Land Acknowledgement

The  Waponahki (Wabanaki) people are the original stewards of this land now commonly known as Maine; and MOFF acknowledges the painful history of forced removal and colonial violence.

The festival encourages gratitude and respect for this territory and its people, animals and plants; and strives to honor and listen to Indigenous perspectives of land stewardship and relation to life.

Why does MOFF have a land acknowledgement?
It is important to seek understanding of the long-standing history which has brought colonizers to reside on this land, and for each of us to understand our place within that history. The sharing of perspectives, history, and story is a basic tenet of MOFF and we welcome all views. At the same time, we strive to elevate a more accurate history by sharing more of the voices which have been hidden and erased due to colonization, racism and bias. MOFF’s team wants our festival to encourage dialogue within our community through film, outdoor experience and meaningful exchanges. We aim to make programming choices that are inclusive in origin, subject, and backstory with a core focus in outdoor conservation and exploration. We recognize we have work to do across all parts of our business in the pursuit of racial equity, diversity, and inclusion; and we pledge to revisit the language and content of this land acknowledgement as we deepen our understanding.

Further Reading:
Advocacy:
The Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission (MITSC)
Maine-Wabanaki REACH

Education:
People of the First Light at the Abbe Museum
Maine Native Studies Resources
Native-Land.ca: Mapping the Wabanaki Confederacy
Penobscot Nation Museum
University of Maine Hudson Museum
Waponahki Museum Resource Center

Content & Media:
Dawnland Signals on WERU
Dawnland: A Film by the Upstander Project
Waponahki People: Understanding the Gift of Legacy… (Elizabeth Neptune at TEDxDirigo)