Abenaki Nation | Treasured Skills

The history of the Abenaki Tribe is fascinating. They are a Native American tribe that has managed to survive for centuries in New England for centuries, with no relocation to the western reservations like many other tribes.

The Abenaki were originally located in Northeastern North America and still inhabit parts of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and Quebec.

Among their cultural strengths was basket weaving, which was known for its beauty and intricacy, but was also practical for everyday purposes such as transporting food or storing clothing.

Other talents included making canoes from birch bark, which allowed tribal members to travel long distances on rivers without getting wet or having to navigate around rapids; cedar snowshoes, which could be used year-round because they were light enough not to sink into deep snow but sturdy enough to carry heavy loads over uneven terrain; and making maple sugar, which served as a sweetener for cooking before cane sugar became available.

The Abenaki tribe was first discovered by European settlers in the 1600s. English colonists arrived a few years later and tensions between the two groups led to a series of conflicts.

They allied with the Penobscot Indians, who helped them fight French colonists in King William’s War (1688-97). They fought together again during Queen Anne’s War (1702-13) and King George’s War (1744-48).

In 1759, the Abenaki and Penobscot tribes were defeated by English troops under the command of John Winslow. The tribes were then forced to sign a treaty with the English, which became known as the Treaty of Casco.

This treaty required them to give up their territory in Maine and Connecticut for lands west of the Hudson River in New York State.

The treaty was a disaster for the Abenaki and Penobscot tribes. Their ancestral lands in Maine and Connecticut contained valuable resources that they depended on for survival.

They also had difficulty adapting to the new environment in New York State, where they had fewer wildlife and plant sources available to them than further east.

Today, the Abenaki Nation lives on. They are a vibrant community with members working in fields such as education, the arts, and law enforcement.

Members of the tribe have also managed to create a strong cultural identity for themselves that honors their long history and heritage.

For a more detailed history, you can visit Abenaki Tribal Historic Preservation Office at Brown University.