Tag: Passamaquoddy

Talk of the Towns 1/9/15

Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension
Studio Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Community concerns and opportunities

Program Topic: The Abbe Museum—Bridging Wabanaki and White People and Cultures

Key Discussion Points:
• What were the origins of the Abbe and what is it’s current mission?
• Big step to create its downtown location… what is the relationship between the museum in Acadia and the downtown museum?
• What were the potentials you saw when you came… what continues to excite you?
• How has the role of the Abbe to bridge “white” and Wabanaki people and cultures evolved, perhaps using Twisted Path as an example?
• What is the role of “museum educator”? What do you enjoy about your work in schools, or when school and other groups visit the Abbe?
• George brings so much to his role… what are some of the obvious and not-so-obvious contributions from your Passamaquoddy/Wabanaki culture, your education?
• How do you see the Abbe helping to bridge Wabanaki and “white” people and cultures?
• One of the planks in that bridge might be basket-making… talk about the art and artistry of basketmaking in Wabanaki culture… historical and current context
• Describe the role of the museum to help “build community” in Bar Harbor, and Mount Desert Island… what do you do to foster those connections, to build community capacity?
• Talk about the new exhibit inspired by the women of Indian Township and the effects of
substance abuse on the community… what questions would you like visitors to ponder?
• What else should we look for at the Abbe in coming months? What are some of the other staff working on?
• How has your affiliation with the Smithsonian affected your programming and recognition?

Guests:
Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, President, Abbe Museum
George Neptune, Museum Educator, Abbe Museum

Wabanaki Windows 10/21/14

Producer/Host: Donna Loring
Engineer: Amy Browne

Issue: Fifty Years of history and injustice for Passamaquoddy Tribe

Program Topic: Passamaquoddy history mid 1960’s

Key Discussion Points:

a) Woodard”s series of 29 chapters of Unsettled in the Portland Press Herald/ Racism in the surrounding community
b) Fairness in law enforcement/emergency services/judicial system
c) Will there ever be justice for this community?

Guest:
Colin Woodard, award winning writer and journalist for the Portland Press Hareld

RadioActive 8/7/14

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: The Penobscot Nation’s Proposed Water Quality Standards Hearing and Interview with Chief Kirk Francis

Key Discussion Points:

a) We hear some of the testimony at the Penobscot Nation’s public hearing on it’s proposed Surface Water Quality Standards.The tribe wishes to strengthen current standards for the waters within Penobscot tribal territories, most specifically to address the health of fish consumed by tribal members. Following public input, the Penobscot Nation will present their standards to the US Environmental Protection Agency for approval, as allowed under the federal Clean Water Act for federally recognized tribes.
b) We also speak with Penobscot Chief Kirk Francis on the water quality standards and on the current legal challenges. (We continue our interview with Chief Francis in next week’s program on 8-14-14)
c) Earlier this month, Maine Attorney General Janet Mills and Maine Dept of Environmental Protection Commissioner, Patrica Aho, filed suit against the US EPA in attempts to establish jurisdiction. The Penobsacot Nation also currently has a case against the Maine Attorney General’s Office to likewise establish he definition of tribal waters and the tribe’s sovereign right to control water quality.

Guests:
A) Jean Lewey, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot Tribal member
B) Reena Loure (sp?), Penobscot Tribal member
C) Reuben “Butch” Phillips, Penobscot Tribal member
D) James Sappier, former Chief of Penobscot Nation
E)Sherri Mitchell, Penobscot Tribal member
F) Chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Nation

RadioActive 3/27/14

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Program Topic: Tour to raise federal minimum wage to $10.10; Wabanaki Tribes continuing struggle to maintain sovereignty and fishing rights

Key Discussion Points:
a) We look at the movement to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. A bus tour promoting the passage of the Fair Minimum Wage Act stopped in Bangor. Miguel’s Mexican Restaurant of Bangor has just raised their minimum wage to $10.10.
b) We speak with Maine Congressional Representative and gubernatorial candidate, Mike Michaud about the minimum wage and the realities for low income Mainers
c) Passamquoddy tribal member, Vera Francis speaks on state opposition to tribal sovereignty and fishing rights,
specifically around the elver fishery. After long negotiations to come to an agreement that involved recognizing that tribal elver regulations were protective of the fishery and allowed tribal autonomy, Maine’s State Attorney General shut down the process in the 11th hour. The Passamquoddy Tribes own management plan puts a limit on total tribal catch, but allows anyone in the tribe to fish. They argue that this management system is more protective then the state’s permit system.

Guests:
Congressman Mike Michaud
Laura Fortman, US Dept of Labor
Sean Garceau , manager at Miguel’s Mexican Restaurant, Bangor
Rev. Becky Gunn, Unitarian Universalist Society of Bangor
Vera Francis, Passamaquoddy tribal member, Passamaquoddy Fisheries Committee

WERU News Report 2/12/14

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

The 2014 elver season starts on March 24th, and today legislators on the Marine Resources committee are considering emergency legislation that would amend regulations on the lucrative fishery. This issue has been a contentious one, with Maine’s state government attempting to regulate the tribes, who of course have their own government and history of conservation of the resource. To give you a better sense of the debate behind the headlines, today we take you inside the committee meeting. (Includes testimony from AAG’s office and Passamaquoddy and Penobscot Nation officials)

WERU News Report 2/5/14

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Protests were held in communities across the country Monday- including Belfast, Bangor and Portland, in reaction to a report issued by the state department last Friday, that gives a green light to the Keystone XL pipeline. The Final Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement downplayed concerns about the impact of the pipeline, designed to bring Alberta tar sands oil from Canada across the US.

Speakers on a tour through New England in recent weeks have a different view of the environmental and human impacts. The “Tar Sands Exposed: Exploring the Human and Environmental Costs” tour made a stop at the University of Maine last weekend, sponsored by 350 Maine. WERU’s John Greenman recorded the event, and this week we’re bringing you 2 of the speakers on the WERU News Report. Yesterday we heard from Eriel Deranger- of Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. Today’s speaker is Sherri Mitchell – Indigenous Rights attorney and Director of the Land Peace Foundation.

RadioActive 7/15/10

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Topics: EPA formulates Clean Water Act Permits required for pesticide applications;  Calais LNG is granted postponement of BEP permitting hearings

What are some of the concerns of Canada concerning LNG tankers in Passamaquoddy Bay?  What is Calais LNG’s connection to Goldman Sachs?  What are some of the areas EPA is still solidifying in it’s NPDES permitting requirements for pesticide applicators?

Guests: Sylvia Broude, Toxics Action Center; Elizabeth Martin-Craig, Pesticides Watch;  Bob Godfrey, Save Passamaquoddy Bay 3-Nation Alliance

RadioActive 5/6/10

Producers/Hosts: Meredith DeFrancesco & Amy Browne

Contributing Producer: Meaghan LaSalla

Today we hear an interview on  the World People’s Conference on Climate Change in Bolivia with Janet Redman of the International Policy Institute, a report from Meaghan LaSalla on the May 1st immigrant rights march in Portland, and comments from Passamaquoddy tribal member Madonna Soctomah on a recent decision by the Bureau of Indian Affairs to terminate Quoddy Bay LNG’s lease, after the tribe had rejected the project, and members of the tribe were suing the BIA for lack of oversight. some websites:climate conference—pwccc.wordpress.com