Archive
View our post archive below to find links to current and previous updates from the Wabanaki Alliance. We also track local, state and national news coverage of issues important to the Wabanaki tribes in Maine. Find a selection of that media coverage in our In the News list.
Tribal Issues in the News
Read some of the latest news coverage of Wabanaki issues, including articles about a new Portland Press Herald plans to hire a reporter specifically to cover Wabanaki Nations in Maine, coverage of the recent Congressional hearing on murdered and missing indigenous women, and the return of 31,000 acres to Penobscot Nation management.
Wabanaki people have a right to be safe and heard
The December Wabanaki Voices column highlights the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and people and was written by Maulian Dana, a citizen of the Penobscot Nation and executive director of the Wabanaki Alliance.
Wabanaki Alliance Appeal for GivingTuesday
On GivingTuesday, the Wabanaki Alliance looks back at the past year and the promise in the years ahead.
Incoming Alliance Director Testifies at Congressional Hearing on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women
On Nov. 20, 2024, incoming Wabanaki Alliance Executive Director Maulian Bryant joined other Indigenous leaders at a Congressional hearing in Washington, DC. Held by the US House of Representatives Subcommittee on Interior, Environment, and Related Agencies, the hearing focused on the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women in the US.
Wabanaki Alliance Statement on Biden’s Apology on U.S. Indian Boarding School Policy
Officers and members of the Board of the Wabanaki Alliance have offered a statement in response to President Joe Biden’s recent formal apology for the atrocities committed against Indigenous children, families, and communities under the United States Indian Boarding School policy.
Join the Wabanaki Alliance Coalition
More than 300 businesses and organizations that support Wabanaki inherent sovereignty have joined the Wabanaki Alliance Tribal Coalition! See the list of members and find out how your organization or business can help advance the work of the Wabanaki Alliance!
The enduring value of freedom
The November Wabanaki Voices column highlights the story of Wabanaki citizen and World War II veteran Charles Shay and was written by Donna Loring, a Penobscot Nation Tribal Elder, Vietnam Veteran, and Wabanaki Alliance Board Member.
Wabanaki Alliance Endorses Congressman Jared Golden for Re-Election
The Wabanaki Alliance has enthusiastically endorsed Congressman Jared Golden for re-election.
Legislative scorecard is building sovereignty through education and awareness
The Alliance published two Wabanaki Voices columns in October. This second one highlights the 131st Maine Legislature Scorecard and was written by Maliseet Ambassador Osihkiyol Crofton-Macdonald, Passamaquoddy Tribal Representative Aaron Dana, Penobscot Nation Elder Donna Loring, and Mi’kmaq Nation Vice Chief Richard Silliboy.
Wabanaki Alliance Seeks Associate Director
The Wabanaki Alliance is seeking a committed, experienced professional for the position of Associate Director. Read on for details about the position and requirements.
131st Maine Legislature Scorecard Released
The Wabanaki Alliance has released its legislative scorecard for the 131st session of the Maine State Legislature, an analysis and compilation of votes on Wabanaki-related bills tracked by the organization as part of the alliance’s commitment to educating the people of Maine on issues of tribal sovereignty. Learn more and check your legislators’ ratings in our House and Senate Scorecards.
131st Maine Legislature Scorecard
This scorecard is for the first and second sessions of the 131st Maine Legislature. Read more about our priority bills and related legislative votes and check your legislators’ ratings in our House and Senate Scorecards.
Indigenous Peoples Day in Maine, 5 years later
The Alliance published two Wabanaki Voices columns in October. This first one offers a look back on the five years since the law officially designating Indigenous Peoples Day was passed. It was written by Maulian Bryant, former Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador and incoming Executive Director of the Wabanaki Alliance.
Wabanaki Alliance Hires Penobscot Ambassador Maulian Bryant as Executive Director
The Wabanaki Alliance has hired Penobscot Nation Ambassador Maulian Bryant as the next Executive Director of the organization. She succeeds John Dieffenbacher Krall who will retire at the end of 2024.
‘The Creator’s Game’ has been changing lives for hundreds of years
This month’s Wabanaki Voices column is about lacrosse, known in indigenous communities as “the Creator’s Game.” It was written by Corey Hinton, a citizen of the Passamaquoddy Tribe (Sipayik) and former member of the Haudenosaunee Nationals Lacrosse Team.
Wabanaki Alliance Endorsements for 2024 Legislative Campaigns
The Wabanaki Alliance has endorsed Democrat and Republican legislators and candidates in advance of the 2024 general election in November. See the full list here.
Wabanaki Alliance Seeks Executive Director
The Wabanaki Alliance is seeking an executive director to provide leadership to the organization, work with the Alliance board, oversee daily operations of the organization and maintain and enhance the many varied relationships and partnerships enjoyed by the Wabanaki Alliance.
Wabanaki Alliance Executive Director John Dieffenbacher-Krall to Retire
Wabanaki Alliance Executive Director John Dieffenbacher-Krall, who has served in the role since 2021, is set to retire at the end of 2024.
Honor the Watertown Treaty of 1776 by mending American-Indigenous relationship
This month’s Wabanaki Voices column is about the history of the Watertown Treaty of 1776, told from the Wabanaki perspective. It was written by Osihkiyol Crofton-Macdonald, the tribal ambassador for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and a co-commissioner on the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission.
July 11 Event to Celebrate Friendships and Alliances
The Wabanaki Alliance will host our second annual Nihkaniyane: Let’s Go Forward Together event, a celebration of our friendships and alliances, on the evening of Thursday, July 11th in the backyard at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor. Learn more and see the current Host Committee list.
The Time-Honored Valor and Sacrifice of Wabanaki Veterans
This month’s Wabanaki Voices column focuses on the Wabanaki Confederacy’s long and storied history of military service. It was written by Donna Loring, who served in the Women’s Army Corp from 1967-1968 and former Maine House representative for the Penobscot Nation, and Donald Soctomah, who represented the Passamaquoddy Tribe in the Legislature from 2006-2010, serves as the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer for the Passamaquoddy Tribe, and founded the Passamaquoddy Cultural Heritage Museum.
Wabanaki Alliance Endorses Candidates in Republican and Democratic Legislative Primaries
The Wabanaki Alliance has endorsed four legislative candidates in two State Senate and two State Representative seats.
For Wabanaki Nations, legislative session brought progress and disappointments
This month’s Wabanaki Voices column discusses progress and disappointments in the most recent legislative session. It was written by Rep. Aaron M. Dana, the Passamaquoddy tribal representative to the Maine House of Representatives and a member of the Wabanaki Alliance board of directors.
Wabanaki stewardship of the land benefits all
This month’s Wabanaki Voices column focuses on recent collaborations between conservation groups and Indigenous peoples across the world, including here in the place we now call Maine. It was written by Dr. Darren Ranco, a citizen of the Penobscot Nation, chair of Native American Programs and coordinator of Native American Research at the University of Maine, and a member of the Planning Team for the Wabanaki Commission on Land and Stewardship.
Wabanaki Alliance Media & Style Guide
The Wabanaki Alliance has launched a new media and style guide with common sense approaches to writing accurately and respectfully regarding Wabanaki people, history, land, and culture.
Alliance Priority Bill LD 2007 Signed into Law
Gov. Mills has signed LD 2007 into law. The legislation reflects many of the criminal justice elements from the 2019-2020 bipartisan Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act.
Legislative Tracker: Priority Bills in the 131st Maine Legislature
The second half of the 131st Maine Legislature is underway and our bill tracker is back! Learn more about our priority bills and find out how you can take action to Stand with the Wabanaki!
Maine House Passes LD 2007 Wabanaki Sovereignty Bill
The Maine House passed LD 2007 with bipartisan support. This amended bill would modernize several important provisions of the 1980 Maine Implementing Act and is based on five consensus recommendations pertaining to criminal jurisdiction.
LD 2007 Talking Points
Find talking points for letters to the editor or conversations with your legislators, friends, and neighbors on LD 2007, a bill that would make specific changes to the criminal jurisdiction provisions of the 1980 Maine Implementing Act and the Mi’kmaq Nation Restoration Act.
Amended LD 2007 would bolster Wabanaki Nations’ power to protect our citizens
This month’s Wabanaki Voices column in the Bangor Daily News focuses on how the amended version of LD 2007 would establish stronger tribal courts. Authors include Maulian Bryant, Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador and President of the Wabanaki Alliance; Osihkiyol Crofton-Macdonald, Houlton Band of Maliseets Tribal Ambassador; Aaron Dana, Passamaquoddy Nation Tribal Representative; Rena Newell, Sipayik citizen; and Richard Silliboy, Vice Chief of the Mi’kmaq Nation.
Take Action to Support LD 2007!
LD 2007, a bill to restore inherent tribal sovereignty to the Wabanaki Nations, has a hearing February 26. Find all you need to learn more about the bill, draft your testimony, contact your legislators, write a letter to the editor and more in our LD 2007 Take Action Toolkit!
Write an LTE in Support of LD 2007
Find tips on how to write a persuasive letter to the editor in support of LD 2007.
Share LD 2007 Social Media Graphics
Share these LD 2007 graphics on your personal and organization’s Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter!
With LD 2007, Maine can recognize Wabanaki self-determination
The first installment in the Bangor Daily News’ monthly column Wabanaki Voices offers background on efforts to restore inherent tribal sovereignty to the Wabanaki Nations. It was written by Kirk Francis, Chief of the Penobscot Nation, Clarissa Sabattis, Chief of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, and Edward Peter Paul, Chief of the Mi’kmaq Nation.
Wabanaki Alliance Calls on Legislators to Modernize MICSA
Wabanaki leaders and citizens, along with hundreds of Maine citizens and organizations, urged the Maine Legislature and Governor Mills to support long overdue changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act.
Top 10 Takeaways from the Harvard Study
A 2022 report by the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development detailed economic opportunities lost to the Wabanaki Nations due to the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act. We’ve compiled the top 10 takeaways from that report.
Understanding Tribal Sovereignty
Use this resource to learn more about tribal sovereignty and the Wabanaki Nations’ inherent right to self-governance and what you can do to support Wabanaki sovereignty.
Businesses for Wabanaki Sovereignty to Launch January 24
The Wabanaki Alliance will hold a launch event for “Businesses for Wabanaki Sovereignty” January 24 from 6:30-8:30 pm at the Patagonia store at 100 Main Street in Freeport.
Honoring the legacy of MLK: Justice and self-determination for all
Read a guest op-ed by the Wabanaki Alliance Board in honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day.
Year in Review: A Look Back at 2023
Our Year in Review highlights the past year’s accomplishments, events, and actions undertaken by the Wabanaki Alliance and our Coalition of nearly 200 advocacy groups, businesses, and faith-based organizations.
Wabanaki Winter Market to Showcase Indigenous Artisans and Businesses
Find out how you can support Indigenous businesses and artisans this holiday season at the Wabanaki Winter Market Sunday, December 9 at the Collins Center for the Arts in Orono.
Write a Letter to the Editor
Letters to the editor can help persuade legislators to pass legislation or change policy. Our LTE Guide offers tips to get your started and a list of newspapers.
Alliance Launches Video Project for Native American Heritage Month
As part of this year’s Native American Heritage Month in November, the Wabanaki Alliance will publish a series of short videos from Wabanaki citizens and supporters from around the state of Maine, talking about the importance of Wabanaki rights and self-determination.
Mainers Overwhelmingly Support Question 6
Maine voters overwhelmingly passed Question 6 yesterday, approving the amendment to the Maine Constitution with 74% of the vote. The Maine Constitution will now be printed in full for the first time since 1875.
“Yes on Question 6” on Maine’s Editorial Pages
Editorial pages in newspapers across the state are carrying editorials, guest op-eds, and letters in support of Question 6, demonstrating the broad support of the constitutional amendment to print all of Maine’s constitution, including original tribal treaties that have been omitted from printed versions for more than 100 years.
Help Pass Question 6 in November!
On November 7, Maine voters have an opportunity to Vote Yes on Question 6, a constitutional amendment that would require the state to print the full text of the Maine State Constitution, including a section about Maine’s original treaty obligations to the Wabanaki Nations. Find out what you can do to help the Wabanaki Alliance pass this important constitutional amendment.
More Than 200 Rally for Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Question 6
A rally and march in support of Question 6 that drew more than 200 Wabanaki citizens, Wabanaki Alliance Coalition members, state leaders and other allies garnered state and national media attention.
Indigenous Peoples’ Day Rally October 9 In Support of Question 6
The Wabanaki Alliance will hold a rally for Indigenous Peoples’ Day at the Maine State House in Augusta on Monday, Oct. 9 to show support for Question 6, a constitutional amendment that will appear on the November 7 ballot.
Wabanaki Alliance Tribal Coalition Grows to More than 150 Members
The Wabanaki Alliance Tribal Coalition has grown to more than 150 members, as businesses, faith leaders, outdoor enthusiasts, and racial and social justice organizations choose to stand with Wabanaki as allies in the effort to recognize self-determination for the tribes in Maine.
2023 State House Legislative Victories
The Wabanaki Alliance set a number of legislative priorities for the 131st Maine Legislature, including three measures that are now law and one that advanced a constitutional amendment to the Nov. 7 ballot that was overwhelmingly approved by Maine voters.