The Abenaki Nation of Vermont celebrated on Wednesday after Gov. Gov. James Douglas (R) signed a bill recognizing the tribe.
Abenaki members said recognition was long overdue. "This is a proud day for our people," Chief April St. Francis Merrill said at the Statehouse, according to news reports.
The tribe applied for federal recognition through the Bureau of Indian Affairs but was denied last November. Some state officials were wary of granting state recognition out of fear that it would help the tribe's BIA case.
Get the Story:Vt. Governor Signs Law Recognizing Abenaki (AP 5/3)
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Abenaki officially recognized by Vermont (The Barre Montpelier Times Argus 5/4)
Abenaki celebrate recognition (The Burlington Free Press 5/4) Relevant Documents:
Summary of Acknowledgment Cases | R. Lee Fleming Declaration Only on Indianz.Com:
Federal Recognition Database V2.0 (May 2005) Relevant Links:
Abenaki Nation - http://www.abenakination.org Related Stories:
Abenaki Nation nears recognition in Vermont (04/06)
Abenaki Nation seeks aid for recognition effort (11/15)
Abenaki Nation to fight recognition ruling (11/11)
Cason rejects recognition for Abenaki Nation (11/10)
Big workload looms for BIA on federal recognition (07/26)
Abenaki Nation recognition bill advances in Vermont (05/12)
Abenaki Nation presses case for state recognition (05/05)
Bill to recognize Abenaki Nation advances in Vermont (04/15)
State removes 'Abenaki' from tribe's contract (03/31)
Abenakis press Vermont for state recognition (02/16)
Bill in Vermont seeks to recognize Abenaki Nation (02/14)
Tribe's endorsement of Clark a criticism of Dean (01/13)
Abenaki chief wants NCAI to know Dean's record (11/20)