On July 1, five members of the Council on Indigenous Relations (CIR) and three members of the Friends Committee on Maine Public Policy met with leaders from the Maliseet and Mi’kmaq tribes. The day marked a significant renewal of relationships. First, for CIR and the Friends Committee; we had met together with the tribes in the past but hadn’t collaborated on joint meetings with Wabanaki Nations for several years. The meeting also represented a renewed connection with tribal representatives of the Maliseet and the Mi’kmaq Tribal Council. It was a day CIR had eagerly anticipated and planned for, and everything about it felt like it was in balance.
Indigenous people tell us that being in balance is important. Being in balance with yourself mentally, spiritually, physically is like a ripple effect on water—it goes outward to family, friends, neighbors, the wider community, and so on.
First, our group met in Houlton with Maliseet Tribal Representative Brian Reynolds, incoming Tribal Administrator Isaac St. John, and Maliseet Tribal Ambassador Osihkiyol (Zeke) Crofton-Macdonald. They shared with us their impressive and ongoing efforts to serve the local community. These include the HBMI Resource Center, a brand-new Food Resource Center, and a $19-million grant project to improve a well-traveled road in town which eventually leads to the Maliseet lands.
When asked how we might be helpful there was one request: Could we write letters of support for their grant writers? Of course, we said yes. The sharing at this meeting was deep and personal, and we left feeling deeply touched by the atmosphere of openness and collaboration.
Next, we continued north to meet with the Mi’kmaq Tribal Council in Presque Isle. This was a much more formal meeting and just as meaningful. When one of our members posed the question: “What would you want us to hear or know that we haven’t asked,” Tribal Council member Fred Getchell gave a heartfelt plea. “Tell people about us and what we are doing,” he said. “We support the community in Presque Isle as a whole with our fish hatchery, Boys and Girls Club, and a sawmill. We make a difference, and we are growing.” The lumber from the sawmill is being used to build affordable housing on tribal land and the fish hatchery raises tens of thousands of pounds of brook trout per year, which provides culturally important food for the tribe as well as income.
Craig Sanborn, attorney for the Mi’kmaq Nation, echoed Getchell’s request to share the news that the tribe is growing. He also asked for Episcopal Maine congregations to join the Wabanaki Alliance Tribal Coalition in order to better support legislative initiatives backed by the Wabanaki, as well as to learn about educational events about and for the tribes.
As we broke from the meeting there were hugs and more sharing all around. Our group agreed that we were deeply blessed by the opportunity for dialogue and look forward to it continuing. If you’d like to learn more, please consider joining us for CIR meetings on the second Monday of each month.
Wabanaki Summer Events Open to the Public
Aug. 7-9, Passamaquoddy Days, Sipayik Tribal Government grounds, Pleasant Point. Learn more here.
August 13-16, Mi’kmaq Nation Mawiomi of Tribes, Spruce Haven, Caribou. Learn more here.
Sept. 2, 6 p.m. The Watertown Treaty of 1776: A Wabanaki Perspective, presented by Maliseet Ambassador Osihkiyol (Zeke) Crofton-Macdonald, Harbor Theater, Boothbay Harbor. Learn more here.
Sept. 6-7, Metaksonekiyak Community Days, Littleton. Learn more here.