Let’s Celebrate The Explorers

Gov. Janet Mills and Maine lawmakers this year took important steps forward to rebuild the state’s vital relationship with its Native American tribes. A law was enacted banning the use of Native American names and imagery for school sports teams. Mills appointed six new members to the Maine Indian Tribal State Commission and appointed a senior adviser on tribal affairs. And Indigeneous Peoples Day will now be celebrated statewide each October. These steps, of course, don’t mean that Maine should or will turn its back on the other players in our state and nation’s diverse and complex history. Along those lines, we renew our call to celebrate exploration, not just the conquerers, but also the audacious wanderers and those who helped and guided them. Journalist Tony Horwitz has written several books about exploration, including novels about the voyages of Capt.