Sprague is claiming to be Abenaki, even showing up at cultural events. This is her to the right, red face paint, red shirt.
https://www.centralmaine.com/2021/08/07/richmond-celebrates-prosperity-history-closely-tied-to-kennebec-river/
Photo caption: "RICHMOND, ME - AUGUST 7:
Jonathan Yellow Bear, left, and
Heather Sprague talk about the history of Abenakis on Swan Island and also also about the traditional regalia they are wearing during the bicentennial kickoff Saturday August 7, 2021 in Richmond."
My boldings. That's the only mention of Heather Sprague in the article. There is much more about Jonathan Yellowbear:
Another photo caption: "Jonathan Yellowbear talks about the history of Abenakis on Swan Island and also about the traditional regalia being worn Saturday during the bicentennial kickoff in Richmond. Although it has begun celebrating, the town won’t officially turn 200 until Feb. 10, 2023."
Jonathan Yellowbear of Litchfield, a member of the Abenaki Tribe wearing the clothing and face paint of a warrior, spoke briefly of times well before Richmond’s incorporation, in the 1700s, when Native Americans “had a big booming metropolis”on what is now known as Swan Island. The island is now a state game preserve and camping area, where he said Native Americans lived peaceably and harvested wild rice from the southern end of the island.
But he said the island has an ugly past for his people, claiming “our ancestors were slaughtered there,” by white people who took the island from them. He said there is said to be a deed documenting that Native Americans sold the island to white men, but he said he hasn’t seen the deed and has never heard or seen evidence the natives were actually paid for the land. He said the slaughter has not been acknowledged, publicly.
“I’m honored to be here, for the healing aspect of it, for you and us,” Yellowbear said of events which kicked off Saturday morning with a prayer offering at the town’s waterfront park, which sits across the Kennebec from Swan Island. “It was ugly. But it is history, there is nothing we can do to change it.”
Yellowbear seems to approve of Heather Sprague being an Abenaki? Maybe we should look into him, to?
Old Facebook profile, it seems:
https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.yellowbear.7 (Not active since 2010.)
Possibly another Facebook profile (one post from 2020):
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100055416392237 [Jonathan D. Yellowbear]
Current Facebook profile, very active:
https://www.facebook.com/jonathan.yellowbear.3 [Jonathan D. Yellowbear]
Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100054282649476 [Abenaki Gun Works Co - Jonathan D Yellowbear]
He has a connection to this museum:
https://www.facebook.com/oldfortwestern/ [Old Fort Western - Augusta, Maine] One example:
https://www.facebook.com/oldfortwestern/posts/pfbid02nV7f6bs2dndKheGXMHpgJQWcjghZMM3C7bvkGgt8bQkwd5388dRJ1Vy8mVUcrEGflPhoto caption: Old Fort Western - Augusta, Maine May 26:
"Jonathan Yellow Bear, Abenaki Living Historian, will be here on opening day, May 28th. He will be representing and demonstrating the 17th century way of life."
Lots of other stuff about him around the Internet; seems he is a staunch Republican, just like Heather Sprague.
From what I have found, Jonathan D. Yellowbear is certainly about reenactment, just like Sprague. But is he really an Abenaki, which she seems not to be, according to her email reply, quoted by
educatedindian?
