As requested by Gov. Mills, the University of Maine System will ensure the cost of college is not a barrier for those directly impacted by the tragedy by providing free tuition and establishing a fund to support other postsecondary educational expenses

LEWISTON — Those who were physically injured and surviving family members of those killed in the Lewiston mass shooting last month will be able to attend the University of Maine System (UMS) for free.

Gov. Mills, Chancellor Dannel Malloy and the Board of Trustees announced yesterday a new Lewiston Strong Tuition Waiver for eligible victims who choose to pursue a bachelor’s degree through any of Maine’s public universities.

Chancellor Malloy said UMS decided to develop the waiver after Gov. Mills asked the System to establish a scholarship fund for those directly impacted by the October tragedy. The System built on the Governor’s request, agreeing to waive tuition altogether and also creating a fund to accept donations toward the non-tuition college costs of those affected by the mass shooting.

“I thank the University of Maine System for establishing the Lewiston Strong Tuition Waiver and Scholarship Fund, which will ensure that the cost of higher education will never be a barrier for those directly impacted by the tragedy in Lewiston,” said Gov. Janet Mills. “Through their boundless generosity, Maine people are demonstrating that our state will stand by those who were injured and the families of those who were killed in the months, years and decades to come.”

UMS estimates that more than 80 impacted individuals could have their entire public university tuition and fees waived. Those eligible include spouses and biological, adopted and step children of the 18 individuals who were killed, as well as the 31 Mainers who sustained physical injuries connected to the shootings. The System is working with the Office of the Maine Attorney General to verify eligibility.

This academic year, the average UMS cost of in-state tuition and fees is $10,196. Waiver recipients 20 and older could also participate at no cost in the University of Maine at Presque Isle’s program, an entirely online competency-based program for which adult students pay a flat fee per session inclusive of as many courses as they wish to take and all related materials.

“By all accounts, those who were tragically killed were deeply devoted to their families and working hard to provide them a strong future. While nothing will bring them back, the University of Maine System believes that the best way we can honor the memories of those taken too soon is to ensure their loved ones can easily access postsecondary education and opportunity,” said Chancellor Malloy.

“Beyond unimaginable grief, we know there is also overwhelming anxiety about financial and other responsibilities for those directly impacted, especially for those who are suddenly single parents or who were physically injured because of this horrific mass shooting. Our hope is that by committing to cover these college costs, it will alleviate one of the many burdens these families are now unfortunately facing and make it easier for them to rebuild their lives and our community.”

New Lewiston Strong Scholarship Fund established, donations sought

To make the transformational power of a four-year postsecondary degree even more accessible, UMS has also established a Lewiston Strong Scholarship Fund through which the public is invited to invest in the future of those impacted by the Lewiston shooting. The fund, which will be managed by the University of Maine Foundation, will help defray other costs of college attendance including room, board, and books, with preference given to those eligible for the waiver.

“The horrific events in Lewiston have continued to impact the people of Maine and our nation,” said UMaine and University of Maine at Machias President Joan Ferrini-Mundy. “The University of Maine and the University of Maine at Machias communities are opening our arms to a brighter future where we can ensure access to higher education and be a resource of support to all directly affected by this tragedy.”

The UMaine Foundation and the University of Southern Maine Foundation will both accept donations toward the scholarship fund. USM has a campus at 51 Westminster St. in Lewiston, historically known as Lewiston-Auburn College and focused on healthcare programs, and one of the �鶹APP’s regional distance education centers is also co-located there.

“The tragic shooting in Lewiston impacted the University of Southern Maine community: students, faculty, staff, alumni and friends. We welcome this opportunity to provide assistance to those who are impacted by these heartbreaking events,” said USM President Jacqueline Edmondson. “It is my hope that this scholarship will provide educational opportunities for those who lost loved ones, and it is my wish that they will feel a sense of care and compassion from the many people who will donate to this important fund.”

To donate through the UMaine Foundation, please visit or mail checks to Lewiston Strong Scholarship Fund c/o UMaine Foundation, Two Alumni Place, Orono, ME 04469-5792.

To donate through the USM Foundation, please visit or mail checks to Lewiston Strong Scholarship Fund c/o USM Foundation P.O. Box 9300, Portland, ME 04104-9300.

Form more information and media inquiries, contact: Samantha Warren, 207-632-0389, samantha.warren@maine.edu.

About the University of Maine System

Established in 1968, the University of Maine System (UMS) unites Maine’s seven distinctive public universities, comprising 10 campuses and numerous centers, in the common purpose of providing quality higher education while delivering on its traditional tripartite mission of teaching, research, and public service.

In 2020 UMS became the first and only statewide enterprise of public higher education in the country to transition to a unified accreditation for the system. Much different than a merger or consolidation, unified accreditation is a new operating model for the University of Maine System that removes the primary barrier to inter-institutional collaboration.

A comprehensive public institution of higher education, UMS serves more than 30,000 students annually and is supported by the efforts of more than 2,000 full-time and part-time faculty, more than 3,000 regular full-time and part-time staff, and a complement of part-time temporary (adjunct) faculty.

Reaching more than 500,000 people annually through educational and cultural offerings, the University of Maine System also benefits from more than two-thirds of its alumni population residing within the state; more than 123,000 individuals.

The System consists of seven main campuses: The University of Maine (UMaine), including its regional campus the University of Maine at Machias (UMaine Machias); the �鶹APP (UMA); the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF); the University of Maine at Fort Kent (UMFK), the University of Maine at Presque Isle (UMPI); and the University of Southern Maine (USM). The System also includes a UMA campus in Bangor, USM campuses in Gorham and Lewiston-Auburn, the University of Maine School of Law, and the University of Maine Graduate and Professional Center.

In Fall 2021, UMA recognized the Indigenous Peoples’ Day by sharing the reflection of a UMA student from Mvskoke Nation with the university community, inviting the Honorable Donna Loring, former Senior Advisor on Tribal Affairs to Governor Janet Mills, to deliver the convocation keynote address, and launching a new course on Tribal Law. The UMA community joined a local panel discussion on cultural and political issues affecting Maine’s Indigenous communities and a Maine State Forum on the Penobscot Nation Tribal Court.

For more information on the day’s history in Maine, read about this . Maine’s current governor Janet Mills “”.

If you want to know more and take more action. You can also to honor the Day.

UMA Events Honoring Native American Culture and History

Moose Book Club: Night of the Living Rez

• The Office of Student Life at UMA is organizing an online Moose Book Club session in November to celebrate the Native American Heritage Month. Join to read and discuss by Morgan Talty (available through UMA libraries) – a story collection based on a Native community in Maine – with UMA students, staff and faculty.

Local Events Honoring Native American Culture and History

Many Voices: Who Gets to Tell the Story?

• In Brunswick, attend “” in Curtis Memorial Library on September 28, 6pm-8pm, an event organized by the .

Digital Land Mapping Project

• You can also attend a by Pejepscot Portage Mapping Project on digital mapping of Indigenous lands on October 6, 6pm-8pm at Brunswick’s Curtis Memorial Library.

Mali Obomsawin

• In Bangor, you can listen to the at Bangor Arts Exchange on October 29 at 7:30 PM

Truth Telling Initiative & Other Learning Opportunities

• To learn more about and contribute to the spirit of the day, check out the 2022 Native-led non-profit Wabanaki Reach’s that addresses Maine Indian land claims through oral history.
• for those who prefer to learn more about the past and present of Maine’s Indigenous communities.
• Watch this webinar on by Rethink Outside™ and the First Nations Development Institute.
• Watch the documentary film and join the online panel discussion on October 20, 6:30 pm on the impact of the world market on wild blueberry harvest by Wabanaki Indigenous people from the US and Canada.

Recommended Videos from the Sunlight Media Collective

The Sunlight Media Collective is an organization of Indigenous and non-Indigenous media makers and activists, including Wabanaki tribal members, working to document and present stories affecting Wabanaki people and highlighting Wabanaki perspectives, with a particular emphasis on the intersection between environmental issues and tribal rights.

The Penobscot: Ancestral River, Contested Territory traverses the landscape of deal-making and deal-breaking which has historically defined tribal-state relations in Maine. Spanning from the 1700’s to the present-day legal battle being played out in Penobscot Nation v. Mills, the film illustrates the history of Penobscots’ tenacious fight to retain their territory and their inherent, treaty-reserved sustenance fishing rights for future generations. The Penobscot: Ancestral River, Contested Territory features the Penobscot people’s traditional, centuries-long stewardship to ensure a healthy ecosystem for all of Maine. It tells the urgent, inspiring story of a struggle for justice and cultural survival in the face of an astonishingly open abuse of state power.

The Saga Continues is an August 2021 update to the Penobscot River case written by Maria Girouard (Penobscot Nation), an historian with a particular interest and expertise in the Maine Indian Land Claims.

UMA transforms the lives of students of every age and background across the State of Maine and beyond through access to high-quality distance and on-site education, excellence in student support, civic engagement, and professional and liberal arts programs.  For more information, please visit /.

##

Forty percent of Irish immigrants to the United States settled in rural areas. Achieving success beyond large urban centers required distinctive ways of performing Irishness. Class, status, and gender were more significant than ethnicity. Close reading of diaries, newspapers, local histories, and public papers allows for nuanced understanding of immigrant lives amid stereotype and the nineteenth century evolution of a Scotch-Irish identity.

About the Author

Kay Retzlaff grew up on a Nebraska farm and she earned her B.A. in English, with a minor in history, as well as her M.A. in English, with an emphasis on writing and rhetoric, from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Maine in Orono where she wrote her dissertation on the medieval Irish epic Táin Bó Cuailgne. (This is often translated as “The Cattle Raid of Cooley.)

In addition to her recent publication, Dr. Retzlaff is the author of two other books,��Ireland: Its Myths and Legends�����Ի���Women of Mythology. Her short stories and poems have appeared in numerous small magazines and e-zines, including Plainsongs, Feile-Festa, The Prompt, Common Ground Review, among others.�� She also edited��Vietnam Memories: A Cookbook, by Winterport author and gourmet chef Bich Nga Burrill. Dr. Retzlaff spent summer of 2015 teaching World Literature at Chonnam National University, Gwangji, Korea.

This scholarship fund honors the memory of Alicia Rae Bessey and her substantial contributions to the UMA-Bangor campus. Alicia was a force for good in everything she did. While she faced mental health struggles throughout her education, she persevered and took life one day at a time, acting as a resource and model for students struggling with similar challenges.

This scholarship honors her memory and the committee found these three students to be worthy recipients of these inaugural scholarships offered in Alicia’s name.

Melissa Bickford will receive a $1000 scholarship. Melissa is a returning student to UMA-Bangor. After completing her Associates of Science in Legal Technology 20 years ago, she is now enrolled as an Interdisciplinary studies major, a self-designed major that was the same major that Alicia was pursuing. Melissa works full time in Bangor in community and economic development and her major combines work in transformative justice, community transformations, and systems and structures. Melissa explained, “I would like to continue making a difference in the community, and advocate for those whose voices are still quiet and need amplifying, and advocate for those that need someone in their corner. I’m still working through what exactly I want to do with this wonderful degree that I am working towards, but I know deep down in my soul that I will continue to help those that need an extra hand, or motivation. I believe that together, we really truly can make a difference.”

Melissa Oakes, a veterinary technology student, and Riley Gray, a dental hygiene student, will each be awarded a $500 scholarship. Riley Gray is a part of the Food Security Coalition and the Dental Club on the UMA-Bangor campus with the goal of being a public health dental hygienist. She explained, “I would like to work with children who need dental care who do not have access to it. Dental care is one of the most important parts of a child’s health. Being able to provide these services to children is super important to me.”

In her essay applying for the scholarship, Melissa Oakes wrote about her love for animals and her dreams for starting her own rescue project for senior pets someday. She wrote: “I find purpose in helping, and everything I do is to better my life and help me to keep spreading positive things in this world. I can’t change my past, I can’t redo my childhood or change any of the choices I made in my younger years. But getting back into school gave me the opportunity to help me help myself to make sure my future is something I can look forward to.”

Dale Bessey, Alicia’s mother, shared the following sentiments: “In our time of sadness comes a gift of support to others.�� Always be grateful and continue helping others, this is what Alicia would want.��Though Alicia is not here in the physical world, her spirit is still here making a positive impact and we know she would have been so proud of that.�� Our family is so grateful to those that have made this scholarship possible.”

208 Water Street, Augusta

December 13, 2021 – January 2, 2022

Graphic Image of “I Like Skunks” created by UMA Students

In culmination of their fall semester course, twelve UMA students have created a large-scale collaborative comic in an adaptation of a Louise Dickinson Rich’s story as part of an integrated English and Art course,��Wham! Bang! Pow! Graphic Storytelling in Form and Practice.�� The art exhibition will be on display in the storefront windows at 208 Water Street, Augusta, through the generosity of building owner Tyler Hall from December 13, 2021, through January 2, 2022.

The Wham! Bang! Pow! class adapted a section of Rich’s bestselling 1942 memoir��We Took to the Woods��that was excerpted in the��Atlantic Monthly��in 1942 called “I Like Skunks.” In this piece, Rich explains how she and her family came to adopt a skunk kit and raise it among a litter of sled dog puppies.

This upper-level course taught by Lisa Botshon, UMA Professor of English, and Peter Precourt, UMA Professor of Art, encourages communication and collaboration through graphic storytelling.

Louise Dickinson Rich typewriting at her home near Rangeley

“Most of the students in this class are not Art majors,” stated Professor Precourt. “This is an interdisciplinary course that allows and encourages students across academic disciplines to find their creative voice through the use of the graphic art technique. A wonderful positive energy has developed as the students organized their work and focused on the creative process.”

“Graphic storytelling is an excellent medium for communication, collaboration and creativity,” added Professor Botshon. “In addition to bringing together art and the written word, students must work together as they create their visual representation of Rich’s work.”

About Louise Dickinson Rich

Prolific author Louise Dickinson Rich (1903-1991) is best known for her memoir��We Took to the Woods (1942), about living off the grid in the Rangeley Lake area. Her place at Middle Dam, also known as Forest Lodge, was the year-round home of her family from 1933 through 1944, and her summer residence until 1955. It was while she lived at Forest Lodge that Rich developed her literary skills and published her first stories and books.

]]> /news/maine-state-forum-on-penobscot-nation-tribal-court-and-restorative-justice/ Fri, 29 Oct 2021 14:18:28 +0000 /?p=13064 … Read More]]> �鶹APP Maine State Forum Series presents: Restorative Justice and Healing a Community–the Penobscot Nation Tribal Wellness Court
Monday, November 8, 2021 6:00 – 7:00 p.m. via Webinar

This event will feature Eric Mehnert, Chief Judge and Rhonda Decontie, Clerk of the Court of the Penobscot Nation Tribal Court

The �鶹APP’s Maine State Forum Series will welcome Chief Judge Eric Mehnert and Rhonda Decontie, Clerk of the Court of the ��to discuss how the Healing to Wellness Court employs restorative justice principles to address social problems within the community. This webinar event is free and open to the public however, registration is required,��. Once registered, an email with the Zoom link to participate in this event will be provided.

The Penobscot Nation Tribal Court “combines judicial oversight and powers of the Tribal Court with local healing and wellness services to better address any and all underlying or co-occurring substance or mental health issues of the court-involved individuals.”

“We are very pleased to announce that Judge Mehnert will teach a new course on Tribal Law at UMA in the spring semester of 2022, and this presentation will provide a preview of the concepts that will be part of the new course offering,” stated Sharon McMahon Sawyer, Associate Professor and Program Coordinator of Justice Studies. “At present, this is the only tribal law course offered in the Eastern United States.”

About the speakers:

Rhonda Decontie has served on the Penobscot Nation’s Judicial System since 2011 and became Clerk of the Court in 2014.�� Under her leadership, the Tribal Court has been nationally recognized as a leader in handling child protective proceedings and for its culturally aligned Healing to Wellness Court.�� She is a graduate of the �鶹APP and is a member of the Bangor Campus Advisory Council.

Eric M. Mehnert has served as the Chief Judge of the Penobscot Nation Tribal Court since 2008. He presides over the Nation’s Criminal and Civil Courts as well as the Nation’s Healing to Wellness Court. He served as Chief of Enforcement of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts Commission against Discrimination, overseeing a staff of 15 attorneys and 45 investigators prosecuting discrimination cases in Massachusetts.

The moderator of the Maine State Forum is Associate Professor Sawyer.

�ճ����Maine State Forum, funded by a UMA Research and Innovation grant,��invites prominent Maine policymakers to speak at the �鶹APP on topics of interest to Mainers.�� The Forum brings speakers, the university community, and the public together to meet and discuss topics in the news that affect the lives of Maine residents.�� For more information, contact Sharon McMahon Sawyer by email at��sharon.mcmahon@maine.edu.

Since 1990, the organization has��honored women who have made an outstanding contribution to improving opportunities for all Maine women.

The Maine Women’s Hall of Fame is seeking����from organizations, businesses, or individuals of women who meet the following criteria: their achievements have had a significant statewide impact, those achievements significantly improved the lives of women in Maine, and their contribution has an enduring value for women.

Complete nomination details, criteria, and requirements are available at��.�� The deadline for nominations is December 1, 2021.�� An independent panel of judges reviews the nominations with careful consideration to select one or two honorees for induction each year.

Most recent recipients have included Darylen McQuirk Cote, Governor Janet T. Mills, Joanne D’Arcangelo, Betty-Jane Stanhope Meader, Joyce Taylor Gibson, and Dean Leigh Saufley.�� For a complete list of honorees, visit��Maine Women’s Hall of Fame.

The Maine Women’s Hall of Fame was established in 1990 by the��. The induction ceremony is usually held at the���鶹APP��on the third Saturday of March, in observance of Women’s History Month. UMA maintains a permanent Maine Women’s Hall of Fame display of photographs and citations for all honorees��in the Bennett D. Katz Library.

The BPW/Maine Futurama Foundation maintains an active��. Since 1962, when the first small scholarship was presented, it has been helping Maine women achieve economic self-sufficiency by awarding scholarships to outstanding and deserving women. Recipients of these scholarships have gone on to contribute to the economic well-being of their families and the State of Maine.

September 24, 2021 noon – 1:30 p.m.

This virtual event is free and open to the public, however,����is required.

�ճ�����鶹APP��will host its final event in the Maine’s Mid-Century Moment series with a virtual panel discussion��exploring some of the cultural and political issues that impacted Maine indigenous communities.

This event will feature three speakers:

• Donald Soctomah, a Passamaquoddy historian, will focus on inequities faced by Maine Wabanakis in the mid-century era.
• Donna Loring, who has been a tribal representative of the Penobscot nation in the Maine state legislature, will discuss material from her manuscript in progress on the history of the tribal-state relationship with a focus on the mid-century period.
• Bunny McBride, scholar and public historian of Maine indigenous culture, will discuss her work on Penobscot elder Charles N. Shay, a 97-year-old World War II combat medic.

The panel will be moderated by UMA Professor of English Kay Retzlaff.��.

This discussion is part of the �鶹APP’s��Maine’s Mid-Century Moment, a series of humanities discussions at multiple locations around the state, generously funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities*.

This event is part of the Maine’s Mid-Century Moment Series and the event will feature a curated program of Maine mid-century films, amateur and professionally shot, on various subjects including the logging industry, suburban Maine life, and Maine agriculture.����

The �鶹APP in partnership with����will hold a screening of films on July 14, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. in Bucksport.�� This event, part of �鶹APP Maine’s Mid-Century Moment series, is free and open to the public, however, seating is limited.

How different was Maine a few generations ago?�� What were the hot button issues on people’s minds?�� Maine during the mid-century was changing.�� Looking back, we can see examples of the old ways hanging on and new developments gaining traction.�� This program features a number of short films made in Maine between 1940 and 1960.�� They include home movies, state-made films, corporate films and documentaries for national broadcast.

Traditional types of work will be exhibited in the films ranging from harvesting ice to harvesting sea moss. Farming as a way of life and as a nice hobby for factory workers. Everyday life in small towns and the rise of big city problems.

Each film will be introduced by Northeast Historic Film’s Executive Director and co-founder, David Weiss.

This event is part of the �鶹APP’s��Maine’s Mid-Century Moment, a series of humanities discussions at multiple locations around the state, generously funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities*.

About David S. Weiss

Weiss is the Executive Director and co-founder of Northeast Historic Film, a non-profit moving image archives located in Bucksport, Maine.��From 1989 to 2011, he served as a member of the Maine Historical Records Advisory Board and is a founding member of the Association of Moving Image Archivists.������ At various times Weiss served as a member of the board of the Blue Hill Memorial Hospital and George Stevens Academy.�� In 1978 he graduated from Brown University, Providence, RI with a BA in Semiotics;��the theoretical, historical and practical study of film arts, communication and language.

About Northeast Historic Film (NHF)

Northeast Historic Film (NHF) has become one of the premier moving image archives in North America. NHF’s collections contain 10 million feet of film and more than 10,000 hours of video, a unique and irreplaceable record. Generations have been influenced by the compelling record of life in New England forests, farms, and towns in archival works such as “From Stump To Ship: A 1930 Logging Film,” named to the National Film Registry by the Librarian of Congress.

NHF operates the Alamo Theatre year-round providing a Main Street gathering place for cultural, educational and entertainment events.�� Before every entertainment film, an Archival Moment from the NHF collection is shown.�� When pandemic free, programming is held over 200 nights a year including a mix of feature films, community events, symposia and festivals.

Northeast Historic Films received The Silver Light Award, the highest honor of the international Association of Moving Image Archivists, in 2013.���� In July 2021, NHF received a $214,000 grant from Council for Library and Information Services, funded by the Mellon Foundation, for a project titled More Than the News: the Television Programs of WCVB, Boston.

National Endowment for the Humanities

For more information about��National Endowment for the Humanities: Exploring the human endeavor* please visit:��

*Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these programs, resources, and related websites, do not necessarily represent those of the National Endowment for the Humanities.