Stories, teachings, and responsibilities shared by
Chief Don Stevens as part of a living Abenaki culture.
Spoken, Not Lost
Lake Champlain Sea Grant
11/2022
As Chief of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, I contributed to this video (likely through interview or teachings) to share Abenaki perspectives on water. Titled Nebi: Abenaki Ways of Knowing Water, it explores water as the sacred web of life connecting all beings across past, present, and future generations for thousands of years. Produced in collaboration with environmental or cultural partners (e.g., Lake Champlain Sea Grant or similar initiatives), it highlights indigenous knowledge of water's spiritual, practical, and relational importance.
The video focuses on Abenaki understandings of water (Nebi in our language), portraying it as the essential connector of all life—rivers, lakes, springs, rain, and bodies. It draws from traditional teachings: water as life-giver (like a mother providing nourishment), a carrier of memory and essence (touching all things and returning), and a spiritual element in ceremonies, healing, and daily stewardship. Chief Don Stevens (and possibly other speakers) explains how Abenaki people have always known water's holistic role—sustaining communities, ecosystems, and spiritual balance—while addressing modern issues like pollution, climate change, and disconnection from natural sources. It emphasizes reciprocity: protecting water to ensure future generations inherit clean, sacred waters, and viewing it as part of the web of life where humans are relatives, not owners.
This video educates on indigenous water knowledge, countering Western views that treat water as a commodity. It preserves Abenaki oral teachings, fosters respect for water's sacredness, and advocates for environmental protection through cultural lens. By sharing these ways of knowing, it bridges indigenous wisdom with contemporary sustainability efforts, promotes gratitude and responsibility, and supports initiatives for clean water access, cultural revitalization, and community health.
Water is central to life, yet faces global threats like contamination and scarcity. Abenaki perspectives offer profound insights: seeing water as interconnected kin demands holistic care—preventive stewardship over reactive fixes. In Vermont and the Northeast (with abundant rivers/lakes like Champlain), this ties to local ecology, indigenous rights, and climate resilience. For our people, it reaffirms spiritual bonds to the land; for all, it inspires balanced, grateful approaches to resources, encouraging policies and personal actions that honor water's role across generations.
Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe
04/2025
As Chief of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, I share this traditional story in the video to pass on our oral history and cultural knowledge about maple syrup—how it came to be part of our people's ways. This short storytelling piece connects to our deep, place-based relationship with the land in Vermont and the Northeast, highlighting Abenaki teachings on nature, seasons, and gratitude.
In this video, I recount the traditional Nulhegan Abenaki origin story of maple syrup. A hunter returns home during the late winter or early spring (maple sugar time) and discovers the sweet sap flowing from maple trees. Through observation, experimentation, and guidance from the natural world (or spirits/ancestors in the telling), our people learn to collect, boil, and transform the sap into maple syrup and sugar—essential nourishment during lean times. The narrative emphasizes respect for the trees (as relatives or providers), the seasonal cycle, patience in the process, and thanksgiving for the gift from Creator/Mother Earth. It reflects broader Abenaki values: harmony with the environment, resourcefulness, and sharing knowledge through oral tradition. The story is presented as a direct telling, likely with cultural context or simple visuals to evoke the woods, sap collection, and boiling fires.
The video preserves and shares an important piece of Nulhegan Abenaki oral tradition, educating viewers about our pre-contact knowledge of the land and sustainable practices. It aims to teach respect for nature's gifts, the importance of seasonal stewardship, and cultural continuity—especially as maple sugaring remains a living tradition among our people and in Vermont. By telling the story myself, it ensures authenticity, counters historical erasure, and invites appreciation for indigenous contributions to foodways and environmental wisdom that benefit everyone today.
Maple syrup is iconic to Vermont and the Northeast, yet its deeper indigenous origins are often overlooked. This story reminds us of Abenaki ingenuity and reciprocal relationship with the land—tapping trees sustainably without harm, boiling sap with fire and patience, and giving thanks—lessons vital amid modern climate and sustainability challenges. For our community, it strengthens cultural pride, language ties (through storytelling), and youth connection to traditions. For broader audiences, it fosters respect for indigenous knowledge systems, highlights shared regional heritage, and encourages mindful use of natural resources. In a world facing environmental strain, these teachings promote gratitude, balance, and long-term care for the Earth.
Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe
04/2025
As Chief of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, I share this sacred traditional story in the video during our Harvest celebrations. It is an oral teaching passed down through generations to honor the Corn Mother (Selu or similar in Abenaki traditions) and educate our children—and all listeners—about the origins of corn, the sacrifices involved in agriculture, gratitude for the land's gifts, and the responsibilities of stewardship.
In this short storytelling video, I recount the Western Abenaki Corn Mother story. It tells of how corn (a sacred Three Sisters crop: corn, beans, squash) came to the people through the selfless act of the Corn Mother figure. In many versions of this Algonquian-origin tale, a woman (often a mother or ancestress) sacrifices herself or her essence to feed humanity—her body transforms into corn plants, providing sustenance but requiring respect, care, and thanksgiving in return. The narrative emphasizes themes of sacrifice, renewal through the harvest cycle, the interconnectedness of life (human, plant, earth), and the importance of honoring the source of our food. Told simply and directly, it gives children (and adults) insight into what it "took" for corn to sustain our people—patience, reciprocity with nature, and cultural continuity. The video focuses on cultural transmission during harvest time, evoking gratitude and the spiritual bond between people and the land.
This video preserves and shares a core piece of Nulhegan Abenaki oral tradition, ensuring the Corn Mother story endures for future generations. It educates viewers on indigenous agricultural origins, the spiritual significance of crops like corn in Abenaki life, and values of sacrifice, respect, and balance with Mother Earth. By telling it myself, it maintains authenticity, counters cultural loss from historical disruptions, and invites appreciation for these teachings—especially relevant in harvest seasons or educational settings. It fosters pride in our heritage and encourages mindful, grateful use of resources.
Corn and the Three Sisters are foundational to indigenous food sovereignty and sustainable farming in the Northeast, including Vermont's agricultural history. This story highlights Abenaki wisdom on reciprocity—giving thanks and caring for what sustains us—lessons vital today amid food insecurity, environmental challenges, and calls for regenerative agriculture. For our community, it strengthens cultural identity, connects youth to traditions, and reinforces harvest celebrations. For everyone, it deepens understanding of indigenous contributions to regional foodways, promotes gratitude for the land, and inspires balanced living in harmony with nature's cycles. In a time of disconnection from food sources, these teachings remind us of the profound relationship between people, plants, and the Earth.
Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe
04/2025
As Chief of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, I share this foundational traditional creation story in the video. It is an oral teaching from our Western Abenaki heritage, passed down through generations to explain the origins of the world, humanity, and our place within the web of life. This story is central to our cultural identity, emphasizing harmony with creation, respect for all beings, and the responsibilities we carry as stewards.
In this storytelling video, I recount the Nulhegan Abenaki Creation Story. It describes how the world came into being through the actions of Gluskabe (our transformer/creator figure, sometimes called Tabaldak or similar in Abenaki traditions). Gluskabe shapes the land, creates animals, plants, and humans from elements like earth or dreams, establishing balance in the natural order. The narrative often includes elements of transformation, the emergence of people as part of the greater mystery, the interconnectedness of all life (humans as relatives to animals, trees, waters, and earth), and teachings on living in reciprocity—giving thanks, maintaining harmony, and avoiding harm to the web of life. Told in a direct, engaging style, it conveys spiritual truths about origins, purpose, and ongoing relationship with Creator/Mother Earth, likely with simple visuals or natural settings to evoke the ancient woodlands and waters of our homeland.
The video preserves and transmits this sacred origin story, ensuring it reaches our youth, community members, and the wider public. It educates on core Abenaki cosmology—how we understand creation, our role in it, and the values of gratitude, balance, and stewardship. By sharing it authentically as Chief and storyteller, it counters historical erasure of indigenous narratives, fosters cultural pride, and invites respectful understanding of our worldview. It serves as an educational tool during gatherings, teachings, or online sharing to connect people to the deeper meanings behind our traditions and the land we call home.
Creation stories like this one form the spiritual foundation of Abenaki identity and our place-based connection to Vermont, New Hampshire, and the Northeast. They teach timeless lessons on interdependence with all creation—humans not as dominators but as relatives in the web of life—highly relevant amid environmental crises, calls for sustainability, and efforts to decolonize perspectives. For our people, it strengthens cultural continuity, language ties (through oral tradition), and youth education. For everyone, it offers profound insights into indigenous wisdom on origins, harmony, and responsibility toward the Earth, enriching regional heritage and promoting gratitude for the natural world that sustains us all.
“We honor our ancestors by caring for the land, uplifting our people, and walking forward in partnership.
When we recognize the truths of the past and choose respect in the present, we ensure that future
generations—Abenaki and non‑Abenaki alike—can stand together on this land in a good way.”
— Chief Don Stevens, Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Copyright 2026. Chief Donald Stevens. All Rights Reserved.
Dedicated to the preservation of Nulhegan Abenaki culture and the well-being of its
citizens.