RadioActive 2/10/22: Tribal Leaders Speak to Need to Make Changes to the Settlement Implementing Act

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

This session Maine Legislature’s Judiciary Committee continues to consider legislation that would address some of the longstanding detrimental impacts of the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act on the Wabanaki Tribes, and recognize their status as equal to the other 570 federally recognized Tribes.

The bill includes 22 recommendations developed by a Task Force convened in 2019, made up of bipartisan legislative representatives, the Tribal Chiefs of the Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy at Sipayik and Motahkomikuk, the Houlton Band of the Maliseets, and the Mi’kmaq Nation, and ex offcio representation from the State Attorney General’s, Governor’s Offices and the Maine Indian Tribal State Commission(MITSC). The recommendations include changes to policy regarding trust land acquisition, use of land and natural resources, hunting and fishing, taxation, criminal jurisdiction, civil jurisdiction, and the applicability of federal laws to the Tribes within Maine. Currently, the Wabanaki Tribes are exempt from federal laws passed effecting other federally recognized Tribes, unless the law explicitly includes them, an action the State of Maine has often subverted. Recent examples include the Violence Against Women Act, the Indian Health Improvement Act, the Stafford Act, regarding federal disaster funds.

Today we hear from a presentation last spring given by Penobscot Ambassador Maulian Dana and Passamaquoddy Tribal member and attorney Corey Hinton, hosted by the Maine Conservation Voters.

And then we hear an interview also from the spring, with Passamaquoddy Chief Maggie Dana of Sipayik and Passamaquoddy Representative to the Maine legislature, Rena Newell following the decision to postpone the consideration of LD 1626 to this legislative session.

Guests:

Maulian Dana, Penobscot Nation Ambassador
Corey Hinton, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Attorney
Rena Newell, Passamaquoddy Tribal Representative to Maine Legislature
Chief Maggie Dana, Passamaquoddy at Sipayik

Today’s program was co-produced by WERU FM/RadioActive and Sunlight Media Collective, including Mali Obamsawin, Lokotah Sanborn, Dawn Neptune Adams, Maria Giroaurd, Andrea DeFrancesco, Nickie Sekera and Meredith DeFrancesco.

Sunlight Media Collective, documents and presents issues affecting Indigenous people from Wabanaki perspectives, highlighting the intersection between environmental justice and Tribal sovereignty.

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Common Ground Radio 2/10/22: Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership

Producer/Host: C.J. Walke

Organic Food and Farming in Maine: Northeast Organic Family Farm Partnership (NOFFP)

-Organic dairy production in the Northeast
-Danone/Horizon’s contract cancellations with 89 organic dairy farms in the Northeast
-Efforts to support the Northeast organic dairy farms

FMI: www.saveorganicfamilyfarms.org

Guests:
Annie Watson, Sheepscot Valley Farm, Whitefield, ME
Gary Hirshberg, co-founder and former CEO of Stoneyfield Farm
Claire Eaton, Director of Natural Resource Markets and Economic Development, Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF)

About the hosts:

C.J. Walke has been involved in Maine agriculture for over 20 years and has worked in numerous capacities for the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) starting in 2006. He holds degrees in park management/environment education and library science. Common Ground Radio debuted in June of 2010 and C.J. has been the show’s host since 2014.

Holli Cederholm has been involved in organic agriculture since 2005 when she first apprenticed on a small farm. She has worked on organic farms in Maine, Vermont, Connecticut, Scotland and Italy and, in 2010, founded a small farm focused on celebrating open-pollinated and heirloom vegetables. As the former manager of a national nonprofit dedicated to organic seed growers, she authored a peer-reviewed handbook on GMO avoidance strategies for seed growers. Holli has also been a steward at Forest Farm, the iconic homestead of “The Good Life” authors Helen and Scott Nearing; a host of “The Farm Report” on Heritage Radio Network; and a long-time contributor for The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener, which she now edits in her role as content creator and editor at MOFGA.

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Notes from the Electronic Cottage 2/10/22: Weapons of Math Destruction 2

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

The tech world changes fast but some things, though they change in velocity, remain remarkably the same in purpose. The effect of invisible algorithms on our everyday lives – algorithms that most of us know nothing about – is one good example. Here’s why.

About the host:
Jim Campbell has a longstanding interest in the intersection of digital technology, law, and public policy and how they affect our daily lives in our increasingly digital world. He has banged around non-commercial radio for decades and, in the little known facts department (that should probably stay that way), he was one of the readers voicing Richard Nixon’s words when NPR broadcast the entire transcript of the Watergate tapes. Like several other current WERU volunteers, he was at the station’s sign-on party on May 1, 1988 and has been a volunteer ever since doing an early stint as a Morning Maine host, and later producing WERU program series including Northern Lights, Conversations on Science and Society, Sound Portrait of the Artist, Selections from the Camden Conference, others that will probably come to him after this is is posted, and, of course, Notes from the Electronic Cottage.

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Technoptimist Radio 2/9/22: Scientists Propose Mechanical Trees to Soak up CO2

Join Teresa Carey as she breaks down the latest news on the technology that is solving the world’s biggest problems. In today’s show, Teresa covers a new drug for dementia, mechanical trees, and EV battery innovations.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

Drug that cleans up cholesterol may reduce post stroke dementia

Scientists propose mechanical trees to soak up CO2

New EV battery material promises to quintuple electric car range

About the host:
Teresa Carey is a senior staff writer at Freethink.com, where she covers genetics and the environment. She is also a US Coast Guard licensed captain and a NatGeo Explorer. In addition to Freethink her work can be found in BuzzFeed, Scientific American, PBS NewsHour, NPR Weekend Edition, Smithsonian and more. Find her on twitter @teresa_carey

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BoatTalk 2/8/22

Producers/Hosts: Mike Joyce, Alan Sprague, Jon Johansen

a) boatyard report
b) dory woman rowing
maine to cape horn book
far away islands of paradise book

guests:
nicolle litrell dory woman rowing
charles lagerbom maine to cape horn
lecain smith far away islands of paradise

About the hosts:

Alan Sprague a.k.a. Flounder of the Soul Show, has been a programmer at WERU since the glaciers receded. For thirty years at community radio he has worked his way from being an unpaid volunteer to being an unpaid volunteer today, and he says he’s worth every cent of it. In 2003 he and Mike Joyce started the monthly call-in show Boattalk which has become a boating related show without piers (pi). Mike and Alan met many years ago while both were working at the Hinckley Company. Alan was the head service carpenter at the Hinckley skunkworks called Bass Harbor Marine or sometimes Kibbee’s Kennels. He worked there for nearly thirty years and saw yachts of stories to tell yawl. As part of Boattalk they organize the annual WERU Boattalk Cruise in late June for a fun pot-luck trip up Somes Sound, America’s former fiord. Quite cunning Mike and Alan are to work a free scenic boat trip with fine food for themselves.

Mike Joyce bio to follow

Jon Johansen bio to follow

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Outside the Box 2/8/22: “Childhood Trauma”

Producer/Host: Larry Dansinger

About the host:
Larry Dansinger (no pronouns) of Bangor came to Maine in 1974 and has been here ever since. Some of Larry’s activities since then: Done community organizing on numerous issues through INVERT and then Resources for Organizing and Social Change (ROSC), committed civil disobedience several times, grown a garden yearly since 1977, joined various food cooperatives and two men’s groups, refused to pay federal income taxes for war, lived on a community land trust for 23 years, and met a wonderful partner whom Larry has loved for over 40 years. Larry has produced Outside the Box features on WERU since 2007 and continues to look for unique ways of seeing almost any problem or situation.

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The Essential Rhythm 2/6/22: Gas Exchange at Sea

Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley

This episode introduces the concept of metabolic gas exchange and discusses simple gas exchange mechanisms used by marine invertebrates, including manipulation of surface area to volume ratios.

About the host:
Sarah O’Malley is an ecologist, naturalist and science communicator passionate about deepening her listeners’ experiences with the natural world. She teaches biology and sustainability at Maine Maritime Academy and is currently collaborating on a guide book to the intertidal zone in the Gulf of Maine.

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