Governor signs historic document for Wabanakis

Contributed photo/ Penthea Burns
HISTORIC SIGNING — Wabanaki tribal leaders and Governor Paul LePage signed an historic agreement June 29 in Augusta to commence the first Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission process. Sitting at the table are from left, Chief Richard Getchell of the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, Chief Joseph Socobasin of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkmikuk, Chief Reuben Clayton Cleaves of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik, Gov. LePage, Chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Indian Nation, and Chief Brenda Commander of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.
By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
    AUGUSTA — History was made June 29 as five Wabanaki chiefs and Governor Paul LePage signed a document to commence the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission process.
    The signing fulfilled a commitment the state made to its Wabanaki chiefs in May, 2011. The commission is a collaborative effort to examine what happened, what is happening, and what needs to happen regarding Maine child welfare practices affecting Wabanaki people.
    The public signing ceremony, which took place at the Hall of Flags in the State Capitol, represents a historic agreement between Wabanaki tribal governments and the state of Maine to uncover and acknowledge the truth, create opportunities to heal and learn from the truth, and collaborate to operate the best child welfare system possible for Wabanaki children, a goal shared by all the signatories to the mandate.
    “I am happy we are able to take this next step to continue this important effort,” said Gov. LePage. “I see this commission as a critical step to improve relations between the state and the tribes. As Governor, I believe my administration’s relations with the tribes have always been good. Repairing damage from prior administrations is a gesture that is important to me.”
    Brenda Commander, tribal chief of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, was among the five Wabanaki chiefs attending the event. Also in attendance were Chief Richard Getchell of the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, Chief Joseph Socobasin of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkmikuk, Chief Reuben Clayton Cleaves of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik and Chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Indian Nation.    “I think it is an important step toward healing within our community,” Commander said. “We are really pleased that Gov. LePage and the Department of Health and Human Services support this effort.”
    Commander said she felt the ceremony showed there was a lot of support for going forward with the healing process.
    “It was a great first step,” she said.
    Chief Richard Getchell of the Aroostook Band of Micmacs cited the impact of boarding schools on the Micmac people.
    “Many of our people survived the Canadian and American boarding school system,” he said. “The trauma that those children, who are now the elders of our tribe, grandmothers and grandfathers, have unwittingly passed down through the generations needs to be acknowledged so we can heal as individuals, families and as a tribe. This Truth and Reconciliation Commission process is crucial to that healing. We must give our people the opportunity to share their experiences, to bring voice to all that has been suppressed and repressed for far too many years.”
    The Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) represents the first truth and reconciliation effort within U.S. territory that has been collaboratively developed between Indian nations and a state government, according to John Dieffenbacher-Krall, executive director of the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission.
    Wabanaki and state representatives have been collaborating for more than a decade, to improve child welfare system for Wabanaki children, he said. In spite of this progress, Maine’s child welfare history continues to impact Wabanaki children and families today.
    “The governments have come to realize that they must unearth the story of Wabanaki people’s experiences in order to fully uphold the spirit, letter and intent of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) in a way that is consistent with the law and promotes healing,” Dieffenbacher-Krall said.
    The concept for the Tribal-State TRC began with a Truth and Reconciliation Convening Group, individuals representing Maine Tribal Child Welfare, Maine State DHHS Office of Child and Family Services, and staff from the Muskie School of Public Service, American Friends Service Committee, and Wabanaki Mental Health Associates. Last year all five Wabanaki Tribal Governments and Governor LePage signed the Declaration of Intent to undertake the TRC.
    Commander said it was not uncommon for Native American children to be taken from their homes decades ago and placed in non-Native American homes, despite the existence of the Indian Child Welfare Act signed by Congress in 1978.
    “When I took office, there were very critical issues going on with DHHS and the tribe,” she said. “A lot of our children were removed. It seemed that we really didn’t have the voice that we do now. No matter what the parents did back then, they didn’t seem to get anywhere with getting their children back home.”
    In the late 1990s, things were so bad, according to Commander, that a standoff took place between the tribe and DHHS.
    “Ultimately, we attended several public hearing sessions throughout the state and the Maine Attorney General sat down with us,” she said. “We didn’t talk about jurisdictional issues. Instead we focused on the effects this (removal) had on the children.”
    The Houlton tribal government signed its first child welfare agreement with the state in 2002 and from that point forward, progress has been made with the TRC, Commander said.
    Dieffenbacher-Krall added the impetus for the TRC was three-fold.
    First, it is to create a common understanding between the Wabanaki and the state of Maine concerning what happened and is happening to Wabanaki children in the child welfare system.
    Secondly, it is to act on the information revealed during the TRC to implement systems change to improve the system and to better support the children and families served.
    Thirdly, it is to promote healing both among Wabanaki children and their families and the people who administered a widely acknowledged less than ideal system.
    “As the chief of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, a mother, and a grandmother, I know the incredible importance of our children,” Commander said. “At one time, 16 percent of all Maliseet children were in state custody. The disproportionate taking of our children threatened the survival of our tribe. I am pleased that the state of Maine stands ready to acknowledge the mistakes of the past and move forward on a new path guided by systems reform and best practices for our children.”