Thousands of runners will toe the starting line of the 116th Boston Marathon in Hopkinton, Mass., on April 16. Among them will be three marathoners with ties to the Penobscot Indian Nation who will be racing as fund-raisers on behalf of The Nature Conservancy and the Penobscot River Restoration Project.
“Team Penobscot” consists of former Chief Barry Dana, tribal healthy services counselor Dale Lolar, and Penobscot Indian Nation police chief Bob Bryant.
The Penobscot River Restoration Project will restore 1,000 miles of river habitat by removing two dams and bypassing a third with modern fish passage.
The Penobscot tribe has lived along the river for centuries, and tribal lands include more than 200 islands in the river.
The fund-raising goal is $20,000, and on-line donations are welcome. To access the donation page, go to http://www.crowdrise.com/teampenobscotbostonmarathon
The first dam removal is slated to take place this summer, which will add a more tangible aspect to this project. We’ll keep our eyes peeled, and keep you posted as things develop.