The Koasek Abenaki Tribe is a

state-recognized tribe State-recognized tribes in the United States are Native American tribes or heritage groups that do not meet the criteria for federally recognized Indian tribes but have been recognized by state government through laws, governor's executive orders ...

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

, who claim descent from

Abenaki people The Abenaki (Abenaki language, Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are Indigenous peoples of the Northeastern Woodlands, Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian languages, Algonquian-speaki ...

. They are not

federally recognized This is a list of federally recognized tribes in the contiguous United States. There are also federally recognized Alaska Native tribes. , 574 Indian tribes are legally recognized by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) of the United States.

as a

Native American tribe In the United States, an American Indian tribe, Native American tribe, Alaska Native village, Indigenous tribe, or Tribal nation may be any current or historical Tribe (Native American)#Other uses, tribe, band, or nation of Native Americans in ...

. Vermont does not have any federally recognized Native American tribes. This organization should not be confused with the Ko'asek (Co'wasuck) Traditional Band of the Sovereign Abenaki Nation, an

unrecognized tribe These organizations, located within the United States, self-identify as Native American tribes, heritage groups, or descendant communities, but they are not federally recognized or state-recognized as Native American tribes. The U.S. Governmental ...

based in

New Hampshire New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...

, or the many other groups who use the term ''

Cowasuck The Cowasuck, also known as Cowass, was an Algonquian-speaking Native American tribe in northeastern North America and the name of their primary settlement. Linguistically and culturally the Cowasuck belonged to the Western Abenaki and the W ...

''.

Name

The term ''Koasek'' is an

Abenaki language Abenaki (Eastern: ', Western: ), also known as Wôbanakiak, is an endangered Eastern Algonquian language of Quebec and the northern states of New England. The language has Eastern and Western forms which differ in vocabulary and phonology an ...

term that translates as "young pine tree." Another version of the word, ''Cowasuck'', was applied to a brook that was a tributary to the

Sudbury River The Sudbury River is a tributary of the Concord River in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, in the United States.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map accessed October 3, 2011 Origin ...

in Massachusetts.

State-recognition

Vermont recognized the Koasek Abenaki Tribe as in 2012.Darryl Leroux, ''Distorted Descent'', page 246. The other state-recognized tribes in Vermont are the

Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation The Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation is a state-recognized tribe and nonprofit organization, called AHA "Abenaki Helping Abenaki", whose headquarters and land are based in Vermont. They are often referred to as the Nulhegan Abenaki Trib ...

Elnu Abenaki Tribe The Elnu Abenaki Tribe is a state-recognized tribe in Vermont, who claim descent from Abenaki people. They are not federally recognized as a Native American tribe. Vermont has no federally recognized tribes. They are the smallest of Vermont's four ...

, and the

Mississquoi Abenaki Tribe The Missisquoi Abenaki Tribe is one of four state-recognized tribes in Vermont, who claim descent from Abenaki people. The Missisquoi Abenaki Tribe specifically claims descent from the Missiquoi people. They are not federally recognized as a N ...

Heritage

The Koasek Abenaki Tribe are one of four state-recognized tribes in Vermont. They had 60 members in 2016. St. Mary's University associate professor Darryl Leroux's genealogical and historical research found that the members of this and the other three state-recognized tribes in Vermont were composed primarily of "French descendants who have used long-ago ancestry in New France to shift into an 'Abenaki' identity." In 2002, the State of Vermont reported that the Abenaki people had migrated north to

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

by the end of the 18th century.

Activities

They participate in Abenaki Heritage Weekend, held at the

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM) is a non-profit maritime museum located in Vergennes, Vermont, US. It preserves and shares the history and archaeology of Lake Champlain. LCMM studies and manages the shipwrecks discovered in Lake Champla ...

Vergennes, Vermont Vergennes is a city located in the northwest quadrant of Addison County, Vermont, United States. The municipality is bordered by the towns of Ferrisburgh, Vermont, Ferrisburgh, Panton, Vermont, Panton, and Waltham, Vermont, Waltham. As of the 2 ...

Property tax

Vermont H.556, "An act relating to exempting property owned by Vermont-recognized Native American tribes from property tax," passed on April 20, 2022.

Notable members

Billy Kidd {{Infobox alpine ski racer , name = Billy Kidd , image = Billy Kidd skier 1970.jpg , image_size = 220 , caption = Kidd after winning the world title in FIS Alpine World Ski Championships 1970#Combine ...

, former

alpine ski racer Alpine skiing, or downhill skiing, is the pastime of sliding down snow-covered slopes on skis with fixed-heel bindings, unlike other types of skiing ( cross-country, Telemark, or ski jumping), which use skis with free-heel bindings. Whether ...

Notes

References

External links

Koasek Traditional Band of the Koas Abenaki Nation

Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koasek Abenaki Tribe Abenaki heritage groups Cultural organizations based in Vermont French diaspora in the United States Native American tribes in Vermont State-recognized tribes in the United States Cowasuck