Host: Ron Beard, University of Maine Cooperative Extension Engineer: Amy Browne Issue: Native American involvement in protecting key natural resource Program Topic: Wabnaki Basket Making and Maine’s Brown Ash Trees Key Discussion Points: ·What is the historical significance of baskets and basket making in Wabnaki Culture? ·What were early interactions between Wabnaki people and European settlers and how did baskets figure into later economic and cultural relationships in the 20th Century? ·Tell the story of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance and the role it is playing to celebrate and support basketmaking as part of today’s Wabnaki culture and economy. ·Brown Ash trees provide the primary material for basketmaking. How are individual trees selected? Describe the process of creating basket-making material. ·What is the status of Brown Ash trees in Maine? Difference from White and other ash? ·What is the threat from an insect called the Emerald Ash Borer … what do we know about the insect, its life cycle and it’s likely / potential impact on Maine’s brown ash resources? ·How does the emerald ash borer “move” and expand its range from Michigan, New York and Quebec? What environmental factors are behind its spread? ·What are the goals of the Sustainability Solutions Initiative project on Brown Ash and how is your team and partners approaching the work? ·What are some of the ways to limit the spread of the Emerald Ash Borer in to Maine? ·What is needed in the way of education? ·What policies are in place and what more is needed to limit the spread of ash borer? ·What additional research is needed into the problem? ·Are Wabanaki people exploring alternative resources, or thinking of ways to stockpile brown ash in any way to soften the potential impact of emerald ash borers? ·What most excites you about this project, and do you find hope in working as part of a larger collaboration? ·What would you hope a young Wabnaki basketmaker in 2030 would say about your work today? Guests: Darren Ranco, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Coordinator of Native American Research University of Maine Coleen Teerling, Maine Forest Service Butch Jacobs, Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance Call In Program: Yes

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