#mikmaq — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #mikmaq, aggregated by home.social.
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Today’s word of the day in #Mikmaq
Wi'gatigno'guom (wii·ga·di·gên·oo·guom)
Wi'gatigno'guom is a library.
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Today's word of the day in #Mikmaq
Lmu'j (êll·muuj)
Lmu'j is a dog.
Yes that is my 15 year old pupper.
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#Biocultural families: Study centers #Indigenous priorities in connections to #environment
by Seth Truscott, August 11, 2026
"Washington State University horticulturist #JeffreyWall partnered with members of the #Mikmaq #FirstNations people of #Canada to create a new, #IndigenousCentered model of the connections that link humans with plants, animals and the environment.
"Wall interviewed over a dozen traditional knowledge keepers in Unama'ki, the #CapeBreton Island homeland of the Eskasoni Mi'kmaq. He asked tribal elders and allies to describe #BioculturalConnectivity — the relationship between human cultures and local #ecosystems — as they see it. The findings were published in Environmental Science & Policy.
" 'I wanted to show the connective forces that the Mi'kmaq prioritize,' Wall said. 'The goal was to be in tune with their deep #CulturalHeritage, traditions and the #indigenization of the future that they want to promote.'
"With more than 66,000 registered members, the Mi'kmaq are a resilient people native to the U.S. Northeast and Canada's Atlantic provinces who are revitalizing their language and growing their landholdings. Wall's work can guide future mapping and inform the institute's land acquisition strategy.
"The project reflects the concept of #TwoEyedSeeing — understanding the world from both #Indigenous and #Western approaches — introduced by Mi'kmaq elders Albert and Murdena Marshall.
" 'There is a growing understanding that environmental conditions can improve if we bring more Indigenous ways of knowing and being into the conversation,' said Lisa Young, executive director of the Unama'ki Institute of Natural Resources. 'Maintaining a #reciprocal relationship with the land is in itself a way to protect and preserve it.' "
Read more:
https://phys.org/news/2026-08-biocultural-families-centers-indigenous-priorities.html#SolarPunkSunday #EnvironmentalAwareness #EnvironmentalStewardship #TraditionalKnowledge #Technology #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge
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Indigenous youth in P.E.I. tee it up for a day of golf
The #Mikmaq Confederacy of P.E.I. held its first-ever Indigenous Youth Golf Day on Wednesday. About 20 golfers teed off, some for the first time. CBC’s Taylor O'Brien was there.
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/9.7305198?cmp=rss -
Today's word of the day in #Mikmaq
Gajuewj (ga·ju·ewch)
Gajuewj is a cat.
(Yes this ginger menace of a Siamese/Thai is my cat Oliver)
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Source: CBC #news #novascotia
#capebreton culture walks explores #Mikmaq, Gaelic and Acadian traditions
Moosebait Adventure Tours is behind the wilderness walks that connect the region's shared history. The CBC's Ethan Hunt has the story.
https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/9.7303414?cmp=rss -
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Been pretty much under the weather this week and the kiddo being an insomniac means that the small amount of sleep I get is messed up.
Hopefully I will be able to get back to the daily #Mikmaq posts next week. -
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#Gardens that Nurture #Culture
Spring 2022
Excerpt: "Growing one’s own food became more appealing and, in some cases, a greater necessity to many in this pandemic era. #NativePeoples have long tended gardens that have provided their communities with #sustainably grown foods, #MedicinalPlants and #NaturalMaterials. Today these much-needed sources of local, healthy foods are also places to cultivate and preserve #CulturalTraditions.
" 'Even some Native cultures—like #foraging cultures—that didn’t historically garden now see it as a helpful use of land and time and money because they can efficiently produce the kinds of foods that people need to stay healthy,' said Elizabeth Hoover. Of #Mohawk and #Mikmaq descent, she is an associate professor of Environmental Science, Policy and Management at the University of California in Berkeley. Researching this trend, she drove 20,000 miles in 2014 to talk with dozens of #AmericanIndian gardeners and food advocates.
"In western North Carolina, David Anderson works as the horticultural operations supervisor at the #JessieOwleDugan #NativePlant and Greenhouse Facility of the Eastern Band of #Cherokee Indians. The complex includes three #greenhouses, 30 raised growing beds, a 3-acre nursery and 5 acres of fields dedicated to producing crops specifically for their seeds. It also has 330 acres of field that can be leased to enrolled tribal members who wish to garden or farm.
"While the facility does generate funds for the tribe, it also preserves culturally important species to get them into the hands of tribal members to plant. It focuses on growing traditional plants, such as #grapes, #elderberry, #WildStrawberries, #blackberries, #huckleberries sochan and #cohosh. In 2021, the greenhouse also grew #hickory saplings, which once mature, can to provide wood that can be used to make stickball sticks, artworks and other traditional projects. 'We serve our community with plants for home, for farmers, and for restoration,' said Anderson."
Read more:
https://www.americanindianmagazine.org/story/gardens-that-nurture-culture#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalFoods #NativeAmericans #CulturalPreservation #GrowYourOwnFood #Resilience #FoodSecurity #HeirloomPlants #SeedSaving
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Today's word of the day in #Mikmaq
Amalo'qoman (a·mal·oo·hgo·man)Amalo'qoman is fruit
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#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
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Membertou forges ahead with own cannabis law while seeking federal recognition
Retired Canadian senator Dan Christmas pushing for Cannabis Act changes
#nspoli #canpoli #canabis #firstnations #mikmaq -
#MaineTribes - #FoodAssistance / #FoodPantries
#IndianIslandME: St. Ann / #PenobscotNation DHS Food Pantry
Location: 16 Wabanaki Way, Indian Island
Days and Hours: Fridays 9:00 am. - 1:00 pm.
Contact: Natasha Fields 207-817-7492 or (cell) 207-745-2907 for emergencies#LittletonME: #HoultonBandOfMaliseetIndians
Location: 88 Bell road, Littleton
Days and Hours: Monday - Friday 7:00 - 4:30
Contact: Ashley Foster-Kinney 207-694-5254Littleton: Maliseet Housing Authority
Location: 13 Clover Court, Littleton
Days and Hours: By Appointment
Contact: Amanda Sabattus 207-532-7260#PerryME: #Passamaquoddy Food Pantry
Location: 22 Bayview Dr., Perry
Days and Hours: Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday Noon - 4:30 pm. & Wednesday 9:00 am. - 3:00 pm.
Contact: Diane Libby 207-853-5139#PresqueIsleME: #Mikmaq Food Pantry
Location: 37 Midway Drive, Presque Isle
Days and Hours: Call Monday - Friday 8:00 - 4:00 pm. Pantry Monday - Friday - By Appointment
Contact: Roxanne Shaw & Kandi Sock 207-764-1972#Wabanaki #Wabanakik #FoodInsecurity #FoodSecurity #Dawnland #WabanakiAlliance #MaineFoodPantries #SNAP #SNAPCuts #FoodPantries #Mainers
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#NiweskokCollective Advances #FoodSovereignty and Obtains Land
"#Niweskok (From the Stars to Seeds) is a nonprofit collaboration of #Wabanaki farmers, health professionals, and educators working to revitalize food systems for tribes in northeast #Wabanakik (#Maine). The collection is responsible for reclaiming traditional foods & healing for their communities, their peoples of the #WabanakiConfederacy (#Penobscot, #Wolastoqiyik, #Mikmaq, #Passamaquoddy, #Abenaki), by practicing and promoting traditional crop cultivation, land-based education, and fisheries revitalization.
"From Tribal Business News’ article Wabanaki food sovereignty group secures no-strings land deal by Chez Oxendine, Niweskok has secured 245 acres of a piece of land called the #GooseRiverFarm in Wabanakik through innovative methods. This effort is an example of #Indigenous Sovereignty and self-determination through unconventional means. For the first time, Niweskok will have a permanent base for its programs after years of operating on borrowed and leased lands, according to co-director Alivia Moore to Tribal Business News.
Partners and Funding
"A coalition of 12 organizations and several private donors, including the #MaineFarmlandTrust and the #CoastalMountainsLandTrust, helped secure the land for Niweskok without easements, giving the Wabanaki nonprofit sovereignty over the property. Easements frequently accompany land returns or transfers which are often well-meaning. However, they can create barriers to Indigenous sovereignty and land management by preventing practices such as prescribed burning and fishing or zoning preventing buildings or infrastructure. Without restriction, Niwekok can continue to practice self-determination and food sovereignty, preserve the culture and traditions of the Wabanaki Confederation, and create a strong community."
https://www.indigenouscop.org/food-systems-agriculture/niweskok
#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalFoods #Sovereignty #IndigenousFoodSovereignty #IndigeousAgriculture #BuildingCommunity #CulturalPreservation #LandConservation #IndigenousPeoplesDay
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I posted the whole article because of the paywall. I listened to #EllenMacDonald at the #APCAW conference on #EmeraldAshBorer earlier this week. She and #JohnDaigle of #UMaine were facilitating the workshop. This article contains a lot of the same information I learned at the workshop! Seed banks + teaming up with the Wabanaki peoples - modern technology meets traditional knowledge!
Native seeds preserved, protected to counter surging invasives
Calling all home gardeners and eco enthusiasts! Lend a hand this spring: Assist Wabanaki tribes and scientists fighting to save ash trees or partner up with statewide neighbors through local seed banks.
March 17, 2025
"The sun radiated overhead as Tyler Everett surveyed the green hills of the Mi’kmaq Nation in Presque Isle.
"Ash trees, mainly brown ash, are cultural keystone species for Wabanaki communities and wetland ecosystems in the Northeast. However, they’re under threat due to the spread of the emerald ash borer.
"This collective of forest caretakers works together to raise awareness of ash trees’ significance and the efforts, such as seed banking, to conserve them. It continues the work the Brown Ash Taskforce set forth 20 years ago after tribal members detected early signs of the invasive pest.
" 'Emerald ash borer was discovered by basket makers who noticed the trees, whose bark they relied on, looked very unhealthy,' Everett said. 'Our work today still centers around our tribal partners who first sounded the alarm.'
"#APCAW resembles a national movement, the #IndigenousSeedKeepersNetwork, cultivating solidarity within the matrix of regional grassroots seed #sovereignty projects — collecting, growing and sharing #HeirloomSeeds to promote cultural diversity.
"Here’s a look at some of the seed lending and preservation happening here in the Maine, from brown ash to Wabanaki flint corn.
" 'It may be no Doomsday Vault (also known as Svalbard Global Seed Vault),' said Emily Baisden, seed center director at #WildSeedProject. "But we’re doing some great work.'
"So, what’s a seed bank? Picture a temperature-controlled vault with billions of period-sized seeds in foil packets.
"Through storage, the goal is to preserve genetic diversity for future use, protect rare species and develop new crop varieties. Not only do seed banks play a role in food security, but also, at their best, they can restore plant communities after natural disasters like droughts or fires and provide valuable insight on how best to combat environmental stress.
"#SeedBanks operate at the community, national or global level — such as the #PetalmaSeedBank in California, which preserves the region’s agricultural diversity, or the #SvalbardGlobalSeedVault, the global backup for all other seed banks.
"In the far reaches of the Nordic island of Spitsbergen, the aforementioned 'Doomsday Vault' provides the world’s genebank, kept safe in case some catastrophe threatens the planet’s crops. If seed banks are a computer’s filing system, where documents are stored, Svalbard is the external hard drive.
"Enter Maine’s Wild Seed Project, an APCAW partner organization. The group hand collects and distributes 3 million seeds representing over 100 species of Northeast native plants yearly.
" 'Long-term seed banking requires #cryopreservation, akin to flash freezing,' Baisden said. 'It allows seeds to last for decades, if not longer. … We try not to store seeds for more than four years at Wild Seed. We dry them, place them in jars and label them by location. The newest are sold, and the older ones are used in our Seeds for Teachers program.'
"Baisden acknowledged the correlation between landscape management and biodiversity. When native plants disappear, likely through urbanization, the insects that depend on and coevolve with them also decline, as do the animals that rely on those insects (like birds).
" 'Most seeds sold in garden centers are propagated through clonal reproduction,' Baisden said. 'This minimizes genetic diversity, and as we know, #biodiversity is crucial for communal stability.'
"For a long time, the horticulture industry pushed to introduce non-native species that lacked natural predators and could quickly reproduce. Later, when forests were clear-cut in the 1900s, trees like the brown ash fell to the wayside, and non-native vegetation crept in.
" 'Maine, so far, is the only state with non-quarantine habitats free from emerald ash borer,' Baisden said. 'Studying these helps us plan ahead and learn. We hope that by working with #BasketMakers, foresters and scientists, we can store or distribute emerald ash borer–resistant seeds.”
Management shaped by Indigenous wisdom
"The spread of emerald ash borer has already caused 99% brown ash tree mortality in parts of Turtle Island, a small island between Mount Desert Island and Schoodic Point.
"As a group committed to science-informed strategies that align with Wabanaki priorities, APCAW has been collecting seeds (viable for up to eight years) from 46 healthy ash trees to store in a refrigerator at the University of Maine in Orono.
"As Everett noted, Indigenous people have long used brown ash as the primary material for #basketry, valuing its soft, splinty texture as ideal for weaving. The brown ash tree is also part of one of the #Abenaki origin stories.
" 'Brown ash was the root from which all #Wabanaki people emerged,' Everett said.
"The species’ decline evokes deep emotion. Recognizing this, Indigenous communities are at the forefront of APCAW outreach and land-management strategies.
"Program registration links are first shared with tribal partners, and they are often invited to co-facilitate or lead the event discussions. Occasionally, exclusive gatherings are held to allow basket weavers to connect in a more intimate setting.
" 'My job is to engage in a dialogue with our tribal partners and address any reactions they have,' Everett said. 'There’s a strong sense of responsibility to save brown ash, but opinions vary. Some hesitate about allowing the seeds to be stored outside the community.'
"Everett is currently drafting a document to serve as a resource for the #HoultonBand of #Maliseet Indians, #Mikmaq, #Passamaquoddy and #PenobscotNations. By spring 2026, he hopes to publish a public report acknowledging the priorities of Maine’s #Wabanaki people.
"#EllaMcDonald, a colleague of Everett, has centered her master’s thesis on the effectiveness of APCAW’s outreach efforts in inspiring action that benefits both the Wabanaki people and their native forests’ ecosystems.
" 'Out west, we’ve already seen devastating mortality rates of brown ash,' McDonald said. 'It’s just a matter of time before our situation escalates.'
"The group is focused on a project that will test the resistance of native trees to the emerald ash borer next fall in collaboration with the U.S. Forest Service. This involves working with private #landowners, who will be asked to grow ash seeds and monitor their growth over time to assess their survival capacity.
"McDonald encouraged readers to get involved. The UMaine website will soon feature a map with priority areas for seed collection and locations where kits with all the necessary materials can be picked up. Those curious can contact [email protected] or sign up for the newsletter to receive updates on upcoming events.
" 'We are witnessing an unprecedented change,' McDonald said. 'What inspires me is to see groups across sectors working together to prepare. So many people genuinely care about our environment. … Together we can make a difference.'
Get involved
"Wild Seed Project held its first online seed-sowing demonstration in November 2021. Now, it offers a range of in-person programs and community events. Courtesy of Wild Seed Project
"There are a few options to join the movement.
"Locals can donate resources to area seed banks, like the Wild Seed Project, or research projects, like APCAW.
"Or harness the power of the dollar and purchase #NativeSeeds for a #rewilding project or #AbenakiFlintCorn, a product that honors seed keepers of the past and pays royalties to APCAW.
"To get involved through volunteerism, the Wild Seed Project actively seeks #SeedStewards to collect, clean, process and package seeds.
" 'The nonprofit is also building a first-of-its-kind Native Seed Center at Cape Elizabeth Land Trust’s Turkey Hill Farm, where plants will grow among natural seed banks, along the woodland edge and throughout the farmstead meadow. To donate, visit wildseedproject.com/the-native-seed-center.
Source [paywall]:
https://www.pressherald.com/2025/03/17/native-seeds-preserved-protected-to-counter-surging-invasives/#SolarPunkSunday #TraditionalEcologicalKnowledge #NativeAmericanBasketry #Sustainability #IndigenousStewardship #CulturalPreservation #InvasiveSpecies #EAB #PreservingNature #Biodiversity #PreservingTheSacred #PreservingTheForest
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It seems the #ElsipogtogFirstNation has been targets of the #RCMP for a while...
10 years after RCMP raided N.B. anti-fracking camp, Aboriginal title claim ongoing
Oscar Baker III · CBC News · Posted: Oct 13, 2023 4:25 PM
"#Elsipogtog First Nation, a #Mikmaq community in #NewBrunswick, launched an Aboriginal title claim for #Sikniktuk, a traditional district, after a 2013 #antifracking #protest that was raided by the RCMP."
https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/10-years-rexton-rcmp-raid-1.6992814
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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