NEWS & NOTES Q&A
Native roots
Educational project recognizes NH’s Abenaki heritage The Abenaki Trails Project, launched last August, is highlighting New Hampshire’s Abenaki history and present-day Abenaki communities. It’s a partnership between the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki — a Native American tribe based in Vermont — and New Hampshire towns and organizations. Nulhegan Abenaki citizen and Hopkinton resident Darryl Peasley, who co-founded the project, talked about what it has accomplished since its launch in August 2020 and the initiatives it has planned for the future. For more, see abenakitribe.org.
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HIPPO | JUNE 3 - 9, 2021 | PAGE 6
What started What partnerships and the Abenaki Trails initiatives has the project Project? established so far? Back in 2010, We’ve partnered with the when we were trying to get Hopkinton, Henniker, Warthe law passed to create ner and Bradford historical the Commission on Native societies. There are a couAmerican Affairs, I lisple of archaeologists with the tened to some legislators Hopkinton Historical Socisay that there was no need ety who we’re working with. to acknowledge the Abenaki … We’ve partnered with the [history] in New Hampshire Darryl Peasley. Courtesy photo. New Hampshire Historical because New Hampshire Society so that, if they come was just a pass-through state and no up with something [about Abenaki hisIndians actually lived here. That kind tory], they’ll ask us about it, and we can of got my blood boiling, because there tell them if there’s truth to it or not. … We were Indians who lived here, and they [recently had an] art show ... at Two Villagwere Abenaki. … I thought, wouldn’t it es Art Society in Hopkinton with around be nice if we had a project that would 20 to 25 artists — some are Abenaki arteducate the public about the Abenaki and ists and some are our community partners let people know that the Abenaki did live — who do different things like fiber art, here, and that some of us still live here. leather art, basketmaking and pottery. … Hopkinton is where I’ve lived all my life, and it had actually changed ColumWhat do you have planned for the bus Day to Indigenous People’s Day on future? its town calendar … so we started there. If you look at the calendar of what our team is planning for the summer, just So, is there an actual trail? about every weekend is booked up with When we say Abenaki Trail Project, one thing or another. … We’re going to be it’s not like a trail that you would walk; participating in the Living History event in we don’t want to pinpoint any specif- Hillsborough this summer. … We’re putic spot. It’s more of a trail from town to ting together an Abenaki regalia display town to show people where the Abena- for the Kearsarge Indian Museum, and ki lived and where we live now. … We members have been constructing leggings, have almost conclusively found [the coats, shirts and moccasins for that. … locations of] four different Abenaki set- Hopkinton has asked us to involve school tlements, which, today, are within the kids in the project, so we have a couple town boundaries of Henniker, Warner, of teachers on our team who have started Hopkinton and Bradford. … We’re hop- putting together a curriculum that teaches ing to make a map or brochure so that kids what actually happened [in Abenaki you could spend a day or two traveling history]. from one town to the next and being in the general area. Are there any misconceptions about the Abenaki in New Hampshire that you hope How big is the Abenaki population in to address? New Hampshire? You always read in the history books There are hundreds in New Hampshire that the Indians killed all these people. You … living among you as factory workers, just hear the bad things. Some of it is true, laborers, computer technicians, social and some of it isn’t true. We weren’t just workers, lawyers, doctors — everyday murderers and marauders; we helped a lot, people. … Indians in this area [don’t too. … We want to make sure people hear look like] your stereotypical western the other side of the story. Indian … so unless someone comes out — Angie Sykeny and introduces themselves as an Abenaki person, chances are you would never know.
