Steve Collins’ April 6 column worries about a 1690 raid at Laurel Hill, while calling for more “tribal sovereignty” for Maine’s Wabanaki tribes (“To overcome the sins of the past, Maine needs to support Wabanaki rights”). Fair enough to talk about the violence, but cherry-picking facts doesn’t tell the full story. 

Pre-colonial North America wasn’t exactly peaceful. Wabanaki and other tribes fought in what are called “mourning wars,” along with raids and kidnapping. Archaeologists and early accounts show mass graves, scalping, mutilation and hereditary slavery long before Europeans arrived. Native tribes enslaved each other for centuries, and some sold captives to colonists. The 1690 fight happened during King William’s War, which saw raids on both sides. Collins left out that part because it doesn’t fit a victim narrative. 

Western settlement brought things that tribal life never had, leading to mostly peaceful relations. These metal tools, modern medicine, literacy, law and institutions boosted life expectancy, productivity and opportunity. Today, Wabanaki descendants live in the wealthiest and freest country. Why are we trapping tribes in old grievances rather than focusing on progress toward prosperity and dignity? 

We can’t erase every bad thing from the past. But we can stop telling only one side of the story and pretending that only one side ever messed up. As America hits 250 years, let’s celebrate the bold experiment that turned centuries of conflict into a single nation where everyone, including Wabanaki descendants, has a chance at a future their ancestors only dreamed of.

Forget picking sides. Celebrate the progress. Celebrate America 250 in 2026.

Allen Sarvinas 
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