 7th, 2008 at 6:21 am

    Wow! Being part Cherokee, I would appreciate reading a series of articles about the Abenaki written by Joelen Mulvaney! How about it, Livin???

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