You folks printing Douglas Lloyd Buchholz’s letter [“Wants evidence,” Vol. 28, Iss. 19] with his circular logic and “clear and convincing evidence” does no one any good. Mr. Buchholz in his attack against the Abenaki has joined those who continue persecuting a people based upon their race.
Even in this age of enlightenment bigotry continues to rear its ugly head. Expectable in Ethan Allen’s time, when the actual land transfer was taking place, his diatribe is so racist, a shameful rhetoric in today’s day and age. Sadly, it is not only Mr. Buchholz who voices such extreme prejudice.
Buchholz’s invention of “hiding their genealogical histories” is so patently ludicrous that it makes his threat of fraud and embezzlement truly imbecilic.
It was not until the passing of my father that my Mimae’ felt comfortable enough to inform me about our heritage. Being Indian in Vermont was severely embarrassing or worse – much worse. Where does he think Hitler first read about eugenics? If one was an Indian in the last few hundred years, life was a lot more like some Stephen King novel than history books we studied in school.
My Mimae’ told me I was an Abenaki. That is evidence. That’s how heritage is passed on in our culture.
– K.B. Richard
Shelburne, Vt.