In Hot Water: Why Indigenous Communities and Wisdom are Critical to Maine's Future in the Face of a Warming Gulf

The Gulf of Maine is warming faster than 99% of the ocean. 

In this episode of In Hot Water, Maine, we meet with Plansowes Dana, a member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Indigenous Communities Partnership Manager at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. Her goal is to build relationships between the Wabanaki communities and GMRI to incorporate Indigenous knowledge with Western science.

There’s no quick fix for seafood harvesters in the Gulf, but climate solutions do exist. From encouraging species diversification to actively involving frontline communities, changemakers are leading a new path for seafood in Maine

Produced by Seafood and Gender Equality (SAGE) and Seaworthy, the “In Hot Water” podcast explores SEAFOOD and CLIMATE JUSTICE in distinct regions.

Episode Guide

• :00 Intro to In Hot Water, Maine Edition
• 01:57 Meet Plansowes Dana, a member of the Peskotomuhkati Tribe and Indigenous Partnerships Manager at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute
• 03:07 As a child, Plansowes would seek out storytellers who would share stories about the changing landscape 
• 07:04 The Jay Treaty and what it means for the Wabanaki people
• 08:04 Plansowes’ passions—food sovereignty and food security—and what they mean for the Passamaquoddy
• 11:52 The incredible story of Plansowes’ uncle,a POW in the Korean War
• 13:24 The Passamaquoddy have fished with weirs for generations but a changing climate is making it more and more difficult
• 17:46 Coastal erosion is happening on a large scale in the Passamaquoddy Bay
• 20:36 Plansowes’ advice about how to adapt to a changing climate
• 22:43 The community does not have access to clean drinking water and the pandemic put this situation in the spotlight
• The Emerald ash borer, an invasive insect that’s wreaking havoc on the trees
• 31:02 “Moving at the speed of trust”—building partnerships with Wabanaki communities takes time
• 33:18 Plansowes’ hope for the future in a changing climate
• 33:47 Discussion: Colonialism is a driver of environmental exploitation and degradation.To build a future capable of withstanding the immense challenges posed by the climate crisis, we must first acknowledge and address our colonial, genocidal, white supremacist, and patriarchal past and present.
• 36:17 What Plansowes loves about living in the area
  

2. Resources

   1. Recommend this series to anyone who enjoys seafood and is curious about how climate change is affecting our seafood-producing regions.