Beyond the Claims: Stories from the Land and the Heart

Healing begins with truth. Truth begins with a story. Wabanaki REACH's newest truth-telling initiative goes Beyond the Claims to get at the heart of the land, its people, and their stories. At the center of this project is the long and complicated history of the Maine Indian land claims including the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 (MICSA) and the Maine Implementing Act (MIA), which still deeply impact folks in Wabanaki and Maine communities today.

By gathering personal oral histories across a full spectrum of experiences we hope to demystify the legislation, humanize those who have been affected by it, amplify their voices, preserve their stories for cultural continuity, and make space for healing to happen.

This project is guided by Wabanaki traditions and ways of being and knowing to deepen REACH’s crucial work of truth, healing, and change in the Dawnland.