Vermont promotes state’s Abenaki heritage

MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) – The state of Vermont is promoting the state’s Abenaki heritage.

This summer the Department of Tourism and Marketing is working with Abenaki tribes to help people learn about the first people to live in what is now Vermont.

The information on the VermontVacation.com/Abenaki website serves as a hub for events, exhibits and destinations that welcome visitors to explore the 12,000-year history and culture of today’s Abenaki.

Abenaki Heritage Weekend is scheduled for June 28 -29 at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes.

The weekend will feature members of Vermont’s four Abenaki tribes and members of the Abenaki Artists Association.

There will be beadwork, quillwork, basketry, pottery, woodworking, and demonstrations and performances of songs, drumming, dancing, games, food preparation, and other life skills.