GOOD NEWS NETWORK • June 12, 2021
The Passamaquoddy Tribe reacquired 140 acres of their ancestral territory, thanks to help from The Nature Conservancy which granted them funds to purchase Pine Island, known to them as Kuwesuwi Monihq. The largest island on Big Lake, Maine, the place has deep historical and cultural significance to the Passamaquoddy community. The small tribe of 3,700 Native Americans had lived there for at least 10,000 years. “The Tribe felt this land loss was an injustice,” explains Indian Township’s Chief William Nicholas. Today with the island’s return, he continues, “There is no doubt that the Ancestors are jumping all over the place over there.”