On September 30 in Brattleboro, about two dozen people attended a rally outside TD Bank. They were protesting the bank's support for a proposed oil pipeline in North Dakota that thousands of Native Americans in North Dakota are using civil disobedience and mass protests to try to stop.

These photos were taken on March 27. They show rock carvings, made more than 200 years ago by Abenaki Native Americans, in Bellows Falls, Vermont. That's about 20 minutes by car or Amtrak from Brattleboro. It takes about 10 minutes to walk to the carvings from the train station.

In an interview with the Valley Post, Colin Calloway authenticated the carvings. Calloway is professor of Native American history at Dartmouth College, and the author of "The Western Abenakis in Vermont," among many other books. The carvings were made deeper, and paint was added, much more recently.

This video shows Fred Eaglesmith and his band playing in Rockingham, Vermont on June 14. It also shows Native American stone carvings, and a waterfall, both in Bellows Falls, Vermont. Bellows Falls is about 30 minutes from Brattleboro by car or train. Eaglesmith said he will play in Bellows Falls again next year at the annual Roots on the River Music Festival. video by Eesha Williams

A major goal of Greenfield Mayor Christine Forgey has been to build a Wal-Mart or a similar “big box” store on an area of open land that’s too far from downtown to easily reach on foot. On April 21, in a primary election, Forgey was voted out of office. In June, voters will choose from two candidates for mayor.

“I was glad the mayor was voted out,” said John Ward, co-owner of the Solar Store www.GreenfieldSolarStore.com on Fiske Avenue in downtown Greenfield. “Open space doesn’t have to be paved just because it’s open space.”

Ian Zabarte, a leader of the Western Shoshone Native American tribe, stands in front of Vermont Yankee. The Shoshone's land includes Yucca Mountain in Nevada. Vermont Yankee's owner says it will dump its nuclear waste at Yucca. photo by Eesha Williams