Our Latest Newsletter: Wabanaki Youth Forum, Candidate forums, Wabanaki REACH training, and more!

I turned 42 this month! Thank you for the birthday wishes from so many of you in person, virtually, and all the ways you have supported my life and work.  My youngest daughter turned 4 which is a far more exciting birthday than 42. My daughters range in age from 4 to 19 and it strikes me that I have been a mother almost as long as I have been working on tribal issues. We also celebrated Mothers Day this month and having recently lost the Matriarchs of both of my large Penobscot families it forces much reflection for this month of May for me personally. There is the grief of how time passes and the eras and people that fade from this world; but also the hope of what that passage has brought forth through hard work and struggle so that my kids will have a future with more opportunities and less adversity. The “why” for so many of us is creating the future our ancestors dreamed of. We are all connected through love of one another and that lasts longer than we do. 

When I was first getting started being fired up about the glaring inequities and oppression the Wabanaki people experienced; I was a teenager full of anger, energy, and attitude. Because of the powerful tribal leaders I got to admire up close I learned how to harness all of those things and find purpose and direction in this lifelong work. I think about life back then and how these issues were seen as on the fringes of progressivism, special rights and special interests, and we had a handful of hearty allies who stood with us in small numbers and large spirits. Today because of so many of you we have grown this movement into something that speaks to so many Mainers who are seeking truth, justice, and peace for Wabanaki people. Not because they stand to gain anything. Not because it’s trendy or profitable. Simply because it is the right thing to do. Mainers care about being on the right side of history and we are doing all we can to educate about our past, present, and future so that when we walk into that new dawn together we do so with open hearts and enriched minds. 

I plan on spending next 42 years doing my part for the good of our people and everyone in our homelands now called Maine. I am so thankful for my role at the Wabanaki Alliance, which allows me to work with all of you and build new bridges every day. Please read on for all we have been up to this month and stay tuned for exciting new events and ways you can support. 

Woliwoni!

Maulian Bryant
Executive Director