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A League of Women Voters Presentation: Penobscot Nation Ambassador Maulian Dana on Decolonizing Thanksgiving

Recorded by Linda Washburn
Lightly edited by Amy Browne

NOTE: There is some noise near the microphone in the first minute or two of the recording – bear with us as the audio quality does improve significantly when Ambassador Dana begins speaking.

From the program description:

We look at the Thanksgiving holiday through Native American eyes. History has always been written by the winners — those who feel that they have won the right to portray that history in a light that waters down the consequences of their ‘winning’. However, by unpacking the truth we can all reach a place of better understanding and humanity.

Maulian Dana serves as the appointed Tribal Ambassador of the Penobscot Nation where she grew up and now raises her two daughters. The Ambassador role functions as the government relations position of the nation and assists the Chief with matters in local, state, and federal government. Her biggest accomplishment in her first term was her role in the new Maine laws banning Indian mascots in Maine Public Schools and Universities along with replacing Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day in Maine. Maulian was an elected Tribal Council member before being appointed as Ambassador and is a 2006 graduate of the University of Maine Orono where she earned a BA in Political Science. In addition to her important day job, she also loves being a mother, writer, activist, dog-mom, and reads a lot of books.

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Reggie Harris Benefit Concert – June 29, 2019

Recorded by Matt Murphy

To benefit the making of the film Robert Shetterly: An American Who Tells the Truth, by Kane Lewis Productions of Sedgwick, this concert was held June 29, 2019 at the Blue Hill Town Hall, Maine, at 7pm, featuring Reggie Harris singer/social activist. Shetterly painted Harris’ portrait as a model of courageous citizenship. In addition to Reggie Harris’ performance, Shetterly and Harris held a public discussion about the Power of Art to Advance and Engage Social Activism. Pastor Elaine Hewes welcomed the audience with a “testimonial” poem about peacemaker/cellist Vedran Smailovic who played Albinoni’s “Adagio in G Minor” for 22 days on the shattered streets of Sarajevo, one day in memory of each of those recently killed in that civil war. The event was co-sponsored by the Union of Maine Visual Artists, WERU Community Radio, Americans Who Tell the Truth, Reversing Falls Sanctuary, Peninsula Peace & Justice, and Island Peace & Justice.

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“Connecting Our Struggles: Corporations or Communities?” – full, unedited recording

On 5/29/19, a panel of Maine-based activists spoke in Belfast at an event called “Connecting Our Struggles: Corporations or Communities?” Panelists Nickie Sekera of Community Water Justice; Matt Wagner of No to NECEC; Ellie Daniels of Local Citizens for SMART Growth; and John Banks, Natural Resources Director for the Penobscot Nation, talked about tensions between corporate interests and efforts to protect and preserve communities. This is a full, unedited recording recorded by Meredith DeFrancesco.

Part 1 aired on Maine Currents and is available here
Part 2 aired on RadioActive and is available here

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Local Lore Locavore Night at The Gatherings in Surry, Maine 3/23/19

An unedited recording of the third Local Lore Locavore Night at The Gatherings in Surry on March 23, 2019, featuring neighbors “telling tall tales of Surry from some old timers. True or nearly so.”

Production: Matt Murphy

What was it like for Surry in the 1970’s to suddenly have the old Hattie Morgan Farm on the East Blue Hill Road become the center of a Zen community, its barn a theater and concert hall? Listen to the stories of pre -zendo time told by Joy Small and Audrey Carter. Charles Guilford talks about the Zendo community and Bill Raiten of the New Surry Theater take the stage to reminisce from a rich backlog of unforgettable stories.

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Web special: “Rethinking Small Coastal Towns in Maine”, a Blue Hill Community Issues Forum

“Rethinking Small Coastal Towns in Maine. How can we grow downtown, stimulate commerce, and create jobs while preserving property rights and historic structures?”

Recorded 3/13/19 at the Blue Hill Public Library by Matt Murphy.

Panelists:
Anne Ball, Program Director, Maine Development Council
Zach Schmesser, Executive Director, Our Town Belfast
Chris Closs, Field Service Advisor, Maine Preservation

Moderator: Dr. Gregory Bush

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“Free Press: Enemy of the People?” – Panel Discussion 3/2/19

The League of Women Voters – Downeast panel discussion on Journalism and Democracy, focusing on the importance of a free press in a functioning democracy and the challenges facing us today.

The panel discussion took place in Ellsworth, Maine on 3/2/19, and was made possible through a grant from the Maine Humanities Council and the partnership of WERU Community Radio, along with the co-sponsorship of the Ellsworth American and Mount Desert Islander.

Panelists:
John Christie: Veteran journalist and co-founder of the Maine Center for Public Interest Reporting
Irwin Gratz: Host of Morning Edition, Maine Public
Liz Graves: Managing Editor of the Mount Desert Islander
Joseph Reisert: Professor of American Constitutional Law, Colby College

Moderator: Ann Luther, the host of Democracy Forum on WERU Community Radio

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