Awanadjo Almanack 8/20/21

Producer/Host: Rob McCall
Production Assistance: Rebecca McCall

About the host, Rob McCall:

Born in the Black Hills of South Dakota, grew up in Oregon and Illinois. Father was a Scots-Irish preacher, mother a Yankee Congregationalist tracing her ancestry back to the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Father taught him about Scripture, mother taught him about Nature.

Bachelor of arts in philosophy, bachelor of divinity in American religious history, graduate studies in education, doctor of ministry in congregational studies, certified in elementary education, tree fruits and entomology.

Worked as an elementary school teacher, tree and landscape contractor, church sexton, orchard manager, chimney sweep, ambulance driver, musician. Began second career as a preacher at age 40. Served as minister of the First Congregational Church of Blue Hill, Maine 1986 – 2014. He is currently chaplain of the Brooklin Fire Department.

Since 1992 has published the weekly Awanadjo Almanack which is broadcast to midcoast Maine and on the web at WERU-FM and appears in a number of publications. His writing has also appeared in Yankee, Down East, Maine Boats, Homes & Harbors, Island Journal and elsewhere.

His first book, Small Misty Mountain, was published in 2006 by Pushcart Press and distributed by W.W. Norton. Publisher’s Weekly called it “by turns inspiring and infuriating.” His second book, Great Speckled Bird, followed in 2012. His third book, Some Glad Morning, was released in October 2020.

Passions include wild plants and animals, and traditional fiddle tunes. Married for 53 years to Rebecca Haley, artist and singer. Father of two, grandfather of two.

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Dawnland Signals 8/19/21: Land Back and the Passamaquoddy Tribe

Producers/Hosts: Maria Girouard, Esther Anne
Engineer: Jeffrey Hotchkiss

Critical conversations of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland: Land Back and the Passamaquoddy Tribe

-How the Passamaquoddy Tribe was dispossessed of their land
-The history of reacquiring Tribal lands
-The emotional, spiritual, and cultural significance of reclaiming land

Guests:
Donald Soctomah, Passamaquoddy elder, historian and Historic Preservation Officer; Dale Mitchell, Passamaquoddy elder at Sipayik, land steward

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.

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Essential Rhythm 8/19/21: Sea Slugs of Maine Part 2

Producer/Host: Sarah O’Malley

In this episode we discuss the other large group of nudibranchs found in Maine waters, the aeolid nudibranchs. Key features include the respiratory and digestive aspects of their cerata and their use of kleptocnidae as a defense tactic.

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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Notes from the Electronic Cottage 8/19/21: Summer ’21 Encore 5- A Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace

Producer/Host: Jim Campbell

On today’s Summer Encore, a remembrance of how some of the first users of the web 25 years ago envisioned what the web could be – which is a whole lot different, perhaps unfortunately, from what it has become 25 years later.

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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DEBUT! 8/17/21 Tough Island, Maine

Producer/Host: Crash Barry

In Chapter One of Tough Island, Maine, Crash Barry moves to Matinicus, Maine’s most remote inhabited island, to live and work as a sternman on Captain Donald’s lobster boat, The Dotted Eye. And Crash gets to know Donald’s wife, Mary-Margaret, during a ride to Rockland.

About the host:
Writer Crash Barry lives near a cannabis grove in the foothills of western Maine. Thirty years ago, he moved to Matinicus, Maine’s most remote inhabited island, to live and work as a sternman aboard a lobster boat. In Tough Island, Maine, Crash retells his misadventures using dramatic storytelling and unique sound design.

For over 25 years, Crash has worked as print, radio and on-line journalist, reporting on the intersection of politics and culture. He’s the author of the rollicking novel Sex, Drugs and Blueberries, a gritty memoir Tough Island and the true story of Marijuana Valley. Crash is also a filmmaker and wrote and directed the screen adaptation of Sex, Drugs and Blueberries.

Crash’s podcast Devils and Dirtbags is an ongoing investigation of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts and a true tale of deceit, homicide, molestations and cover ups. The actions of evil Bishops and their unholy henchmen play out like a Hollywood movie, rife with death, destruction and disgrace, all framed by a murder mystery that haunted Springfield until an ex-priest made a deathbed confession. Crash trackeddown both the murderer and another former priest, a serial child rapist that served as pastor of Crash’s childhood parish, to see if they felt guilt for their sins and crimes.

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Downeast Diversity DEBUT! 8/17/21 Stories of People and Culture in Maine: Dawnland

Producer/Host: Alyne Cistone
Technical assistance and editing: Khiva Cheleigh and Amy Browne

Introducing Downeast Diversity! A Maine Podcast that seeks to collect, document and tell stories of people and culture in Maine!, produced by Alyne Cistone, in collaboration with Healthy Acadia

Today’s topic: Dawnland
-Celebrating diversity
-Sharing Maine’s BIPOC community contributions to Maine culture
-Jason Brown’s personal journey and stories about his upbringing on Indian Island and the inspiration for his work.

Guest: Jason Brown, Fashion Designer/Musician and a member of the Penobscot Nation

About the host:
Alyne has two decades experience working in law, government, and the nonprofit sector. As Founder and CEO of Global Tides, she manages the day-to-day operations including Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction and Leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy. Given her ability to bridge cultures, she is a sought-after adviser and for almost a decade, has served and continues to serve on the Board of Trustees at College of the Atlantic where she Co-Chairs the Board DEI Taskforce amongst other key roles. She is currently an Advisor for Greenlight Maine and has previously served as an advisor for the Maine Community Foundation Hancock Committee, and the MDI Hospital Women’s Health Center. Alyne has also served as a mentor for the Maine New Leadership and the Mandela-Washington Fellowship programs. Alyne has experience and a background in building strategic partnerships for businesses both nationally and internationally and as reflected in her recent appointment to the MITC Board.

She also serves on the Maine Conservation Voters Board, and volunteers for other numerous organizations across Maine.

Alyne’s work has been featured by TEDx Dirigo, Mainebiz, Maine Women Magazine, Maine Public Broadcasting and others.

She resides on Mount Desert Island with her family.

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Outside the Box 8/17/21: “Abolish the Work Ethic”

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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