Photo of Lucy Nicolar ("Princess Watahwaso") & Maria Martinez
• ca. 1947
• Princess Watahwaso is on the right
This photograph shows Lucy Nicolar (1882-1969), a well-known Penobscot performer and activist, with renowned Pueblo potter Maria Martinez (1887-1980). Lucy Nicolar went by the stage name of Princess Watahwaso, and performed traditional music, dance and stories across North America. She also worked for the rights of the Penobscot people, and helped win the right to vote for those living on Indian reservations in Maine in 1953. For more information, see "Princess Watahwaso: Bright Star of the Penobscot," by Bunny McBride (2002).
The Abbe Museum acquired a collection of more than 200 photographs and several objects related to Princess Watahwaso and her husband Bruce Poolaw, Kiowa, in 2008.
Penobscot performer and activist Lucy Nicolar, right, poses with Maria Martinez, a well-known Pueblo potter.