One sweltering day in July, 2023, I visit the Missisquoi National Wildlife Refuge near the northern end of Lake Champlain in Vermont. The Refuge was created in 1943 to preserve habitat for migratory birds and for recreational activities (e.g. birdwatching, hunting, and photography).
It is located on the ancestral homelands (N’dakinna) of the Missisquoi Abenaki people. Archeological evidence suggests that the region was inhabited by indigenous peoples at least 7500 years ago.
Suffice to say, Abenaki people can no longer live or freely hunt or fish there as they once did.
Once I leave my car at the Refuge entrance, highway hum recedes into the distance.
By the time I reach a trailhead, I hear only birdsong and the squish of my boots in the muck.
I slow down my camera’s shutter to reflect time’s long passage.
Taking in the sweet smell of decay and stillness of the humid air, my breathing and thought processes also become quiet.
My mind wanders back thousands of years to the people who used these wetlands for their sustenance.
Their roots in this land are deep.
My reverie is disturbed by the sharp warning slap of a beaver’s tail striking still water.
The annoyed rodent reminds me of my status as a temporary and perhaps unwanted visitor.
Eventually, hordes of DEET-oblivious mosquitoes render both meditative reflections and further photography impossible. I plot my escape to a nearby ice cream stand for a refreshing maple creemee. Before departing the Refuge, I read a pamphlet from the visitor center. It contains a poem confirming my visitor status.
Against the Darkness (1994)
Let the visitors believe they have conquered,
That they have the land and its bounty.
Let them believe that we are gone, Indian Joe is dead.
The forests keep our secret.
The unseen fox has kits in its den.
The drums and rattles are not stilled.
They are heard in the far places,
They are heard on the air of night.
The visitors think they have won.
Yet the scent of sweetgrass troubles their dreams.
—Abenaki author Medawas
In 1991, a totem pole was erected near the Refuge as a reminder of the region’s previous inhabitants. Turtle, otter, wolf, beaver, bear and eagle ascend the pole. According to a plaque, the turtle has thirteen squares on its back, representing the original old villages. The otter represents Otter Creek, where many Abenaki lived before the great changes. The wolf is a common symbol of the Mahican nation. The beaver symbolizes the ancient Missisquoi community. The bear symbolizes the Sokokoi/Pennacook people. At the top, the eagle stands for sacredness.