Land Acknowledgement

​We are standing on the ancestral territory of the Wabanaki Confederacy, land stolen from the People of the Dawnland.

The Wabanaki lived on this land and fished the river for thousands of years before the arrival of European colonizers.  Indigenous people live here still and are a vital part of this community.  Today in Maine, people of Wabanaki tribes–the Abenaki, Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot–live and work throughout the state.  The Wabanaki continue to fight for full government recognition of Indigenous sovereignty in Maine.

As an organization committed to housing justice, which is itself an extension of the land, the Raise-Op believes it's important that we remain committed to being in community and collaboration with the Indigenous peoples who live here now and to work against racist policies and a persistent colonial mindset which threaten Wabanaki sovereignty and well-being. We have made the education of our Members about the history of this land and commitment to an act of solidarity with the Wabanaki a permanent part of our Annual Member meeting.  We encourage our community members to join us in solidarity and learning.

We honor Wabanaki ancestors and we commit to standing in solidarity with their descendants, now and in the future.