Downtown and Historic Preservation Conference
Atowi project and Elnu Abenaki, with project partners and the Town of Rockingham, will be participating in the 2024 Annual Downtown and Historic Preservation Conference. We will be a part of a morning session presentation as listed in the day’s event schedule:
Snow Snake Workshop
Join us on Sunday, February 11th, to craft your very own wazôasisa (snow snake). Presented by the Atowi Project and Retreat Farm, the Snow Snake Workshop and Games will introduce you to a traditional winter game played by Abenaki and other Indigenous nations.
Read more —>
LEAG Presents: A Discussion on Abenaki Relationships
Living Earth Action Group will be hosting a presentation by Brattleboro/Wantastegok resident and Atowi Project Co-Director Rich Holschuh (with other possible guests), on Sunday January 21, 2024, at 6:30 at the Congregational Church of Westminster West.
Petroglyphs of the West River, a Guided Walk
Join Atowi Project Director Rich Holschuh for a guided walk along the site of petroglyphs in Wantastegok (West River/Brattleboro). Rich will share the significance of the petroglyphs in Abenaki cosmology, both in history and their relevance today as a sacred site.
Annual Forest Festival: Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park
Take a horse-drawn wagon ride, try your hand at woodworking, or explore the forest on a guided nature walk. Witness the whole forest product cycle in action, from horse-logging, to board cutting with a portable sawmill, to woodcraft demonstrations. Visit activity hubs to meet members of the Abenaki community, local artisans, and outreach partners.
The Nature Museum: Alosada Kpiwi
"Let's walk in the woods" - a conversation among ourselves and with All of Our Relations, exploring other ways of seeing and being in relationship with place led by Rich Holschuh. Our immersive guided walk will take us through the fields and forests of The Nature Museum grounds and the Grafton Village Park. Rich will focus on various facets of presence, relationships, connections, and past/present cultural views as we meander among natural wonders.
Petroglyphs of the Mid-Connecticut River Valley
Join Elnu Abenaki Chief Roger Longtoe Sheehan and Tribal Historic Preservation Officer Rich Holschuh for a presentation about the two noteworthy petroglyph sites in the mid-Connecticut River valley: one at Wantastegok (West River/Brattleboro, where we will meet) and the other at Kchi Pôntegok (Great Falls/Bellows Falls).
Indigenous Heritage Day at CT River Museum
Come together for a day of stories and songs with the Nehantic Native Nation and the Elnu Abenaki Tribe. This free, one-day, outdoor event is planned for Saturday, September 17, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on the Connecticut River Museum waterfront lawn.
The Morrill Land-Grant Acts and Tribal Lands: What Happened, What's Next
The Vermont Law and Graduate School and the Friends of Morrill Homestead present a half-day seminar on the Morrill Land Grant/Grab Act of 1862 and its impacts upon indigenous People and their Homelands.
Monadnock Summer Lyceum: Dr. Robert Goodby
A Deep and Enduring Presence: Using Archaeology to Write Native American History
The science of archaeology has laid to rest the self-serving contention of some White historians that the Monadnock region was a sparsely inhabited wilderness before the arrival of European settlers. Situated in the southern part of Ndakinna, this land was the traditional homeland of the Western Abenaki people; the archaeological record shows their continuous, deep, and extensive presence.
Nebizun: Celebration & Curator Talk
All are welcome to a special celebration and curator talk for NEBIZUN: WATER IS LIFE multimedia exhibit that explores the Abenaki relationship to water. The exhibit is presented in partnership with the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association and the Abenaki Arts & Education Center.
Kchi Pôntegok - Great Falls Petroglyph Project
The Rockingham Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) and the Elnu Abenaki Tribe invite you to join our kick-off gathering for the National Park Service-funded Underrepresented Communities Grant that was awarded to the HPC and Elnu in April 2022.
The Abenaki Experience South of the Border: A Celebration
This weekend: join a wonderful gathering of folks from Vermont and New Hampshire Abenaki communities on May 6 & 7, 2022 at ECHO, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain in Burlington. It's part of the celebration of Vermont Abenaki Recognition and Culture Week (May 1 - May 7). Kolipaiô mziwi - All are welcome!
The Abenaki Circle of Courage Through the Years
The Abenaki Circle of Courage teaches native and non native children about the Abenaki culture: dance, flute, crafts, jewelry, drumming, songs, and foods. For the last 20+ years they have had students come from Highgate, Swanton, St.Albans, and Alburgh Schools. Stacey Gould has grown from a volunteer at a young age to being the assistant coordinator to this program.
Ôhônkawôbagak Pagadkannimek - Nôji Abaznoda; A Tradition Comes Back - Basketmaking with Kerry Wood
Kerry Wood, Abenaki, will discuss the impact of the Emerald Ash Borer on traditional basket-making and the efforts being made to curb the impact. Kerry will also discuss Ash Tree and general basketry as well as some of her journey of learning Alnôbaôdwa - the Western Abenaki language.
The Great Falls and an Abenaki Relationship with Place
Join Rich Holschuh of the Atowi Project for a conversation around the significance of relationship with Place on Thursday, March 31 at 7pm over Rockingham Library zoom. He will focus on an Abenaki cultural worldview and its lasting implications while referencing a local site: Kchi Pôntekw, the Great Falls in present-day Bellows Falls.
Honoring the Seven Generations: Indigenous Identity in the 21st Century
Jim Taylor, Abenaki, will discuss indigenous identity in the 21st century. Identity informs all the decisions we make and how we walk in the world. Those decisions are based upon core values from the traditions that are passed down through generations and carried forward to our children. Recognition, blood quantum, and mixed heritage will be touched upon.
Aquarela: Film & Discussion for World Water Day!
Join Epsilon Spires, Atowi Project, and Connecticut River Comservancy to take a cinematic journey through the transformative beauty and raw power of water. Aquarela is a visceral wake-up call depicting the sheer force and capricious will of Earth’s most precious element.
Local presenters, Stephen Dotson (Town of Brattleboro Sustainability Coordinator), Rich Holschuh (Atowi Project), Julia Cavicchi (Rich Earth Institute), and Kathy Urffer (Connecticut River Conservancy) will lead a dynamic conversation about our regional relationship to water.
Preserve, Protect, and Practice: Ancestral Ceremonies and Elder's Teaching in the 21st Century
Réjean OBomsawin, Abénaki, will speak about life at the Odanak Reserve in Quebec and the elders that inspired him to teach history and return to the old ways of ceremony. Réjean will also discuss perspectives on ceremonial life in the 21st century.
Snow Snake Competition
The Elnu Abenaki Band and the Atowi Project would like to invite all community members to participate in a snow snake competition at the Retreat Farm in Brattleboro from noon to 3 pm on February 27, 2022. Snow snake is a traditional game played during the winter months. Click the event title for more info!
Workshops: Making a Snow Snake
Join the Atowi Project for one of two snow snake making workshops, in preparation for the upcoming snow snake competition at Retreat Farm on February 27, as part of the Brattleboro Winter Carnival 2022. Preregistration for workshops required (capacity limited).
Workshops: Making a Snow Snake
Join the Atowi Project for one of two snow snake making workshops, in preparation for the upcoming snow snake competition at Retreat Farm on February 27, as part of the Brattleboro Winter Carnival 2022. Preregistration for workshops required (capacity limited).
A Deep Presence: 13,000 Years Of Native American History
Join us at Brooks Memorial Library for a presentation from Dr. Robert Goodby about his life's work affirming Indigenous relationships in this landscape. His new book will be available for purchase and you will be delighted to learn these lasting stories, all the more needed as we look toward what is ahead.
Indigenous Peoples' Day Gathering
Elnu Abenaki and the Atowi Project invite the Wantastegok-Brattleboro community to join them in observing Indigenous Peoples' Day at Retreat Farm, Oct. 11th from 2-5 pm.
We will celebrate with song, storytelling, demonstrations, traditional foods to sample, language lessons, local history, and community affirmation. Kolipaiôba - you are all welcome! Free and open to all.
Penibagosek: “When it is October” - With VLT - Abenaki History and Story at Wantastegok
It has been said that when Space is overlaid with Culture, it creates Place. There are many concurrent stories embedded in the Land, and every Place is different. Although the stories of each Place still speak their truths, they may not be heard clearly outside of the cultural context that enlivened them. We will explore what it means to listen to the Land and Water, and to build a reciprocal relationship with this Place, Wantastegok.
The Connecticut Headwaters To The Sound: A Day of Stories and Song With The Nehantic & The Abenaki
FREE Outdoor Event at the @Connecticut River Museum, Essex, CT
Events collaborators: Nehantic Native Nation, Elnu Abenaki, Connecticut River Museum, The Nolumbeka Project, and Essex Historical Society
Edible Plant Walk with Russ Cohen
An evening walk on Retreat Farm trails, with wild food guide Russ Cohen. Get to know your neighbors better! Meet at the main parking lot on Vt Rt. 30 at 5:30 pm, in front of the Grafton Cheese Outlet and the Retreat Farmstand.
Archaeological Field Visit at Birge St Floodplain Project
NEARC (Northeast Archaeology Research Center), with Vermont River Conservancy, is conducting a Phase II Evaluation on a former industrial site located in the Whetstone Brook valley, prior to natural floodplain restoration. Come learn about how the past is documented right under your nose, helping us to understand and form better relationships with this Place