First Light

“It’s not just about removing children, it’s dismantling every aspect of their being in the process.” —gkisedtanamoogk


Synopsis

For centuries, the United States government has taken Native American children away from their tribes and nations, devastating parents and denying children their traditions, culture, and identity. First Light, part of the Dawnland series, 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 Upstander Project’s Emmy® award-winning documentary film, Dawnland, which aired on Independent Lens in 2018.

Film Details

  • Genre: Non-fiction short

  • Length: 13 minutes

  • Language: English

  • Transcript:  .docx or PDF


first light Trailer


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First Light is a painful but hopeful film…. The close-up look at Maine gives this film its personal and poignant feel, but the film emphasizes this was a national phenomenon.
— Rethinking Schools
First Light expertly communicates the process of the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission and their role in helping acknowledge
painful truths. Both the film and accompanying learning resources are outstanding educational tools for Maine’s teachers to consider using in their classrooms.
— Kristie Littlefield, Maine Department of Education Social Studies Specialist

Meet the first light filmmaking team

  • Directors: Adam Mazo and Ben Pender-Cudlip

  • Producers: Adam Mazo and N. Bruce Duthu (Houma)

  • Editors: Ben Pender-Cudlip and Kristen Salerno

  • Learning Director: Mishy Lesser, Ed.D.

  • Advisors: Chico Colvard, David Joseph, Dick Olsen, Donna Hicks, and Robert Koenig

  • Executive Producer: Beth Murphy

  • Music: Hawk Henries (Nimpuc)


Reflect more deeply on First light

Our learning resources for First Light connect teachers and students to primary and secondary sources as well as questions and activities so they can deepen their understanding of the brutal and disturbing history of settler colonialism, its impact on Native peoples, and the healing that can accompany a truth and reconciliation commission.