Artist Credit: James Francis, a multimedia artist, citizen of the Penobscot Nation and Director of the Penobscot Nation Cultural Historic Preservation Center.
Wabanaki Windows is a monthly podcast hosted by Donna Loring, a Penobscot Nation Elder and Vice President of the Wabanaki Alliance. The show airs on WERU Community Radio and features topics of interest from a Wabanaki perspective.
Here, we have curated a two-part episode features a response to the June 2023 veto by Maine Gov. Janet Mills of LD 2004 “An Act to Restore Access to Federal Laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations.” There is confusion as to why the governor would refuse to support the Wabanaki Tribes in their quest for equality with the other 570 Tribes in Indian Country and why she would be against the Wabanaki Tribes having the same access to federal funds. The governor wrote a six-page letter to the Maine Legislature explaining the veto. This show features a detailed Tribal response to that letter and the intended or unintended consequences of the language and flawed reasoning used in the letter. Find other curated episodes of the Wabanaki Windows podcast on our website here.
Part 1: Tribal Issues Update 131st Legislative Session LD 2004 Governor’s Veto Letter
Original air date July 20, 2023
This is the first part of the Tribal response to Gov. Janet Mills’ veto of LD 2004, which would have begun the process of placing the Wabanaki Nations on the same footing as the other 570 federally recognized tribes across the United States. Guests include Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Francis; then-Penobscot Nation Ambassador Maulian Bryant; and Penobscot Nation attorney Corey Hinton of Drummond and Woodson, a citizen of the Passamaquoddy Nation. Listen to the program here or download the podcast from the WERU website here.
Listen to Part 1
Part 2: Tribal Issues Update 131st Legislative Session LD 2004 Governor’s Veto Letter
Original air date July 19, 2023
This is the second part of the Tribal response to Gov. Janet Mills’ veto of LD 2004, which would have begun the process of placing the Wabanaki Nations on the same footing as the other 570 federally recognized tribes across the United States. Guests include Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Francis; then-Penobscot Nation Ambassador Maulian Bryant; and Penobscot Nation attorney Corey Hinton of Drummond and Woodson, a citizen of the Passamaquoddy Nation. Listen to the program here or download the podcast from the WERU website here.
