The largest unrestricted land return to an Indigenous tribe in U.S. history is taking shape in Maine, with the Trust for Public Land returning 31,000 acres to the Penobscot Nation near Millinocket.
"Hopefully [it will be] a model for other projects across the country and to demonstrate that doing something at this scale is possible," Betsy Cook, the Maine state director for the Trust for Public Land, told Inside Climate News.
Traditional conservation models typically impose strict land-use restrictions on land transfers in an effort to minimize human impact, but studies have shown that Indigenous-managed lands consistently demonstrate higher biodiversity than other protected areas. More than 420,000 acres across the country have been returned to tribal management over the last two decades, according to Sierra Magazine.
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Definitely 👍 The land, known as Wáhsehtəkʷ in the Penobscot language, includes 53 miles of streams vital to endangered Atlantic salmon and provides critical habitat for an array of wildlife. The Penobscot Nation plans to implement sustainable forestry practices that prioritize the ecosystem over rapid economic returns.
This will allow 15 to 20 years of forest regrowth before any timber harvesting, according to Inside Climate News.
The land transfer will create new recreational opportunities for Maine residents and visitors as well. It will also ensure the long-term preservation of some of the state's most iconic landscapes. The tribe plans to maintain public access for hiking, hunting, and snowmobiling as well as build a new visitor center to showcase Penobscot culture and heritage.
Elsewhere, Indigenous governments and organizations in Canada's Northwest Territories signed a deal to fund conservation work. People in other Indigenous communities have voiced concerns about rising temperatures and the changing climate affecting their ability to live off the land.
The project represents much more than just conservation, however — it's a powerful act of historical justice and cultural preservation.
"They were our sacred sites; they were our holy lands," said Darren Ranco, who is a Penobscot citizen and a professor of anthropology at the University of Maine, according to Inside Climate News. "To think about now, our legacy of returning some of these lands for our descendants really reverses that and creates this huge opportunity for healing."
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