Dawnland Signals 11/19/20: Land Acknowledgments

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Production assistance: Jeffrey Hotchkiss

Critical conversations of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland

Land Acknowledgments
-The origin of the new found interest in land acknowledgements
-Different types of land acknowledgments
-Appropriate ways to do a land acknowledgement

Guests: Dr. Darren Ranco, Penobscot, Chair Native American Programs, UMaine; Diane Oltarzewski, Belfast resident, Maine-Wabanaki REACH Board.

About the hosts:

Esther Anne, Passamaquoddy from Sipayik, joined the Muskie School of Public Service in 2003 where she works on projects that engage and benefit tribal communities including facilitating the Maine tribal-state Indian Child Welfare Act workgroup and creating child welfare resources with the Capacity Building Center for Tribes. She had a primary role in the creation and establishment of the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Maine-Wabanaki REACH. Esther now serves as secretary for the REACH Board of Directors and on the REACH Communications Committee. Esther lives on Indian Island and her family includes adult children and a grandbaby.

Maria Girouard, Penobscot from Indian Island, is Executive Director of Maine-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.

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Dawnland Signals 10/15/20: Maine Indian Land Claims: Origins, Intent, and Outcome.

Producer/Host: Esther Anne
Production assistance: Jeffrey Hotchkiss
[NOTE: Maria Girouard switched seats for this show, taking on the guest role while Esther Anne hosted]

The Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 brought to a close a tumultuous decade in which the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Tribes sued the State of Maine for the illegal sale and transfer of aboriginal land. The settlement was originally framed as a “watershed victory” but the Tribes soon found that the written document did not accurately reflect their understanding of the agreement. October 2020 marks the 40th anniversary since it was signed into law.

How did the land claims case begin? What were the tribes aiming to accomplish? And where did it go wrong? Join us as we begin this critical conversation about an important and complex topic.

Dawnland Signals is a monthly talk show that holds space for critical conversations of truth, healing and change here in the Dawnland. Co-hosted by Maria Girouard and Esther Anne of Maine-Wabanaki REACH.

About the hosts:

Esther Anne, Passamaquoddy from Sipayik, joined the Muskie School of Public Service in 2003 where she works on projects that engage and benefit tribal communities including facilitating the Maine tribal-state Indian Child Welfare Act workgroup and creating child welfare resources with the Capacity Building Center for Tribes. She had a primary role in the creation and establishment of the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Maine-Wabanaki REACH. Esther now serves as secretary for the REACH Board of Directors and on the REACH Communications Committee. Esther lives on Indian Island and her family includes adult children and a grandbaby.

Maria Girouard, Penobscot from Indian Island, is Executive Director of Maine-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 9/17/20: Indigenous Knowledge of Love

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Production assistance: Jeffrey Hotchkiss

Critical conversations of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland: Indigenous Knowledge of Love

This unique talk show highlights indigenous topics not immediately represented in mainstream media, and features guests involved in various aspects of decolonization work. This month we will be talking about Indigenous Love with special guest and dear friend Dr. Rebecca Sockbeson of the Penobscot Indian Nation.

A political activist and scholar, Rebecca graduated from Harvard University with a master’s degree in education. Her research focus is Indigenous knowledge, Aboriginal healing through language and culture, anti-racism and decolonization. Her doctoral study engages with how Indigenous ways of knowing and being can inform policy development. Rebecca is an Associate Professor for the Indigenous Peoples Education Program at the University of Alberta.

Also, a powerful and expressive writer, Rebecca’s poem, “Hear me in this concrete beating on my drum,” was a winning entry in the Word on the Street Poetry Project in 2018 and is sandblasted on a downtown Edmonton sidewalk as part of a permanent public art installation. Rebecca recently served as Libra visiting scholar for the University of Maine College of Education to support their efforts to educate Maine pre-service teachers toward compliance with Maine Wabanaki studies law.

Dawnland Signals holds space for critical conversations of Truth, Healing, and Change in the Dawnland. This is a conversation you don’t want to miss!

Guest: Dr. Rebecca Sockbeson, Penobscot

About the hosts:

Esther Anne, Passamaquoddy from Sipayik, joined the Muskie School of Public Service in 2003 where she works on projects that engage and benefit tribal communities including facilitating the Maine tribal-state Indian Child Welfare Act workgroup and creating child welfare resources with the Capacity Building Center for Tribes. She had a primary role in the creation and establishment of the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Maine-Wabanaki REACH. Esther now serves as secretary for the REACH Board of Directors and on the REACH Communications Committee. Esther lives on Indian Island and her family includes adult children and a grandbaby.

Maria Girouard, Penobscot from Indian Island, is Executive Director of Maine-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 8/20/20: Tribal Language Revitalization

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Production assistance: Jeffrey Hotchkiss

Dawnland Signals: Critical conversations of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland

Key Discussion Points:
-How our guest first got involved in language work
-Language learning as an act of healing/resilience
-Language revitalization projects our guest has been involved in

Guest: Carol Dana, Penobscot Language Keeper

About the hosts:

Esther Anne, Passamaquoddy from Sipayik, joined the Muskie School of Public Service in 2003 where she works on projects that engage and benefit tribal communities including facilitating the Maine tribal-state Indian Child Welfare Act workgroup and creating child welfare resources with the Capacity Building Center for Tribes. She had a primary role in the creation and establishment of the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Maine-Wabanaki REACH. Esther now serves as secretary for the REACH Board of Directors and on the REACH Communications Committee. Esther lives on Indian Island and her family includes adult children and a grandbaby.

Maria Girouard bio to follow

Dawnland Signals 7/16/20: Tribal Sovereignty

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Production assistance: Jeffrey Hotchkiss

Dawnland Signals: Critical conversations of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland

Program Topic: Tribal Sovereignty
-What is tribal sovereignty?
-What does it look like for tribes to practice sovereignty?
-What can Mainers do to respect tribal sovereignty?

Guests: Mark Chavaree, Penobscot Nation; Michael Corey Hinton, Passamaquoddy Tribe; Penthea Burns, REACH Board Co-chair

About the hosts:

Esther Anne, Passamaquoddy from Sipayik, joined the Muskie School of Public Service in 2003 where she works on projects that engage and benefit tribal communities including facilitating the Maine tribal-state Indian Child Welfare Act workgroup and creating child welfare resources with the Capacity Building Center for Tribes. She had a primary role in the creation and establishment of the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Maine-Wabanaki REACH. Esther now serves as secretary for the REACH Board of Directors and on the REACH Communications Committee. Esther lives on Indian Island and her family includes adult children and a grandbaby.

Maria Girouard bio to follow

Dawnland Signals 6/18/20: Remembering the Truth Commission in Maine

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Production assistance from Jeffrey Hotchkiss

A look back at the truth commission process five years after the report

-Most memorable moments of the truth commission process
-The impact of the TRC report and the truth-telling process on Wabanaki and Maine communities
-What lessons from the TRC process might be helpful in addressing current issues

Guests: Carol Wishcamper, Sandy White Hawk, and Gail Werrbach – all served on the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

Dawnland Signals 5/21/20: Food as Medicine

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Production assistance from Jeffrey Hotchkiss

-Impacts of colonization on Wabanaki well being
-Current projects related to decolonizing our diets
-What decolonizing our diets looks like

Guests:
Alivia Moore, Penobscot tribal citizen, Board Co-chair for Maine-Wabanaki REACH, Co-founder Eastern Woodlands Rematriation.
Brian Altvater, Passamaquoddy tribal citizen, Health and Wellness Coordinator for Maine-Wabanaki REACH, founder Shoodic Riverkeepers

Dawnland Signals DEBUT 4/16/20: The Power of Talking Circles

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Critical conversations of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland. Today’s topic: The Power of Talking Circles

What is a talking circle?
How are talking circles used?
How can talking circles can be used?

Guest: Alivia Moore, Penobscot tribal citizen, circle facilitator for Maine-Wabanaki REACH