As 2025 comes to a close, we are honoring our accomplishments and our struggles. Each year offers us the opportunity for learning, connecting, and serving each other and Mother Earth. We will reflect on all things and begin to discuss the year we are entering. The Aunties are excited to be with listeners as we ring in the new year, together.

On this episode of Aunties on Air, Auntie Lisa and Auntie Nancy share their thrilling journey into the world of live radio. You'll hear their stories about the adrenaline rush of being on air and how stepping out of your comfort zone can lead to some truly incredible growth. Enjoy a selection of songs by Allen Sockabasin as they discuss his impact and artistry on The Weavers, our Aunties' new show on WMPG! This episode promises to be a delightful blend of storytelling and music that you won’t want to miss. Make sure to also tune in to WMPG on the first Tuesday of every month for more conversations as well as musical treasures!

The creativity and brilliance of indigenous people is seen throughout every sector of society. From art to science and everywhere in between, indigenous people are taking up and creating space to shine in ways never witnessed before. Some say it is the time to foster indigenous thinking and values, offering more healing and abundance for all of us. Today, we are going to learn about storytelling, film, and filmmaking. Mike Sockabasin, a Passamaquoddy filmmaker, will spend time in the studio sharing his journey and passion for his work. Sit back, lean in, and be ready to hear a story of commitment to culture and community!

We continue to lean into learning with Dwayne Tomah after his visit with us in our "Leaning into Learning" series where we spoke with him about our language! Throughout history, we have seen significant contributions to Wabanaki culture and language, with each contribution deserving discussion and visibility. Today, in the studio, we welcome back Uncle Dwayne Tomah, a language and culture sharer. Dwayne’s work is felt throughout Wabanaki territory, as his generosity and gentle teachings have reached many people. During our episode we will discuss Dwayne’s work on the 1890 Passamaquoddy Wax Cylinders, the first audio recordings of our ancestors.

It is that time of year again! Team Wabanaki is gearing up for the Millinocket Marathon! The Aunties will welcome the founder and race director, Gary Allen, to the studio! Gary will join us for an enthusiastic discussion about the Millinocket Marathon & Half and the milestone (10 years) we will be celebrating this year. This race is much more than just a race; it is a community celebration centering love and service. It is the largest event held in Millinocket each year, with thousands descending on this beautiful vibrant town the first Saturday in December. Please join us as we discuss the values, commitments, and love we each hold for this amazing event!

Connecting across community and the vastness of Wabanaki territory offers opportunity and excitement. Often, when we work together, we can create even bigger and more impactful things than if we worked alone. The story that will be shared today is a powerful one, a story of connection where two organizations came together to create the first ever Wabanaki beadwork exhibit, carefully designed by three powerful indigenous women (Caroline, Keyana, Nancy). The Museum of Beadwork (MOB) is a non-profit in Portland, Maine offering beaded artwork from artists across the world while supporting artists at all levels of skill development. The MOB was created and now led by Kristina Skillin and Heather Kahn. We are thrilled to have Kristina in the Aunties studio with us today. The Aunties will be discussing the power and creativity behind this new exhibit; they will also share when and how you can capture this creation.

The “Leaning into Learning” series starts today! Whether you are in elementary school, college, in another place of learning, or love to learn new things- this series is for you! We are joining you with three fun-filled episodes that celebrate the amazing contributions of Wabanaki people. Today, we welcome Dwayne Tomah! In Wabanaki communities, Dwayne needs no introduction, but we want to be sure ALL our listeners know how amazing and giving our guest is. Dwayne is committed to sharing Wabanaki culture, language, and the values of our Ancestors. We will discover and learn with Dwayne while he shares the lessons embedded in Wabanaki languages that serve and heal all people.

As we welcome Autumn, a time of year loved by the Aunties, we want to honor our young people and not so young people who are continuing their learning in school. Every time of year is a great way to dig into learning, but when the summer ends and crispness is felt in the air, many of us think of going back to school. Whether you are in elementary school, college, in another place of learning, or love to learn new things- this series is for you! We will be gifting our listeners the “Leaning into Learning Series”, with three fun-filled episodes that celebrate the amazing contributions of Wabanaki people. Our listeners will learn from a variety of Wabanaki people who are dedicating their time and expertise to careers that heal, center culture and Mother Earth, and amplify the lessons of our ancestors. Please tune in to each episode as we celebrate the brilliance of indigenous people and life-long learning.

Music is a great connector, as are Wabanaki values and love is felt deeply when music meets Wabanaki values. You will feel this connection when you listen to the Aunties today. Chris Newell is back in the studio! Uncle Chris, Passamaquoddy citizen, musician, author, and supporter of all indigenous college, is back for an exciting conversation. The story shared today is a powerful one, a story of connection. Often when we work together, we can create bigger and more impactful things than if we worked alone. Uncle Chris will discuss the unique and special connection between the Wabanaki people and Yo Yo Ma. Each time Yo Yo enters a collaboration with Wabanaki artists, elders, and community, our souls are touched by the magic created. Uncle Chris has been central to this work; he will share his experiences and what is coming up next! You will not want to miss it!

As we close spring and soon to close summer, we are gently entering autumn, the season that helps us prepare for winter. We will be talking ALL things sustenance. Whether you are a hunter, medicine collector, or vegetarian, we believe you will hear stories that will warm your heart as we enter the cooler seasons. Wabanaki people have lived in harmony with Mother Earth and all her gifts for thousands of years, now we are sharing some of these stories of harmony. Please sit back, relax and take in all things abundant and nutritious!

September is National Recovery Month as well as Suicide Prevention Month, a month to educate the public about mental health and substance use disorders, and to celebrate those in recovery and healing. Today we talk to an Auntie, a leader and a powerful voice for recovery. Listening to Nova share her story reminds us that healing is possible no matter where you live or the trauma you may hold. Auntie Nova is a social media influencer and champion for healing, with thousands following her on TikTok and other social media platforms. We will spend our “Auntie time” with Nova discussing her journey and all the gifts she is sharing with indigenous people across Canada and beyond!

Education and opportunities allow for magic and discovery to happen. ALL of the Aunties will be here for this important discussion. For generations, indigenous people have had limited opportunities to find success in the Western world, often creating isolation for indigenous young people. Today, our Aunties are joined by Dr. Sylvia Torti, an award-willing author and the president of College of the Atlantic, which means that all of the voices in today's show will hold a variety of experiences with higher education. Join the ‘Aunties’ in the studio as they discuss the journey of accessing academia while utilizing a two-eyed seeing approach always.

We are celebrating storytelling and the sacred stories held by the Wabanaki people—Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, Penobscot, and Passamaquoddy. The original storytellers of this territory, the Wabanaki people have been telling stories for thousands of years. The Wabanaki people learned traditions, ceremonies, values, and culture often through storytelling. The Aunties are welcoming storyteller and author Amanda Peters to the studio. Auntie Amanda has two powerful books available NOW: The Berry Pickers and Waiting for the Long Night Moon—two books you must connect with. You will not be disappointed! Both books hold pages of connection to culture, the struggles of today, and those of the past. Join the Aunties for an amazing conversation of connection, storytelling, and healing!

The Aunties are excited to share a new guest with our listeners! The guest we have today is someone deeply committed to partnership and strengthening the foundation of community. We are speaking with Betsy from the Downtown Bangor Partnership, and we are eager to share their work and our continued partnership together. In any thriving community, you will see connection at its core. You see this present in Wabanaki communities, where connection to culture, ceremony and values are integrated into everyday experiences. The Downtown Bangor Partnership is a non-profit organization that works with property owners, residents, business owners, community organizations, and governments entities to advance our collective vision for the future of downtown Bangor (https://downtownbangor.com). The values of the partnership closely aligning with what Wabanaki people know to be true: connection, community, and collaboration heals.

The Aunties are ecstatic for this show! We are highlighting women’s leadership and the importance of supporting young girls and women in their leadership development. Wabanaki tribes are matriarchal tribes, centering the ways women lead in families and communities for thousands of years. The Aunties welcome the Olympia Snowe Women’s Leadership Institute, an organization that aims to elevate the confidence and aspiration of high school girls by helping them build the leadership, collaboration and problem solving skills needed to become successful in their lives (https://snoweleadershipinstitute.org/). The Institute expresses their commitment to values, voice, and vision- each area deeply connected to Wabanaki culture and people.

This week we are introducing our NEW Aunties and NEW pod song to our listeners! Auntie Lisa is back for season 2 with a new co-host, Auntie Clarissa! Auntie Clarissa is also known as Chief Sabattis of the Houlton band of Maliseet Indians. You may hear Auntie Lisa refer to her as Auntie Chief from time to time! Auntie Chief gifted us our new season 2 song and it is beautiful! Both Aunties are excited to be sharing season 2 with all of our listeners! In this first episode, the Aunties (Lisa & Clarissa) share our *NEW* Guest Auntie model! Auntie Nancy will be our first guest auntie who will share some time with us throughout season 2. Please listen to our intro episode of season 2 and meet Auntie Clarissa & Auntie Nancy. Auntie Lisa is excited to share the studio with these two amazing Aunties!

Aunties on Air… and some Uncles too is entering our second season and we are excited to share some EXCITING news! As we enter the second season of the pod, we are mixing things up! New hosts are joining the show and will be at the table! You will meet these two AMAZING Aunties in two weeks when we kick off SEASON 2! What can you expect this next season? We can promise, it will be full of joy and healing! Aunties Season 2 will: 1) have many amazing guests all season, 2) be available on the radio (more news coming SOON!), and 3) deepen our relationships between Aunties and listeners! But first, let’s listen to Auntie Lisa, Lauren and Macy share some important news! Remember, it is never good-bye, but until we meet again.

We have many things to honor during the month of May. During this episode we will journey through a few different topic areas. The month of May, when we celebrate our mothers, those that give so much love and care. We bring both Auntie Lisa and Auntie Lauren’s mothers to the studio where we celebrate them and we celebrate the gifts they received from their mothers. Honoring moms today and always. The Aunties also lean into June, the month where Pride is celebrated! The joy June brings and our love for our GLBTQ+ relatives is strong. With Pride celebrations right around the corner, we talk to our friend Jayson Hunt, known as Guncle Jayson! Our friend shares the importance of Pride and stories you must hear. The Aunties begin the pod episode with a returning guest, Maulian Bryant. Maulian highlights the beginning of May, where we honor our Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW). May 5th each year we honor our women and other relatives who have gone missing (taken) or who have been murdered. The rates of violence towards indigenous women is higher than any other demographic group. The Aunties urge you to listen to this difficult, yet important topic of conversation, the violation of indigenous women today.

The Aunties welcome the love, values, and reciprocity to the studio today! We are forever grateful for all the gifts that Mother Earth provides. We welcome into the studio, Gretchen and Daniel, the leaders of the coastal Maine botanical gardens. These two leaders have been leading the way for many years. We work with them closely to celebrate the contributions of Wabanaki thought and learning. As we continue to grow in both inspiration and strategy, we welcome you to explore all the learnings that are present.

The Aunties welcome friends, relatives, artists to the studio! Three amazing artists join our Aunties hosts in a deep conversation about art, relationships and the magic of togetherness. Wabanaki culture is rich in art and creativity, during this episode we explore the healing and connecting power of art and culture. The power of mentorship and seven generational thinking is felt throughout this episode. You will feel the power of love, support, and culture. Kci-Woliwon to all who contributed to this special episode and time together. Please take a listen as we capture the commitment and love for Wabanaki culture.