By Donna Loring, given at First Light, November 15, 2024
Question from the Panel: Why is land back important to the Wabanaki?
This question can be reframed: Why is land back important to the majority culture? Or, more specifically, why is land so essential to industries like lumber and paper? The answer is clear: land is both the source and a source of wealth. To the majority culture, wealth-building is a central value. But for the Wabanaki, land was never about wealth—it was about life.
To us, the land was sacred. We called it Earth Mother because she gave and sustained life, providing all that we needed to survive and thrive. She cradled creation in her soil, nourished us with her rivers, and blanketed us in her forests. In turn, we nurtured her through respect, reverence, and sustainable living. This relationship was deeply woven into the fabric of our traditions, ceremonies, medicines, and stories. The land was not a commodity to be bought and sold—it was, and still is, a part of us.
It is ironic that we are now being asked to justify a program that seeks to return even a fraction of our ancestral lands. Land back is not about giving—it is about returning what was taken. The taking of our land was not a simple transaction; it was an act of erasure, tearing away the foundation of our lives, identities, and spirit. Reclaiming the land will not undo all the harm that was done, but it can begin the process of healing. It can help us restore what was lost—not just the physical space, but the connection, identity, and cultural wholeness that were severed.
Consider this: the very essence of what we now call Maine is infused with Wabanaki presence. Every river that flows through its valleys, every mountain that reaches to the sky, and every patch of forest holds the memory of our ancestors. Even the names of cities, rivers, and landmarks—Millinocket, Penobscot, Katahdin—echo our history and our language. These names, though often mispronounced or misunderstood, are whispers of the deep relationship our people had with this land. Look at a map, and you will see us there. Place your finger anywhere, and you will find a name with Wabanaki roots nearby.
When the land was taken, was it done with full understanding of what the loss would mean to us? Or was there simply no interest in knowing? Perhaps our suffering was seen as collateral damage in the pursuit of profit. And now, as you consider even a portion of that land to be returned, we are asked to justify our need. But let me ask this: What have you done with the land you took? How has it been used? What value has it added to your world? The value of land back to us cannot be measured in dollars or industries built upon it. Its value lies in its ability to heal the wounds inflicted upon our people and help us rediscover who we are.
For the Wabanaki, the land was and is a source of life—its rivers teemed with fish, its forests provided game, and its fertile soil grew our crops. It was more than sustenance; it was the foundation of our stories, our teachings, and our ways of knowing the world. Losing the land meant losing our way of life. It meant losing ourselves. That loss did not end with the generation that first experienced it; it has echoed across centuries, leaving scars on our culture, our spirit, and our people. Our young people feel this loss most acutely. They are searching for who they are, yearning to reclaim their identity and place in the world. Land back offers them a path—not just to reconnect with their heritage but to heal. To stand on the land their ancestors once walked is to feel the weight of history and the promise of renewal. It is a way to begin mending the broken threads of our culture and to start creating new stories—stories that honor the past while building a future.
When our land was taken, it was transformed, often scarred by industry and commerce, stripped of the sacred qualities we held dear. The trees that once stood as guardians, the rivers that fed our people and our stories, the landscapes that were the very canvas of our culture— all were turned to profit without regard for what was lost. But there is more to life than profit and industry. Land back is an opportunity to restore not only the land but also the spirit of a people who have called this place home for centuries.
Land back is crucial because it represents so much more than territory. It is about the survival of a culture, the return of a history that was nearly erased, and the chance to pass on our traditions to future generations. Through land back, we gain the ability to reconnect with the sacred sites of our ancestors, to bring our stories and ceremonies back to the places they belong, and to rebuild what was taken from us. It offers a way to heal generational wounds and give our youth a sense of identity and pride that can only come from being on one’s rightful land.
The importance of land back cannot be overstated. It is about justice, restoration, and resilience. It is about rebuilding a future that holds space for us as Wabanaki people, deeply rooted in our land. Land back is our path to renewing our culture, revitalizing our spirit, and reclaiming our rightful place in the world. It is a chance to finally begin healing, to create a future where we are whole once again.