Hi John ~
All of us at Maine Conservation Voters are full of gratitude – today and everyday – for your support of our work to create a safe, equitable, and healthy environment and a sound democracy for all Maine people.
As we look back on the conservation and climate successes of the past year, we are especially grateful to those who have been part of this land we now call Maine for millennia. We recognize that we inhabit Dawnland, where the sovereign people of the Wabanaki Confederacy, including the Mi’kmaq Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation, the Abenaki and other indigenous peoples, have lived for thousands of years.
While “Thanksgiving” is a day of celebration for many, it is also a symbol of the painful reality of colonization. The United American Indians of New England renamed Thanksgiving as the “National Day of Mourning.” Many of our ancestors participated in the theft of this land, the separation of indigenous children from their families, and the attempt to erase indigenous culture. Every day — but on Thanksgiving especially — we mourn the lives that were taken through colonization and honor the resilience of the Wabanaki people.
Injustices against indigenous peoples continue today. We must stand in solidarity with the Wabanaki Nations – and express gratitude – everyday, all year round. Please join us in rethinking Thanksgiving, considering how you can give back and the positive actions you can take to support Wabanaki rights to self-determination.
Here are three things you can do today:
Donate to Wabanaki Reach: Wabanaki Reach does incredible work elevating Wabanaki voices and taking action for Wabanaki self-determination. Take a look at this beautiful poem, “Thanksgiving Revisited,” by Passamaquody and Scotch poet Crow Suncloud.
Contact Maine’s Congressional Delegation and urge them to support HR 6707: Send a message to your U.S. Senators, asking them to support legislation that recognizes Wabanaki sovereignty and the rights provided to other tribes across the nation. Learn more about this legislation here.
Donate to the Wabanaki Alliance: The Wabanaki Alliance was formed by the tribes in Maine to advocate for policies that improve the lives of tribal citizens and their neighbors around the state. The Wabanaki Alliance has been the leading organization in the effort to recognize the inherent sovereignty of the Wabanaki Nations at the state and federal levels.
To build a better future for all, let’s re-examine our traditions and take action to create a thriving environment and just society. In doing so, we continue the work of healing our communities and fulfilling our vision for a better world.
With gratitude from all of us here at MCV,
Beth, Gina, Greta, Kathleen, Kelt, Maureen, Meghan, Rani, Stacie, and Will
