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I serve as a volunteer Midden Minder, measuring the erosion of the shell midden under the guidance of the University of Maine at Orono’s Hudson Museum. During our research, we have learned about the peoples on whose land we reside and the horrifying behavior of our ancestors towards the indigenous populations.
Looking southeastward from the clam shell scattered beach, feelings erupt not only of the beauty and perfection of this mostly sheltered location, but a deep sadness and humiliation that our history, our culture, has caused such deep and lasting harm. That the prescribed behaviors of ancestors were genocidal is hard to accept, much less recognize that even unto today I believe we as a colonizing culture are continuing to suppress the tribal nations by holding them in economic stress.
The State of The Tribes presented in March 2023 to the Legislature laid bare the inequities and incipient child poverty that continues to exist. Clearly the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 did not begin to make right the situation of the Indigenous tribes.
That tribal communities have the highest rate of child poverty and I believe hunger is due to Maine’s intractable behavior towards them. Maine legislators should right this situation by passing LD 2007, “An Act to Advance Self-determination for Wabanaki Nations.”
Becky Bartovics
North Haven