Maulian Bryant named 2025 Gerda Haas Award Recipient

The HHRC is delighted to announce the 2025 recipient of the Gerda Haas Award for Excellence in Human Rights Education and Leadership is Maulian Bryant. Our community will honor Maulian at our 40th Anniversary Gala on September 16th, 2025.

Says Maulian, “I am extremely honored to be selected for this honor. I have long believed in the power of leading with love and creating lasting social progress by finding ways to embrace shared humanity.  It sounds pleasant and idealistic but it is truly some of the hardest work there is. The values that shape this award and the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine are values we all desperately need in this moment. I am glad we are meeting the moment, together.”

Maulian Bryant (formally Maulian Dana) was named Executive Director of the Wabanaki Alliance in December 2024. She has been with the Alliance since its founding in 2020, serving for four years as President of the Wabanaki Alliance Board.

Bryant served as the first Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador from 2017-2024, having been appointed by Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Francis. As Ambassador, Bryant acted as a representative of the Penobscot Nation and liaison for the Nation at the local, state, and federal levels of government in order to educate and advocate for policy and laws that impact and protect the Penobscot Nation’s sovereignty, culture, natural resources, and the general welfare of the Penobscot people.

Prior to her work as Ambassador, Bryant served as an elected member of the Penobscot Nation Tribal Council. She grew up on Indian Island within the Penobscot Nation’s Reservation and is the daughter of former Penobscot Nation Chief Barry Dana, who served from 2000-2004. Bryant graduated from the University of Maine in Orono with a degree in political science. In 2022, Colby College presented her with an honorary doctorate for her work on equity issues and policy.

Bryant is an outspoken advocate on the issue of derogatory mascots and imagery. Her advocacy resulted in the state of Maine enacting laws that changed the annual Columbus Day in October to Indigenous Peoples Day and prohibited public schools from using derogatory mascots. Her other passion is finding ways to strengthen and expand programs that help to preserve and teach the customs and traditions of the Penobscot people. She is a loving mother to three daughters and centers them in much of her work making the state and country a safer and more equitable place for her children and all tribal people. She believes in leading with love and making progress by finding shared humanity.

Gerda Haas, a Holocaust survivor and founder of the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine, inspired so many people with her passion for human rights and the power of education to change the world. When Gerda learned that students weren’t being taught about the Holocaust in Maine’s public schools, she took action—traveling around the state telling her story, asking other survivors to join her in this project, and successfully persuading Governor Brennan to require Holocaust education in all of Maine’s public schools. Former recipients of the award include: Lois Galgay Reckitt, Corey Hinton, Mary Bonauto, Grace Valenzuela, Rachel Talbot Ross, Richard Blanco, Christopher Meyers Asch, Pious Ali, ILAP, Tim Wilson, and Betsy Parsons.

Tam Huynh, Executive Director of the Holocaust and Human Rights Center of Maine, shares, “It is a profound honor to present the 2025 Gerda Haas Award to Maulian Bryant. Her unwavering leadership, courageous truth-telling, and tireless advocacy for Wabanaki sovereignty and equity reflect the very essence of this award. Maulian’s work carries forward the legacy of Gerda Haas—educating through story, building coalitions through compassion, and speaking out even when it is difficult. Her commitment to justice is not only reshaping policy—it is nurturing a more humane and honest future for all of us. We are honored to uplift her vision and celebrate her leadership as we mark this meaningful milestone in the HHRC’s history.”

We hope you will join us on September 16th to celebrate our 40th Anniversary and hear from Maulian about the important work she and the Wabanaki Alliance is doing in Maine and beyond.

To learn more and purchase tickets to the Gala, visit www.hhrcmaine.org.