HOULTON, Maine – On a cold, blustery Wednesday, Nov. 11, a small, but dedicated group of about 30 individuals came to honor Maliseet Veterans on Veterans Day.
Held at the Maliseet Veterans Cemetery, the solemn ceremony included an opening prayer from Tribal Elder Danya Boyce; a welcoming greeting from Barbara Haynes, who is a veteran and member of the Maliseet Veterans Cemetery Committee; and a Native song by the Four Winds drum group.
Members of the Maliseet Color Guard were also in attendance, along with representatives of the American Legion Post No. 47, who provided a gun salute and a rendition of “Taps” by bugler Gerald Riley. Legion member Dean Mitchell sang the National Anthem.
“Our veterans have made the sacrifice with their time away from loved ones and some with the ultimate sacrifice … their lives, for their country and freedom,” Boyce said. “This kind of commitment, when duty calls is a reminder to pay it forward for those who are still with us, and to honor the ones who have crossed over.”
Joe Michaud, commander for the American Legion for the Department of Maine, thanked those veterans in attendance for the service, while Tribal veteran John Joseph Jr. also spoke, urging people to remember not only the veterans, but their families as well.
“The spouses and children are also part of the veteran family,” he said. “They are the other half of the team that makes it all work.”
According to tribal records, 87 tribal citizens have served in the military. Of that number, 46 are still alive.
The Tribe’s Cemetery Committee was formed in 2016 and worked closely with Sue Young, former natural resources director, to complete a veterans grant for the purchase and installation of a granite monument at the Maliseet Veterans Cemetery. It is the only Native American Cemetery east of the Mississippi River.
Following the ceremony, light refreshments were served at the Maliseet Resource Center.
