A House bill would provide free hunting and fishing licenses to members of state-recognized Native American tribes.
Attorney General TJ Donovan announced his support for the bill Wednesday. The proposal, H.716, would apply to the four Abenaki Nation tribal bands recognized by Vermont.
“We, as a state, should acknowledge the rights of Abenaki as indigenous people to use their traditional fishing and hunting grounds, and this piece of legislation connects to the bigger picture of rights that Abenaki should have, in terms of their cultural and religious freedom,” said Rep. Brian Cina, P/D-Burlington, one of the bill’s sponsors.
Under the provision, an Abenaki citizen would be able to receive a free combination license — covering both hunting and fishing — by submitting a current, valid tribal ID card. The concept is similar to how the state currently offers free or reduced-cost licenses to active military members.
The bill, introduced last month, is currently in the House Natural Resources, Fish and Wildlife Committee.
Chief Don Stevens, who leads the Nulhegan Band of the Abenaki Nation, pushed for the bill’s consideration.
“We’re asking them to honor our treaty rights and our land rights,” Stevens said.
He said that in the past, when Abenaki citizens negotiated land deals, they made sure to retain the right to hunt and fish on properties they’d given up.
But those deals haven’t been honored by the state, Stevens said, and he hopes legislators this year will change that.
Tribal people who receive licenses would be held to the same rules and regulations as other hunters in Vermont, the chief said.
He said the influx of new hunters — even if small — could help stem the declining number of hunters in the state, and potentially bring revenue to offset the costs of offering the licenses.
The proposed policy would carry cultural significance, too.
“There’s a spiritual aspect to the animal, which may be different than others,” he said, explaining how indigenous peoples relied on and were connected to the land.
“It wasn’t recreation to us and still isn’t,” he said. “It’s not trophies; it’s not recreation. It’s sustainability — to be able to eat and honor the lives you take because it gives you life.”
The hunting and fishing bill is part of a broader effort this legislative session to address the concerns of indigenous communities in the state.
Rep. Jessica Brumsted, D-Shelburne, another sponsor of the hunting bill, said there are several other pieces of legislation under consideration this year. H.178 would exempt sacred or significant tribal land from taxes, H.407 aims to establish college scholarships for Native Americans in Vermont, and H.880 would require the inclusion of any indigenous names for places on state park signs when they’re installed or replaced.
For Stevens, the hunting license bill is one of two major legislative priorities this year. The other is J.R.H. 7, a joint resolution to apologize to people harmed by state-sanctioned sterilization, which targeted Native Americans and others.
“It’s just, really, a general awareness of minority populations, the indigenous people of Vermont and uplifting people and honoring the fact that we were here,” he said. “And we don’t want, really, anything special. We just want a fair shake of what we’ve been promised.”
