Wabanaki REACH

06/17/2026

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF6PRzocMKc
June 14, 2026 marked the eleventh anniversary of the release of the report from the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
In commemorating this we are pleased to share videos from the closing ceremony.

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Official handing off of the TRC Report to Penthea by TRC Commission...

06/09/2026

Now available to listen online: Dawnland Signals: episode 5

WERU 89.9 FM or weru.org - every first Tuesday of the month at 4:00 PM

Tune into to listen to hosts Nick Bear and Nolan Altvater talk with Damon Galipeau! Damon is a Penobscot Nation citizen, Wabanaki Youth in Science Technician - Forestry Lead and coach of Penobscot Canoe and Kayaking Team. Listen as Damon talks about his relationship to canoeing and the waterways here in what is now Maine as a Waponahki person.

Dawnland Signals is a monthly radio talk show that holds space for critical conversations of Truth, Healing, and Change in the Dawnland. Dawnland Signals is a partnership between Wabanaki REACH and WERU FM and highlights Indigenous topics not immediately represented in mainstream media. The show features guests involved in various aspects of truth, healing, and change work in an effort to share, inspire, and inform. The Dawnland Signals team consists of co-hosts Nolan Altvater and Nick Bear, technician Scarlett Tudor and producer Esther Anne.

Access the full episode:

https://archives.weru.org/dawnland-signals/2026/06/dawnland-signals-6-2-26-historic-and-contemporary-importance-of-canoeing-to-waponahki-people/

06/05/2026

Our latest blog entry for Voices of Decolonization is a tribute to the late Jan Paul's legacy, written by Fiona Hopper.

"Jan’s humor was part of how she educated. She invited you in with a joke, with laughter, and in so doing eased the way for dark, hard truths, truths that the human mind (particularly the settler mind) shies away from. Shared laughter invites relationship, the relentless dropping of truth bombs does not. Jan knew this. She was not there to bombard, nor to coddle either. She was there to build relationships in order to build a shared understanding of the river she loved and in so doing to build a network of protection for the river Jan simply called “her.” "

Read more: https://www.wabanakireach.org/_big_two_hearted_river_a_tribute_to_jan_paul

06/03/2026

Welcome to June!

In Penobscot language and worldview we are entering Kkihkayi-kisohs, the planting moon. For REACH, it marks our annual July Restoration - a month where our valued staff, board and volunteers slow down and spend more time on self-reflection, learning, and on individual and team development. It is a time for us to nurture our usual busy selves, and our relationships with family, with each other and with the land and waters. We hope each of you will spend some time this summer on restorative practices that bring you joy, connect you with others, and offer opportunities to deepen your learning.

06/01/2026

🪶 Please join us tomorrow June 2nd for Dawnland Signals: episode 5 on WERU 89.9 FM or weru.org - every first Tuesday of the month at 4:00 PM 🪶

Tune into to listen to hosts Nick Bear and Nolan Altvater talk with Damon Galipeau! Damon is a Penobscot Nation citizen, Wabanaki Youth in Science Technician - Forestry Lead and coach of Penobscot Canoe and Kayaking Team. Listen as Damon talks about his relationship to canoeing and the waterways here in what is now Maine as a Waponahki person.

Dawnland Signals is a monthly radio talk show that holds space for critical conversations of Truth, Healing, and Change in the Dawnland. Dawnland Signals is a partnership between Wabanaki REACH and WERU FM and highlights Indigenous topics not immediately represented in mainstream media. The show features guests involved in various aspects of truth, healing, and change work in an effort to share, inspire, and inform. The Dawnland Signals team consists of co-hosts Nolan Altvater and Nick Bear, technician Scarlett Tudor and producer Esther Anne.

Access the archive of episodes online at the link in our bio or https://archives.weru.org/category/dawnland-signals/
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05/26/2026

🪶 Episode 4 of Dawnland Signals is now up on the archive at https://archives.weru.org/category/dawnland-signals/ 🪶

Listen to hosts Nick Bear and Nolan Altvater talk with Brian Altvater Sr. & Dustin Martin.

Brian Altvater Sr. is a Passamaquoddy elder, experienced runner, REACH's Wabanaki Wellness Coordinator and a founding member of the Skutik River Keepers.

Dustin Martin (Navajo (Diné) Nation) is the Chief Visionary Office of WINGS of America, a Santa Fe based organization that works to build healthy Native communities by empowering youth through running.

Listen as they discuss their personal and cultural connections to running, ways in which they use running interact with their respective communities, and running events for the month of May with REACH.

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Dawnland Signals is a monthly radio talk show that holds space for critical conversations of Truth, Healing, and Change in the Dawnland. Dawnland Signals is a partnership between Wabanaki REACH and WERU FM and highlights Indigenous topics not immediately represented in mainstream media. The show features guests involved in various aspects of truth, healing, and change work in an effort to share, inspire, and inform. The Dawnland Signals team consists of co-hosts Nolan Altvater and Nick Bear, technician Scarlett Tudor and producer Esther Anne.

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05/20/2026

Woliwon to all who attended our screenings of with !

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We enjoyed the conversation after with filmmaker Paige Bethmann & hope the film inspired our community.

Facilities:

05/19/2026

Our next storyteller highlight of our Beyond the Claims reel series is Jan Paul, interviewed in 2022 by Heather Newton Brown.

Jan Paul was a beloved citizen of Penobscot Nation who lived her entire life on Indian Island, surrounded by a large family, friends, colleagues and community. She passed away this Spring, leaving behind an immense hole in the heart of her son Kaleb and all who knew and loved her, including countless educators and students in Maine and beyond.

Please look out for our next Voices of Decolonization blog post in which Fiona Hopper writes in detail about Jan’s impact on her community through her work.

Penobscot Water song lyrics
Sung by .neptune written by Gabe Paul

In Penobscot:�nəpi�kkəseləmələpəna�kči-wəliwəni nəpi�kkihčitamitəhαmələpəna�
In English:�water� we love you� thank you so much water� we respect you

05/13/2026

Looking back on our night at the Bowdoin Library! Thank you for joining us for the Beyond the Claims archive opening. We enjoyed a photo exhibition that connects our stories to the land, listened to a panel of participants and organizers, and enjoyed being in community together. Visit tinyurl.com/btcarchivebowdoin to view the full archive!