Thank you for your interest in First Light events! As the year goes on, we are committed to programs that make space for the First Light community and Wabanaki partners to come together and further the collective work of First Light. This page will be updated as we’re able to share more details about these gatherings.

First Light Community Conversations

We’ll continue monthly meetings into the fall. Join us on Zoom as we dive deeper into questions resonating across the non-native organizations in the First Light community. Reach out to Ellie with questions about Zoom access.

  • Wednesday, November 29th, 4 – 5 PM
  • Tuesday, December 19th, 4 – 5 PM

First Light Visit to Odanak

This fall, First Light organizations will be making a visit to Odanak, the Abenaki First Nations Reserve in land now called Quebec, for several days of meetings with Abenaki colleagues and non-native Canadian conservation organizations. We will have more details to share about this trip in June, but please reach out to ellie [at] firstlightmaine.org if you know you or someone from your organization is interested in joining this trip.

When: November 8th – November 11th, 2023

Where: Gather in Central Maine, drive to and stay in Odanak, and return to Central Maine.

Recent Events

First Light Community Training – Navigating Legal Questions

Join Maine conservation attorney Rob Levin for a discussion on the legal aspects of organizations working in solidarity with Wabanaki communities.

When: Wednesday, September 27, 2023 – 3 PM – 5 PM

Where: Zoom

Island Access Reconciliation – Pilot Project 2023

We recognize islands as some of the first and most fiercely-held places of colonization. This fall, First Light will host an island access camp to create safe, easy access to islands for Wabanaki families. Nonnative collaborators will create a physical “place of reconciliation” on the mainland for Wabanaki people to gather, and those who wish will be transported by boats to visit the most important Islands to them under their terms.

Learn more about this project here.

When: Thursday, September 14th – Sunday, September 17th, 2023 (back-up weather dates the following weekend)

Where: Little Kennebec Bay, Machiasport

More information for participants to come this summer!

If you are from a First Light organization and are interested in volunteering, we will have a registration form later in the summer. In the meantime, you can reach out to ellie [at] firstlightmaine.org to share your interest.

One-day Canoe Trip to Sugar Island

We are excited to support another First Light canoe trip with Mahoosuc Guide Service and the Penobscot Guides! This year, we will gather for a one-day trip to Sugar Island. Stay tuned for more details and how to get involved.

When: Saturday, October 7, 2023

Where: Sugar Island

Stay tuned for…

First Light Community Training – An Indigenous Lens on Organizational Transformation

  • What does organizational change look like? Hear from Indigenous leaders in this one-day training. January 2024, exact date TBD!