[Updated 10/8/21:]
As we look back upon the first year of our partnership with Nibezun, we’re excited by the progress we’ve made and look forward to continuing our support. In addition to the $2500 grant we donated last year, our tasting room staff selected them as our Charitable Partner of the Month last October, which resulted in an additional donation of $2,776. Both of these donations helped to fund their new roof, which is the first step in preparing Nibezun for their planned solar array in the coming months. This year, we’ve made an additional $2,500 grant and plan to donate the profits from two special beers we’ll have on draft in our tasting room to Nibezun. We’ve also selected them as our Charitable Partner of the Month for October again this year. As we mention in the post below, we continue to take these steps in anticipation of more to come.
[Original post:]
Today, October 12th, is Indigenous Peoples’ Day in Maine. This holiday is the result of important work by Maine’s Indigenous Wabanaki Confederacy and their fight for legislation to have this day officially recognized.
In the spirit of this day, we want to reflect on the debt we owe to them. The Allagash Wilderness Waterway, the inspiration behind our name, is a rustic and pristine 92.5-mile stretch of streams, lakes, and rivers in northern Maine. Allagash is actually a transliteration from the original Penobscot word for “bark stream.”
As a first step toward truly honoring the heritage of our name, and the people who gave it its meaning, we’re working with Nibezun. Nibezun is a community located on sacred Wabanaki land along the Penobscot River in Maine. They celebrate culture as medicine, provide an inclusive space for healing, and promote sustainability for all people and future generations. They also help to protect the languages of the Wabanaki tribes through classes and gatherings.
With a $2,500 grant and the funds generated as our Tasting Room charitable partner this month, we’re helping the people of Nibezun install a solar array on their land. This is the first step of many. We want, and need, to create a durable connection to the community who originally protected the beauty of the Allagash. It’s the only way we can truly live up to, and positively impact, the history of the name we’ve chosen.
If you’d like to help support Nibezun, you can learn more and donate directly to them online through the buttons below.
