Understanding #TribalSovereignty

"For more than 40 years, the state of #Maine has used legislation passed in 1980 to deny the #WabanakiNations’ inherent tribal sovereignty, excluding the Houlton Band of #Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, #PassamaquoddyTribe, and #PenobscotNation from many rights and protections guaranteed by Federal Indian Law. This has resulted in decades of social and economic barriers for the #Wabanaki people and surrounding communities."

Who We Are

"In June of 2020 the tribes in Maine (Mi’kmaq Nation, #HoultonBandOfMaliseetIndians, Passamaquoddy Tribe and Penobscot Nation) formed the #WabanakiAlliance. The Wabanaki Alliance was formed to educate people of Maine about the need for securing sovereignty of the tribes in Maine.

"In 1980, the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act was passed by Congress and ratified by the tribes and the State of Maine. The Settlement Act was supposed to be a living document that would be improved upon. Under political duress the tribes agreed to the Settlement Act but with the hope to continue improving the relationship between the State of Maine and the tribes. For forty years this has not happened.

"Because of the 1980 Settlement Act the Tribes in Maine have had their sovereignty stripped from them. The promise of improving the Settlement Act has never been fulfilled. Now the Tribes in Maine are treated less than every other federally recognized tribe in America. The Wabanaki Alliance is not asking for special privileges but fairness by having the same or similar sovereignty as the more than 500 other tribes across America.

"We ask all those who support the sovereignty of the Tribes in Maine to educate themselves on the issues, why they are important and join us in securing sovereignty.

"Use the resources on this page to learn more about the issue and its history, and then visit our Take Action page to find out how you can support Wabanaki sovereignty."

https://www.wabanakialliance.com/sovereignty/

#MaineSettlementAct #IndigenousSovereignty #WabanakiTribes #Micmac #Miqmak #IndigenousActivism
#FirstNations #MaineTribes

#VoicesFromTheBarrens: Film & Discussion

Panel Discussion (via Zoom): Tuesday, October 7, at 6:00 PM (pre-registration required)

"Join us for an online screening of the documentary Voices From the Barrens followed by and a panel discussion with REACH #Wabanaki Wellness Coordinator, #BrianAltvater, filmmaker #NancyGhertner and other guests. The film will be available beginning Thursday, September 25, 2025 till the evening of the panel discussion on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at 6:00 PM.

"Voices from the Barrens, #NativePeople, #Blueberries and #Sovereignty, documents the wild blueberry harvest of the Wabanaki #IndigenousPeople from the USA and Canada as the tribes are challenged to balance blueberry hand raking traditions with the economics of the world market. The documentary was filmed from 2014 to 2019 and was released in 2020. It has been part of nine film festivals, part of the Maine Public’s Film Series, and at many colleges and universities across Maine and New England.

"Pre-Registration to view the film and to participate in the online panel discussion is required, please sign up below. Registrants will receive a follow up email with instructions and a link to the film and event.

"For questions contact: Tom Reynolds treynolds@wabanakireach.org, 207-831-6980

"This event is free and open to the public. Contributions supporting our ongoing work are greatly appreciated.

"Nancy Ghertner, the film’s director, lives along Lake Ontario in New York. She was introduced to the Passamaquoddy at Sipayik while she was a student at Colby College where she was involved in a research project related to the tribal communities of Maine. She subsequently followed a path into the visual arts and has created numerous experimental and documentary films. Her 2011 feature documentary, 'After I Pick the Fruit' was screened at various film festivals and received a Documentary Achievement awards. 'Voices from the Barrens,' was started from Nancy’s research into agriculture labor across the international border."

FMI and to register:
https://www.wabanakireach.org/voices_from_the_barrens_film_discussion

#WabanakiREACH #WabanakiAlliance #WildBlueberries #MaineBlueberries #BlueberryHarvest #IndigenousSovereignty #FoodSovereignty #TraditionalHarvesting #TraditionalFoodSources #MaineEvents #BigAg

[Thread] The tickets for this event aren't cheap, but I hope they find some patrons to support the cause!

"The #WabanakiAlliance will host our third annual #Nihkaniyane: Let’s Go Forward Together event, a celebration of our friendships and alliances, from 5-7:30 PM on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at the Smith Center for Education and Research, Wolfe’s Neck Center, Freeport. Honorees will include John Banks and Brianne Lolar, both of the Penobscot Nation, and Emma Soctomah, of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkomikuk.

"The Wabanaki Alliance formed in 2020 when the #HoultonBand of #Maliseet Indians, #MikmaqNation, #PassamaquoddyTribe, and #PenobscotNation joined together to work to improve upon the 1980 Maine Indian Claims #SettlementAct (#MISCA) and educate the public on tribal histories and communities.

"Over the past five years, we have achieved significant milestones, demonstrating the power of persistent advocacy and strong partnerships. We have seen improved relations with the state government, fostering a more collaborative environment for dialogue and progress. Our bipartisan efforts have been crucial in building bridges across political divides, ensuring that the critical issues facing the Wabanaki Nations resonate with a broad spectrum of policymakers. These successes include advancing key legislation that strengthens tribal jurisdiction and increasing public understanding of Wabanaki inherent rights. We have laid essential groundwork, moving closer to true self-determination.

"This gathering is where we will celebrate our progress, discuss future strategies, and strengthen our collective voice. Donations will allow us to expand our advocacy efforts in Augusta and Washington D.C., and invest in community-led initiatives that focus on economic development, health, education, and cultural preservation within the Nations. The support will also help us reach wider audiences to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Wabanaki history, rights, and contributions, particularly through our upcoming community outreach initiatives."

FMI and to donate and/or purchase tickets:
https://www.wabanakialliance.com/nihkaniyane2025/

#MaineTribes #IndigenousPeople #IndigenousSovereignty #Dawnland #Wabanaki #MaineEvents

#JanetMills seems keen on demonizing environmentalists and tribal leaders, rather than clean up #MackPoint -- an already industralized area -- to build the offshore wind terminal

Maine House, protecting sand dunes, rejects plan to build offshore wind terminal on #SearsIsland

It is unclear how severely the decision will delay the buildout of a wind port in Maine, which would create hundreds of high-paying jobs and advance the state's climate goals.

by Stephen Singer
April 9, 2024

"The Maine House of Representatives voted Tuesday to protect sand dunes on Sears Island where the Mills administration has proposed to build an offshore wind terminal.

"In an 80-65 vote, the House rejected legislation that would have authorized the Department of Environmental Protection to grant a permit to build the terminal on an area of Sears Island that includes a coastal sand dune system.

"If the legislation fails, it is unclear how severely the decision would delay the buildout of a wind port in Maine, where turbines and other components would be assembled and then shipped to the Gulf of Maine. The project involves lengthy state and federal permitting processes after a site is selected.

"The legislation, which is narrowly crafted to reference the sand dunes, would allow the DEP to act only after all laws and agency rules also permit construction.

"The sand dune area is about four-tenths of an acre, according to the bill, which now heads to the Senate.

"Gov. Janet Mills announced in February her selection of Sears Island for Maine’s foray into wind power. She said it was not an easy decision, and it was opposed by environmentalists who favored nearby #Mack Point.

"Criticism quickly focused on the potential threat that construction would pose to the sand dunes. #MaineAudubon says sand dunes and coastal #beaches protect buildings and infrastructure from waves and flooding and provide #habitat for migratory shore birds, and endangered and threatened species."

Read more:
https://www.pressherald.com/2024/04/09/house-of-representatives-rejects-mills-plan-to-construct-offshore-wind-terminal-on-sears-island/?uuid=4c536766-8666-44da-b85d-6a7ce6d7baa4&lid=10949

#Wahsumkik #WabanakiAlliance
#Maine #Searsport
#WindTurbines
#ProtectTheForest #ProtectTheDunes #SaveSearsIsland #EndangeredSpecies #OffshoreWindFarm

Another 2025 #Nihkaniyane honoree -#BrianneLolar!

"Brianne Lolar is one of three individuals honored by the #WabanakiAlliance at the 2025 Nihkaniyane event. A citizen of the #PenobscotNation, Lolar is a beloved elementary school teacher who left the classroom four years ago to begin doing equally important work as the first #WabanakiStudies Specialist for the Maine Department of Education. In that work she is bringing voice and representation to the Wabanaki people through partnerships with Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators and organizations who’ve been working together to achieve unmet goals and objectives of the 2001 requiring that #WabanakiHistory and culture be taught and integrated into the K-12 curriculum.

"A 2022 report from the Wabanaki Alliance, #AbbeMuseum, #ACLU of Maine, and Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission noted the law has not been implemented meaningfully across the state. Those findings and the work of a task force leading up to the report are what led Lolar to leave her 'happy place' of teaching in the classroom and enter the challenging give-and-take realm of state government where she’s been working on year-to-year contracts to help teachers and school districts fulfill the goals of the 2001 law.

" 'I knew I can’t complain about nothing being done if I’m not going to step up and sacrifice,' she says. 'My thinking was ‘It’s just a year and I’ll go back to teaching. It could go away again at any time. So I need to make the most of this opportunity.'

"Her sense of urgency motivated a 'can-do' approach that made sure yearly progress was being made to create a solid foundation for Wabanaki studies being taught across the entire state."

Read more:
https://www.wabanakialliance.com/nihkaniyane2025-briannelolar/

#WabanakiAlliance #Wabanaki #LanguagePreservation #WabanakiLanguage #CulturalPreservation #PreservingHistory #IndigenousLanguage #IndigenousHistory #Teachers

One of the folks I had the opportunity to talk to at a #MaineRivers conference some years ago was #PenobscotNation member #JohnBanks. So glad to see him being honored... He has been a tireless advocate for the #PenobscotRiver!

"Banks was the Penobscot Nation’s representative on the Maine-Indian State Tribal Commission from 1987 to 2021, making him its longest-serving member. He also served on many local, regional and national organization boards, including the National Tribal Environmental Council, Native American Fish and Wildlife Society, National Indian Policy Center, and the Tribal Operations Committee with the federal EPA.

"But arguably Banks’ most noteworthy accomplishment involves bringing a Wabanaki voice and leadership to the historic #PenobscotRiverRestorationProject (1999-2016) in which two dams nearest to the sea were removed and a stream-like bypass channel was completed around a third dam at Howland.

"Completed in 2016, the $63 million restoration project opened almost 2,000 miles of habitat for 11 species of sea-run fish that had been choked off from their spawning grounds for almost two centuries by dams across the river.

"Since then, the river has come back alive with millions of river herring joined by Atlantic salmon, shad, sturgeon and other species in numbers that hadn’t been seen on the Penobscot River for nearly two centuries. Laura Rose Day credits Banks with a key intervention in 2002, when it looked like negotiations that had been going on for three years between #EnvironmentalGroups and the #hydro company owner were about to collapse.

" '[John] asked for a few minutes,' she wrote in a 2014 Christian Science Monitor commentary recalling the moment. 'Removing an eagle feather from a cloth wrap, he circled the table, laying the feather on each shoulder. He reminded us that, no matter whom we served, we were also responsible for being the voice for all the creatures of the river – the birds, the fish, and all of the people as well. The common goal had to be the health of the river.' "

Read more:
https://www.wabanakialliance.com/nihkaniyane2025-johnbanks/

#WaterIsLife #WabanakiAlliance #Wabanaki #Nihkaniyane #MaineRivers #DamRemoval #RiverRestoration

[Thread] The tickets for this event aren't cheap, but I hope they find some patrons to support the cause!

"The #WabanakiAlliance will host our third annual #Nihkaniyane: Let’s Go Forward Together event, a celebration of our friendships and alliances, from 5-7:30 PM on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at the Smith Center for Education and Research, Wolfe’s Neck Center, Freeport. Honorees will include John Banks and Brianne Lolar, both of the Penobscot Nation, and Emma Soctomah, of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkomikuk.

"The Wabanaki Alliance formed in 2020 when the #HoultonBand of #Maliseet Indians, #MikmaqNation, #PassamaquoddyTribe, and #PenobscotNation joined together to work to improve upon the 1980 Maine Indian Claims #SettlementAct (#MISCA) and educate the public on tribal histories and communities.

"Over the past five years, we have achieved significant milestones, demonstrating the power of persistent advocacy and strong partnerships. We have seen improved relations with the state government, fostering a more collaborative environment for dialogue and progress. Our bipartisan efforts have been crucial in building bridges across political divides, ensuring that the critical issues facing the Wabanaki Nations resonate with a broad spectrum of policymakers. These successes include advancing key legislation that strengthens tribal jurisdiction and increasing public understanding of Wabanaki inherent rights. We have laid essential groundwork, moving closer to true self-determination.

"This gathering is where we will celebrate our progress, discuss future strategies, and strengthen our collective voice. Donations will allow us to expand our advocacy efforts in Augusta and Washington D.C., and invest in community-led initiatives that focus on economic development, health, education, and cultural preservation within the Nations. The support will also help us reach wider audiences to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation of Wabanaki history, rights, and contributions, particularly through our upcoming community outreach initiatives."

FMI and to donate and/or purchase tickets:
https://www.wabanakialliance.com/nihkaniyane2025/

#MaineTribes #IndigenousPeople #IndigenousSovereignty #Dawnland #Wabanaki #MaineEvents

#VoicesFromTheBarrens: Film & Discussion

Panel Discussion (via Zoom): Tuesday, October 7, at 6:00 PM (pre-registration required)

"Join us for an online screening of the documentary Voices From the Barrens followed by and a panel discussion with REACH #Wabanaki Wellness Coordinator, #BrianAltvater, filmmaker #NancyGhertner and other guests. The film will be available beginning Thursday, September 25, 2025 till the evening of the panel discussion on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at 6:00 PM.

"Voices from the Barrens, #NativePeople, #Blueberries and #Sovereignty, documents the wild blueberry harvest of the Wabanaki #IndigenousPeople from the USA and Canada as the tribes are challenged to balance blueberry hand raking traditions with the economics of the world market. The documentary was filmed from 2014 to 2019 and was released in 2020. It has been part of nine film festivals, part of the Maine Public’s Film Series, and at many colleges and universities across Maine and New England.

"Pre-Registration to view the film and to participate in the online panel discussion is required, please sign up below. Registrants will receive a follow up email with instructions and a link to the film and event.

"For questions contact: Tom Reynolds treynolds@wabanakireach.org, 207-831-6980

"This event is free and open to the public. Contributions supporting our ongoing work are greatly appreciated.

"Nancy Ghertner, the film’s director, lives along Lake Ontario in New York. She was introduced to the Passamaquoddy at Sipayik while she was a student at Colby College where she was involved in a research project related to the tribal communities of Maine. She subsequently followed a path into the visual arts and has created numerous experimental and documentary films. Her 2011 feature documentary, 'After I Pick the Fruit' was screened at various film festivals and received a Documentary Achievement awards. 'Voices from the Barrens,' was started from Nancy’s research into agriculture labor across the international border."

FMI and to register:
https://www.wabanakireach.org/voices_from_the_barrens_film_discussion

#WabanakiREACH #WabanakiAlliance #WildBlueberries #MaineBlueberries #BlueberryHarvest #IndigenousSovereignty #FoodSovereignty #TraditionalHarvesting #TraditionalFoodSources #MaineEvents #BigAg