For the first time, two women are leading the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik, with Marla Dana being the first elected female chief and Elizabeth "Maggie" Dana having been reelected vice chief in the September 18 election. Not only are they bringing a different leadership style, by involving the community and elders more in the decision-making process, but they also are planning to focus on a two-pronged approach for the community with nation building and community visioning.
     Noting that the past few years have been difficult for the community, with the opioid crisis and turmoil in the tribal government, Vice Chief Maggie Dana says, "Our culture is the answer to anything. It's why we lasted this long. We need to go back to that and spirituality."
     Chief Marla Dana comments, "It's overwhelming but exciting. We need a change for the better. We need to bring our culture back and involve the community more." She took office on October 1, and Maggie Dana comments, "This period is nice, when we can dream what we want to do. But we have to see what the people want."
     "The community has a lot of ideas," points out Marla Dana, adding that she and the vice chief are opening their door "for people to freely see us." She adds, "Nation building and community meetings will help bring the community together."

Nation-building
     The nation-building effort is being kicked off this month with a workshop led by the Native Nations Institute based in Arizona and being held at Sipayik from October 29 through 31. According to the institute, nation building refers "to efforts Native nations make to increase their capacities for self-rule and for self-determined, sustainable community and economic development."
     Before the current governing system was "forced on us," Maggie Dana says, the tribe traditionally had governed itself based on values, responsibilities and relationships. The present system "doesn't work for us," she says. "We need to get back to how it was before."
     She explains, "We survive better if we have good relationships. It's how we survived as a tribe all these years. All that's happened to us has changed us. We became poor, and our resources were moved onto reservations. We couldn't roam to hunt and fish, and we became dependent on the state" and federal funds and grant monies. "We want to get back to thinking sustainably. We don't want to rely on grants the rest of our lives."
     Under the current system of governance, "every four years our vision changes," as a new chief takes over. "The chiefs work on what they want to work on, but is it what the community wants?" She cites the LNG debate -- and the divisions that resulted -- as an example of how the present governing system has not worked well.
     The vice chief looks to a two-fold effort: nation rebuilding and a vision for the community determined by the community, with leaders then following. The vision could include having quality healthcare or learning the language. "We need to put more emphasis on culture and the language," she says. The tribal government then would implement the different parts of the vision. The tribe's constitution would need to be changed to adopt a new governing system. Maggie Dana also says that financial accountability needs to be included, with consequences for any financial wrongdoing.
     "We've been fighting for that for years," notes Marla Dana. "I've been telling the chiefs you can't use tribal funds for your political gain."
     She agrees with Maggie Dana that quality healthcare is important. "Without quality healthcare we will lose our people. We don't want to lose any more. We have to start with the children on drug prevention. We need to protect them and teach them about [the dangers of] opioids and alcohol."
     They are planning to establish an elders council that any elder could be a member of, with the elders providing advice and mentoring for the youth, which had been the tradition of the tribe. "We need to involve our elderly in our community, but our children are who we really need to help," says Marla Dana.
     They agree that the cycle of addiction needs to be broken so that children do not grow up going hungry in households where the top priority is getting the money to find the next drug fix. An elders council, the tribal council and health center could all work together on fighting the opioid crisis.
     Marla Dana notes that they are looking at setting up a Suboxone clinic using the tribal government's $500,000 set aside for drug treatment. They will be working with the health center on treatment programs and may also use some funding for the youth and recreation program to help with drug prevention efforts. However, they are "putting the brakes on" a previous proposal to restrict access to the reservation to deter drug dealers. The vice chief notes that such an effort would be a significant change for people and would not end up stopping drug dealing. However, they will look at determining who is in the community by having anyone on the reservation after a certain amount of time register with the tribal government. "But there needs to be community support," Maggie Dana notes.

Economic plans
     The tribal government will hire a tribal planner again, with the vice chief noting that grants are sometimes needed to start a project.
One effort they would like to see develop is a farm in Perry, with quarterly community meetings during which people would share a meal and participate in guided discussions about the farm. They hope to build relationships with everybody included in the discussions, instead of having a chief say what will be done.
     They also note that two fish weirs are being built at the reservation, after a long absence. Marla Dana notes that a number of tribal members make baskets and do bead work but are unable to sell their products. She would like to see a cooperative established that the people would own and "flourish from." It could be set up in a culture building that would include a room for learning the language, with elders teaching the young. Maggie Dana adds that cooking or canning classes could be held there, and renting out space in the building could help make the space sustainable by providing an income stream.
     As for other needs of tribal members, they note that $1 million has been designated by the joint council for housing rehabilitation work, including new roofs and ramps. "There's a real need," says Maggie Dana. Marla Dana adds that there needs to be a discussion about returning the housing authority's autonomy from the tribal government.

Resolving conflict
     The chief and vice chief also are hoping to work more cooperatively with the Indian Township tribal government and recently met with Chief William Nicholas. "We may not see eye to eye, but we can meet to better the tribe as a whole," Marla Dana says. "My goal is to work for the people as hard as I can."
     Maggie Dana notes that tribal councillors should look at conflict differently and, instead of not showing up to a joint council meeting when they disagree, they can decide not to let the disagreement become personal or treat others as an enemy. "We need to work on relationships. The real test is when conflict happens and how we deal with that. It's the same for divisions within the community."
     Chief Dana comments, "People need to sit down and talk with each other, communicate with each other." Maggie Dana adds, "And compromise. If you think about the community and not I and me, it's a different way of thinking." She notes that people at some point need to let go of their grievances, and she points to the example provided by the elders in the community, who at the start of each new year go to the homes of their neighbors and ask for forgiveness if they have wronged anyone.

A different leadership style
     Before being elected chief, Marla Dana served for six years on the tribal council and had been working for over 25 years in tribal government, in the census department. Vice Chief Maggie Dana has been working for the tribal government since 1998, primarily in the finance department.
     As for different leadership approaches between men and women, the two note that the Passamaquoddy had traditionally been a matriarchal society in which women would make the decisions, while the chiefs, who were men, would act as peace-makers.
     Under the current governance system, Marla Dana notes, "I've never seen men involve the community." Instead, they would say what they wanted to do.
     She notes that she and the vice chief have brought a table into their office for people to come in and speak with them. "We've made it more welcoming," she says. Also, the chief and vice chief are now in the same office. They also plan to bring back the printed tribal newsletter.
     She adds, "You won't see us getting rich off the tribe's money," with Maggie Dana explaining that in the past candidates for chief would make promises to help people by using the tribe's resources if they voted for them.
     She adds, "We need to work together to move forward. We're tired of fighting. We need as much help as we can. We can't do it alone."