Waponahki Student Art Show Alumna

Do you ever wonder if the artists featured in our Waponahki Student Art Show keep creating art once they leave the Maine Indian Education schools?

Christiana Becker, Penobscot, is a student at the University of Maine and has been using her art as a medium through which she displays and shares her culture. When she was in the eighth grade, she participated in the Abbe Museum's annual Waponahki Student Art Show with the following submission.

Hidden Warrior Spirit

Christiana R. Becker, Penobscot
Grade 8
Indian Island School

"I've always like to read fantasy books or books with swords. I like it when there is a woman who is a hero or warrior. So I drew a woman who wanted to be a warrior. She goes to one of her favorite spots to ask for guidance from her ancestors. She then sees a reflection of herself and finds she does have the spirit of a warrior. It's hidden inside her."

Fast forward to 2016 where several of Christiana’s original pieces were recently featured in the University of Maine's Senior Art Exhibit “Ghosts of Carnegie Hall." Christiana hopes observers take from her art the importance of “giving back to the Earth, being grateful, and making sure that your descendants and your people will also benefit from your actions.”

Read more about Christiana's success in a recent article posted by the Maine Journal.

2015 Maryann Hartman Award Recipients Announced

Photo by Read D. Brugger

Maria Girouard is a recipient of the Maryann Hartman Award for her advocacy for the preservation of the cultural heritage and rights of the Penobscot Nation. Maria is the Director of Dawnland Environmental Justice, and a leading force behind the Justice For The River campaign. She joins a long list of distinguished Maine women who have been honored with Maryann Hartman Awards, named for the late University of Maine Associate Professor of Speech Communication. Hartman Awards are given by UMaine’s Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program and recognize Maine women for their inspirational achievements in the arts, politics, business, education, healthcare, and community service.