HOULTON, Maine – The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the Wabanaki Alliance now have an even stronger bond following the election of Osihkiyol “Zeke” Crofton-Macdonald as its new president.
Crofton-Macdonald joined HBMI in 2022 as its first Tribal Ambassador and has worked diligently to educate and foster relationships with many organizations across the state. The purpose of the Tribal Ambassador is to strengthen the Maliseet Nation’s relationships with the other Wabanaki Nations and the people of Maine alongside tribal leadership.
“The Wabanaki Alliance is proud of the support and accomplishments we have garnered since 2020,” Crofton-Macdonald said. “With the 132nd Maine Legislature now in session, we will continue to educate and advocate for sovereignty and work in a bipartisan manner to advance other tribal priorities including laws pertaining to commercial fishing, tribal utilities, and eminent domain.”
He takes over the president role from Maulian Bryant, who was recently named as the executive director for the Wabanaki Alliance.
As Tribal Ambassador for HBMI, Crofton-Macdonald represents the Maliseet Nation in Maine’s stance and intention to assert our inherent right to self-determination as a federally recognized sovereign nation. For the past two years, he has worked to honor relationships with the other Wabanaki Nations in Maine, strengthen the kinship ties with the rest of the Maliseet Nation in New Brunswick and worked to improve relationships with the state of Maine.
As the elected president of the Wabanaki Alliance, Crofton-Macdonald will take on a larger role in advancing tribal initiatives and education throughout the state.
“We are extremely proud of Zeke,” Maliseet Tribal Chief Clarissa Sabattis said. “He has a firm grasp on all the issues impacting our people. I appreciate his ability to provide tribal information to a variety of partners in a way that is engaging.”
Also elected were Vice President Donna Loring, Elder, Penobscot Nation; Secretary Aaron Dana, Passamaquoddy Tribal Representative in the Maine House of Representatives; Treasurer Rena Newell, Citizen of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik; and Board Member Richard Silliboy, Vice Chief of the Mi’kmaq Nation.
The board also appointed Monica Castellanos as the new associate director. Monica joined the Wabanaki Alliance in late January. A longtime supporter of tribal sovereignty, Castellanos managed a 2018 statewide gubernatorial campaign prominently featuring support for tribal sovereignty and other Wabanaki priorities and has been a supporter of Wabanaki Alliance in both a personal capacity and as a small business member of the Wabanaki Alliance.
“This is an experienced and dedicated Board of Directors,” Crofton-Macdonald added. “We are excited to grow the organization to the next level.”
The Wabanaki Alliance was formed in 2020 by the four tribes in Maine (Mi’kmaq Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseets, Passamaquoddy Tribe and Penobscot Nation) to educate people of Maine and advocate for recognition of the inherent sovereignty of the Wabanaki Nations.
