#dawnland — Public Fediverse posts

#BreakingNews! 🚨 #LandBack in #Maine!

Land returned to #MikmaqNation will double tribe’s territory

Nearly 3,400 acres have been returned to the Aroostook County-based tribe.

by Reuben M. Schafir, June 22, 2026

"The #Mikmaq Nation is expanding. The tribe on Friday obtained title to #MesgilgMaqamigew, a nearly 3,400-acre parcel near #BridgewaterME. The land return is so large it will more than double the tribe’s holdings.

" 'For decades the Mi’kmaq citizens have seen their traditional hunting and gathering grounds disappear to development or private ownership not allowing access,' Chief #SheilaMcCormack said in a news release. 'This property will give our people a place for outdoor recreation, a place to teach our children how to hunt and fish, and a place we can pass down the traditions of our ancestors before they are forgotten.'

"Of the four #Wabanaki tribes, the Mi’kmaq Nation received federal recognition last, in 1991. It and the #HoultonBand of #Maliseet Indians hold far less land in Maine than the #PassamaquoddyTribe and #PenobscotNation, which each have more than 150,000 acres.

"#TheConservationFund negotiated a below-market value sale and purchased the parcel last year from #forestry company #HCHayne, then held it on behalf of the tribe. The organization worked with an alliance of tribes known as the Wabanaki Commission on Land and Stewardship, and #FirstLight, a group of non-native, land-based organizations, to secure $1.9 million for project.

" 'Indigenous land return projects are a cornerstone of our conservation efforts,' Tom Duffus, Northeast representative for The Conservation Fund, said in a statement. 'I’m thrilled that this special place is once again managed by the Mi’kmaq Nation, whose citizens have stewarded this landscape since time immemorial.'

"Mesgilg Maqamigew means 'big land,' a name chosen in recognition of the significance to the tribe of a parcel so large, contiguous and lush with resources.

"The property contains #forests, #wetlands and more than three miles of #NorthWhitneyBrook, a stream with a thriving #BrookTrout population, according to Mi’kmaq Environmental Health Director Shannon Hill.

"The tribe has already located #fiddleheads there, and Hill said they plan to use the land for #hunting, #fishing, gathering and timber. Snowmobile and ATV trails are available for public use.

"#RichardSilliboy, a basket maker and former Mi’kmaq vice chief who sits on the commission, is hopeful the parcel has #BrownAsh for weaving — but expects, at least, 'some decent fishing.'

"#MesgilgMaqamigew is the sixth to be completed in a series of projects spearheaded by the commission that are collectively known as the tributary land returns. The tributary returns comprise 52,000 acres in 11 discrete projects involving all five tribal governments in Maine at an estimated cost of $52 million."

Read more:
https://www.pressherald.com/2026/06/22/land-returned-to-mikmaq-nation-will-double-tribes-territory/

Archived version:
https://archive.md/Bkbl0

#WabanakiAlliance #Dawnland #ProtectTheSacred #ProtectTheForest #LandConservation #NativeAmericanNews #IndigenousNews #MaineSettlementAct #NativeAmericans #Indigenous #WaterIsLife #LandIsLife #LandStewardship #Stewardship #SolarPunkSunday

#WabanakiAlliance: Spring 2026 Update

by #MaulianBryant, #PenobscotNation Citizen
March 27, 2026

"We want to share some of the powerful stories highlighting our work since January. From the halls of the State House to #Maliseet homelands in #HoultonME, the movement for #Wabanaki #sovereignty is growing stronger every day.

Advocacy in Action
We recently held a Lobby Day focused on two critical pieces of legislation:

#LD785: Restoring tribal self-government.
#LD395: Ensuring #WabanakiNations have access to future federal laws.

The bills have since been amended and, while they do not represent the original form, the Chiefs agreed the amendment from the governor’s office provided for incremental but important movement forward.

[...]

We remain committed to ensuring that people across our homelands now called Maine understand why it is vital that Wabanaki Nations are no longer treated differently than the other 570+ federally recognized tribes."

Read more:
https://mailchi.mp/wabanakialliance/wabanaki-alliance-newsletter-11040921?e=7e7095a76c

#IndigenousSovereignty #Dawnland #MainePol #NativeAmericanNews #MaineLegislation #MaineSettlementAct #TribalSovereignty #LandBack

Upcoming #WabanakiStudies Webinars for 2026

"The #Wabanaki Studies Webinars are back for the spring and we're excited to see and learn from Wabanaki citizens doing such meaningful work. This is a great opportunity to learn more about our cultures, histories, and sovereignty from experts across our homelands.

The webinars are free and open to the public.

- Jan 21- #BrianneLolar - Wabanaki Studies in 2026 [already passed]
- January 28- #KayaLolar & #SagePhillips - Wabanaki Youth & Policy
- Feb 4 - #RogerPaul
- February 11 - #SuzanneGreenlaw
- Feb 25 - #DamonGalipeau
- March 4 - #JohnNeptune
- March 11 - #ChrisNewell - If You Lived During the American Revolution
- April 1 - #BonnieNewsom - Swordfish in Past Wabanaki Lifeways
- April 8 - #MaulianBryant - #WabanakiAlliance
- April 2 9- Kaya Lolar, Sage Phillips, and Youth
- May 6 - #DwayneTomah - #WabanakiLanguages
May 13 - #ApemesimGalipeau

FMI and to register:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdI7VEREUSAy_PYfEHCt0wfsNp_nQjZ5U7b9PNRXdqWWHYkgw/viewform?pli=1

Source:
https://mailchi.mp/wabanakialliance/wabanaki-alliance-newsletter-11039681?e=7e7095a76c

#WabanakiAlliance #MaineTribes #MaineFirstNations #Dawnland #NativeAmericanCulture #NativeAmericanLanguage #TraditionalWays #NativeAmericanHistory #AmericanHistory #NativeAmericanCulturalPreservation

[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

#AshTree Protection Collaboration Across #Wabanakik

"Ash trees, in particular brown ash (used interchangeably with black ash, Fraxinus nigra), are a cultural keystone species for Wabanaki communities and a crucial part of wetland ecosystems in the Northeast. The spread of the invasive forest pest EAB has caused 99% brown ash tree mortality in other areas of Turtle Island, and will have a considerable effect on ecosystems and traditions as it spreads through the Dawnland.

"Partners of the Ash Protection Collaboration Across Wabanakik’s (APCAW) have been working for 20 years to prepare for the onset of EAB in Northeastern forests. We are committed to identifying research-informed strategies to protect the future of ash in the Dawnland that align with Wabanaki priorities. The purpose of this website is to share practical knowledge with those who seek to take actions to maintain ash on the landscape. If you’d like to receive event announcements in your inbox, sign up for our newsletter here. Read on to find information about the cultural importance of ash, seed collection efforts, and emerald ash borer (EAB) management.

Why are we called the Ash Protection Collaboration Across Wabanakik?

"Our name emerged from collaborative conversations about the goals of our shared work. We decided to use the word #Wabanakik to refer to the place where we are located in an effort to center Wabanaki language and ways of knowing. Wabanakik is a term with slightly different meanings in each eastern #Algonquin language, but can be understood in English to mean either 'in the location of the land which is referred to as the #Dawnland' or 'in the location of the People of the Dawn.' Wabanakik stretches from Newfoundland in the north, to mid-Maine in the south, and parts of Quebec in the west.

"APCAW members acknowledge that we are located in the homeland of the #WabanakiConfederacy, which includes the #Abenaki, Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Tribal Nations. Wabanakik has a ongoing legacy of #colonialism, of #StolenLand, broken treaties, forced removal and genocide of Wabanaki peoples which have fragmented Wabanaki relationships to land. The People of the Dawn maintain a sacred relationship with brown ash trees since time immemorial. APCAW’s work is to center, protect, and restore this ongoing relationship between Wabanaki peoples and ash ecosystems.

Who are we?

"The Ash Protection Collaboration Across Wabanakik (APCAW) is a group of Indigenous and non-indigenous researchers, Tribal members, and forest caretakers working together to bring more awareness of the cultural and ecological significance of ash trees and efforts to conserve them. APCAW continues the initiative set forth by the EAB and Brown Ash Taskforce, which began in the early 2000s to facilitate the collaborative capacity of Wabanaki basketmakers, Tribal Nations, state and federal foresters, and others to prevent, detect, and respond to the EAB. APCAW gives platform to the work of a broad range of partners, including:

• University of Maine School of Forest Resources

• Tribal Nations
#MikmaqNation, Presque Isle
#HoultonBand of #Maliseet Indians, Houlton
#PassamaquoddyTribe at #IndianTownship
Passamaquoddy Tribe at #PleasantPoint #Sipayik
#PenobscotNation, Indian Island

• Wabanaki basketmakers and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance

• State and Federal Forestry Agencies
USDA APHIS
State of Maine Department of Agriculture & Forestry
State, Private, and Tribal Forest Service

• Conservation organizations and seed saving organizations
The #WildSeedProject
#MaineLandTrustNetwork

Learn more (includes links to resources):
https://umaine.edu/apcaw/

#Maine #MFS #EAB #EmeraldAshBorer #AshTree #AshTrees #APCAW #InvasiveSpecies #Wabanaki #ProtectTheForests #MaineNews #Maine #SaveTheTrees #WabanakiCulture #WabanakiBasketry #WabanakiTradition #Forestry #ProtectTheSacred #SolarPunkSunday

[Short film] #Weckuwapok
(The Approaching Dawn)

"On these traditional homelands, #Waponahkik (the people of the dawn land) bring gratitude to the sun where it first looks our way. Song and stories invite us to accept the new day and put behind us any harm done the day before. These are relational lessons shared from ancestors since time immemorial.

"Featuring in collaboration Passamaquoddy citizens #ChristopherNewell, #RogerPaul, and #LaurenStevens; and #YoYoMa."

Watch:
https://www.reciprocity.org/films/weckuwapok

#WabanakiConfederacy #WabanakiPeople #DCEFF #IndigenousStorytellers
#IndigenousFilms #ReciprocityProject
#Reciprocity #IndigenousFilmMakers #IndigenousWisdom #Peskotomuhkati #Dawnland #PeopleOfTheDawn

[Short film] Weckuwapasihtit (Those Yet to Come)

#GeoNeptune and #BriannaSmith (#Passamaquoddy)

“Our film is about where we fit in within our communities and regaining everything that was taken from us, including our language, our culture, our ceremonies, and our identities as Passamaquoddy people. We’ve had to do a lot of retracing of our ancestors’ steps. It’s okay to be Passamaquoddy, and it’s okay to not know what it means to be Passamaquoddy, but we can do the work to figure it out together. I’m making this film with my good friend Geo, because it’s usually other people telling our stories for us or telling us what to share and what not to share. This time, we are telling our story in our own way. It’s especially important for us to do this for the young in our community." - Brianna Smith.

"On the Eastern reaches of the occupied territory now referred to as North America, the children of Koluskap call upon ancestral teachings to guide them. Revitalizing cultural practices kept from their elders, Peskotomuhkati young people lead an intergenerational process of healing through the reclamation of athasikuwi-pisun, 'tattoo medicine.'"

Watch:
https://www.reciprocity.org/films/weckuwapasihtit

#WabanakiConfederacy #WabanakiPeople #DCEFF #IndigenousStorytellers
#IndigenousFilms #ReciprocityProject
#Reciprocity #IndigenousFilmMakers #IndigenousWisdom #AthasikuwiPisun #TattooMedicine #Tattoos #Peskotomuhkati #Dawnland #PeopleOfTheDawn

Reflecting on Change, by the #WabanakiREACH Board

August 8, 2024

"REACH has been through many changes and transitions over the years, evolving from an idea of #decolonization to becoming an official non-profit with a board, staff and many volunteers. It has been quite the journey thus far and we continue to transform to meet the emerging needs of the people in the #Dawnland.

"Many of the same individuals who formed #Wabanaki REACH gathered in 1999 to improve the state’s compliance with the Indian Child Welfare Act (#ICWA). When tribal and state child welfare professionals first came together for that purpose, they did not envision the impact they would continue to have twenty-five years later.

"The Tribal-State ICWA Workgroup initiated the historic #Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission to further the work of increasing ICWA compliance and honoring tribal self-determination. As the Commission was launched, REACH began to form as an organization, first with a fiscal sponsor to help us gain access funding and administrative support for our work. Then in 2018, REACH became an official non-profit organization.

"In 2015, the Truth Commission’s final report spoke to the importance of the Tribal-State Workgroup and Wabanaki REACH. The Commission's recommendations continue to guide their respective work.

"The Tribal-State ICWA Workgroup continues to meet regularly to practice co-case management of ICWA cases and provide support to tribal child welfare partners; they recruit, train, and support community members to serve as ICWA Qualified Expert Witnesses; they provide a day-long educational experience for caseworkers, assess and update state child welfare policy, provide #ICWA education to Guardians ad Litem, attorneys, judges, and other service providers, and they helped create the new state law Maine Indian Child Welfare Act in 2023.

"REACH’s decolonization work centers on how to restore Wabanaki lands, water, culture, and people by:

- Continuing truth-telling initiatives. Beyond the Claims:Stories from the Land and the Heart is completing its work that sought to deepen understanding of the experiences and impacts of the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act. We are focusing on what needs to come next.

- Supporting Wabanaki wellbeing through education, building and celebrating community, reclaiming Wabanaki ways, and protecting the earth we share. REACH supports Native inmates with newsletters, books, peace and healing circles, and sweat lodge ceremonies. Food sovereignty work has been focused on creating medicine gardens, restoring clam beds, supporting food pantries, and partnering on events to increase awareness of protecting the fisheries. We hold wellness gatherings and provide direct support to community members in need. This summer, REACH supported sending 21 Wabanaki youth to summer camp.

- REACH has developed and provides impactful educational programming, believing that when people more deeply understand what happened in this territory they wish to be part of writing a different history for our grandchildren.

"The truth and reconciliation commission has truly helped people understand intergenerational trauma and strength and the process of truth, healing, and change that is now taking place in many forms in both Wabanaki and non-native spaces. We are so heartened to see these planted seeds of decolonization sprouting all over Wabanaki territory."

https://www.wabanakireach.org/reflecting_on_change_wabanaki_reach_board

#IndigenousPeoplesDay #WabanakiAlliance #TruthAndReconcilation
#Colonization #BoardingSchools #MaineSettlementAct #NativeAmericans #PenobscotNation
#Maliseet #Passamaquoddy #Mikmaq #FirstNations #MaineTribes #TruthTelling

#Dawnland film screening, Thursday, April 13th in Portland, #Maine

via #WabanakiReach:

"Please join us on Thursday, April 13th, at 6pm (reception at 5:30pm) in Hannaford Hall, for a Dawnland Film Screening and Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) Panel Discussion.

View the Dawnland Trailer: https://vimeo.com/227346667

This special public event is about the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978, (ICWA), widely considered the gold standard in child welfare policy. The Supreme Court will determine whether ICWA continues as the law of the land. What does this mean for people in Maine?

The event consists of an in-person screening of the broadcast version of Dawnland followed by a panel discussion. Dawnland is an Emmy award winning film about the work of Wabanaki REACH and the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission."

#IndigenousNews #ICWA #WabanakiConfederacy #PenobscotNation #Maliseet #Passamaquoddy #Mikmaq #FirstNations #MaineTribes #Wabanaki #NativeAmericans

From my blog:
Protecting #Maine’s Life-Giving Rivers
December 21, 2022

"This was a published news story that I wrote after interviewing leaders of Maine's First Nations and doing some research on the Maine Settlement Act. Even though it's from 2001, it gives background of what went wrong in 1980 (and before), and why Senator Angus King's betrayal of Maine's First Nations is just another BETRAYAL by white men in power! I still stand behind this piece, and so wish Senator King would have EVOLVED! Maybe he needs to attend a #Wabanaki REACH workshop and watch #Dawnland. Even allies like myself should watch Dawnland! Anyhow, here it is. And yes, there is a LOT more work to be done!"

#WaterIsLife #MaineRivers #NativeAmericans #IndigenousAlly #Wabanaki #Maine #MaineTribes #FirstNations

https://doomsdayscw.blogspot.com/2022/12/protecting-maines-life-giving-rivers.html