Where Are the Wabanaki?

Today's Portland Press Herald contains a letter from a reader complaining that the paper often writes about "Maine's tribes," stating that, "Wabanaki people have their own sovereign political and cultural existence," and thus do not belong to the state of Maine. And recently, the Maine ACLU issued a report stating that Maine schools are not including enough Wabanaki history in their curriculum.

My husband and I moved to Maine in 2009. Since then I have volunteered at Maine Medical Center, Freeport Community Services, the Portland Museum of Art, Mid-Coast Hospital, Maine Orthopedics, the American Red Cross and the Barbara Bush Children's Center. I have held paying positions at UpPortland (a local newspaper), the Tri-Town Weekly (a local newspaper), Wilbur's Chocolates (a local candy company) and Freeport Town Hall (election worker). 

Spending a good amount of time at each of those establishments, I never met anyone who identifies as a Wabanaki or anyone of Wabanaki descent. Yet the local news -- and the local liberals -- are consumed with making sure that we Mainers are fair to the Wabanaki. At the symphony, an announcement is made before the start of each concert imploring the audience to remember that we are listening to music on "sacred land stolen from the Wabanaki."

What I want to know is, where are all the Wabanaki?