Standing with the Wabanaki

At Fifth Element, we believe that repair is not optional. It is the work of living in relationship—with ourselves, with one another, and with the land. Our framework insists that justice is not abstract, but embodied in the choices we make, the structures we build, and the voices we amplify.

The Wabanaki Nations—the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Mi’kmaq, and Maliseet—have carried their sovereignty for centuries. It is inherent, predating the State of Maine, and recognized by the U.S. Constitution. Yet Maine’s laws have denied them the rights and protections guaranteed to every other federally recognized tribe. For forty years, this exclusion has created barriers to health, economic opportunity, and environmental stewardship.

We cannot call ourselves allies if we remain silent in the face of this injustice. Allyship means more than acknowledgment. It means using our voices, our platforms, and our relationships to insist on repair. That is why we have written to Governor Janet Mills, urging her to act before her term ends. She has a narrowing window of time to affirm the inherent sovereignty of the Wabanaki Nations at the state level and to direct her administration to align Maine’s laws with justice.

This is not symbolic. Recognition would bring measurable change: stronger economies in rural counties, expanded access to health care, and deeper stewardship of rivers, forests, and coasts that sustain us all. When the Wabanaki thrive, Maine thrives.

We encourage others to join us. Write to the governor. Speak in your communities. Support Wabanaki‑led organizations. Make sovereignty visible in your language and your practice. Allyship is not a title—it is a discipline, a daily choice to stand with those whose rights have been denied.

Fifth Element exists to model repair and resilience. In this moment, repair looks like standing with the Wabanaki Nations and insisting that Maine finally right a forty‑year wrong.