CLAREMONT — On Tuesday, the Zoning Board of Adjustment will hear a request for a special exception to establish an Abenaki cultural center on about 11 acres on Elm Street.

The center, proposed by the Ko’asek of Turtle Island, based in Alstead, N.H., would include a museum, library, archive and interpretive outdoor trails and exhibits, the application states.

“We are just excited to get everything finished so we can just be open,” Ko’asek of Turtle Island Chief Paul Bunnell, of Alstead, said. “Our main goal is outreach into the community, to get rid of racism and to bring better unity between the races.”

Bunnell said the overall goal is to teach others about the Abenaki tribe and its history. He said the tribe has about 550 members in 41 states and its original region includes northern New England, Nova Scotia and southern Quebec.

The term Turtle Island refers to the shape of the tribe’s original geographic area.

“If you look at the map, it’s very similar in that it looks like a turtle,” Bunnell said.

There are no federally or state recognized tribes in New Hampshire, but Bunnell’s group appears on a list of Native American organizations with geographical/cultural interests in New Hampshire maintained by the state’s Division of Historical Resources.

The property at 252 Elm St., which the tribe purchased in 2020, is in the “multi-use healthcare district,” close to Valley Regional Hospital.

The city’s zoning ordinances allow for “museums, philanthropic and charitable organizations and churches and church buildings” in the district by special exception, according to the information provided to the zoning board from the planning office.

Bunnell said he expects one of the first projects will be the building of interpretative trails, probably in the spring.

“They will be open to the public, and we want to label all of the indigenous plants and trees and plants that are edible,” Bunnell said. “Right now, we are in the process of building a shed for storage. We have put in a driveway and have a small parking area.”

Bunnell could not say for sure when the museum would be open. In addition to the special exception from the zoning board, the project also requires approval of a site plan from the Planning Board.

Once the project gets a special exception, the tribe will work with an architect to design the 30- by 80-foot building, measuring a total of 2,400 square feet, he said.

Besides displaying artifacts, the museum will have a meeting room for educational seminars for schools and others, archives and a study area.

“We don’t have a lot, but we have some artifacts that belong to the tribe,” Bunnell said.

On Sept. 23, the tribe will hold its third annual “Land Birthday” marking the purchase of the property. The celebration will include a “season change” ceremony as summer ends and fall begins.

“We invite our friends, supporters and, of course, our members,” Bunnell said. “We always have a good turnout. We have fire, and there is music.”

Bunnell also said once the tribe moves to Claremont, it will begin holding its annual Pow Wow in June at nearby Barnes Park.

“It has been working out great so far,” he said. “We have so many from the tribe that come out and work on the land. In June we had a pond cleanup of an old dump. It was wonderful to have all these people together.”

Bunnell, a genealogist, said he discovered his Abenaki heritage in his family about 20 years ago and now works to verify the ancestry of those who apply to become members.

The Ko’asek of Turtle Island Inc. website describes its mission as being “committed to advancing knowledge and understanding of our Native culture in our traditional ways regarding our ancient territory.” K’oasek is a name that evolved from the union of many different clans and tribes, including the Cowasuck.

Tuesday’s zoning board meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the City Council chambers in City Hall.

Patrick O’Grady can be reached at pogclmt@gmail.com.