Upstander Project

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Jamaica Plain, MA
Upstander Project

Emmy® award-winning Boston-based educational and filmmaking collaborative. (DAWNLAND, BOUNTY + more)

Creators of the documentary films "Coexist" (2010, reconciliation in Rwanda) "First Light" (2015) and Emmy®-winner "Dawnland" (2018, Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission)

WHO WE SERVE

We serve mass and targeted audiences by challenging indifference to injustice and raising awareness of the need for upstanders, especially among middle- and high-school educators a

nd their students. WHAT WE DO

With original documentaries, related learning resources, and educator workshops, the Upstander Project helps teachers and students become upstanders. OUR GOALS

Overcome indifference to social injustice;
Develop the skills of upstanders;
Contribute to action-oriented campaigns in response to vital social issues.

06/02/2026

In April, Harvard Divinity School wrestled with its “role and the role of religion in Harvard's entanglements with slavery, colonization, forced assimilation and religious conversion, and so-called race science.” The conference featured conveners of the Maine-Wabanaki truth and reconciliation commission and included a screening of Upstander Project film First Light. We are grateful for institutions that acknowledge painful and traumatic pasts honestly and foster community care for healing. We hope to see more courageous truth-telling work in communities around the country.

Learn more about the conference: https://www.hds.harvard.edu/hds-conference-truth-and-reconciliation-experiences-us

05/27/2026

We were honored to receive these words from Upstander Academy alumna Te’Ata Gentle Springs Loper (Chickasaw Citizen, Choctaw Descendant), Executive Director of the Oklahoma Indian Child Welfare Association, who received the 2026 NICWA Individual Champion for Native Children Award. Upon reflecting on this recognition, Te’Ata told us that our “work with the Upstander Academy is so meaningful to me in our shared effort to educate and uphold the Indian Child Welfare Act and Tribal sovereignty. I hold my time spent in the Upstander Academy close and remains so incredibly special to me. When I reflect on my growth as a professional, the work and teachings of the Upstander Academy will always be a part of who I am. I spend much of my time and voice as an educator, activist, and advocate; the strength, knowledge, and perspective I carry forward have been shaped and sharpened by the brilliance of the Upstander Academy.”

Learn more about our workshops: https://upstanderproject.org/learn

05/26/2026

What do we choose to remember in the Dawnland, and why? With so much attention focused on America 250, what are we ignoring? How do narratives based on erasure reproduce themselves? How do we gird ourselves and create community for the never-ending task of un-erasure? As The Partnership of Historic Bostons notes, “King Philip's War is the least known, but bloodiest conflict, in US history - its story told by colonial victors. Historians, tribal citizens and Indigenous scholars turn that story upside down and explore how this brutal war changed history.” POHB is hosting a series of compelling events (in-person and online) through May that spotlight Native and non-Native perspectives on the origins of this war and its lasting impact.
Find an event to attend: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/metacoms-resistance-retelling-king-philips-war-4806437?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=creatorshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=odclsxcollection&utm-source=cp&aff=escb

05/19/2026

Our May newsletter is out with book recs and other ways to plug into the ongoing work of learning to be an upstander. If you’re not on our list please join us https://bit.ly/UPcommunity!

04/25/2026

🍎 FREE FOR TEACHERS! Upstander Project is now recruiting 3rd-12th grade educators from New England for the 2026 Upstander Academy.
This 7-day residential program (June 27–July 3) focuses on Native American history and Indigenous knowledge.
📍 Locations: Passadumkeag, ME & Boston, MA ⏳ Deadline: April 27 🔗 Apply here: https://upstanderproject.org/learn/upstander-academy-2026

03/24/2026

Longtime Upstander Project collaborator and friend, Chris Newell (Passamaquoddy) is out with his newest book, If You Lived During the American Revolution. Illustrated by Steffi Walthall, it's a comprehensive, kid-friendly look at the American Revolution and all that lead up to it, and includes a chapter about Indigenous peoples' contributions. If you buy the book please skip Amazon and use the link below which will support your local indie bookshop and Upstander Project.
Buy the Book: https://ow.ly/qBTq50Ye3s8

03/22/2026

Reminder that these excellent events are ongoing:
Repost from
Partnership of Historic Bostons Event Series | Metacom’s Resistance: Retelling King Philip’s War and Its Legacy

Hosted by Partnership of Historic Bostons Eight eye-opening events March-May 2026 LEARN MORE & REGISTER King Philip’s War: the least known but bloodiest conflict in American history. Its story has been told by colonial victors. Award-winning historians, tribal citizens and Indigenous scholars turn that story upside down, exploring the cost of this brutal war and how we reckon with it today....

https://atlanticblackbox.com/2026/02/23/partnership-of-historic-bostons-event-series-metacoms-resistance-retelling-king-philips-war-and-its-legacy-from-3-11-26/

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Jamaica Plain, MA

Website

http://upstanderproject.org/

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