In fact, Kuwesuwi Monihq, or Pine Island, is its original name, and it technically has just one true “caretaker”; the Passamaquoddy: a small tribe of 3,700 Native Americans who had lived there for at least 10,000 years. In 1794 it was officially granted to the tribe by Massachusetts for their service during the revolutionary war. They hadn’t stepped foot on Pine Island in 160 years. In March, with a grant from conservation charities, the tribe raised $355,000, and finally bought the island back. The Passamaquoddy bid was funded by First Light; a collective of ecological groups founded in Maine four years ago to return tribal lands.

Source: The Guardian June 04, 2021 07:52 UTC