In Recognition of Indigenous Peoples' Day

by Theo Spanos Dunfey

I am a white woman of European descent living on the lands of the Wabanaki peoples, a group  of five indigenous nations that have lived in Maine for over 12,000 years: Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Mi'kmaq Nation, Abenaki, and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.
  
I am proud to live in one of the 13 states that officially celebrates Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of Columbus Day – and I have educated myself on the work of the historic Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the first in the United States to focus Native issues with child welfare and the first to be collaboratively formed by “both sides” of a conflict.  It serves as a model for others who are seeking to right the wrongs of what the Maine Commission found to be cultural genocide.  

The issue of tribal sovereignty is one that I’ve also been following here in Maine. I am buoyed by the strong advocacy that Rachel Talbot Ross, first woman of color Speaker of the Maine State House (and Global Citizens Circle member), has demonstrated through her sponsorship of legislation aimed at getting the state to recognize the inherent sovereignty of tribes in Maine. Knowing Rachel’s tenacity and commitment to justice for the Wabanaki peoples, I am hopeful change will come.

As a white woman from the dominant culture, I cannot claim to understand the depth of pain and suffering Indigenous peoples have endured on these lands that my ancestors stole from them. But I believe that a vitally important part of the healing process comes through the telling of stories. 

We all have our stories, and when we have an opportunity to share them, we feel heard, validated and strengthened to move forward.  This idea of “circle justice” hails from a traditional Indigenous practice of resolving conflict through a communal circle where all involved parties have a voice in determining a solution focused on healing and restoration. 

At Global Citizens Circle, we value the voices of all people, and on this Indigenous Peoples’ holiday, we hear their voices telling us the truth of their lives.  GCC has honored, listened to and learned from Native Americans, who have shared their stories with us – and we celebrate with them for their gift of open and honest truth telling.  

Eleanor Dunfey presenting the Catherine A. Dunfey Award to Wilma P. Mankiller

​In 1993, Global Citizens Circle honored Wilma P. Mankiller (1945-2010), first female chief of the Cherokee Nation. She told us her story of her family being forced to relocate from their home in Mankiller Flats, Oklahoma to San Fransisco. This was the federal government’s first attempt to "urbanize" rural Indians. Like her ancestors, her family was forced to start over. 

Wilma was an inspiring example of spirit and resilience who told her people, "Nobody can pull us up but ourselves."  She wrote in her autobiography, "If I am to be remembered, I want it to be because I am fortunate enough to have become my tribe's first female chief. But I also want to be remembered for emphasizing the fact that we have indigenous solutions to our problems." 

In 2020, we learned from Roger Paul, a member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe and teacher  with the Penobscot Nation and the University of Maine, the word “twistory.” This word reflects how the dominant culture has twisted the history of Native Americans by depicting them as  savages in popular Westerns or as all the same, despite the wide-ranging cultural differences among Indigenous tribes. He spoke of his peoples’ belief that “we are all children of the earth” and that “our teachings of coexistence and balance with all creation and not exploitation is going to get us through.”  Learn more about this Circle, “Widening the Lens on Injustice.”   

And in 2021, Eduardo Duran of the Apache, Tewa, and Lakota tribes discussed with us his work with healing collective trauma which is drawn from traditional Indigenous understanding of heart knowing.  Like Roger Paul, Eduardo spoke of our connection to the earth, noting that “when a human being is injured, also the earth is injured.” As he spoke about trauma, he shared with us a learning from an elder, that trauma is an “injury where blood doesn’t flow.” Learn more about this Circle, “Healing Collective Trauma: Addressing the Shadows of History.”

The theme this year for Indigenous Peoples' Day in Maine is healing and engagement, with a focus on supporting the sovereignty of the Wabanaki people. I, and the many participants of the past Circles with Wilma P. Mankiller, Roger Paul and Eduardo Duran, have had the great opportunity to learn about the need for healing for Indigenous peoples. This involves their own work but also demands ours as well. We’ve engaged in conversations that have both educated us and given a platform to those whose stories we need to hear.  

In my own journey to learn and engage with the Native peoples of the land I live on, I will be attending several programs on Oct. 14 at the Portland Museum of Art, which will include engaging with storytellers and artists, and a screening of the award-winning documentary, Sugarcane. I can’t wait! 

What are you going to do?
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Theo Spanos Dunfey is president and executive director of Global Citizens Circle. She has over 30 years of global experience in non-profits, higher education, and international affairs. Dunfey is a graduate of the Fletcher School of Law & Diplomacy at Tufts University, where she earned a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy, concentrating on American diplomatic history, international communication, and international development. It was during her studies at the Fletcher School that she first began volunteering with Global Citizens Circle’s Boston programs. She also earned a bachelor’s in international relations and French at Brown University. With a primary focus on global issues, Dunfey taught international development at the University of New England, led student groups on global citizenship service-learning trips abroad, directed the World Affairs Council of Maine, and produced numerous global editorial conferences for The WorldPaper before taking the helm at Global Citizens Circle. 

"If I am to be remembered, I want it to be because I am fortunate enough to have become my tribe's first female chief. But I also want to be remembered for emphasizing the fact that we have indigenous solutions to our problems."
                                                                                                                                               ​-Wilma P. Mankiller