Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth & Reconciliation Commission Archive

On June 29, 2012, five Wabanaki Chiefs and Maine’s Governor Paul LePage signed a mandate commencing the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Under the leadership of five appointed commissioners, the TRC was charged with examining Maine’s child welfare practices affecting Wabanaki people; the focus of the Commission was on "truth, healing, and change." Over the course of three years, the TRC collected statements from nearly 150 individuals and focus groups. The TRC published a final report on June 14, 2015, detailing key findings and recommendations for further action.

At the conclusion of its work, the TRC transferred its extensive archives to the Bowdoin College Library’s George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives. The collection includes video, audio, and written statements, and other personal documents contributed by participants, founding documents, the final report, and administrative and research records. This website provides online access to all the unrestricted statements that are part of the collection. Researchers interested in consulting other components of the collection described in the online inventory may do so by visiting the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives. For more information, email scaref@bowdoin.edu or call 207.725.3288.

Please read Wabanaki REACH's statement of support issued upon the release of the archives.