First Light

For centuries, the United States government has taken Native American children away from their tribes, devastating parents and denying children their traditions, culture, and identity. First Light documents these practices from the 1800s to today, and tells the story of an unprecedented experiment in truth-telling and healing for Wabanaki people and child welfare workers in Maine. In 2015 the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission concluded that Native people in Maine continue to be targets of “”cultural genocide.”” The commission is the topic of a documentary film, Dawnland, currently in postproduction and slated for release in 2017.

Screens as part of Dirigo Docs.

Director Ben Pender-Cudlip in attendance