MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • April 2, 2023
When Nyle Sockbeson started work two years ago as an outdoor educator at Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness in Bangor, he wanted to inspire children from Indigenous communities to pursue outdoor activities that he was able to enjoy while growing up. Sockbeson, 27, quickly was promoted to the agency’s Project Venture leader, directing outdoor adventures to help the children find confidence and motivation through time in nature. He teaches them to canoe, mountain bike, rock climb and build fires. He talks with them about Wabanaki culture. Those children have led him to take on a greater challenge. In February, Sockbeson set out to thru-hike the Appalachian Trail to serve as an inspiration for kids in the Wabanaki communities in Maine. He also wanted to raise awareness that the 2,200-mile trail that crosses 14 states also occupies as many as 22 Indigenous lands.