Root awarded for service

Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Elna Seabrooks
ADVOCATE’S AWARD — Maliseet Chief Brenda Commander, left, presents Jane Root, director of the Maliseet Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program, with an award from the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault. Commander accepted the award from Gov. John Baldacci on Root’s behalf during Root’s vacation.
Director of Maliseet Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault program honored in Augusta
By Elna Seabrooks
Staff Writer
    HOULTON — Jane Root, director of the Maliseet Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Program was recognized by the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault (MECASA) at the Blaine House. Although Root was on vacation and unable to attend the Augusta ceremony earlier this month, Maliseet Chief Brenda Commander said she was pleased to go and accept the award on Root’s behalf.
    “It was an honor. She has worked so hard, not just for our community, but for the state of Maine as well. She is very passionate and very serious about her work which is so needed. She has built a huge program and I am just so proud of her,” said Commander.
    Root gave a great deal of credit to Commander as well. “It’s because of Chief Commander that we have been able to do what we have done. For this program to be here, to go from an empty office to a program with a shelter and staff, is totally because of Chief Commander. Not all communities have that kind of support,” said Root. The incidence of unwanted sexual violence said Commander is higher in the native American community at one in three victims as opposed to the non-native American communities where one in five people are victims.
    MECASA cited Root as being a strong advocate for victims of sexual violence not only within her own community, but across the state. It also recognized her work to highlight issues on behalf of victims and survivors of sexual violence.
    Commander said Root has been a victims’ rights advocate for the past 21 years and the director of the Maliseet program since its inception in 1998. Root served on the U.S. Attorney General’s national advisory committee on violence against women from 2005-07. She chairs the Maliseet Task Force on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault and she is co-chair of the Aroostook County Task Force on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault among many other professional and voluntary responsibilities.