For decades, child welfare authorities have been removing Native American children from their homes to save them from being Indian. In Maine, the first official “truth and reconciliation commission” (TRC) in the United States begins a historic investigation. DAWNLAND goes behind-the-scenes as this historic body grapples with difficult truths, redefines reconciliation, and charts a new course for state and tribal relations.[Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission {TRC)]
background brief: In 1978, the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA, Public Law 95-608) was passed to re-establish tribal authority over Native children, due to high rates of state removal of children. Things didn't change so Maine enacted its TRC 35 years later in 2013.
After the movie please stay online so you can ask questions of the film team in a live online chat.
In lots of schools across the United States, one timeline of Native American history goes something like this: Christopher Columbus, Thanksgiving, Pocahontas, Trail of Tears.
For contrast, consider how we many were taught The Creation Story: Dr. Franklin smote the earth with His electric rod and out sprang George Washington, Declaration of Independence in his hand, who was then painted into a rowboat oared by “We the People” packing a constitution wand, Abe Lincoln.
One viewpoint is that “Wabanaki ” is an Anglicized spelling of “Waponahki ”. Many people use Wabanaki because it is in common usage by Indigenous scholars as well as Wabanaki tribal citizens and communities. Wabanaki Confederacy refers to a coalition of five Algonquian language group tribes of the eastern seaboard who banded together in response to Iroquois coalition operations in the mid-17th century. Abenaki, Penobscot, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, and Micmac all retain their own political leadership. The term “Wabanaki” literally means “People of the Dawn” or “dawnland people.” There are a variety of spellings for the names of the tribal nations making up the Wabanaki Confederacy. Nation-state boundaries were imposed on tribal societies. Maine, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Quebec occupy Micmac (Mi’kmaq, Mi’kmawi’simk, Mi’kaw, Mikmaq) Territory. Maine and New Brunswick occupy Passamaquoddy (Peskotomuhkati) Territory. Maine occupies Penobscot (Eastern Abnaki, Penahwubskeag, Penawahpskewi, Penobscott) Territory. Wabanaki in parts of New York State call themselves Abenaki.
Dawnland was filmed in the territory of AROOSTOOK BAND OF MICMACS, HOULTON BAND OF MALISEET INDIANS, PASSAMAQUODDY TRIBE AT MOTAHKOMIKUK, PASSAMAQUODDY TRIBE AT SIPAYIK, PENOBSCOT INDIAN NATION.
It is an
UPSTANDER PROJECT FILM [
Upstander Project helps bystanders become upstanders through compelling documentary films and learning resources ▬Upstander Project films include First Light, the debut film in the series, anchored by the feature film Dawnland, and Coexist ▬ The newly released sequel to Dawnland is Dear Georgina (15 Sept 2019, 16 minutes, biography) in which Passamaquoddy elder Georgina Sappier-Richardson tries to sharpen the blurry outlines of her identity.]
▬source: Bowdoin College, archived. ▬ This series includes audio and video recordings, as well as related transcripts, of all unrestricted statements by individuals that are part of the TRC archives. Statement providers include Wabanaki elders, children once in foster care and their family members, foster and adoptive parents, tribal leaders, service providers, incarcerated people, attorneys and judges, caseworkers, and administrators from the tribes and from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Some statement providers requested anonymity, and in those cases, both the transcripts and recordings have been altered to protect participants' identities.
These personal memories provide a window into the realities of the relationship between Wabanaki people and the state of Maine. As evidenced by the recordings themselves, the process of providing statements was often an emotional one for participants. Readers should be aware that many of the statements contain challenging and disturbing content. The statements are made available online with the hope that broader access to these important historical records will further our understanding of this difficult past and lead to improved child welfare practices for Wabanaki families.
Bowdoin does not hold copyright for these materials. They are made available for research and educational purposes, and with the permission of the TRC and individual statement providers. For all uses outside of "fair use" (as defined by Title 17, United States Code), including derivation, publication, and reproduction, researchers must secure permission from the copyright holders, typically the individual statement providers.