Images in this video are courtesy of Ann Pollard-Ranco.
A Wabanaki woman fulfills a vision to connect with her ancestors on a Maine island and, when finally there, encounters a sign – and that’s where it all begins.
Join us in hearing the experience of Ann Pollard Ranco, Penobscot writer, artist, and activist. Ann’s journey to reconnect with ancestral homelands in Wabanaki territory led her this summer to a place now called Barred Island. While there, she encountered a sign telling the story of Barred Island. The story erased her ancestors, their vital connections with this place, and the violence that drove them from home. In “The Sign Speaks Volumes”, Ann’s conversation with First Light, she recounts the pain of finding that sign and– gently, insistently, hopefully– demands better stories and better relationship from dominant culture in Wabanaki homelands.