UVM holds indigenous identity and belonging discussion; protestors push back on educational efforts [Video]

Leading scholars of indigenous identity and belonging gathered at UVM on Thursday to examine contested claims of indigeneity in our region.Before the talk began, protestors were outside the Dudley H. Davis Center, proclaiming these discussions were the opposite of educational.For the last three years, UVM has hosted an annual discussion on indigenous rights and sovereignty.”I’m very concerned about these groups of pretendants pretending to be nations, tribes, or some sort of historic community,” said Pam Palmater, the Indigenous Governance Chair at Toronto Metropolitan University.Earlier this week, members of the Vermont indigenous community issued a call for tolerance after some people from the Abenaki nation in Canada questioned the validity of the group here in Vermont.”It’s about genocide. It’s about de-racing people and defaming us. No one tribe owns the whole Abenaki nations in this country or in Canada,” said Brenda Gagne, Chief of the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi.Darryl Leroux is …