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Archival Activity: Understanding the Process of the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission

This activity was developed by the Special Collections Education and Engagement Librarian at the Bowdoin College Library for a Fall 2020 course Contemporary Issues in Native North America (ANTH 2480) taught by professor Willi Lempert. This series of documents and framing questions were developed to support the learning objectives of this specific undergraduate course and to allow students to engage directly with TRC process documents.

Introduction to Special Collections & Archives

Special Collections & Archives is a department of the Bowdoin College Library that houses rare books, manuscripts, and the College Archives.

Learn more about the department, collections, and how to access materials:

What is a Truth and Reconciliation Commission?

A truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) is a group of people brought together to find out about a specific problem, and the factors that went into creating that problem.

After it first emerged in the 1970s, the TRC process gained wider recognition in the 1990s when Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu and others led efforts to help South Africa address the effects of apartheid. Today, the process is widely recognized as an effective way to begin the work of understanding and dealing with difficult, painful events.

Its success relies largely on first-hand accounts to document what happened. This testimony creates more understanding by bringing in many, varied voices. The act of telling, and of having one’s own experience seen and recorded, can also be a vibrant opportunity for healing and change.

The Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare TRC is focused on what has happened to Wabanaki children and families between now and 1978, when the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) was passed. It is specifically centered on the State of Maine’s child welfare practices and was the nation’s first TRC to address child welfare and Native people.

Several groups worked together on the TRC, including:

  • Members of the five Wabanaki communities and their governments
  • Wabanaki individuals living outside of those communities
  • Members of the non-Wabanaki communities of Maine
  • Members of Maine-Wabanaki REACH, (formerly the Convening Group)
  • The five seated Commissioners
  • Current and former Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) employees
  • University of Southern Maine, Muskie School of Public Service; University of Maine
  • Several organizations focused on social justice
  • A small, dedicated staff; numerous volunteers

In-Class Activity

The Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare TRC had three goals:

  • To find out and write down what happened
  • To give Wabanaki people a place to share their stories and have a voice
  • To give the Maine child welfare system suggestions on how it can work better with Wabanaki people

Together, we will explore documents and working files to better understand the process of the TRC.

With your group, open and read your document and consider the following questions:

  1. What is this document?
  2. What do you learn from it?
  3. What do you want to know more about to better understand it?

Discuss you document with your group and prepare to share what you looked at, learned, and how it connects with what you've been reading and discussing in this class.

Read the final report of the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare TRC

Maine-Wabanaki REACH's statement of support issued upon the release of the archives in 2015:

In 2008, Maine-Wabanaki REACH, then a collaborative of Wabanaki and Maine child welfare workers, initiated the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission. After collecting statements from nearly 160 individuals and focus groups and researching documents and records, the Commission released its final report in June 2015. They transferred all of their research materials including the video, audio, and written statements, founding documents, the final report of TRC, and their administrative and research records to Special Collections and Archives at Bowdoin College.

Archived statements are a gift to people yearning to understand the truth of what happened here. These personal memories provide a window to the realities of the relationship between Wabanaki people and the state of Maine. This relationship has similarities to other Native communities and states, and to other Indigenous peoples and the governments of the dominant culture. It is so important that we understand this history to guide us to a better future for our children’s children.

Wabanaki and Maine people are grateful for these statements. Statement providers gave their time, energy and knowledge to help build best child welfare practice with Wabanaki children and families.

For many people, participating in the Commission’s work required courage, faith and trust in a process that was new. Providing a statement often brought out a mix of emotions including pain, anxiety and relief. It is important for statement providers, especially, to know that each step of the process may refresh any or all of these feelings.

Most statement providers agreed to allow their statements to become public in the hope that sharing their experience will help ensure the best outcomes for children in the future. Some statement providers requested anonymity and in these cases, there is no name attached and the recording does not sound like the statement provider’s voice.

Listening to or reading statements online may stimulate challenging emotions and it may be helpful to make sure you feel comfortable, emotionally prepared, and have access to support before reviewing the archives. As you listen to or read statements, make sure you take care of yourself, acknowledging and releasing any distress or emotions that arise. Here are some suggested ways to help reduce stress:

  • Talk to your supporters in your life about your experience
  • Write down your thoughts and feelings in a private journal
  • Feel your breath and take a few moments for some deep breathing
  • Exercise. Maybe a walk, aerobics, dance, or singing to wake up your lungs
  • Connect with your spiritual side at home or at your place of worship
  • Immerse yourself in an enjoyable activity
  • Laugh – watch a funny movie or get together with friends who like to laugh with you
  • Listen to music that soothes your soul

Listen or read the TRC Statements

Explore the Guide to the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission Archive

Questions? Contact Marieke at mvanders@bowdoin.edu or set up an appointment to chat online!

A Recognition

SC&A, like all archives and special collections libraries, is the creation of human beings who have collected, organized, and described things in ways that reflect personal, cultural, societal, and institutional biases. Although we strive to preserve and present collections in a manner that is respectful to the individuals and communities who create, use, and are represented in the collections, we acknowledge that our systems are neither neutral nor perfect. We encourage you to let us know if you encounter materials, descriptive language, or practices that are offensive or harmful, particularly those for which inadequate context or warning is offered. We are committed to modifying and updating our descriptive practices to use respectful and inclusive terminology and appreciate your help in this work. We look forward to supporting you in your research and learning together.