Indigenous Peoples: Understanding and Resources

Developed by Maine Summer Camps (MSC) the Indigenous Appropriation Assessment Tool is intended to help camps examine their ethos with an openness to experiencing the camp’s symbols and practices from other perspectives.

• MSC’s Indigenous Appropriation Assessment Tool
• Letter from MSC’s Native American Working Group

Maine Summer Camps (MSC) has been working to address concerns raised by representatives from the Wabanaki Tribal Nations regarding cultural appropriation in camps. Since then, MSC’s leadership and membership have engaged in work that’s produced a Indigenous Appropriation Assessment Tool for camps.

ACA, New England recently entered into an agreement with MSC to support their work in this arena, help spread information around and access to resources within this space, and ultimately drive more awareness to this issue while continuing to develop tools as we support one another towards a mutual goal.

We understand that each state has unique identities and histories, and it’s our hope that by sharing the work done by our friends in Maine, others can use those tools and build upon them to specialize in what’s most important in their spaces.

If you’d like to learn more about the process Maine undertook, the resources they engaged, and some of the lessons they learned, please visit their Indigenous Peoples: Understanding and Resources page or reach out to office@mainecamps.org.

As we continue to support Maine in their work, please let us know how we can help you as well. We look forward to hearing from our members about their experiences navigating this space.

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