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DoomsdaysCWUnderstanding <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TribalSovereignty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TribalSovereignty</a> "For more than 40 years, the state of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Maine</a> has used legislation passed in 1980 to deny the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiNations" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiNations</a>’ inherent tribal sovereignty, excluding the Houlton Band of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maliseet" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Maliseet</a> Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PassamaquoddyTribe" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PassamaquoddyTribe</a>, and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PenobscotNation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PenobscotNation</a> from many rights and protections guaranteed by Federal Indian Law. This has resulted in decades of social and economic barriers for the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Wabanaki" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Wabanaki</a> people and surrounding communities."Who We Are"In June of 2020 the tribes in Maine (Mi’kmaq Nation, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HoultonBandOfMaliseetIndians" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#HoultonBandOfMaliseetIndians</a>, Passamaquoddy Tribe and Penobscot Nation) formed the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiAlliance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiAlliance</a>. The Wabanaki Alliance was formed to educate people of Maine about the need for securing sovereignty of the tribes in Maine."In 1980, the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act was passed by Congress and ratified by the tribes and the State of Maine. The Settlement Act was supposed to be a living document that would be improved upon. Under political duress the tribes agreed to the Settlement Act but with the hope to continue improving the relationship between the State of Maine and the tribes. For forty years this has not happened."Because of the 1980 Settlement Act the Tribes in Maine have had their sovereignty stripped from them. The promise of improving the Settlement Act has never been fulfilled. Now the Tribes in Maine are treated less than every other federally recognized tribe in America. The Wabanaki Alliance is not asking for special privileges but fairness by having the same or similar sovereignty as the more than 500 other tribes across America."We ask all those who support the sovereignty of the Tribes in Maine to educate themselves on the issues, why they are important and join us in securing sovereignty."Use the resources on this page to learn more about the issue and its history, and then visit our Take Action page to find out how you can support Wabanaki sovereignty."<a href="https://www.wabanakialliance.com/sovereignty/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.wabanakialliance.com/sovereignty/</a><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineSettlementAct" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineSettlementAct</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IndigenousSovereignty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IndigenousSovereignty</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiTribes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiTribes</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Micmac" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Micmac</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Miqmak" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Miqmak</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IndigenousActivism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IndigenousActivism</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/FirstNations" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#FirstNations</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineTribes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineTribes</a>

DoomsdaysCWLetter: <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineTribes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineTribes</a> deserve <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/sovereignty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#sovereignty</a>, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/justice" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#justice</a>February 26, 2024"The Legislature is holding a public hearing this week [last week] on a bill regarding the sovereignty of Maine tribes. I hope it will eventually pass with enough votes to convince Gov. <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/JanetMills" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#JanetMills</a> to sign it."I am a supporter of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/RestorativeJustice" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#RestorativeJustice</a>, which seeks to repair the harm done by crimes both legal and political. One of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Maine</a>’s most effective practitioners of restorative justice is the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TribalCourt" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TribalCourt</a> run by the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PenobscotNation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PenobscotNation</a>."The tribes, of course, have been treated abysmally by the ruling white culture of Maine for centuries. There was a time, for example, when a bounty was placed on the heads of tribal members, and discriminatory conduct continues."The federally recognized tribes in Maine are unique in a demeaning way: They alone do not have <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/sovereignty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#sovereignty</a> on the lands they occupy. I have heard the governor indicate that the 1980s <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LandClaimsSettlementAc" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LandClaimsSettlementAc</a> makes it difficult to accommodate sovereignty in Maine. But just think: The bounty was erased after a time, women gained the right to vote, Black people were recognized as fully human and on and on. Change is a fact of political life, and the time has come to grant sovereignty to Maine tribes. Please pass <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LD2007" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LD2007</a> and let’s have some justice for a change."Jay Davis BelfastSource: <a href="https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/02/26/opinion/letters/letter-maine-tribes-deserve-sovereignty-justice/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/02/26/opinion/letters/letter-maine-tribes-deserve-sovereignty-justice/</a>Link to LD2007 - An Act to Advance Self-determination for <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiNations" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiNations</a> <a href="https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bill/display_ps.asp?LD=2007&snum=131" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bill/display_ps.asp?LD=2007&snum=131</a><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LandBack" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LandBack</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineSettlementAct" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineSettlementAct</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineTribes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineTribes</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IndigenousSovereignty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IndigenousSovereignty</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiTribes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiTribes</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiNations" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiNations</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Micmac" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Micmac</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Miqmak" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Miqmak</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IndigenousNews" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IndigenousNews</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineLegislature" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineLegislature</a>

DoomsdaysCW"If the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiTribes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiTribes</a> were <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/sovereign" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#sovereign</a>, they would need to be consulted on every land-use decision that might impact their territory. Potential harms to human health, water and air quality, or plants and animals would be grounds for blocking commercial activity. The influential <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineForestProductsCouncil" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineForestProductsCouncil</a> lobbies for <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/timberland" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#timberland</a> owners, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/logging" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#logging</a> companies, and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/mills" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#mills</a>, including Maine’s largest landowner, the Canada-based <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/JDIrving" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#JDIrving</a> company, which controls 1.25 million acres in the state. It has also been one of the most forceful opponents of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TribalSovereignty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TribalSovereignty</a>, arguing that any additional regulatory hurdles would stifle economic activity in the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineWoods" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineWoods</a>." <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Maine</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiAlliance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiAlliance</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Degrowth" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Degrowth</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Environment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Environment</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SevenGenerations" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SevenGenerations</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CorporateColonialism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CorporateColonialism</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Capitalism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Capitalism</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IndigenousSovereignty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IndigenousSovereignty</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LandBank" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LandBank</a>

DoomsdaysCWThis article from the March 2024 issue of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/DownEastMagazine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#DownEastMagazine</a> has a lot of background behind the Maine Settlement Act. A must read!!!What Would <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TribalSovereignty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TribalSovereignty</a> Mean for the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Wabanaki" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Wabanaki</a>? For more than 40 years, the tribes in Maine have had to play by different rules than other indigenous groups across the country, and they have suffered in tangible ways as a result. Now, a push for greater tribal autonomy has come to a head"18th-century treaties were never intended to deed away land. Like many American <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Indigenous" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Indigenous</a> groups, the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Wabanaki" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Wabanaki</a> viewed stewardship as a communal undertaking — they didn’t share European conceptions of private land ownership. Unattuned to this foreign mindset, the Wabanaki signed treaties assuming the documents outlined land use, not ownership."By Rachel Slade March, 2024"The <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HoultonBandOfMaliseets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#HoultonBandOfMaliseets</a>’ administrative headquarters, built to resemble a log cabin, sits on a small tract of tribal land in Aroostook County, just north of where I-95 intersects the Canadian border. A few steps away, the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MeduxnekeagRiver" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MeduxnekeagRiver</a> roars past, the sound of rushing water a reminder of the harm done by 19th-century log drives, when clearing the river of obstacles turned the flow fast and shallow. A decade ago, the Maliseets took it upon themselves to start a <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/restoration" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#restoration</a> project, partnering with federal and state agencies and nonprofit groups to add boulders and bends to the Meduxnekeag. To date, they have covered a four-mile stretch, recreating conditions that will cool and oxygenate the water, in order to help insects, birds, and fish thrive. The work requires patience. So does much else. The river is hardly the only historical damage tribal leaders around the state have been attempting to repair."One of the four remaining Wabanaki tribes whose forebears arrived in Maine more than 10,000 years ago, the Maliseets inhabited an area now split between the United States and Canada long before the existence of an international border. Chief <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ClarissaSabattis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ClarissaSabattis</a>, who wears her heather-brown hair in two long, thick braids that drape over her shoulders, was elected to lead the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maliseets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Maliseets</a> in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Maine</a> in 2017. Since then, she says, she has struggled daily with the complex legal relationships the tribes have with the state government, dictated by the 1980 <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineIndianClaimsSettlementAct" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineIndianClaimsSettlementAct</a>. "The terms of the settlement were the result of a decade of legal wrangling (and centuries of fraught dealings before that) that resulted in the state wielding unprecedented power over tribal affairs. The tribes have come to find the arrangement both burdensome and unjust. 'Our tribal council is our governing body,' Sabattis said when I met her at the Maliseet administrative offices. 'We should have full authority to make the laws and serve our people without interference from other governments.'"Several years ago, the Maliseets, Mi’kmaq, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Passamaquoddy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Passamaquoddy</a>, and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PenobscotNation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PenobscotNation</a> banded together and formed <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiAlliance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiAlliance</a> to collectively push for <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TribalSovereignty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TribalSovereignty</a>. Most of the country’s 570 other federally recognized tribes are sovereign, which in the context of tribal affairs implies a sort of quasi-independence: through a direct nation-to-nation relationship with the federal government, indigenous groups can run their own communities. They administer their law enforcement, courts, schools, health care, and civil infrastructure on their reserved lands with federal assistance and funding — and, unlike in Maine, can do so without state-level interference. Sovereignty also means that if the tribes believe the state has violated their federally protected rights, they have recourse both through federal agencies and courts. It’s a system under which tribes across the nation have begun to flourish in recent decades."Read more: <a href="https://downeast.com/issues-politics/what-would-tribal-sovereignty-mean-for-the-wabanaki/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://downeast.com/issues-politics/what-would-tribal-sovereignty-mean-for-the-wabanaki/</a><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LandBack" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LandBack</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineSettlementAct" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineSettlementAct</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NoCompromise" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NoCompromise</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineTribes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineTribes</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IndigenousSovereignty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IndigenousSovereignty</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Wabanaki" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Wabanaki</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiTribes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiTribes</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiNations" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiNations</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PenobscotNation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PenobscotNation</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Passamaquoddy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Passamaquoddy</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Micmac" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Micmac</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Miqmak" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Miqmak</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maliseets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Maliseets</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IndigenousNews" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IndigenousNews</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/JanetMills" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#JanetMills</a>

DoomsdaysCWLet's see, vetoed <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/TribalSovereignty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#TribalSovereignty</a>, is letting her brother destroy <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Maine</a> forests (<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CMPCorridor" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CMPCorridor</a>), wetlands and a 200-year-old working farm (<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/GorhamSpur" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#GorhamSpur</a>), and is all for opening up Maine to <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ToxicRockets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ToxicRockets</a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Mining" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Mining</a>! I can't wait for the Mills reign to be over!!<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineTribes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineTribes</a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/JanetMills" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#JanetMills</a> close in on deal to avoid another sovereignty vetoFebruary 26, 2024"The <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiAlliance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiAlliance</a> has advocated for years to amend the $81.5 million settlement to give tribes access to additional federal benefits available to tribes in other states, relating to issues such as health care, land acquisition and disaster assistance. The alliance has pointed to a Harvard University report finding they lagged economically behind tribes in other states."But Mills vetoed sovereignty proposals in the past few years and opposes the initial language included in the 41-page Talbot Ross bill that came out last week. Mills believes the more sweeping plan would lead to legal issues and create confusion, according to her office."<a href="https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/02/26/politics/janet-mills-maine-tribes-compromise/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.bangordailynews.com/2024/02/26/politics/janet-mills-maine-tribes-compromise/</a><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NoCompromise" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NoCompromise</a>! <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LandBack" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LandBack</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineTribes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineTribes</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IndigenousSovereignty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IndigenousSovereignty</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Wabanaki" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Wabanaki</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiTribes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiTribes</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiNations" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiNations</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PenobscotNation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PenobscotNation</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Passamaquoddy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Passamaquoddy</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Micmac" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Micmac</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Miqmak" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Miqmak</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maliseets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Maliseets</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IndigenousNews" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IndigenousNews</a>

DoomsdaysCW<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineTribes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineTribes</a> and Leading <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Environmental" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Environmental</a> Organizations Join Forces To Oppose Proposed <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Mine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Mine</a> in Shadow of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Katahdin" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Katahdin</a>Proposed <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ZincMine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ZincMine</a> at <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PickettMountain" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PickettMountain</a> being pursued by virtually unknown Canadian companyJune 28, 2023"Two Tribes in Maine today joined forces with leading environmental groups and a national public interest environmental law organization to oppose a proposed mine that would be located in the shadow of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BaxterStatePark" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#BaxterStatePark</a> and the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/KatahdinWoods" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#KatahdinWoods</a> & Waters National Monument."The proposed zinc mine at Pickett Mountain is being pursued by a virtually unknown Canadian company, <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WolfdenResources" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WolfdenResources</a>, that has never operated a mine before. A previous version of Wolfden’s request was widely opposed because the region holds enormous cultural and natural significance to <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Wabanaki" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Wabanaki</a> Tribes, outdoor recreation businesses, and Maine people."The <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/HoultonBandOfMaliseets" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#HoultonBandOfMaliseets</a>, the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PenobscotNation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PenobscotNation</a>, and the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NaturalResourcesCouncilOfMaine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NaturalResourcesCouncilOfMaine</a> [<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NRCM" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NRCM</a>], represented by <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Earthjustice" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Earthjustice</a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Brann" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Brann</a>&Isaacson, joined the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ConservationLawFoundation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ConservationLawFoundation</a> in petitioning to intervene in the review of Wolfden’s permit application to the Land Use Planning Commission (<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LUPC" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LUPC</a>) to rezone the area for <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/industrial" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#industrial</a> uses."'The Penobscot Nation strongly opposes the rezoning of this <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ecologically" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ecologically</a> important area. We share significant concerns over impacts to the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/water" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#water</a> quality and f#isheries of the area, which our members rely upon,' said <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ChiefKirkFrancis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ChiefKirkFrancis</a> of the Penobscot Nation. 'The West Branch of the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MattawamkeagRiver" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MattawamkeagRiver</a> contains abundant, high-quality, cold-water fish habitat and Designated <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CriticalHabitat" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CriticalHabitat</a> for <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/endangered" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#endangered</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AtlanticSalmon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AtlanticSalmon</a>, identified as necessary for the recovery of Atlantic salmon in the Penobscot River. This mine would impact our traditional territories and forever alter our ability to maintain our relationship to this place.'"The area Wolfden wants to mine is next to three State Heritage Fish Waters and is a centerpiece of the region’s growing outdoor economy. It contains the headwaters of the West Branch of the Mattawamkeag River, which is sacred to the Penobscot Nation and provides key, federally designated critical habitat for endangered Atlantic salmon."'The Katahdin region’s wild beauty and clean water are extraordinary. One look at this landscape demonstrates that this is no place to put a mine,' said Nick Bennett, staff scientist at the Natural Resources Council of Maine. 'Wolfden’s claims that it will treat <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/wastewater" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#wastewater</a> more effectively than any mining company on earth are not credible. This is too big a risk for <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Maine</a>.'"'The legacy of metallic mineral <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/mining" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#mining</a> in Maine is one of empty promises of economic development, acid mine drainage <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/polluting" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#polluting</a> waters and killing fish, and multi-million dollar c#leanups funded by taxpayers and not the fly-by-night mining companies like Wolfden,' said <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/SeanMahoney" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#SeanMahoney</a>, vice-president and senior counsel at the Conservation Law Foundation. 'Rezoning this area to allow mining would fail to recognize the cultural and spiritual importance of the land to the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiTribes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiTribes</a> and threaten the natural resources and experiences valued by generations of Maine citizens.'"After withdrawing its initial request because it was riddled with errors, Wolfden submitted a second rezoning petition in January that sparked another review by the LUPC. Comments by Wolfden’s CEO disrespecting Maine tribes and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MininLlaws" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MininLlaws</a> have prompted outrage from the Penobscot Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/conservationists" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#conservationists</a>. The company has lost tens of millions of dollars over the past decade."'This is one of the absolute worst areas to rezone for a mine,' said Aaron Bloom, a senior attorney with Earthjustice. 'The region is known for its vast contiguous forest, pristine streams, high-quality lakes, and aquatic species like wild brook trout and landlocked salmon. Why would we risk that, along with the outdoor economy that depends on it, on a half-baked proposal from an unproven mining company? The Commission must put Maine’s unique natural resources, and the well-being of the people of Maine and Maine’s Wabanaki Tribes, before short-term industry profits.'"More than 700 hundred Mainers and local businesses, including Bradford Camps, Chandler Lakes Camps and Lodge, and the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineWildernessGuidesOrganization" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineWildernessGuidesOrganization</a>, have spoken out against Wolfden’s plans. In May 2022, residents of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Pembroke" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Pembroke</a> voted overwhelmingly to ban industrial-scale metallic mineral mining in their town in response to Wolfden’s plans to develop a mine there."Source: <a href="https://earthjustice.org/press/2023/maine-tribes-and-leading-environmental-organizations-join-forces-to-oppose-proposed-mine-in-shadow-of-katahdin" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://earthjustice.org/press/2023/maine-tribes-and-leading-environmental-organizations-join-forces-to-oppose-proposed-mine-in-shadow-of-katahdin</a><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WaterIsLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WaterIsLife</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Maine</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiNations" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiNations</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Environment" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Environment</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Mining" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Mining</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CorporateColonialism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CorporateColonialism</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NoMining" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NoMining</a>

DoomsdaysCW<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiStudies" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiStudies</a> should be taught at all <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineSchools" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineSchools</a> OpEd by Hope Carroll, December 26, 2023"<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Wabanaki" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Wabanaki</a> history is ingrained across <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Maine</a> and has deep rooted cultural relationships with major natural landmarks that many of us see everyday. However, there is a concerning gap surrounding the important aspects of our state’s rich Wabanaki history and what little many students learn about it in Maine schools."Wabanaki studies need to be consistently incorporated into all Maine school districts. According to a 2022 report done by the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AbbeMuseum" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AbbeMuseum</a>, the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MaineACLU" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MaineACLU</a>, the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission and the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiAlliance" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiAlliance</a>, the Wabanaki studies law passed by Maine in 2001 is not appropriately enforced across the state."The law 'requires schools to teach Maine K–12 students about Wabanaki territories, economic systems, cultural systems, governments, and political systems, as well as the Wabanaki tribes’ relationships with local, state, national, and international governments,' the report says."The Portland public school system recently incorporated a Wabanaki studies program into its curriculum. This will hopefully be a good example for other districts across Maine and encourage them to do the same."Teaching Wabanaki studies will help children gain a better understanding of the state. In time, this can help them develop a closer relationship with the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/land" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#land</a> and our responsibility to ensure that it is cared for and treated with respect."'Through <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/traditional" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#traditional</a> stories representing the terrestrial and aquatic systems, important [Wabanaki] values are imparted that safeguard culturally significant resources from overuse and ensure the persistence of the people and culture,' says Natalie Michelle, interdisciplinary studies and research assistant of native environmental studies in climate change at the University of Maine."It is more important than ever that we look to native science as we face irreversible damage to our climate. We must prioritize implementing these ideals early into the educational careers of children so they go on to practice them throughout their lives."Western science and education has taught the ideals of dominance over nature for centuries. This is reflected in practices that have contributed to the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/extinction" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#extinction</a> of animals, rises in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NaturalDisasters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NaturalDisasters</a>, food and water shortages and the numerous other effects of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ClimateChange" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ClimateChange</a>. Instead of connecting with <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/nature" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#nature</a>, we are often taught to distance ourselves from the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NaturalWorld" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NaturalWorld</a>. We are taught to use vague and nonspecific naming tools like 'it' to refer to any non-human being."'We use it to distance ourselves, to set others outside our circle of moral consideration, creating <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/hierarchies" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#hierarchies</a> of difference that justify our actions — so we don’t feel,' says Robin Kimmerer, professor of environmental and forest biology at the State University of New York College of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EnvironmentalScience" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#EnvironmentalScience</a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Forestry" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Forestry</a>."Kimmerer talks of alternatives to using 'it' to put ourselves on the same level as other living beings, recognizing them as relatives by calling them by their name. But she says that this can be difficult for many of her students because they were not taught these alternatives until now."In my experience growing up in Maine and going to school, I never encountered a class focused on Wabanaki studies until college. I am grateful to have this opportunity now. But it has been difficult for me to implement these new ideals into my thinking toward the land around me because they seem so foreign."Using the word 'foreign' seems wrong when describing ideals that have been used in Maine since long before any of us were here. But Maine schools and communities have an opportunity to change this."Children who grow up in this state have the right and responsibility to know the history of the land around them. They have the right and responsibility to understand the negative implications of <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/colonization" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#colonization</a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ForcedRemoval" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ForcedRemoval</a> of the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiTribes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiTribes</a> and how despite horrible <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/historical" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#historical</a> events, the Wabanaki people have endured and developed their own <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/sovereign" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#sovereign</a> structures."In order to create more inclusive classrooms that incorporate all aspects of our state history and work towards building respectful relationships with Maine land, other communities should follow the exciting example being set in <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PortlandMaine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PortlandMaine</a>."Source: <a href="https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/12/26/opinion/opinion-contributor/wabanaki-studies-maine-schools-education/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.bangordailynews.com/2023/12/26/opinion/opinion-contributor/wabanaki-studies-maine-schools-education/</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiConfederacy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiConfederacy</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LandBack" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LandBack</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IndigenousPeoples" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IndigenousPeoples</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IndigenousSovereignty" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IndigenousSovereignty</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/ClimateCrisis" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#ClimateCrisis</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LandStewards" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LandStewards</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Stewardship" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Stewardship</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/IndigenousNews" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#IndigenousNews</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NativeAmericanNews" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NativeAmericanNews</a>

DoomsdaysCWYour Questions Answered: <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Wolfden" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Wolfden</a>’s Proposed <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PickettMountain" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PickettMountain</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Mine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Mine</a> September 27, 2023"An untested and underfunded company called <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WolfdenResources" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WolfdenResources</a> has submitted a second rezoning petition to the Land Use Planning Commission (<a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/LUPC" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#LUPC</a>) to allow for the development of a zinc mine near <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PickettMountain" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PickettMountain</a> in the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Katahdin" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Katahdin</a> region. The Canada-based exploration and development company focused on metallic mining deposits was forced to withdraw its first application in 2021 because it was riddled with errors."The proposed mine has been identified by the LUPC as an 'issue of statewide concern' and has attracted a lot of attention because of its location just miles away from <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BaxterStatePark" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#BaxterStatePark</a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Katahdin" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Katahdin</a> Woods & Waters National Monument."Here are some answers to frequently asked questions that have arisen as people seek to better understand what is being proposed."What is the potential impact on local wildlife and fisheries?"The location of the proposed mine is directly adjacent to some of the state’s best habitat for <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/BrookTrout" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#BrookTrout</a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/AtlanticSalmon" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#AtlanticSalmon</a>. It is next to three State Heritage Fish Waters and contains the headwaters of the West Branch of the <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MattawamkeagRiver" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MattawamkeagRiver</a>, which is federally designated critical habitat for endangered Atlantic salmon. The <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PenobscotNation" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PenobscotNation</a> and other organizations have worked hard to restore habitat for Atlantic salmon and brook trout in Maine. <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Mining" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Mining</a> pollution could reverse this progress."The mine would destroy critical habitat for threatened <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/CanadaLynx" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#CanadaLynx</a> and habitat for other iconic Maine species, such as <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/moose" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#moose</a> and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PineMarten" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PineMarten</a>."What is the significance of the area surrounding the proposed mine site to Wabanaki tribes?"The Katahdin region and <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/PenobscotRiver" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#PenobscotRiver</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/watershed" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#watershed</a> are sacred to <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiTribes" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiTribes</a>. The tribes have an intimate cultural and physical relationship with the land and water, which continues today through traditional practices such as sustenance fishing and hunting. The location of Wolfden’s proposed mine is near several important tribal trust lands."The tribes also have a close connection to Atlantic salmon and have long worked to recover habitat for the species. The proposed mine would be located in critical habitat for endangered at Atlantic salmon and would endanger that progress."<a href="https://www.nrcm.org/blog/faqs-wolfden-proposed-pickett-mountain-mine/" rel="nofollow noopener" translate="no" target="_blank">https://www.nrcm.org/blog/faqs-wolfden-proposed-pickett-mountain-mine/</a><a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Maine" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Maine</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MetalMiningPollution" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MetalMiningPollution</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/NatureOfMaineBlog" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#NatureOfMaineBlog</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/Waters" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#Waters</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WaterIsLife" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WaterIsLife</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/MetalMining" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#MetalMining</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/EnvironmentalRacism" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#EnvironmentalRacism</a> <a href="https://kolektiva.social/tags/WabanakiConfederacy" class="mention hashtag" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">#WabanakiConfederacy</a>

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