Damon Galipeau is a citizen of the Penobscot Nation, registered Maine guide, and a 2026 grantee dedicated to helping Wabanaki youth feel comfortable on the land and water.
Photo credit Nolan Altvater, 2023
The Wabanaki Commission on Land & Stewardship is proud to support the second cohort of grantees through the Wolankeyutomone Kisi Apaciyewik Fund. As a caretaking fund, we invest in Wabanaki-led efforts that strengthen relationships with land, culture, language, and community.
Across Wabanaki homelands, grantees are engaged in work that reflects the many ways caretaking happens in our communities–from traditional arts, foodways, and ceremony to youth engagement, land-based learning, and the sharing of cultural knowledge.
This work takes many forms, and it is rooted in a shared commitment to maintaining relationships and practices that connect generations. Grantees include artists and cultural knowledge carriers, youth and community leaders, and organizations creating opportunities to learn on the land and strengthen access to culturally significant places.
Over the past two years, the Fund has distributed $1.35 million through 32 grants. This investment reflects the Wabanaki Commission on Land & Stewardship’s commitment to caretaking and to supporting Wabanaki self-determination in our homelands.
As a participatory grantmaking program, the Wolankeyutomone Kisi Apaciyewik Fund is designed in community with final decisions made by the community. We are grateful to all the relatives whose knowledge, relationships, and work make this Fund possible. We look forward to continuing this work together.
Learn about the grantees
We invite you to learn more about the grantees and the work they are carrying forward.