WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill, Maine Local News and Public Affairs Archives
Audio archives of spoken word broadcasts from Community Radio WERU 89.9 FM Blue Hill (weru.org)
Producer/Host: Rhonda Frey
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne
Topic: The Newly Elected Penobscot Tribal Representative to the (Maine) State Legislature
What is a Tribal Representative to the Legislature? What is the status of the severing of ties? What are the newly-elected Representatives’ plans for the coming two years? How has institutional racism impacted the tribes in Maine?
Guest: Wayne T. Mitchell, Penobscot Tribal Representative to the Maine State Legislature
Call in show
Producer/Host: Rhonda Frey
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne
Topic: The Historical and Current Relationship of the Wabanaki and French People
Who is the Baron of Castine? What kind of relationship did the Penobscot have with the French? Who is Charles Norman Shay?
Guests:
French Consulate General Francois Gauthier; James Eric Francis, Penobscot Nation Tribal Historian; Charles Norman Shay, Penobscot Tribal Elder and Veteran; Todd Nelson, Principal, Adams School in Castine
Producer/Host: Rhonda Frey
Topic: The films of Catherine Anne Martin
Who are the MicMac people? What films has Catherine Anne Martin made and why? Who was Annie Mae Pictou Aquash?
Guest: Catherine Anne Martin, International Award Winning MiKmaq Filmmaker from Nova Scotia
Call in show
Producer/Host: Rhonda Frey
Topic: The 2-year term of Penobscot Nation Tribal Chief Kirk Francis
What is the history of the relationship with the state of Maine? What led to the severing of ties with the state? What were Chief Francis’ goals during his 2 year term and what are his plans for the future?
Guest: Honorable Kirk Francis, Tribal Chief of the Penobscot Nation
Call in show
Producer/Host: Rhonda Frey
Topic: “In The Shadow of the Eagle- A Tribal Representative in Maine” (2008, Tilbury House)– a discussion with the author, Donna Loring, Penobscot Representative to the Maine State Legislature.
What is the election process of the Penobscot Tribe? What legislative bills did you work on? With regard to the “Offensive Names Bill”, what difficulties did you face in the state, with the media and public?
Donna Loring also has a blog called “Native Voice” which can be found on the Bangor Daily News website, www.bangornews.com
Producer/Host: Rhonda Frey
Topic: Discussion of a recently published book: Wabanaki Homeland and the New State of Maine The 1820 Journal and Plans Survey of Joseph Treat, Edited & Introduction by Micah Pawling. Who were Joseph Treat and John Neptune? Does the survey include glimpses of Penobscot life and culture in 1820? Why is the publication of Joseph Treat’s journal so important?
Guests: Micah Pawling, PhD candidate in History at the University of Maine; Bonnie Newsom, Penobscot Nation Tribal Member and the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer.
Call in show
Producers/hosts: Rhonda Frey and Meredith DeFrancesco
Guest: Representative Donna Loring
Topics: Multiple topics, including: History of tribal representation in Maine legislature; LD281 “An Act to Require Teaching Maine Native American History and Culture in Maine Schools” and how it is being implemented; How the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act was used to diminish tribal sovereignty in the case of the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy tribes attempt to protect river quality from paper company pollution
Producers/hosts: Rhonda Frey and Meredith DeFrancesco
Topics:
Segment 1: Passamaquoddy members sue the BIA for lack of procedure before they approved the lease with LNG (Liquified Natural Gas) developers
Segment 2: The proposed tribal racino in Washington County
Guests: Vera Francis, Passamaquoddy tribal member; Donald Soctomah, Passamaquoddy Representative to the Maine Legislature
How should the BIA have observed the National Environmental Policy Act? The National Historic Preservation Act? The Endangered Species Act? How would the racino benefit the tribe?
FMI: http://wetakecareofourland.org/ or savepassamaquoddybay.org