Episode 51: MMIW: Healing Through Taking Space

In Wabanaki territory and across Turtle Island, our women, girls and two-spirit relatives are the heart of our nations. They carry our stories, our languages, and our future. Yet, the painful reality of the MMIW crisis continues to affect our families and communities deeply. This week, we welcome back a very familiar voice and longtime advocate to the studio, our former Aunties co-host, Lauren Stevens. Together, the Aunties sit down with Lauren for a deeply necessary conversation about grief, resilience, and reclaiming our narrative. We dive into the profound medicine of speaking our stolen relations' names out loud, ensuring they are never made invisible by the systems around us. Lauren shares how utilizing the Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) network provides critical, proactive support to keep our people whole and protect our collective spirit before crisis even begins. This is an episode about taking up space, raising our voices, and anchoring ourselves in cultural traditions. True healing happens when we center our Wabanaki values, look out for one another, and refuse to be silenced. 

Wabanaki Words Used:

Apc-oc (again in the future, parting, good-bye, farewell) - https://pmportal.org/dictionary/apc-oc

Topics Discussed:  

MMIW - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missing_and_Murdered_Indigenous_Women

Salt Bay Chamberfest - https://saltbaychamberfest.org/

Dawn Avery - https://www.dawnavery.com/

Wilhelmina Smith - https://www.wilhelminasmith.com/

We Are Water - https://portlandovations.org/event/we-are-water-a-northeast-celebration/

Yo-Yo Ma - https://www.yo-yoma.com/

Rodger Paul - https://umaine.edu/nativeamericanprograms/people/rogerpaul/

Chris Newell - https://www.nefa.org/chris-newell

Mali Obomsawin - https://www.maliobomsawin.com/

Jeremy Dutcher - https://jeremydutcher.com/

Andri Magnason - https://andrimagnason.com/

MMIW Poem by Feather Mason-Delorme - https://poetryinvoice.ca/write/monthly-poem-prize/winning-poems/mmiw-poem

UNITY - https://unityinc.org/

Wabanaki Tribal Nations:

Houlton Band of Maliseet Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians | Littleton, ME (maliseets.net)

Mi’kmaq Mi'kmaq Nation | Presque Isle, ME (micmac-nsn.gov)

Passamaquoddy Tribe Indian Township Passamaquoddy Tribe @ Indian Township | Peskotomuhkati Motahkomikuk

Passamaquoddy Tribe Sipayik Sipayik Tribal Government – Sipayik (wabanaki.com)

Penobscot Nation Penobscot Nation | Departments & Info | Indian Island, Maine

Special Thanks/Woliwon: 

Producer: Gavin Allen

Podcast Team: Macy Downs