Who doesn’t want to spend the summers on coastal Maine? Historically Wabanaki people spent a lot of time living throughout the coast and the islands, for food yes but also everything that comes along with the gathering of people, feasts, laughter, sharing stories, trade, ceremony, and more. Currently, Wabanaki have the least access to saltwater and all those rich experiences that come along with that. Working with First Light and land conservation groups, our shared work is and has always been about making the impossible possible. When coastal land groups began conversations around developing signage describing Wabanaki historical presence on islands, Commission Staff asked, what about restoring Wabanaki access and presence to these islands? This question motivated coastal land groups and First Light around how to make this a reality, which includes navigating the fact that being separated from the saltwater means major transportation hurdles if access is to be restored. Working with both First Light and the Maine Island Trail Association (MITA) this is becoming a possibility again. First Light has been able to raise funding to support transportation costs for Wabanaki people, while MITA is providing access to islands within their network and a fleet of skiffs that can further support Wabanaki access to the islands. More to come as programming and events from this initiative develop in 2023.