[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 100 (Friday, June 29, 2012)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1185]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  MAINE WABANAKI-STATE CHILD WELFARE TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION MANDATE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. CHELLIE PINGREE

                                of maine

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, June 29, 2012

  Mrs. PINGREE of Maine. Mr. Speaker, I want to express my gratitude 
and best wishes to a coalition doing very important work in my state to 
heal injuries of the past and find a better path into the future.
  Today, Wabanaki Chiefs, officials, and citizens--along with members 
of the Maine Legislature, Truth and Reconciliation Convening Group, 
Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission, and Maine's governor--are 
gathering to sign the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and 
Reconciliation Mandate.
  This historic signing will begin work to seek truth and healing in 
how the state child welfare system has treated the families of these 
indigenous Maine tribes--including the Houlton Band of Maliseet 
Indians, Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahlunikuk, Passamaquoddy Tribe at 
Sipayik, Penobscot Indian Nation, and the Aroostook Band of Micmacs. In 
recent decades, these groups have seen their children taken from them 
to be placed with non-native families through adoption and foster care.
  Through this process, the commission will listen to stories of 
families affected by these practices and learn how the loss has 
impacted cultures that rely on their children for continued existence. 
The goal is not to injure, blame or shame anyone, but to bring these 
truths to the open air so they can heal, teach, and prevent future 
harm.
  I'm so proud to live in a state that is willing to have these 
difficult, but crucially important, conversations with a spirit of 
honesty and reconciliation. I wish my best to this group and fervently 
hope it reaches a successful conclusion.

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