This is the third in a series of shows that highlight the artwork of students who fall under the supervision of Maine Indian Education. The schools represented here include Beatrice Rafferty School at Pleasant Point, Indian Island School at Indian Island near Old Town, the Indian Township School at Peter Dana Point, several preschools on these reservations, and Calais High School.

The Waponahki Student Art Show is part of a continuing effort to provide Maine’s Native American students the opportunity to express themselves artistically, to correct historical misconceptions and to relate their art to current concerns of their tribes.

The 2005 theme, The Forest, is derived from an historic State of the Tribes speech made on March 11, 2002, by then Passamaquoddy Tribal Governor Richard Stevens. He said:

“As a people, we have always understood that we are connected to the environment and the spirits within. We have never lost sight of who we are; caretakers of the land, the water and the wind. Part of our oral history tells us that we are part of everything beneath us, above us, and around us. Our past is our present and our present is our future.”

The student artists featured here are enriched by this physical and spiritual connection. Their past and present cultural traditions are dominated by the forest– its trees and rocks, waters and animals.

Look through the eyes of these artists–take yourself back or experience anew the joys found in butterflies and birds or the color of our autumn. Touch the feathers of an eagle. Feel the power and protection of a forest animal. Find comfort in the calming presence of great trees and sadness in their absence. Celebrate connections to family and forebears, the versatility of the materials, the warmth and feel of wood and the woods.