The Voice of the Dawn: An Autohistory of the Abenaki Nation

by Frederick Matthew Wiseman

"[My] story is a sash woven of many strands of language. The first strand is the remembered wisdom of the Abenaki community. The second strand is our history and that of our relatives, written down by European, Native American, and Euroamerican observers. The third strand is what our Mother the Earth has revealed to us through the studies and writings of those who delve in her, the archaeologists and paleoecologists. The fourth strand is my own family history and its stories. The fifth strand is, of course, that which has come to me alone, stories which I create with my own beliefs and visions." So begins the first book about Abenaki history and culture written from the inside. Frederick Matthew Wiseman's extensive research and personal engagement breathe life into Voice of the Dawn, making it truly unique. Colin Calloway, Chair of Native American Studies at Dartmouth College, writes, "Going beyond all previous works on the Abenakis, Wiseman draws on family and community knowledge in a way that none of those authors could, speaks from an avowedly Abenaki perspective, and addresses aspects and issues ignored in other works. Moreover, no one that I know of has done as much work in locating and regathering items of Western Abenaki material culture. The quality and quantity of illustrations alone make this an attractive book, as well as a valuable visual record of change and persistence over time. As someone personally and pivotally involved in the Abenaki renaissance, Wiseman brings the story up to date without closing it."

Genres: History, Nonfiction

305 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2001

Reviews

[Jake Kritzer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because I live on the unceded lands of the Cowasuck Band of Pennacook-Abenaki People, I wanted a broad overview of the traditional landowners. This book did the trick. It was as a bit hard to read at times because the style and content shifted around so much:

It begins with legends of the Ice Age and earliest times, seemingly told as fact, which is effective in capturing the spirit of the past rather than its scientific/technical details. The former is what influences later years far more by laying a foundational worldview and moral basis.

It then has a heavy focus on the intricacies of Abenaki life in the pre-colonial and early colonial periods. There are lengthy lists of plants and animals used for different purposes, incredibly detailed descriptions of how to make and use canoes, games, tools, etc.

Finally, human characters enter the story through accounts of social, political, legal, and academic endeavors in the modern era. These stories focus mostly on Vermont, whereas earlier sections range more widely across Wabanaki lands, and beyond.

I found myself feeling a bit of disjointedness in moving across these very different styles. But each is appropriate to the topic and source material at hand. All I all, I learned a lot from this books, and although I had to really push through it at times, I’d recommend it to anyone looking to better understand a people that too often are forgotten.


Post-script: I recently spoke to other members of the Abenaki community in New England who were very critical of this book, especially its portrayal of inter-tribal politics. Other reviews have raised similar concerns about bias. I am not in a position to evaluate either side, but I want to acknowledge the differences of opinion. Regardless, I still found the book weaving of mythology and anthropology in recounting millennia of Abenaki history to be informative, even is its accounting of more recent politics is wanting.

[Jane Barber · Rating 1 out of 5]

Many inaccuracies, revisionist history with thin, discredited, sourcing. Controversial.

[Phyllis Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one-of-a-kind book tells the stories of Abenaki life in a folksy kind of first person plural but getting beyond that, it is a wealth of information that not only tells the reader the information but does it in an interesting way that is supplemented with the author's own childhood experiences (which I could greatly relate to as it was similar to my own). The Voice of the Dawn is filled with pictures and the resource section of books, papers, music, museums and more is packed with information as well as the author's comments and personal ratings. His bibliographical notes section makes good reading too and the bibliogaphy pretty much covers a who's who of Abenaki research. He has done his homework and spent his time well, not relying just on his own history and experiences. Because of this, he is informed as to which books do not follow through on promised subject matter in their titles.
While other books may have more depth or be better in their particular area, for sheer breadth of available information and resources, this is the one book I would recommend reading first.