Leadership group visits Maliseets

By Karen Donato
Staff Writer
    Twenty-seven members of the Maine Development Foundation, Leadership Maine group met with Maliseet Chief Brenda Commander and other tribal members at their Foxcroft Road recreational center recently. This visit was part of a three-day tour of Aroostook County.
Pioneer Times photo/Karen Donato
MAINE LEADERS VISIT — Cheryl Miller, far right, senior program director for the Maine Development Foundation brought 27 members of the Leadership Maine program to Aroostook County. Two members, Tom Baughman of Steuben and Allison Ouellet of Cherryfield met Maliseet Chief Brenda Commander, second from right and viewed some of the crafts made by members of the tribe.
    The guests learned about the progress the local tribe has made over the last several years. This included: housing projects in both Houlton and Littleton, the Mutual Help Program that provides tribal members with an opportunity to obtain the dream of home ownership when it would otherwise be difficult to get conventional financing, the Headstart educational program for pre-school children, their own tribal Police Department, a $1.7 million dollar grant for vocational rehabilitation services for American Indians with disabilities and most recently a grant to provide a health clinic.
    Commander shared the struggles of her tribe and the hurdles they have cleared. She has learned how important it is to educate the public, never letting up. She said that she learned this after meeting with one of the former governors and finding out that he did not know there were Maliseets in Houlton. Now she and the tribal board try to keep the lines of communication open and ongoing with local legislators.
    “The tribe seeks autonomy — nothing more than what other tribes have,” she stated.
    Commander spoke of the challenges they have had in regard to gaining support from the surrounding communities. She said that today the communication lines have improved and praised the support the tribal community has received from Houlton Town Manager Doug Hazlett.
    “Our goal is to work together not against each other,” she stated.
    Commander is proud of the younger Maliseet generation and reported that there are 13 enrolled in community colleges and 37 in the university system. She has met with the presidents of Bates, Bowdoin and Colby and hopes to provide students with another choice of higher learning. Commander had high praise for a tribal member that was recently hired as a tutor for Native Americans by MSAD 29. This is the first time a Maliseet has been hired for such a position.
    Commander has been taking college courses through Husson University and has one more to complete for her degree. She is determined to finish. This has been a life long-goal.
    A question asked of Chief Commander was, ‘How did you get where you are today?’
    Commander replied, “In 1981 I applied for a secretarial position in the tribe’s education department. From there, I moved into the financial department where I shared a calculator, pencils and pens. We had nothing and very little space. I remained in that department for 10 years. With encouragement I kept moving and was elected chief. I have had this position for 12 years. The next election is in 2009.”
     Cheryl Miller, senior program director of the Maine Development Foundation accompanies the group on their visits. She lives in the Windham area and commutes to Augusta because she loves her job.
    “Every day is an education,” she said, “I learn so much about the state and the issues facing the communities at large.” “ All of Maine is hurting; there are not two Maine’s. Our goal is to motivate and inspire. We want to help make Maine a better place to live,” she added.
    This group of leaders packed a lot of territory and information into their County itinerary.
    They began their journey on Oct. 8, meeting at the Ramada Inn in Bangor at 6:30 a.m. They traveled to the University of Maine in Orono for a breakfast at 7:30 and were given an overview of the next three days on the road.
    They spent the morning listening to presentations on: forest bioproducts research initiative, tidal power, and the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Statewide Impact. At 11:45 they boarded the bus with a bag lunch destined for Houlton. On the way they watched selected segments of “Unnatural Causes” DVD, followed by a facilitated discussion.
    At 1:45 they met with Maliseet Chief Brenda Commander. At 3:15 they drove to Mars Hill to look at a wind farm; then to Presque Isle to visit Maine Mutual Group, the Northern Maine Community College for a 6 o’clock dinner and an overview of the programs at NMMC. After dinner, presentations included: Connie Sandstrom, executive director of the Aroostook County Action Program; Nathan Berry, board chairman of Momentum Aroostook and Brent Boyles, president/CEO of Maine and Maritimes Corporation and Maine Public Service Company. This concluded the first day of activities.
    Day two started with breakfast at 6:30 a.m. and a visit to Smith Farms broccoli and potato fields with Barbara Ginley, executive director of Maine Migrant Health Programs, and Andy Yaeger of H. Smith Packing; then a presentation on an ambitious regional infrastructure project that will integrate the wastewater treatment capacity of the communities of Limestone and Loring with Andy Fisk, director of land water quality, Bureau of Environmental Protection and Nick Archer, director of the Northern Maine regional office, Bureau of Environmental Protection. After lunch, served by the Loring Job Corps, a tour of Loring and an overview of history of Loring, a visit to DFAS, Maine Military Authority, and Pattison Signs with Carl Flora, CEO of the Loring Development Authority of Maine.
    At 2:30 p.m. it was back on the bus to Madawaska for a tour of Fraser Paper with Jean-Pierre Benoit, general manager of East Papers and Challenges and Opportunities and with Terry Noble, general manager of East Procurement. At 5:30 they were guests for dinner at the University of Ft. Kent and Rachel Albert, VP of academic affairs, Erin Soucy, director of the nursing program, and Rachel Charette, R.N., Power of Prevention project director made presentations. The day concluded with Walt Elish, CEO for Aroostook Partnerships for Progress, with an overview of Aroostook County.
    Day three began with a trip to the Maine Woods Company in Portage for a tour of a hardwood sawmill, a wood yard and a logging site. After lunch the group began their journey back to Bangor with Steve Scheley, president of Pingree Associates, providing information on Ashland Forest Products industrial cluster.
    For more information on the MDF go to: www.mdf.org