 As taught by the Wabanaki Traditions Keeper, Donald Soctema of Indian Township, I present these wampum strings to honor the inauguration of Wabanaki Confederacy Ceremony. The first string is to open your eyes to what you will see. The second string is to open your ears to what you will hear. The third is to open your hearts to that which you will find. My ancestral friend, koasic chief Nancy Mallette, once taught a basic principle of her family and community, she called it Nau'ila. This is also an Odinak-Habanaki word that roughly translates as coming home, but the ancestral koas village forelicks to our east in that direction. It seemed more, returning once again to a place of consequence, a place of knowledge of power. Today we return to a place of consequence, but we are incomplete. As taught to me, hold a vessel of remembrance. As taught to me long ago by Kozi Nicholas and David Francis of Sipaik, I tell you that the Wabanaki Confederation Wampum of Memory, Wampum of Morning, offers condolence and a measure of solace to those who weep for the great dead, or yearn for the esteemed living. We are not seen here due to distance, politics, time, illness. Today, the Wampum of Memory serves to witness to the defenders of Wabanaki legitimacy who are not here. They who sought Wabanaki acknowledgment 25 winters ago then stood against the darkness until the pathway of indigenous recognition was revealed 15 summers later. I hunt their names in the forests and fields of community memory. The register is incomplete, but let us hear of their identity once again. Hello, my friends, you all appear new to us, myself and my father. Me, you wish to greet you and thank you. We give greetings and we give thanks to our great creator, Kasinawask, and to the sun, and to our grandmother, the moon, the night traveler, and to the Dr. Lakwasak, the distant stars, those beings that give us light. We give thanks to this land and to the waters of this land, to the rivers, the lakes, to the great ocean, and to the rain that brings moisture and life to all living things. Thank you. And we give thanks to those four-legged ones, to the animals, the bear, the deer, the turtle. We give thanks to the birds that fly to all of the living creatures that our relatives will lead to go long gone on our relatives here on this land. We give thanks to all the people, those who have done so much in the past, to our ancestors, those who came before us, those who are yet to come. We give thanks to our chiefs. We give thanks to Kitsi Sankamo, the big chief. Also, Kitsi Sankamo, the second big chief, the governor and the lieutenant governor. I had to all of those who are gathered here with good hearts to celebrate this day and all those who have made this possible. Thank you, Joseph and Jesse Brushak. I'd like to now introduce Lieutenant Governor David Zuckerman. He's going to say a few words. Thank you. I've got a couple different things to do. I'm going to be reading the governor's proclamation, because unfortunately he couldn't be here, but he did sign it this morning. I'll be reading that. I've also gone in reading the proclamation from the governor, executive department of the state of Vermont. Whereas Abenaki recognition and heritage week marks a time to honor and celebrate the history of the Abenaki people who long before the arrival of the first Europeans inhabited all of Vermont and New Hampshire, parts of western Maine, parts of southern Quebec and parts of upstate New York. And whereas centuries of oral tradition have kept the history and the ancient culture of the Abenaki alive and many contemporary Abenaki families intend to continue to pass on these indigenous traditions to the younger generations. And whereas unfortunately we must acknowledge the history of the Abenaki people is marred by disease and upheaval, war and the atrocity of eugenics, discrimination and injustice. And whereas beginning in the early 1970s, the Abenaki people sought recognition as Native American Indian tribes. And whereas on May 14, 2010, Governor James H. Douglas signed into law Act number 107 of 2010, an act relating to state recognition of Native American Indian tribes in Vermont. A bill which set forth formal criteria and a process for Abenaki tribes to be recognized as Native American Indian tribes by the state. And whereas in order to recognize the historic and cultural contributions of Native Americans to Vermont, to protect and strengthen their heritage and to address their needs and state policy, programs and actions, the act also established the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs. And whereas Vermont is now home to four state recognized Native American Indian tribes, the Elnu Abenaki tribe, the Nalhegan band of the Kusak Abenaki Nation, the Kossak Abenaki of the Koss and the Nasiskoi St. Francis Sokoke band. And whereas through mutual honor and respect for the rich heritage of Vermont's Abenaki people, this week we celebrate the Abenaki and their ancestors and acknowledge and honor these members of the community both past and present. Now therefore, I, Philip B. Scott, Governor, hereby proclaim May 1 through 5, 2019 as Abenaki Recognition and Heritage Week in Vermont. Now what I have before me as well is the work of our House and Senate bodies in the legislature. And you'll be hearing from the President Pro Tem shortly as well as the Speaker of the House. But both led the effort to get through S68, which is this is the actual bill. It's got all the little stamps on the back. This is the official document that will be changing how the state recognizes that day in October with respect to the people of this land to Indigenous Peoples Day from the prior name of Columbus Day. And it's really an honor as President of the Senate to be able to sign this document in that capacity. And I think back to my high school years where a people's history of ourselves was my U.S. History textbook by Howard Zinn, where I first learned of the consequences of European landing on this soil and the warm welcome and embrace that the Native people brought to them and yet the not so reciprocal treatment that was given by those of us with European ancestry. And so I think back to those days of learning that truth that so many more folks are still yet to learn who walk on this Native land. So I signed this with great honor to those of you with such ancestry of this place. There it is. It'll go to the governor. He'll sign it next. I'm Chief Don Stevens of the Nalhegan Band of Kusuk Avanaki Nation. I wanted to say a couple of words. We have a display. If you haven't seen it yet, we worked hard with a bunch of people here. And we have a permanent display in the state house. So please, when you get a chance later on today, please walk through these doors. It's right underneath the stairs. It's about the road to recognition. So I would like to thank the governor's office, the lieutenant governor, the legislators for their willingness to recognize and celebrate the Avanaki people who are the original stewards of this land. I would like to thank David Sheets, friends of the state house, Carol McGranigan, Fred Wiseman, and many others gathered here to help make this day possible. Our ancestors who have crossed over are here with us today, standing tall and feeling pride in what our generation is accomplishing for the continued future of the Avanaki people. Our parents and grandparents who survived adversity, singing celebration, joining us with one heart and one voice. We must honor and acknowledge these sacrifices, which have allowed us to stand in front of you today. We must remember the struggles and how we got to this place in history. For centuries, the house of the people that now stands behind us did not hear the cries of our Avanaki voices. We were treated as unwanted visitors, outcasts in our own homeland. In 2006, the Avanaki people summoned the strength to knock on that door one more time. In hopes that our voices would be heard, the legislators and governor opened that door just a crack by recognizing our people as a minority population, but still would not recognize our tribes or let us in the front door. We continued to stand on these steps here under this great golden dome until we were recognized in 2011 and 2012 for who we are, proud Avanaki Indians. Since then, the legislators and governor's office have gotten to know us a little bit better. Their fears have eased about what recognizing our people would really mean to the state of Vermont. This cooperation has opened the door to endless possibilities and opportunities for all to enjoy. We now work in partnership with many state agencies and a government-to-government relationship as equals to uplift our people and provide guidance to the state of Vermont when needed. Voices that were once discounted in silence are considered and respected. We offer unique insights, knowledge and wisdom on various subjects affecting the state and our people. We need to continue to lend our voices in order to make positive impacts in the ever-changing world and climate we live in. We need to continue to walk together on this path to protect our planet and our very existence. Today is truly a historic moment. We have been finally invited into this great house of the people as friends, equals and partners. The gifts given so long ago at recognition time and friendship now have a permanent place in the lobby of this great house. It is no longer a stranger's house. It is now part of our home in which we all share and have items in it. Let us continue to work together to celebrate diversity which is so tightly woven into the fabric of Vermont's landscape. Let us reaffirm our efforts and commitment to learn from each other. We must do this for the sake of our children and the generations that will benefit from our continued cooperation. Together, we can continue to do great things. Aho! I recognize Eugene Rich from Miss Isgoy. Thank you. Quite like. My name is Eugene Rich. I'm the chief of the Miss Isgoy Abinacki Nation. I had a real long involved drawn out speech but quite frankly, Chief Don Stevens took all the good stuff. So why are we here today? The beginning of a heritage recognition is an amazing step. People have been trying for this for decades. We had people very loud and voiceless, large personalities, and we've had some quiet people working behind the scenes. And the conversation between our people and the government is finally one of unity or building a trust and shaking hands. At my office, we have at least a dozen state entities that we partner with. And that comes a long way. But what makes us Abinacki? Our heritage, our customs, our ceremony, these things that we practice and you're going to get to see part of a ceremony today being performed by Al-Nubawi. And it's practice, the intent becomes pure to yourself. If you keep it up and you realize how long and how old these traditions are, the teaching of Columbus Day, when I grew up it was the whitewashed version. Everybody hugged and lived happy. When you talk to children today, they have no different view but we're making strides. We're taking steps and we are coming together to come up with a curriculum that would make sense. And it's one that we can all embrace because I remember my grandparents. I now have grandchildren and I want them to know the truth. So being indigenous, I mean an immigrant by definition cannot be indigenous. Indigenous is our birthright. And the fact that we're all coming together, I just want to say Uliuni. Thank you. Introduce Carol, the chair of the commission. So she's going to say a few words. I think I must be the shortest one here. I'm Carol McGranny-Han and I am chair of the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs. This is a great day. It's a great day to celebrate and give thanks. First, the Apanaki State House display is now in place. Many thanks to the Friends of the State House, the Curator's Office, the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs, the Apanaki leaders, the legislators and our allies for all of their support. We are here. Second, we will be officially celebrating Indigenous Day this year. Many thanks to Brian Cina for his continued persistence and support. Rich Holschew of the Vermont Commission on Native Affairs, Governor Scott, the legislators and all of our supporters. We have always been here. Third, the proclamation of Apanaki Recognition and Culture Week. Thanks to Governor Scott and the Curator's Office. We are still here. This is also a time to thank the ancestors, the present generation and the generations to come. My children and grandchildren can share their heritage and not be afraid. Be proud of who they are and no longer hide and teach their children what it means to be Apanaki. We are here. We have always been here. We are still here. I'd like to introduce the Chief of the Coasec of the Coase, Shirley Hook. It was a beautiful day, wasn't it everybody? I'd first like to thank the Governor and the Legislature for making this Apanaki Heritage Week. It has been a long process from the recognition of four tribes to this moment. The Vermont Commission of Native American Affairs have put in endless hours through the years. We are grateful for all their support and hard work. I'd like to remember the late Chief Nancy she'll be looking down on us and smiling. I thank Mother Earth, Father Sky, Grandfather Sun and Grandmother Moon for such a beautiful place as this place. Thank you, everybody, for all your support. Thank you. Hi, it's Jim Taylor. Words, but I speak today on behalf of the Illinois people as tribal councilmen. This is a good day. It's a good day to finally see the things that we gave to the State House actually displayed so that all the people of Vermont and anyone that travels here can see the relationship that we have now with the state of Vermont that we didn't once have. So on behalf of my people, my brothers, my sisters and all of my brothers and sisters in Nidolba, thank you very much. Peace. We ask that Grandfather and Grandmother Eagle lift our prayers to the heavens that will carry their songs and the prayers to our ancestors. That'll wait. That'll wait. We offer in the southern direction to our grandmothers who bring this love that everybody here has a warm heart. We offer to the West the great medicine bear that will help heal our people and heal everyone here. We ask our grandfathers to help us remember our songs and to be good people and to be with us always. We offer Mother Earth to continue to pride for us and also we ask that she accept us back in the ground when it's our time. We need to protect our Earth. We ask the spirits above our ancestors to be here with us today. For the spirit of the drum, the spirit of the pipe and all the spirits that we ask that rely on giving us guidance, we ask for their help. And the last direction is for the fire that burns inside our heart. We tutor ourself and tutor our people and know who we are and be proud of who we are. Oh. Okay, open the drums. It means it was kind of like a conference. Unsecured water lure. I get to listen to the Navajo people talk about the damage that was done to their water supply. And as they tested their water, they realized that one of the schools had 100 times higher levels of uranium than the federal government would allow. And in that, the woman that was putting it on had just received her doctorate in Colonialism from Dartmouth College. I got to listen to the VP of the Navajo Nation ask her who the Abinaki are. And she spoke of the result of the Abinaki people. This next song will speak to that. Most tribes in this country had 20 years worth of war with their suppressors. The Abinaki, most people don't realize, has had over 100 in hundreds of years of suppression. And you've just witnessed today we still have our language. This is Tom Petty's, I won't back down with the chorus in Abinaki.