Donna Loring, 1948 -

• Known For: Representative of the Penobscot Nation
• Maine Connection: Donna is a tribal member of the Penobscot Nation and held the position of the Nation's Representative to the Maine State Legislature.

Resources

Born on Indian Island, Donna M. Loring is a graduate of University of Maine and holds a degree in Political Science.

In 1966, Loring joined the Womens Army Corps (WAC). From November 1967-November 1968, Loring served as a Communications Specialist at Long Binh Army Base, north of Saigon.

After returning from Vietnam, Loring graduated from the University of Maine at Orono with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science. She graduated from the Maine Criminal Justice Academy in 1978, and served as Police Chief for the Penobscot Nation from 1984-1990. In 1992, Loring became the first woman director of security at Bowdoin College, a position she held until 1997. Loring served as an advisor to Governor Angus King on women veterans affairs.

Donna Loring served as the Penobscot Nations Representative to the Maine State Legislature from 1998-2003, and again from 2007-2008. During her legislative career, Loring authored and sponsored LD 291 An Act to Require Teaching Maine Native American History and Culture in Maines Schools, which was signed into law in 2001. She also conceptualized and advocated for the first State of the Tribes Address in Maine history in 2002.

Written by Donna M. Loring

• In the shadow of the eagle : a tribal representative in Maine, 2008.
• One Nation Under Fraud: A Remonstrance, 2022. Written with Eric M. Mehnert, Joseph G. E. Gousse, Esq. for The Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous and Tribal Populations.

Biographical information on Donna M. Loring found at University of New England online library exhibit: Donna M. Loring: A Penobscot Voice in Politics and Community. Information can also be found at the University of Maine: https://umaine.edu/mwf/people/donna-m-loring/