At exactly 7:02 p.m. Tuesday, above the heads of tourists, performers and costumed superhero imitators, a digital billboard in Times Square flashed maroon for sixty seconds.
It read: 鈥淪top identity fraud, Abenaki of Odanak and W8linak sole guardians of Abenaki identity.鈥�
The message, which Abenaki Council of Odanak Chief Rick O'Bomsawin says , showed up for one minute every hour all day on Tuesday.
It was the same message that the Abenaki Councils of Odanak and W么linak and the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador delivered Wednesday to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
There, two youth Abenaki representatives spoke during a side event titled: "Identity Fraud and Indigenous Self-Determination: Abenaki Youth Perspectives."
"Kwa茂, nd鈥檃liwizi Sigwanis Lachapelle, nd鈥檃ln8ba茂skwa ta polibii, n鈥檞igi Odanak, nisinska taba ngwed8s n鈥檏assigadma," is how Sigwanis Lachapelle introduced herself in Abenaki. "Hello, hi, my name is Sigwanis Lachapelle, it means 'little spring' in the Abenaki language. I鈥檓 Abenaki, and I鈥檓 also Bolivian. I live in Odanak, I鈥檓 26 years old."
"Kwa茂, nd鈥檃liwizi Isaak Lachapelle-Gill, nd鈥檃ln8ba/ aln8ba nia, n鈥檞igi Odanak, nisinska taba iaw n鈥檏assigadma," said Isaak Lachapee-Gill in Abenaki. "Hello everyone, my name is Isaak Lachapelle-Gill, I鈥檓 an Abenaki from Odanak, I鈥檓 24 years old."
Lachapelle and Lachappelle-Gill are cousins who say they want to defend the identity and rights of the 鈥� which is made up of Odanak and W么linak First Nations.
"Identity fraud threatens the integrity of our cultures and traditions, distorting our age-old heritage," Lachappelle-Gill said. "While culture is naturally dynamic, the death of identity is not cultural. It is the result of a settler culture intent on destroying Indigenous peoples."
"We are aware that because of government laws and policies, many of our people lost their status or family ties and now aspire to reconnect with their culture and community," said Lachapelle. "We welcome their efforts to reconnect with us."
But, she added:
"There are more and more people who call themselves Abenaki on the sole pretext of family lore or distant ancestor from over 300 years ago. However, there is a fundamental ."
The Abenaki youth said these things specifically in response to Vermont, which has recognized four groups as Abenaki tribes 鈥� groups that the W8banaki Nation denounces and says are The state-recognized tribes
"How can the W8banaki Nation claim self determination, autonomy and self-government when our fundamental rights are constantly being trampled underfoot by individuals and groups pretending to be us?" Lachapelle-Gill asked.
Following their speech, the Abenaki delegation heard from a roomful of people belonging to Indigenous nations across the world who say they are seeing the same thing: Innu, Manitoba M茅tis Federation, Sami, Brokenhead Ojibway and more.
"In Quebec, we've had for the past 30 years name of nations that were coming from somebody's dream 鈥� nations that we never heard of," said Ghislain Picard, who is the Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador and is also Innu from the community of Pessamit.
"Beginning in the 60s, we finally started as M茅tis getting a few programs and services... then all of a sudden, you had these people coming forward, who we know are white people, saying they鈥檙e M茅tis to get an advantage," said Ambassador Cl茅ment Chartier of the Manitoba M茅tis Federation and the National Government of the Red River M茅tis.
"We have some parallel issues, for example, now a burning issue with Finland 鈥� they accepted about 70 non-Sami people to be registered into the role of the Finnish S谩mi parliament," said 脕nde Somby, who is the chair of the Sami and Indigenous Peoples Law research group at the Arctic University of Norway.
And a person who identified themselves as Taylor from Brokenhead Ojibway Nation said: "I just wanted to just say chi-miigwech and thank you for sharing this, because it's, it's ignited a fire inside of me."
鈥淚 mean I knew that all nations had this issue, but I think 鈥� it鈥檚 that elephant in the room, you know, that nobody really want to talk about it," said Rick O'Bomsawin, the Abenaki Council of Odanak chief. But by bringing this topic up, he added, "I think it really opened the door for other people to say, 'You know what, no, we got to talk about this issue.'"
He noted that under the current , there鈥檚 broad language about the right to self-determination. But O鈥橞omsawin told those at the UN event that it should be clearer who has that right 鈥� namely, historically continuous Indigenous nations.
"We need to be brought to the table as a nation," he said. "Because whether they like it or not, to each individual nation, we are a country within ourselves. And they need to view us that way."
Whereas in Vermont, the state recognition process limited the participation of the two Abenaki First Nations, whose governments are headquartered in Quebec. That鈥檚 because parts of the process only allowed Vermont residents to give input.
And while O鈥橞omsawin said he鈥檚 continued to ask to discuss this with Gov. Phil Scott, he has had no luck.
"You have to understand what's happened to our nation in Vermont is 鈥� not only has he created a new nation, he's erased mine," O'Bomsawin said.
In a written statement, Gov. Scott said he felt this issue was settled, and that he was seeking no changes to the status of Vermont鈥檚 state-recognized tribes or the process that led to their recognition.
The governor also said that "any potential changes would need to be made legislatively, so Odanak could make their case to legislators."
, which represents Vermont鈥檚 four state-recognized tribes, did not immediately return a request for comment.
Rich Holschuh, who is the chair of Vermont鈥檚 Commission on Native American Affairs and a member of the Elnu state-recognized tribe, said in an email that the statements made by W8banaki Nation representatives were hard to hear.
Holschuh, wrote in part: 鈥淎benaki communities and individuals, in common with all other beings, have been affected by a multitude of lived experiences in as many places. We look for open dialogue and respectful learning with all of those to whom we are related (which is Creation as a whole), whether distantly or more closely, and recognize that, while there may be differences in our respective journeys, the future of our children will depend on how we conduct ourselves.鈥�
He also praised the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, calling it 鈥渂roadly inclusive rather than exclusive.鈥�
Back at UN headquarters, both youth Abenaki speakers 鈥� Isaak Lachapelle-Gill and Sigwanis Lachapelle 鈥� said they were feeling hopeful for the future following their event. Even if they were nervous before it began.
"At the end I just thought, like, let it out with passion, because 鈥� let the passion speak for yourself, for your nation. And we want to get the message out there," Lachapelle-Gill said.
"It's a global issue for everyone," Lachapelle said. "I hope people enjoyed our presentation."
Both said they are proud to be defending W8banaki Nation 鈥� and to do so among so many Indigenous peoples.
Have questions, comments or tips?
