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A28 u.s. news
Diamars 11 OctOber 2022
Study: Most Maine schools fall short on Wabanaki history

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) that should be taught and
— The Maine Depart- Maine Education Commis- creating a Wabanaki Stud-
ment of Education is not sioner Pender Makin con- ies Commission to compile
doing enough to enforce a vened a working group of resources for teachers.
decades-old law requiring tribal leaders and Wabanaki
students to be taught about scholars in the first months But the review revealed
Native American history, of the administration, an that one school district had
leading most schools to fall agency spokesperson said. no records demonstrating
short, according to a study. how it complies with the
requires schools to teach agery for high school mas- Decisions on what’s taught statute, and another admit-
The study, released on Wabanaki history, econom- cots, changed the name of in the classroom are made ted it didn’t systemically
Monday, which is Indige- ic and political systems, and Columbus Day, and gave locally, and the Maine De- include Wabanaki studies
nous Peoples Day in Maine, culture. The Wabanaki are tribes revenue from mobile partment of Education pro- in its curriculum.
concluded most school dis- comprised of the Penobscot sports betting. vides resources by grade
tricts are failing to cover all Nation, Passamaquoddy on its website that have Several school districts re-
required areas of Wabanaki tribes at Indian Township President Joe Biden pro- been reviewed by tribal ferred to Wabanaki people
studies. and Pleasant Point, Houl- claimed Monday to be In- cultural experts and educa- in the past tense and fo-

ton Band of Maliseets, and digenous People’s Day for tors, spokesperson Marcus cused only on colonization,
“Teaching Wabanaki Stud- Mi’kmaq. the second year, as states Mrowka said. playing into a misconcep-
ies is not optional. It is re- and cities rebranded the tion that Wabanaki people
quired by law,” Michael The study came at a time of federal holiday that had The agency recently hired are either invisible or a
Kebede, policy counsel at fraught relations between long-celebrated Christo- an educator to lead the thing of the past, the report
the American Civil Liber- the tribes and the state of pher Columbus’ sighting of work of creating lessons said.
ties Union of Maine, said in Maine. what came to be known as for the state’s online lesson
a statement. the Americas. sharing website for teach- The survey cited some suc-
The tribes are pressing to ers from kindergarten to cesses in Old Town, Port-
The Wabanaki Alliance, change the Maine Indian But Rep. Jeffrey Evange- high school, Mrowka said. land, Bangor and Lewis-
Abbe Museum and the Land Claims Settlement los, an independent from ton, which incorporated
ACLU of Maine used the Act of 1980, which pre- Friendship, said in an op-ed Across the country, there Wabanaki people in sev-
state’s open records law to vents tribes in the state in the Portland Press Herald have been recent gains in eral different study disci-
survey 10 districts and the from having the same rights on Monday that Maine’s teaching students about Na- plines. Presque Isle brought
state education department as the other 570 federally Indigenous people are still tive Americans, with new Mi’kmaq drummers into
on their compliance with recognized tribes. treated as “second-class requirements in states such their schools, and Houlton
the law. The Maine Indian citizens.” as Connecticut, North Da- invited Mi’kmaq and Mali-
Tribal-State Commission The tribal frustration comes kota and Oregon. seet members to class. Cal-
also joined in the report. despite some successes: The state contends it’s mak- ais offered a Passamaquod-

The state ended tribal im- ing progress in schools. Maine adopted its law in dy language course.
The 21-year-old state law 2001, identifying material

US warns Hong Kong against helping sanctioned individuals

HONG KONG (AP) — The statement came days af-
The U.S. warned Hong ter the $500-million supery- Hong Kong’s marine author-
Kong on Monday that its acht Nord, allegedly owned ities have said they do not
status as a financial cen- by Russian tycoon Alexey implement “unilateral sanc-
ter could be affected if Mordashov, docked in Hong tions imposed by other juris-
it acts as a safe haven for Kong’s harbor on Wednesday dictions,” even though it im-
sanctioned individuals, following a week-long jour- plements and enforces sanc-
days after a luxury yacht ney from the Russian city of tions imposed by the United
connected to a sanctioned Vladivostok. Nations Security Council.
Russian tycoon docked in
the city. Mordashov, who is believed Meanwhile, U.S. and Euro-
to have close ties to Russian pean authorities have seized
“The possible use of Hong president Vladimir Putin, was over a dozen yachts belong- and 20 cabins. The yacht business hub and financial
Kong as a safe haven by in- sanctioned by the U.S., U.K. ing to sanctioned Russian ty- is currently sailing under a center has suffered in recent
dividuals evading sanctions and the European Union in coons to prevent them from Russian flag. years after Beijing imposed
from multiple jurisdictions February after Russia’s inva- sailing to other ports that are a tough national security law
further calls into question the sion of Ukraine. not affected by the sanctions. The State Department on the city, aimed primarily at
transparency of the business spokesperson also warned stamping out dissent follow-
environment,” said a U.S. He is one of Russia’s richest Russian oligarchs have begun that U.S. companies “in- ing months of anti-govern-
State Department spokesper- men with an estimated wealth docking their yachts at ports creasingly view Hong Kong’s ment protests in 2019.
son in a statement. of about $18 billion, as well in places like Turkey, which business environment with
as the main shareholder and has maintained diplomatic wariness” amid Beijing’s un- Critics say the security law,
The State Department chairman of Severstal, Rus- ties with Russia since the war dermining of Hong Kong’s which in certain cases allows
spokesperson also said the sia’s largest steel and mining began. high degree of autonomy and for suspects to be transferred
city’s reputation as a financial company. Mordashov has its freedoms. to mainland China for trial in
center “depends on its adher- attempted to challenge the The Nord measures 141.6 its opaque legal system, could
ence to international laws sanctions against him in Eu- meters (464.6 feet), has two The semi-autonomous city’s threaten Hong Kong’s rule of
and standards.” ropean courts. helipads, a swimming pool status as an international law.