‘“Dawnland” not only exposes the truth of what happened in Maine, but also provides the opportunity to raise awareness of this nation-wide issue, which continues to impact families and children.”

“Adam Mazo and Ben Pender-Cudlip detail the harrowing process of the commission as indigenous people find the courage to tell their stories, while also exploring the conflicts that arise among its different stakeholders.”

“Dawnland tells the story of children who “experienced shattering emotional and physical harm by adults who mistreated them and tried to erase their cultural identity,” because “government agents systematically forced Native American children from their homes and placed them with white families,” according to PBS.”

“Dawnland follows the commission through its process and doesn’t hide the fact that, at times, the commission and the film crew were perceived as outsiders, discouraging some Wabanaki community members from participating in the commission’s events.”

Listen to a discussion with the filmmaker, along with a Penobscot woman who was taken from her family as a child and one of the founders of the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission.

"Indigenous people are not members of a race. They are citizens of a sovereign nation. You're not taking a child out of a race. You're putting them with people ... of the dominant culture." - DAWN NEPTUNE ADAMS

‘“Dawnland" follows the first government-created “truth and reconciliation commission” in Maine, which investigated the impact of the removal of native children from their homes.”