Winter Center for Indigenous Traditions

“The organization provides extensive detailed information to its tax preparer in a format developed and revised over several years. And its executive director reviews form 990 before presenting the form to an officer for reviewing, signing, and filing the form.”

“Our conflict of interest policy is within our bylaws and prominently identified as such therein. All persons within our organization have been provided with a copy of our bylaws. Our organization presently consists of an executive director, four or five members of our board of trustees, two outside consultants, a few volunteers, and no one else. Because we do not conduct financial transactions with individuals or organizations other than with our two outside consultants, our operations very seldom raise any possibility of conflicts of interest among persons within our organization. Thus, for enforcement of our conflict of interest policy, we rely upon personal knowledge and initiative of persons within our organization.”

“Governing documents, conflict of interest policy, and financial statements are available to the public upon request.”

“Health project: health work has continued at an elevated pace with the corona virus epidemic with many abenaki and other native elders and families in health crises, long term care, and end-of-life situations. Help also continues for victims of sexual abuse and domestic violence, veterans and their families, and many others suffering from historical traumas, racism, and ptsd. Work continues in local and regional heath care facilities and agencies to improve policies and care. We also encourage the passing on of ancient and continuing health care traditions of indigenous families and communities to the next generations. Environmental justice project: the work continues with indigenous communities and local and regional conservation organizations to protect threatened ecologies, understand and work to eliminate pollution in fish populations and other parts of the environment, and reduce the effects of wind power, hydro electric dams, power line projects, and other developments. Burial protection & repatriation project: repatriation of native remains, grave goods, and sacred items continues as has monitoring of many burial grounds and sacred sites. Repatriation work with institutions continues. We also continue to work with a coalition of elders and communities to protect burial grounds, sacred sites, and ecologically sensitive areas. Site protection project: preservation work for many sites, sacred and unique plant and tree communities, and sacred sites continues including brown ash tree stands, nut tree orchards, and herbal medicine and wild food plant sources is increasing. We also are teaching indigenous stewardship skills to our youth as well as to public and private institutions and communities to care for sacred and traditional sites, plant, tree, terrestrial and aquatic communities and ecologies. Elders, youth, & families project: we continue to help elders with health issues to survive the pandemic, heal the wounds of major traumas, and to preserve oral traditions, to document sacred and traditional sites, and to protect our shared environment. We also link our elders and interested youth to preserve and pass on our ancient traditions as well as to help our young people survive and guide them into lives grounded in our ancient traditions and languages. Awighiganal publishing project continues to support the archive, library, & research center book and resource publishing effort. Editing and guiding publication of a number of articles, books, teaching guides, and other resources continues.”