Tag: Penobscot Nation

RadioActive 10/30/14

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic:
Maria Girouard of the Penobscot Nation gives an overview of the historic conflict over Wabanaki territory and sovereignty between the state and tribes, up to present

Key Discussion Points:
1. Penobscot Nation member Maria Girouard spoke to a class at the Maine Maritime Academy, in Castine, titled “Communities and Conflict.”
2. Girourad spoke on the impacts of historical, or intergenerational, trauma, explicitly how past and unfolding policies of colonization have impacted the Wabanaki tribes present within Maine’s borders.
3. Maria Girouard gives an historical overview of the conflict between the state and the tribes concerning Wabanaki territory, and the state’s continuing position on tribal land, water, fishing rights and sovereignty, including the current case in US District Court, Penobscot Nation vs. State Attorney General Janet Mills, et al

Guest:
Maria Girouard, member of the Penobscot Nation, environmental activist, community organizer. She is currently the Welness Coordinator for Maien Wbanaki REACH ( http://mainewabanakireach.org ), the organization facilitating the work of the Maine Wabanaki State Chile Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Girouard served as the Penobscot Nation’s director of Cultural and Historic Preservation 2006-2011, and was a member of the Penobscot Tribal Council 2012-to 2014

WERU News Report 10/15/14

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

Segment 1: A rally in Skowhegan Monday kicked off efforts here in Maine to follow the lead of cities like Seattle and Minneapolis, and replace “Columbus Day” with a holiday called “Indigenous People’s Day”. Former Penobscot Chief Barry Dana organized the event:

Segment 2: Students in Bangor are raising money to help provide access to clean drinking water in the West African country of Burkina Faso. We spoke with 2 of the organizers of this year’s annual
benefit race, which will be taking place on the Bangor waterfront this weekend:

Segment 3: A few other events happening this weekend: Saturday evening at 7 at the UU Church in Bangor, Sister Cities coordinator Cori Ring-Martinez, and Edith Portillo of the Association for the Development of El Salvador will be speaking on the topic of “Crossing Borders: Organizing in El Salvador and the U.S.: How US policy created the immigration humanitarian crisis, how the Salvadoran government and social movements are responding, and what international solidarity can do to help”. Also on Saturday, from 2-8pm, there will be a concert and fundraiser to benefit the Penobscot Nation’s defense of their ancestral River. There will be an opportunity to learn more about the Penobscot’s battle with the State of Maine in Penobscot Nation v. Mills, and hear about threats to the watershed. That will be held at the Sockalexis Arena on Indian Island. More information is available at the Justice for the River! facebook page.

Segment 4: While all these events are happening, there is also a group of people walking across the state to draw attention to what they say is Maine’s “growing dependence on military production”. One of the organizers is Bruce Gagnon, of Maine Veterans for Peace and the Global Network Against Weapons & Nuclear Power in Space:

RadioActive 8/14/14

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: An Interview with Chief Kirk Francis on the Penobscot Nation’s Proposed Water Quality Standards Hearing and Current Legal Challenges.

Key Discussion Points:
a) We speak with Penobscot Chief Kirk Francis on the tribe’s proposed water quality standards and current legal challenges.
b) Last week the Penobscot Nation held a 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.
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) Chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Nation

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 7/31/14

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: The Penobscot Nation’s Proposed Water Quality Standards: Fairpoint Workers Speak Out on Contract Problems and Preparation for Strike

Key Discussion Points:
a) We speak with the Penobscot Nation’s director of natural resources, John Banks, prior to the tribe’s public hearing on it’s newly 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) 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.
c) We also hear from two unionized Fairpoint workers who are poised to strike against the company when their contract expires this Sunday. At issue are healthcare benefits, pensions, retiree healthcare and Fairpoint’s desire to increase the subcontracting out work currently done by unionized workers.

Guests:

A) John Banks, Penobscot Nation Director of Natural Resources, member of Penobscot Nation
B) John Curtis, Community Union of Ellsworth
C) Lyn Grandmont, Fairpoint customer service technician, member of International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) local 2327
D) Todd Foster, Fairpoint splice service technician, member IBEW local 2327

WERU News Report 7/8/14

Producer/Host: Amy Browne

In what many believe to be the latest threat to the Penobscot Nation and the river ecosystem, a new landfill is being proposed in the Greenbush/Argyle area. The organization behind the plan is the Municipal Review Committee or “MRC”, which represents nearly 200 Maine municipalities that have their solid waste delivered to the PERC waste-to-energy facility in Orrington. Supporters cite a 2013 report that indicated that Maine would run out of landfill space in 11 years, and an impending fee increase at the PERC plant as evidence of need for a new landfill.

The new dump would be located only a few miles from the controversial Juniper Ridge landfill. It would also be in close proximity to Indian Island, Birch Stream and Sunkhaze Meadows Wildlife Refuge, near an aquifer and in an area known for landslides. The location is also adjacent to what is believed to be the route the proposed East-West Corridor would take through the area.

Last week, the Maine Dept of Environmental Protection held a public meeting in Old Town, one step in the process of determining whether the dump would meet the “public benefit” criteria required for issuing a permit.

For several hours the public spoke Here’s what some of them had to say. DEP Commissioner Patrica Aho facilitated:

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 11/7/13

Producer/Host: Meredith DeFrancesco

Issue: Environmental and Social Justice

Program Topic: Penobscot Nation Natural Resources director on the work to protect the health of the Penobscot River Watershed

Key Discussion Points:

a) Today we hear a talk by John Banks, a member of the Penobscot Nation and the Natural Resources Director for the tribe. He has been an active and tireless advocate for environmental sustainability and tribal rights.
b) In his talk, he outlines the Penobscot Nation’s work to protect the health of the Penobscot River Watershed from the impacts of paper mill dioxin, to the work of the Penobscot River Restoration Project to dismantle dams, allowing for the expansion of fish species into original habitats, to legal issues on state vs federal control over pollution permits, with explicit industry pressure, and now the tribes current court case to oppose the 2012 state Attorney General’s opinion that the Penobscot Reservation does not include any of the Penobscot River.

c) John Banks spoke at the University of Maine’s 10th annual Eco-Peace Sustainability Training and International Affiliates Conference on October 25th in Belfast. This years Conference was titled “Reclaiming the Commons : Water Ethics and Nature Rights in Maine”. We spoke with organizer Hugh Curran on RadioActive October 10th, 2013.

Guest:

A) John Banks, Natural Resources Director for the Penobscot Nation; Penobscot tribal member