Dana to deliver Rezendes Ethics Lecture April 27
Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador Maulian Dana will deliver the University of Maine’s 2021 John M. Rezendes Visiting Scholar in Ethics Lecture at 3:30 p.m. April 27.
Dana, a 2006 UMaine graduate in political science, will present, “Tribal Sovereignty, Social Justice and Building Equity from a Maine Tribal Perspective,” via Zoom.
Chief Kirk Francis appointed Dana as the first-ever Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador in 2017. In that role, she seeks to connect the Penobscot Nation to Maine policymakers and elected leaders as she advocates for social justice and equity for Native Americans.
Her work has focused on eliminating derogatory mascots and school icons across Maine, lobbying for legislation that allows prosecution of non-Native offenders in tribal courts, and enhancing awareness of the murdered and missing indigenous women in Canada and the U.S. She also assisted in crafting successful legislation that changed Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples Day in Maine, and continues her efforts to strengthen programs that preserve and teach the customs and traditions of the Penobscot people.
Dana currently co-chairs Maine’s Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Maine Tribal Populations and the Maine Climate Council’s Equity Subcommittee. She is the Board President of the Wabanaki Alliance.
The John M. Rezendes Visiting Scholar in Ethics Lecture was established by the University of Maine Honors College in 1999 to critically engage students, faculty and the community in ethical issues of national importance.
The lecture is part of the John M. Rezendes Ethics Initiative, a program established through a gift from Dennis and Beau Rezendes, which also includes the John M. Rezendes Ethics Essay Contest open to undergraduate students at UMaine. The finalists and the winner of the 2020–21 essay competition will be announced at the April 27 event.
Co-sponsors of this year’s lecture include the Honors College and UMaine’s Native American Programs.
Find more information about the Rezendes Lecture online. To request a reasonable accommodation, contact Kim Crowley, Honors Associate, kim.crowley@maine.edu.