To better connect people and communities to land and water, Lake Champlain Sea Grant partners with Abenaki Helping Abenaki, Inc, to support Indigenous education and to disseminate traditional knowledge. Through this partnership, we aim to amplify Indigenous voices and increase knowledge and understanding of Indigenous Peoples in the Lake Champlain basin.
We support Chief Don Stevens from the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe to share Indigenous knowledge and cultural history through educational programming at Shelburne Farms, K-12 schools, colleges, and other non-profits and public education locations in the basin.
There are currently very few Abenaki resources in the Lake Champlain basin for cultural education and competency,” said Chief Don Stevens of the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe. “The Abenaki have a rich oral culture, traditionally passed down from generation to generation. We don’t have a lot of written cultural history in our own words but we hope to change that moving forward.”
Resources for Community Members
- Find Lake Champlain basin area educational events and programs on the Shelburne Farms website.
- View the short film Nebi: Abenaki Ways of Knowing Water.
- Discover more Abenaki videos and resources on the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation website.
Educator Activities
- Tell the stories of Abenaki cultural history and build awareness, understanding, and knowledge of Abenaki and other Indigenous traditional ways of knowing through educational programs that include oral stories, videos, books, and other materials.
- Build understanding of Abenaki cultural history through public events, K-12 and college education, panel discussions, and roundtables that include Abenaki and other Indigenous voices.
- Support Lake Champlain Sea Grant, partners, and teachers as they develop education and outreach programs.
- Advise museums on the history of Indigenous artifacts such as barrel goods, spear points, and pottery.
Shelburne Farms and the greater Lake Champlain basin is an important place for the Abenaki People both past and present,” said Chief Stevens. “Odzihozo, who created the lake, continues to watch over us as he sits off Shelburne Point as Rock Dunder. Since we now share these special places with Europeans and others, it underscores the necessity to partner, steward, and educate about this beautiful place together.”
Nebi: Abenaki Ways of Knowing Water
Working with chiefs and members of the Nulhegan, Missisquoi, and Elnu Bands of the Abenaki Nation, and Peregrine Productions, LLC, Lake Champlain Sea Grant and UVM Extension are thrilled to share the short film, Nebi: Abenaki Ways of Knowing Water. This film was created in an effort to share cultural history and knowledge with public and school audiences who participate in our watershed programs. The film also provided an opportunity to the Abenaki people to preserve their creation stories for generations to come.
The film’s length is just over 10 minutes. If you watch the film below, we would be grateful if you shared your answer to the question posed at the end of the film in our quick survey. Your responses may be used to help us tell the story of the value of this film to others and to the environment.