FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Darryl Peasley
Phone: 603 746-3070
Email:
[email protected]
August 3, 2020
ABENAKI TRAILS PROJECT AIMS TO EDUCATE ABOUT ABENAKI HISTORY
Trail to Begin in Hopkinton and Spread Throughout N’dakinna (Our Land)
The Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation's Abenaki Trails Project is an initiative to create a series of educational and/or artistic installations at various sites around the part of N'dakinna (our land), now known as New Hampshire. The goals of the project are to provide accurate history and highlight contributions of Abenaki people historically and today from our own perspective. As the project develops, brochures and maps guiding people along the trail will be available. Tribal member Darryl Peasley introduced the Abenaki Trails project during NHPR’s The Exchange on August 3, 2020.
Peasley conceived the Trail to promote our Tribal history across that part of N'dakinna that is now New Hampshire. “Nulhegan’s Abenaki Trails Project will serve as a cultural awakening that will remove any doubt as to the first inhabitants of N’Dakinna, our home land.” he said.
The Trail will begin in Contoocook/Hopkinton, with enthusiastic support from the Town Select Board. Hopkinton is a fitting location to begin this project. Tribal member Darryl Peasley is a resident and was among the first group of Commissioners to serve on the New Hampshire Commission on Native American Affairs. The town recently dropped Columbus Day and made it Indigenous Peoples Day. Last summer the Hopkinton Historical Society did a full program on collaborations between the Abenaki and early settlers and they had many of our people come and present various topics.
After Hopkinton, we will continue to work with various other towns to install similar educational sites promoting awareness and appreciation of Abenaki History. These sites will form an Abenaki Trail which people can travel from town to town learning about our great history and the impact we continue to have on communities today as a living and thriving culture.
We will be working with some of the best people in the fields of archaeology, anthropology and historical societies. We are partnering with Heather Mitchell and Nancy Jo Chabot of the Hopkinton Historical Society, Dr. Lynn Clark of the Warner Historical Society Martha Taylor of the Henniker Historical Society and Dr. Robert Goodby of Monadnock Archaeological Consulting.
The mission of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation is to strengthen our government; to build our community, and ensure sustainability; to protect our customs and traditions; and to revive our culture and celebrate our heritage while sharing it with those around us. Officially recognized by the state of Vermont, Nulhegan homeland includes parts of New Hampshire and Maine, tribal members live throughout N’dakinna, including the part now known as New Hampshire.
For more information contact Darryl Peasley at the above phone or email. Also visit the Abenaki Trails Project face book page, or our website.