ORONO — The Senator George J. Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine will host a panel discussion about land return, rematriation and conservation work led by Indigenous peoples at 3 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 20.
These efforts intersect with several of the key issues impacting the well-being and cultures of Indigenous nations. This includes issues of environmental and economic justice, food sovereignty and health. As a practice, land returns are being done by land trusts without easements or restrictions. Scholars have also recognized that Indigenous leadership, knowledge and decision-making in conservation work also represent conservation best practices — resulting in the most effective ways to conserve lands productively for resilience and biodiversity.
Panelists include Chuck Loring, a citizen of the Penobscot Nation; Betsy Cook, the state director for the Trust for Public Land; and Darren J. Ranco, a citizen of the Penobscot Nation, professor of anthropology, and chair of Native American Programs at the University of Maine.
All talks in the Mitchell Center’s Sustainability Talk series are free and are offered both remotely via Zoom and in person at 107 Norman Smith Hall on the UMaine campus in Orono.
Registration is required to attend remotely; to register and receive connection information, see the event webpage.
To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Ruth Hallsworth, 207-581-3196 or [email protected].
The Mitchell Center for Sustainability Solutions at the University of Maine aspires to be a leader and valued partner in understanding and solving problems related to the growing challenge of improving human well-being while protecting the environment. We collaborate with diverse stakeholders and bring together faculty and students from many different fields. By connecting knowledge with action, we seek to create a brighter environmental, social and economic future in and beyond Maine.As Maine’s only public research university and a Carnegie R1 top-tier research institution, the University of Maine advances learning and discovery through excellence and innovation.
Founded in 1865 in Orono, UMaine is the state’s land, sea and space grant university with a regional campus at the University of Maine at Machias. Our students come from all over the world and work with faculty conducting fieldwork around the globe — from the North Atlantic to the Antarctic. Located on Marsh Island in the homeland of the Penobscot Nation with UMaine Machias located in the homeland of the Passamaquoddy Nation, UMaine’s statewide mission is to foster an environment that creates tomorrow’s leaders. As the state’s flagship institution, UMaine offers nearly 200 degree programs through which students can earn bachelor’s, master’s, professional master’s and doctoral degrees as well as graduate certificates. For more information about UMaine and UMaine Machias, visit umaine.edu/about/quick-facts/ and machias.edu/about-umm/umm-facts/.
