Amid a stormy sky with bright patches of sun - today was the funeral of
Chief Homer St. Francis, of the St. Francis Sokoki Band of the Abenaki at
Missisquoi. The ceremony was held in the Church of the Nativity and was a
remarkable blend of Catholic high holy and Abenaki traditions. The priest
admitted "If I tried to eulogize Homer, he’d have a few choice
words for me," so instead he spoke briefly of a rough and powerful
soul, admired even by those who feared him, who was being sent home to a
peaceful place. "Homer said this church was like all outdoors,"
and we agreed, seated in this 19th century cathedral in the north country,
with it’s high vaulted ceilings, sturdy beams of Vermont pine, sparking
old stained glass, and windows open to the cool breezes wafting in from
the surrounding pines. The Chief was honored by the entire Catholic ritual
service, with prayers and songs, incense and communion, while two tribal
members held a feathered prayer staff and the Missisquoi flag at either
side of the center aisle. Attendees were dressed in styles that
unwittingly illustrated the effects of four hundred years of European
occupation of Abenaki territory, and Native peoples’ ability to adapt
new fashions and incorporate old traditions. Business suits, leather and
fringe, feather headdresses, top hats, beads, and t-shirts with tribal
logos were all in evidence. The Chief’s wife, Patsy, and other family
members were surrounded by a crowd of nearly 900 people, including many
Native and non-Native friends - a cross-section of the local community and
all of New England, that included politicians, archaeologists, and
professors, alongside Swanton residents and numerous Native peoples.
Homer St. Francis was willing to stand up for Abenaki people, land,
ancestors, and local recognition at a time when most Vermonters, and many
others, refused to acknowledge that the Abenaki even existed. Homer was
especially important in forcing his neighbors to recognize the numbers of
Abenaki people still living in our traditional, original Abenaki homelands
in New England, particularly in Swanton, VT. Many people still mistakenly
believe the only remaining Abenakis are those living at the Canadian
reserve called Odanak or St. Francis. Proud, powerful, a war veteran,
Marine, and a fighter, Homer St. Francis was loved and hated for his
willful determination to never give up Missisquoi homelands. Chief St.
Francis has often been described as a "war chief," and it has
been a difficult time, with many struggles within and outside the
Missisquoi community.
Over three decades and two appointments as chief, St. Francis witnessed
many accomplishments of the St. Francis Sokoki Band at Missisquoi. The
Nation has: staged fish-ins to establish aboriginal title, been formally
recognized by the state of Vermont only to see that recognition withdrawn
by an anti-Indian governor, hosted heritage celebrations and powwows,
taught language recovery classes and educational programs through its
Title V Indian Education Office and in local schools, repatriated numerous
ancestors and reclaimed some of our burial grounds on Monument Road (the
site of the first Jesuit church in Vermont and an ancient, long-occupied
Abenaki village site), and maintained a tribal office, retail store, and
museum. The Chief’s daughter, April St. Francis Rushlow, who served as
Acting Chief during his illness, will continue to oversee tribal affairs
in the Chief’s absence.
