Jay Morin, right, a Keller Williams Realty agent, makes a video recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day for his professional Instagram account with the help of his son Trase on Friday. Shawn Patrick Ouellette/Staff Photographer
Jay Morin was busy Friday afternoon, making a video for his professional Instagram account that would recognize Monday as Indigenous Peoples Day.
An associate broker with Keller Williams Realty, Morin made a similar video last year for the nearly 1,200 followers of his social media account, which features home improvement projects. This year, he became the Texas-based company’s “cultural ambassador” for the state of Maine – a role he has embraced.
“I’ve always respected other cultures, especially the Wabanaki people of Maine,” Morin said. “I believe we are all immigrants and we should respect the people who were here first.”
Advertisement
Like local government offices and schools, Keller Williams’ Portland office will be closed Monday in observance of Indigenous Peoples Day – a state holiday since 2019 – out of respect for the Wabanaki Nations in Maine, Morin said. Banks and post offices will be closed because it’s also Columbus Day, a federal holiday since 1971. Many retail and other businesses will be open.
Five years after the state changed the name of the October holiday, workers haven’t gotten an extra day off across the board. It’s one of the most inconsistently celebrated holidays in the U.S., and many Maine businesses recognize the day however they did before. Some are trying to foster greater cultural and historical awareness.
President Biden has repeatedly proclaimed Indigenous Peoples Day to be a holiday, but it isn’t recognized under federal law. Maine is one of 18 states and the District of Columbia that officially celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day or a similar holiday instead of or in addition to Columbus Day.
Maine replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples Day, recognizing that the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Mi’kmaq and Maliseet tribes have lived in the region for at least 13,000 years.
The Portland Regional Chamber of Commerce will be closed in observance of Indigenous Peoples Day, said President and CEO Quincy Hentzel.
Advertisement
“It is an annual paid holiday for our employees,” she said. “We believe many businesses within our region will be joining us in observance.”
The Maine State Chamber of Commerce and many of its members also will be closed Monday in observance of the holiday, said President and CEO Patrick Woodcock.
Maine businesses have made progress in recognizing Indigenous Peoples Day, said Maulian Bryant, Penobscot Nation ambassador and incoming executive director of the Wabanaki Alliance, which was formed in 2020 to promote tribal sovereignty.
“There probably are businesses that haven’t gotten on board,” Bryant said, noting that some people still call it Columbus Day.
“But all of the education and advocacy work that we continue to do will continue to make progress,” she said. “Not everyone is going to get there at the same time. You never know where the seeds that are planted will grow.”
Advertisement
LARGE EMPLOYERS TAKE NOTE
MaineHealth, the state’s largest private employer with nearly 24,000 employees, recognizes Indigenous Peoples Day in company communications and through diversity, equity and inclusion training programs, said spokesman John Porter.
Employees may use one of 11 paid holidays to celebrate Indigenous Peoples Day, Porter said. The system’s nine hospitals are always open, he said, but its ambulatory practices are closed on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving and Christmas.
“We try to recognize all heritage days and events, like Martin Luther King Day and Hispanic Heritage Month,” Porter said. “We also recognize that we have an increasingly diverse workforce and we want people to be able to take time off on the days that are important to them.”
At Bath Iron Works, its 6,900 employees will be working Monday, just as they would have when the state celebrated Columbus Day. However, the company recognizes Indigenous Peoples Day in other ways.
Advertisement
“We are almost a 24/7 operation, with three shifts running each day, plus overtime on weekends, so the yard doesn’t stop working very often,” said spokesman David Hench.
While some exceptions exist, most BIW employees get Presidents, Memorial, Independence, Labor, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s days off, he said. Most also get two “floating holidays” to be used at the worker’s discretion, such as on Indigenous Peoples Day.
The company also promotes Indigenous Peoples Day through social media and digital messaging boards throughout the shipyard. Facebook posts highlighted the holiday in 2022 and 2023.
“We also have communications recognizing MLK Day and Juneteenth,” Hench said. “During Hispanic American, Asian American, Pacific Islander and Black History months, we typically run communications connecting people of that heritage to our ships or the shipyard.”
CHANGE TAKES TIME
Advertisement
Businesses typically aren’t leaders of social justice movements, said Tae Chong, a Portland-based diversity, equity and inclusion consultant.
“If there’s community consensus on an issue, they will amplify it,” said Chong, who specializes in multicultural markets and workforce strategies in northern New England.
It usually falls to social justice advocates, educators and civic leaders to forge public policy changes that can transform how people think, feel and act, he said.
In that way, Maine’s adoption of Indigenous Peoples Day has had a significant impact on the Wabanaki tribes, said Bryant, the Penobscot Nation ambassador.
Growing up, Bryant didn’t know Columbus Day was a holiday, she said. In her community, schools, businesses and government offices used to stay open on the second Monday in October.
Advertisement
It was a quiet protest against a historic figure who contributed to the decimation of Indigenous people in the Americas, she said.
Penobscot Nation Ambassador Maulian Bryant speaks to students at Hall-Dale Middle & High School in Farmingdale last September. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal
Now, Wabanaki communities relish closing up shop and celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day.
“It’s been a really neat shift to see our offices close and our people celebrate the day,” Bryant said.
Many of the nearly 8,700 Wabanaki people in Maine live in Aroostook and Washington counties. In addition to the Penobscot Nation at Indian Island, near Old Town, they include the Mi’kmac Nation in Presque Isle, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and Passamaquoddy communities at Pleasant Point and Indian Township, near Calais.
Advertisement
This year, Jay Morin’s Instagram reel for Keller Williams calls attention to special events on Monday in Portland that will recognize Indigenous Peoples Day. They include a free Wabanaki storytelling exhibit at the Children’s Museum & Theatre of Maine; and a free showing at the Portland Museum of Art of “Sugarcane,” a 2024 documentary about the abuse of Indigenous children at a residential Catholic school in Canada.
In promoting the new state holiday, Morin said he avoids debate over the former state holiday.
“That’s why I’m the cultural ambassador this year,” he said. “I’m a diplomat.”
Editor’s note: This story was originally published in September 2022.
When it comes to Maine hiking, summiting Katahdin is the ultimate achievement.
Maine’s tallest mountain stands at 5,269 feet, and there are a number of different trails hikers can take to get up and down Katahdin. And while some are harder than others, none are easy.
Advertisement
But the views are incredible.
Whether it’s the rugged terrain of the Knife Edge or the vast landscape of the 200,000 acres that compose Baxter State Park below, here’s a look at what it’s like to climb Katahdin.
Hunt Trail
Hunt Trail traces the edge of a ridge on the west side of Katahdin known as Hunt Spur. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDNSara Clark (front) navigates a steep section of Katahdin’s Hunt Trail, while Sam Schipani takes a break on a boulder. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDNKatahdin Stream Falls is one of the many scenic highlights of Katahdin’s Hunt Trail. It’s located about a mile from the trailhead at Katahdin Stream Campground. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
Abol Trail
A group of friends and family hiking down Abol Trail, Katahdin. (From top to bottom) Jeff McBurnie, Janet Jordan, Eve Jordan, Kerry Jordan (far right), Bruce Jordan, Joyce Sarnacki, Aislinn Sarnacki (far left), and Gary Robinson, in 2010. Credit: Photo courtesy of Derek RunnellsHikers climb and enjoy the open views along the Abol Trail on Katahdin, the tallest mountain in Maine, on Sept. 10, 2016, in Baxter State Park. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
Chimney Pond Trail
Bright fall foliage surrounds Derek Runnells of Dedham as he walks along a boardwalk on the Chimney Pond Trail in Baxter State Park. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
Cathedral Trail
A rock formation on Katahdin called the Second Cathedral is seen from above on the Cathedral Trail on Sept. 27, 2014, in Baxter State Park. Peaking out behind the Cathedral is Chimney Pond, a pristine tarn at 2, 914 feet above sea level. The closest ridge on the right leads to Pamola Peak and is traversed via Dudley Trail. And the mountain range at the center of the view is South Turner, North Turner and East Turner mountains. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDNHikers approach the first Cathedral on the Cathedral Trail on Katahdin. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
Saddle Trail
Members of the 2015 Beyond Limits Katahdin Expedition make their way down the Saddle Trail after reaching the summit of Katahdin. Six men took 10-minute turns carrying Jacquelyn Lowman ,63, — who is paraplegic — to the summit, assisting each other along the way. The expedition took a year of planning and involved the help of about 20 people, who helped with the planning, carrying food, equipment and cooking. Eleven members of the group reached the summit with Lowman. Credit: Gabor Degre / BDNClouds settle over the upper reaches of the Saddle Trail, a route the leads to the peak of Katahdin, on Aug. 10, 2012. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
Northwest Basin Trail
BDN reporter Aislinn Sarnacki walks toward Hamlin Peak on Katahdin on the Northwest Basin Trail in Baxter State Park. Credit: Courtesy of Derek Runnells
Knife Edge
From Baxter Peak of Katahdin, hikers can enjoy a stunning view of Pamola Peak and a mile-long ridge known as Knife Edge. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDNBDN reporter Aislinn Sarnacki hikes over Knife Edge of Katahdin on July 13, 2013. The ridge becomes just a few feet wide at some points, and the mountain drops away for thousands of feet on both sides. The trail should only be hiked in good weather. Credit: Courtesy of Derek RunnellsHikers on the Knife Edge of Katahdin have few options for getting off trail to relieve themselves of human waste. Above treeline, Leave No Trace principles recommend planning ahead to avoid the necessity of going to the bathroom in fragile alpine areas, or getting off trail as far as possible to relieve themselves on rock or gravel. Credit: Courtesy of Brad Viles
Tablelands
A hiking trail winds through delicate alpine vegetation on the tablelands of Katahdin in Baxter State Park. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
The Tablelands of Katahdin, a relatively flat area between Baxter and Hamlin peaks, is visible from Cathedral Trail on Sept. 27, 2014, in Baxter State Park. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
South Peak
Hikers descend from South Peak on Katahdin in 2016. Credit: Courtesy of Brad Viles
Hamlin Peak
The rocky Hamlin Peak extends to the east, and beyond it are the Basin Ponds, South Turner Mountain, Katahdin Lake and the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Credit: Aislinn Sarnacki / BDN
Maine Township residents vote in support of purchasing building for the relocation of the township food pantry.
A proposal for Maine Township to purchase a building at 9850 Milwaukee Ave. in Glenview to move its popular and growing food pantry received strong approval at the township’s Annual Meeting held last week at the Town Hall on Ballard Road. More than 100 residents attended the meeting where they approved buying the property for $1,429,000. The 3,000 sq. ft. building, which is located within the township, had been the home of a local restaurant. It is currently vacant. In March, Supervisor Kim Jones explained that the food pantry needs more space for food and to accommodate clients who need food. “We’ve totally outgrown it,” said Jones at the time. “We’ve been looking for more than a year.” Following last week’s meeting, Jones said about the vote, “That magical moment really encapsulated the strong support system that’s been built from neighbors helping neighbors throughout our community. The food pantry has grown in leaps and bounds throughout the last five years thanks to the dedicated work of its staff, volunteers and the public.” Des Plaines City Clerk Dominik Bronakowski served as ceremonial moderator for the event. Jones also recognized a number of employees and officials who currently serve the township. They included Assessor Susan Moylan-Krey and MaineStay Youth and Family Services Director Richard Lyon for their 20 years of service to Maine. Assistant Director of MaineStreamers, Therese Tully was recognized for her 25 years of service. The meeting also recognized former Des Plaines Self-Help Closet and Pantry Director Debbie Walusiak who was presented the Sgt. Karen Lader Good Citizen Award for her more than 20 years of service to the Des Plaines community. “Debbie is an exceptional community leader and volunteer,” said township Clerk Pete Gialamas whose office runs the annual award program. “Her work with the Des Plaines community, particularly her leadership navigating the Self-Help Closet and Pantry’s 2020 move to a larger location in the midst of the COVID pandemic really shows the depth and resolve of that leadership and dedication to service.” In 2011, the clerk’s office instituted the award in honor of Lader, a resident of Des Plaines and a 15-year veteran of the Cook County Sheriff’s Police who lost her battle with cancer in 2010. She was deeply involved with the township’s Neighborhood Watch program and active in Maine’s National Night Out Against Crime event held each August. She also worked on Special Olympics and animal rescue.
If you like this story, you can get a whole lot more practically every day of the week by subscribing to journal-topics.com. Click here to choose your preference of either print or online, or call 847-299-5511.
Now the fun begins, as many birds and quite a few birders return to Maine for the summer. It’s time to get organized.
Birding is generally a quiet, solitary pastime — a stroll in the park, a walk in the woods, a paddle in the marsh.
Penobscot Valley Audubon’s Neighborhood Bird Walks kick off May 6. There are 13 walks scheduled at birding hot spots in Greater Bangor throughout the month. These walks have been immensely popular since they began nine years ago.
Advertisement
The benefits are many. It’s a chance to walk with experienced local guides, finding birds you might otherwise overlook. You can start to associate specific species with their preferred habitats. It’s a great opportunity to learn and practice identification skills and gather tips from others. Many participants enjoy the social camaraderie of guided bird walks.
A Baltimore oriole perches in Maine. Spring birding events take advantage of the surge in returning species. Credit: Courtesy of Bob Duchesne
I will lead two of these morning walks and probably tag along on several others. I chuckle at how easy it is to find birds in May. I’ve done these same walks so many times over the years, I usually know where different species will be before I even arrive. It’s almost like cheating.
Penobscot Valley Audubon members have already received the walk schedule in the most recent newsletter. Nonmembers can find the schedule on the chapter website at pvc.maineudubon.org. The walks are free and open to all.
Morning bird walks are fun. But for a full weekend adventure, try a birding festival. There are four great festivals to choose from.
The Wings, Waves & Woods Festival occupies the third weekend of May. Most events occur in Stonington and Deer Isle. Highlights include a Sunday visit to the Atlantic puffin colony on Seal Island, preceded by a Saturday cruise around the islands outside Stonington Harbor. I’ll be one of the guides on both.
Advertisement
I must say I am particularly excited about the archipelago cruise. Last year was the first year we did it, and I was not prepared for how many winter seabirds were still loitering around the islands. The numbers and variety were astounding. This festival is ideal for seeing the overlap of Maine’s overwintering birds and newly arrived spring migrants, all on the same weekend.
A rose-breasted grosbeak perches in Maine. Migratory songbirds return in May, drawing birders to walks and festivals. Credit: Courtesy of Bob Duchesne
The Downeast Spring Birding Festival spans Memorial Day weekend. I’m awed, or maybe odd, to say I’ve been guiding for this festival ever since it began in 2003. Indeed, I led the very first walk of the first festival. That was amazing enough to convince me to keep doing it for the next 23 years.
Cobscook Institute coordinates the festival from its campus in Trescott. Events cover birding hotspots in Washington County, Campobello Island in New Brunswick and nearby offshore islands. Two different boats will visit two different puffin colonies over the weekend.
I might get an argument from the organizers of other festivals, but I personally think this one is the birdiest for two reasons. Memorial Day weekend is about the time the last returning migrants pass through Washington County, adding to the number of songbirds that have already established breeding territories for the summer. The Cobscook Bay area also has some of the most diverse habitat in the state, creating opportunities to see a wide variety of species in a relatively compact area.
The Acadia Birding Festival is the granddaddy of them all. Now in its 27th year, it’s the biggest of Maine’s festivals and attracts nationally recognized guides and speakers. It offers the advantage of birding in and around Acadia National Park.
The official dates for the festival are May 28-31, but three pre-festival trips are offered: one to Monhegan Island, one to Saddleback Mountain near Rangeley seeking the elusive Bicknell’s thrush and one to visit the puffins on Petit Manan, with a second post-festival trip to Petit Manan also available.
Advertisement
And now for something completely different: The Rangeley Birding Festival. The mountainous forests of western Maine host a different selection of bird species compared to the three coastal festivals. This is the realm of Canada jays, boreal chickadees, black-backed woodpeckers and that elusive Bicknell’s thrush.
By June 5-7, when this festival occurs, spring migration is over. Birds have settled into their nesting territories, where they can be predictably found. Very few organized events introduce birders to the boreal forest, so this festival has its own unique appeal.
