Dawnland Signals Finale 2/16/23: Indian Child Welfare Act

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Jeffrey Hotchkiss, Zoom recording technician

Dawnland Signals highlights indigenous topics not immediately represented in mainstream media and is meant to share, inspire, and inform. Join co-hosts Maria Girouard and Esther Anne as they engage in critical conversations of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland.

This month:
This month our guests are Norma Saulis, ICWA Director and Tribal Court Administrator for the Mi’kmaq Nation located in Presque Isle, Maine, and Xi Chen, Maine Assistant Attorney General, Child Protection Division. They talk with us about the Indian Child Welfare Act, its history and recent news.

– the history and purpose of ICWA
– ICWA’s history and changes in Maine
– ICWA Workgroup
– Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission
– Supreme Court case Brackeen vs. Haaland
– ICWA as the gold standard for child welfare; permanent guardianship and kinship care

Guests:
Norma Saulis, Penobscot/Kiowa/Maliseet/Irish, ICWA Director and Tribal Court Administrator for the Mi’kmaq Nation located in Presque Isle, Maine
Xi Chen, Maine Assistant Attorney General, Child Protection Division

About the hosts:
Esther Anne, is a Passamaquoddy from Sipayik who lives on Indian Island and serves on the Wabanaki REACH Board of Directors.

Maria Girouard, Penobscot from Indian Island, is Executive Director of Wabanaki REACH, a statewide organization working toward truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland. Maria is a tribal historian with a Master’s Degree in History from the University of Maine and a special interest in the Maine Indian Land Claims. Maria has devoted years to community organizing, environmental stewardship and activism, and growing food in tribal communities.

Dawnland Signals 1/19/23: Author Melody Paul

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Jeffrey Hotchkiss, Zoom recording technician

Dawnland Signals highlights indigenous topics not immediately represented in mainstream media and is meant to share, inspire, and inform. Join co-hosts Maria Girouard and Esther Anne as they engage in critical conversations of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland.

This month:
This month we welcome back Melody Paul, Mi’kmaq, to talk about her new book, Walking the Recovery Road: The Steps Taken, a follow up to her debut book Savaged to Wellness, a Memoir
– the path of recovery
– personal stories
– regional recovery resources
– books authored; readings

Guest/s:
Melody Paul, Mi’kmaq, author

About the hosts:
Esther Anne, is a Passamaquoddy from Sipayik who lives on Indian Island and serves on the Wabanaki REACH Board of Directors.

Maria Girouard, Penobscot from Indian Island, is Executive Director of Wabanaki REACH, a statewide organization working toward truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland. Maria is a tribal historian with a Master’s Degree in History from the University of Maine and a special interest in the Maine Indian Land Claims. Maria has devoted years to community organizing, environmental stewardship and activism, and growing food in tribal communities.

Dawnland Signals 11/17/22: Decolonizing Museums – The Abbe and Wilson Museums

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Jeffrey Hotchkiss, Zoom recording technician

Dawnland Signals highlights indigenous topics not immediately represented in mainstream media and is meant to share, inspire, and inform. Join co-hosts Maria Girouard and Esther Anne as they engage in critical conversations of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland.

This month:
Our guests this month are Wabanaki REACH Board member Nolan Altvater, Passamaquoddy of Sipayik who serves as Curator of Education for the Abbe Museum, and Julia Gray, Executive Director, Wilson Museum, Castine, and Abbe Museum Trustee. You won’t want to miss this conversation about decolonizing museums and its challenges, transformations, and impact on Wabanaki communities.

Guest/s:
Nolan Altvater, Passamaquoddy of Sipayik who serves as Curator of Education for the Abbe Museum
Julia Gray, Executive Director, Wilson Museum, Castine, and Abbe Museum Trustee

About the hosts:
Esther Anne, is a Passamaquoddy from Sipayik who lives on Indian Island and serves on the Wabanaki REACH Board of Directors.

Maria Girouard, Penobscot from Indian Island, is Executive Director of Wabanaki REACH, a statewide organization working toward truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland. Maria is a tribal historian with a Master’s Degree in History from the University of Maine and a special interest in the Maine Indian Land Claims. Maria has devoted years to community organizing, environmental stewardship and activism, and growing food in tribal communities.

Dawnland Signals 10/20/22: Beyond the Claims – Stories from the Land & the Heart

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Jeffrey Hotchkiss, Zoom recording technician

Dawnland Signals highlights indigenous topics not immediately represented in mainstream media and is meant to share, inspire, and inform. Join co-hosts Maria Girouard and Esther Anne as they engage in critical conversations of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland.

This month:
we will hear about the progress of Wabanaki REACH’s new truth-telling initiative: Beyond the Claims – Stories from the Land & the Heart. We welcome as guests Kate Russell, Project Coordinator and Tim Love, Project Contributor.
– What was some of the history behind the 1980 Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement Act?
– How did the events around the land claims affect people in Wabanaki communities and beyond?
– What have been some of the learnings in hearing and gathering their stories?
– What are future plans for sharing these learnings?

Guest/s:
Kate Russell, Project Coordinator
Tim Love, Project Contributor.

Link/s FMI:
Wabanaki REACH Truth & Peacemaking

About the hosts:
Esther Anne, is a Passamaquoddy from Sipayik who lives on Indian Island and serves on the Wabanaki REACH Board of Directors.

Maria Girouard, Penobscot from Indian Island, is Executive Director of Wabanaki REACH, a statewide organization working toward truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland. Maria is a tribal historian with a Master’s Degree in History from the University of Maine and a special interest in the Maine Indian Land Claims. Maria has devoted years to community organizing, environmental stewardship and activism, and growing food in tribal communities.

Dawnland Signals 9/15/22: Legislation to Identify & Remove Offensive Place Names in Maine

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Jeffrey Hotchkiss, Zoom recording technician

Dawnland Signals highlights indigenous topics not immediately represented in mainstream media and is meant to share, inspire, and inform. Join co-hosts Maria Girouard and Esther Anne as they engage in critical conversations of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland.

This month:
This month’s show features Dr. Meadow Dibble, Director of Community-Engaged Research at the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous, and Tribal Populations and founder of Atlantic Black Box.
Dr. Dibble will share with us the work surrounding LD 1591, the law to identify and remove offensive place names in Maine and how each of us can be involved.

– Life experience as a white person discovering her New England family profited from the slave trade
– Project to identify and change remaining offensive place names in Maine
– How does the name of a place reveal or obscure its real human history?

Guest/s:
Dr. Meadow Dibble, Director of Community-Engaged Research at the Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous, and Tribal Populations and founder of Atlantic Black Box. Contact: [email protected]

Links FMI:
Links:

LD 1591 Report to the Maine Legislature – “RESOLVE, DIRECTING THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY TO IDENTIFY PLACES WITH OFFENSIVE NAMES AND METHODS OF CHANGING THOSE NAMES”:
LD 1934 – “Resolve, Changing the Identifying and Reporting Responsibilities and Extending the Reporting Deadline for the Identification of Places in the State with Offensive Names”:

About the hosts:

Esther Anne, is a Passamaquoddy from Sipayik who lives on Indian Island and serves on the Wabanaki REACH Board of Directors.

Maria Girouard, Penobscot from Indian Island, is Executive Director of Wabanaki REACH, a statewide organization working toward truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland. Maria is a tribal historian with a Master’s Degree in History from the University of Maine and a special interest in the Maine Indian Land Claims. Maria has devoted years to community organizing, environmental stewardship and activism, and growing food in tribal communities.

Dawnland Signals 8/18/22: Wendy Newell Dyer’s Adoption Story

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Jeffrey Hotchkiss, Zoom recording technician

This edition of Dawnland Signals did not air in July as intended, but will air on 8/18/22 at 4pm

Dawnland Signals highlights indigenous topics not immediately represented in mainstream media and is meant to share, inspire, and inform. Join co-hosts Maria Girouard and Esther Anne as they engage in critical conversations of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland.

This month’s show features Wendy Newell Dyer from Jonesport, who shares her adoption story and journey of connecting to her Passamaquoddy roots and birth father, the late Wayne Newell, a revered elder, teacher and scholar.

– Life experience as an adoptee looking for her birth parents
– Learning of her Passamaquoddy origins and her famous father
– Transforming life trauma into belonging through teaching, writing, and culture

Guest: Wendy Newell Dyer, Passamaquoddy

Links:

Statement to the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission
Writings for Dawnland Voices:

Writings for Dawnland Voices:

5/1/2018
1/7/2019
7/30/2019

Esther Anne, is a Passamaquoddy from Sipayik who lives on Indian Island and serves on the Wabanaki REACH Board of Directors.

Maria Girouard, Penobscot from Indian Island, is Executive Director of Wabanaki REACH, a statewide organization working toward truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland. Maria is a tribal historian with a Master’s Degree in History from the University of Maine and a special interest in the Maine Indian Land Claims. Maria has devoted years to community organizing, environmental stewardship and activism, and growing food in tribal communities.

Dawnland Signals 5/19/22: Indigenous Birthworkers

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Jeffrey Hotchkiss, Zoom recording technician

Dawnland Signals highlights indigenous topics not immediately represented in mainstream media and is meant to share, inspire, and inform. Join co-hosts Maria Girouard and Esther Anne as they engage in critical conversations of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland.

Indigenous Birthworkers from the Northeast gathered recently for the first time since colonization to connect, learn, and share. On this episode of Dawnland Signals, we talk with two of the organizers of this ground breaking effort to reclaim birthwork here in Wabanakik ~ Dr. Jus Crea Giammarino and Taraè Ramos.

You can support this effort to reclaim indigenous birthwork by donating to the Eastern Woodlands Rematriation Collective here

Key Discussion Points:
1. What is indigenous birthwork and what does it include?
2. How did you become a birthworker?
3. What are the next steps for reclaiming indigenous birthwork?

Guests: Dr. Jus Crea Giammarino and Taraè Ramos

About the hosts:

Esther Anne, is a Passamaquoddy from Sipayik who lives on Indian Island and serves on the Wabanaki REACH Board of Directors.

Maria Girouard, Penobscot from Indian Island, is Executive Director of Wabanaki REACH, a statewide organization working toward truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland. Maria is a tribal historian with a Master’s Degree in History from the University of Maine and a special interest in the Maine Indian Land Claims. Maria has devoted years to community organizing, environmental stewardship and activism, and growing food in tribal communities.

Dawnland Signals 4/21/22: Clean, Safe Drinking Water for the People of Sipayik

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Jeffrey Hotchkiss, Zoom recording technician

Join co-hosts Maria Girouard and Esther Anne as they engage in critical conversations of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland with special guests Passamaquoddy Tribal Representative Rena Newell, and Holly Cleaves, Sipayik school board member about the effort to provide clean, safe drinking water to the people of Sipayik.

About the hosts:

Esther Anne, is a Passamaquoddy from Sipayik who lives on Indian Island and serves on the Wabanaki REACH Board of Directors.

Maria Girouard, Penobscot from Indian Island, is Executive Director of Wabanaki REACH, a statewide organization working toward truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland. Maria is a tribal historian with a Master’s Degree in History from the University of Maine and a special interest in the Maine Indian Land Claims. Maria has devoted years to community organizing, environmental stewardship and activism, and growing food in tribal communities.