Carol Gallagher is the first American Indian (Cherokee) female bishop in the Episcopal Church and first Indigenous female bishop in Anglican Communion. Carol offers both her personal experience and churchwide perspective as the Assistant Bishop for Native Ministries in Montana and Bishop Missioner for the Bishops’ Native Collaborative. Carol will contextualize the conversation with a brief history of the Anglican/Episcopal Church's relationship with Native people, explore the implications of a predominance of Indigenous peoples in urban areas yet a limited focus of the Episcopal Church, and her efforts to raise up and train Native leaders for the church. 

Maine's Bishop Steve Lane and Canon for Advocacy Heidi Shott will talk about the long-standing work of the Diocese of Maine Committee on Indian Relations supporting the sovereignty rights of the Penobscot Nation and other Wabanaki tribes, building understanding between local congregations and their Wabanaki neighbors, and promoting the repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery. They will also cover the ground-breaking work of the Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission and the efforts of Wabanaki Reach, a group that trains allies to advocate and build bridges between Native people and Maine citizens.  

Elizabeth Ring, Maine's representative to the Province 1 Task Force on Multicultural Awareness and Cultural Competency will facilitate the presentation with James McKim, Province 1 Representative to the Episcopal Church Executive Council's Antiracism Committee and its Chairperson. The Rev. Karen Brown Montagno, Chair of the Province 1 Task Force on Multicultural Awareness and Cultural Competency will be our chaplain.