For the last two decades relations between the Canadian Abenaki and the Vermont Abenaki have fractured. Amidst that animus, a bill has been introduced in Vermont's legislature to change how the state recognizes native tribes. The animosity was highlighted recently during a brief altercation between a Vermont legislator and a member of the Vermont Missisquoi Abenaki.
Members of the Quebec Odanak were in Burlington recently for an invitation-only meeting. When members of the Vermont Missisquoi tribe approached the venue, independent Vermont House Rep. Troy Headrick of Burlington stepped outside to block their entry.
“As I was doing that one of the members sort-of shoulder checked me as he as he was trying to walk by and then he took a step backward and shoved me with both hands, making pretty firm impact on my chest. And he made a couple verbal threats including some profanities that I won’t use. At that point I backed up.”
Don Stevens is chief of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki, one of the four tribes in Vermont. He was not at the meeting, but is not surprised there was an altercation.
"Unfortunately there’s bigger things at play here than just this incident.”
The Abenaki Council of Odanak condemned the assault, and said that “Members of Odanak and their allies regularly face acts of intimidation and confrontations in Vermont involving individuals associated with groups that claim an Abenaki identity...”
Official recognition of the tribes is one point of conflict. In 2011 the state of Vermont officially recognized two Vermont Abenaki tribes, and then in 2012 it granted recognition to two other Abenaki tribes. They have not received federal recognition. Across the border in Quebec, the two Abenaki tribes are recognized as First Nations by the Canadian government.
In 2025 Headrick introduced a bill that would change how the state recognizes Native American tribes and “implement restorative justice projects in collaboration with Odanak leadership.”
“I have been publicly well aligned with the Abenaki First Nations at Odanak and Wôlinak who were excluded from the processes by which the state of Vermont conferred identity onto various groups here in Vermont. And that state recognition process is in conflict with international standards. So I’ve been spending a few years now trying to convince my legislative colleagues that we need to revisit the state recognition process.”
Chief Stevens questions why Headrick is pushing legislation that aligns with the Canadian tribe.
“Why would they want to get rid of us? We had proven ourselves based on their criteria to their satisfaction. So why is somebody 15 years later trying to redo or unwind all that? Especially for a foreign entity in a foreign country over his own constituents? That’s a big deal. Why does he ignore his constituents over catering to a foreign entity in a foreign country? It makes no sense because they don’t operate here.”
Stevens adds that animosity between the Vermont and Odanak Abenaki is exacerbated by concerns over what he calls a hidden agenda by Odanak tribal leaders.
“We believe from the documents we have found that they are trying to do a land claim down here and do a power deal with Hydro Quebec. Canadian tribes are paid royalties for anything that crosses native land. So if they tried to do a land claim in court they need to get rid of us because we have standing in the U.S. and they don’t.”
The bill introduced by Headrick has been in the Committee on General and Housing since February 2025.
