Rebecca Sockbeson facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Rebecca Sockbeson
Born	1972 (age 52–53)
Nationality	Panawahpskek, American
Education	University of Maine (BA), Harvard University (Ed), University of Alberta (PhD)
Subject	Indigenous peoples' rights, Education policy

Rebecca Sockbeson is a Wabanaki scholar and activist. She works to improve education for Indigenous Peoples.

Rebecca Sockbeson is a member of the Penobscot Indian Nation. This nation is part of the Wabanaki Confederacy of tribes. These tribes live in Maine, USA, and parts of Canada. She is the eighth child of her family. She is also an auntie to many Waponahki and Stoney Sioux young people. She is a mother of three children who are also part of the Alexis Nakota Sioux First Nation in Alberta, Canada. Her aunt, Donna Loring, is a senior advisor for tribal affairs in Maine.

Sockbeson is a professor at the University of Alberta. She teaches about Indigenous knowledge and how to share it. She also focuses on healing through language and culture. Her work includes fighting against racism and working towards decolonization. In 2018, her poem for missing and murdered Indigenous women won an award. The poem, called “Hear me in this concrete beating on my drum”, is now part of a public art display in downtown Edmonton.

Her Education Journey

Rebecca Sockbeson studied at several universities. She earned her first degree from the University of Maine. Then, she got a master's degree in education from Harvard University. Later, she earned her PhD from the University of Alberta. Her PhD focused on education for Indigenous Peoples.

Her special study was called Cipenuk Red Hope: Weaving Policy Toward Decolonization & Beyond. In this study, she explored how Indigenous ways of knowing can help create new policies.

Her Work and Achievements

In 1997, Sockbeson started working at the University of Southern Maine. She helped coordinate programs for different cultures and for Native American students.

In 2017, Sockbeson and Cora Weber-Pillwax received a special grant. This grant was for their research project. It looked at how Indigenous knowledge can be shared between communities and universities.

Sockbeson was also part of a 2017 documentary film. The film, called Journey Towards Reconciliation, shows her speaking at a university event.

From 2018 to 2020, she worked with the University of Maine. She helped teachers learn about the Maine Wabanaki Studies Law. This law, also known as LD 291, helps educate future teachers.

Sockbeson also helped as a history expert for the film Bounty. This film is about the Spencer Phips Proclamation.

Awards and Recognition

In 2013, Rebecca Sockbeson and her Indigenous co-workers received an award. The University of Alberta gave them a Human Rights Teaching Award. They earned it for creating and teaching Alberta's first required course on Aboriginal Education. The course was called EDU 211: Aboriginal Education & the Context for Professional Development.

Her Activism and Policy Work

When she was young, Sockbeson was inspired by stories of the American Indian Movement. She also learned about Wounded Knee. She then started a group called IRATE. This stands for Indigenous Resistance Against Tribal Extinction.

In 1999, Sockbeson spoke out against pollution in her community. She talked about dioxin pollutants. She told international leaders that these pollutants were harming her people. She warned that if action wasn't taken, the Penobscot people might not be able to live on their islands. She also spoke about environmental harm in the film Drumbeat for Mother Earth.

In 2000, Sockbeson and other Waponahki people spoke to the Maine Legislature. They supported a law called LD 2418, “An Act Concerning Offensive Names.” She shared her own experiences of being treated unfairly in school. She explained why certain words are hurtful to Indigenous peoples.

Sockbeson was also one of the Waponahki people who worked hard for Maine Law LD 291. This law requires teaching about Maine Native American History. It passed in 2001 and started in 2004. She served on the Wabanaki Studies Commission. Her role was to make sure the law was followed. She also helped create learning materials and gave recommendations for the law.

In 2014, Sockbeson led a discussion at the University of Alberta. It was about Treaty rights and Indigenous education. In 2016, she joined other tribal members in a ceremony. They prayed for the thousands of water protectors at Standing Rock. These protectors were challenging the DAPL pipeline. In 2018, Sockbeson led another discussion. It focused on justice for Indigenous people. It also brought attention to the outcomes of cases involving Colten Boushie and Tina Fontaine.

In 2018, the Edmonton Journal interviewed Sockbeson. She said that racism is a main reason why Indigenous students leave school early. She explained that calling it an "achievement gap" blames students. Instead, she said, it's often a "teacher development gap."

In 2020, the CBC interviewed Sockbeson. This was about a controversial hiring in Alberta's education system. Sockbeson stated that governments and schools have a duty to teach children the truth about First Nations history. She said that hiring someone who doubts the experiences of residential school survivors is dangerous. She believes that teaching children the truth early helps us understand history and prevent bad things from happening again.