Legendary Hawaiian Canoe to Visit Mount Desert Island on Global Voyage

Unprecedented voyage to stop in Somes Sound where crew will honor and engage in cultural exchanges with Native Americans and share about Polynesian wayfinding and sustainability efforts with Mount Desert Community

Traditional Hawaiian voyaging canoe Hōkūle‘a will be stopping in Mount Desert Island (MDI), as part of her leg through the New England area. This sail is part of a historic Worldwide Voyage covering more than 60,000 nautical miles, 100 ports, and 27 nations. Hōkūleʻa is a double-hull sailing vessel that voyages without the use of modern instruments, using stars, winds, and waves to navigate from destination to destination. During this current leg, the crew is honoring Native American tribes in the region and teaching and learning about traditions and practices of protecting cultural and environmental resources. Weather permitting, the crew conducts community and educational outreach programs, including canoe tours for the public during each stop.

Following is the tentative schedule for MDI. Since the schedule is subject to change, the public is encouraged to visitwww.hokulea.com for the latest information.

Saturday, July 23

• 9:00 am: Wabanaki and the Mount Desert community will gather for a public Arrival Ceremony to welcome Hōkūleʻa at JW Boat Company (Hall Quarry Road, Mount Desert, ME) 
• 12:00-4:00 pm: Public Engagement and Canoe Tours to follow Ceremony and Exchange

Sunday, July 24

• 6:00 pm: Crew Presentation at JW Boat Company, Open to the Public

Tuesday, July 26

• 10:00 am - 3:15 pm: Youth Groups visit Canoe (by appointment)
• 4:00-5:00 pm: Crew Presentation in Community Gallery at Abbe Museum, 26 Mount Desert Street, Bar Harbor, Open to the Public

Youth groups are invited to visit Hōkūleʻa on Tuesday, July 26th. Group size is limited to 50 youth and reservations are required for time blocks throughout the day. Interested groups should contact Debra Deal at Camp Beechcliff to inquire about reservations: (207) 244-0365, debra@campbeechcliff.org.

Hōkūleʻa is sailing the Earth’s oceans to visit and learn from those who are working to solve some of the greatest challenges facing the world today. Her crew spreads the Mālama Honua (care for Island Earth) message as it grows the global movement for a more sustainable world. The stories exchanged among crewmembers and communities they visit add to the collective wisdom shaping global lessons for the future health of our Island Earth, and the health of our people, lands, and oceans.

For Hōkūleʻa's most up-to-date US east coast schedule, visit http://www.hokulea.com/hokuleas-planned-east-coast-port-stops/.

To follow the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage, visit http://hokulea.com/track-the-voyage.

For media inquiries, please contact:
Sonja Swenson Rogers
Polynesian Voyaging Society
sonja@pvshawaii.org
(808) 745-3386

The online press kit is available at www.hokulea.com/press.

About Hōkūleʻa
A symbol of cultural revival, the history of Hōkūleʻa is also being shared on this journey to inspire other indigenous cultures. This replica of an ancient Polynesian voyaging canoe was built 40 years ago and revitalized voyaging and navigation traditions throughout the Pacific. The canoe’s twin hulls allow her to handle large ocean swells and recover easily in the troughs of waves, and her triangular canvas sails can harness winds up to 20 knots. Hōkūleʻa first set out on the Pacific Ocean in 1975. Through the revival of the traditional art and science of wayfinding–navigating the sea guided by nature using the ocean swells, stars, and wind–Hōkūleʻa sparked a Hawaiian cultural renaissance and has reawakened the world’s sense of pride and strength as voyagers charting a course for our Island Earth.

About the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage presented by Hawaiian Airlines
The Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage will cover over 60,000 nautical miles, 100 ports, and 27 nations, including 12 of UNESCO's Marine World Heritage sites. Voyaging from Hawaiʻi in 2013 with an estimated sail conclusion date of June 2017, the Worldwide Voyage is taking the iconic sailing vessel, Hōkūleʻa, around Island Earth and her sister canoe, Hikianalia, around the Hawaiian Islands to grow a global movement toward a more sustainable world. The voyage seeks to engage all of Island Earth - practicing how to live sustainably while sharing Polynesian culture, learning from the past and from each other, creating global relationships, and discovering the wonders of the precious place we call home.

Since departing Hawaiian waters in May 2014, Hōkūle‘a has sailed more than 26,000 nautical miles and made stops in 14 countries and 70 ports, weaving a “Lei of Hope” around the world. Along the way, more than 200 volunteer crewmembers have helped to sail Hōkūle‘a to spread the message of Mālama Honua (or taking care of Island Earth) by promoting sustainability and environmental consciousness, as well as exchanging ideas with the countries she has visited. So far, crewmembers have connected with more than 45,000 people in communities across the South Pacific, Tasman Sea and Indian Ocean including Samoa, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Australia, Indonesia, Mauritius, South Africa, Brazil, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Cuba. The Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage reached the East Coast of the United States in March 2016, stopping in Florida, South Carolina, and Virginia before continuing north to Washington D.C., New York City (where it celebrated World Oceans Day at the United Nations on June 8) and New England.

To learn more about Hōkūleʻa and this historic voyage, view: https://youtu.be/tRHtu8rCAC0.

For a midway recap of the Worldwide Voyage, visit http://www.hokulea.com/2015-worldwide-voyage-recap/.

About the Polynesian Voyaging Society
The Polynesian Voyaging Society was founded in 1973 on a legacy of Pacific Ocean exploration, seeking to perpetuate the art and science of traditional Polynesian voyaging and the spirit of exploration through experiential educational programs that inspire students and their communities to respect and care for themselves, one another and their natural and cultural environments.

For more information about the Polynesian Voyaging Society and the Worldwide Voyage, visit www.hokulea.com or find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and Google+.

Note: The Polynesian Voyaging Society is sensitive to and understands the importance of diacritical markings. In mediums where the reproduction of these markings is true (i.e., in print), diacritical markings will be used. If a communication crosses several mediums to include the Web, which does not always reproduce diacritical markings correctly, diacritical markings will not be used.

Abbe Museum Celebrates 88 Years with Annual Gathering Gala

Photo © by Rogier van Bakel, eagereyephoto.com

New Gala format will offer guests opportunities to mingle and meet with Native Artists

On July 29, 2016, at 6 pm the Abbe Museum will host their signature annual fundraiser at the Bar Harbor Club.

The Gathering Gala benefit dinner and auction have become a summer tradition on Mount Desert Island, celebrating the work of the Abbe Museum with a fun evening of food, drink, friendship, and philanthropy. This year’s event will celebrate the importance of creative placemaking and how it supports Wabanaki artists and the Bar Harbor community. The live auction will be led by auctioneers Andrew Simon of the Barn Arts Collective, and Nora Miller, a former Abbe staff member who currently works for WomanCare Global.

“The Abbe board, staff, and I are so excited about this new creative work for the Museum,” said Abbe Museum President and CEO Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko. “Wabanaki artists are incredibly talented and we're thrilled to focus our Gala around their talents and showcase the exciting artistry happening in tribal communities across North America. At the Gala this year, we'll be offering a "taste" of what's to come at the Abbe, and we can’t wait to share it with everyone!”

In its 15 years in downtown Bar Harbor, the Abbe has become a Smithsonian Affiliate, an active member of the International Coalition for the Sites of Conscience, a partner to Acadia National Park, and a committed and involved community anchor. The annual Gathering Gala attracts cultural luminaries and civic leaders, as well as renowned artists, premier collectors, and devoted patrons of the arts and culture.

This year, the Gala will have a slightly different look and feel. With the launch of the Abbe’s new strategic plan in the fall of 2015, the Museum has big plans for the future, one of which includes developing a juried art show in downtown Bar Harbor. Modeled after markets like the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market and the Santa Fe Indian Market, the Abbe is planning a multi-day event in May 2018 that will invite Native artists from across North America to participate, with the intention of developing Bar Harbor as the destination for Northeastern Native Art. More details about this market will be revealed the night of the Gala.

Nuhkomoss Packbasket, by Gabriel Frey, Passamaquoddy, is one of more than a dozen items available in the live auction.

The silent auction, which typically happens early in the evening, has been moved to a later event, the inaugural Abbe Backyard Bash scheduled for Saturday, September 10, 2016. The live auction is comprised entirely of exquisite Native art - from Wabanaki artists to other Native artists across the U.S. - and two exceptional experiences. The majority of the live auction items will be on exhibit at the Abbe Museum and can also be viewed online. .

The Gathering Gala will kick off with a red carpet arrival, followed by a cocktail hour outside on the Bar Harbor Club's gorgeous patio. Enjoy gourmet passed hors d'oeuvres and mingling with Native artists who donated items to the live auction before being entertained by a live performance that will bring you into the main ballroom for a seated dinner. From there, a festive live auction that is as entertaining as it is successful will end the evening.

Mahoosuc Guide Service Maine's "Ways of the Wabanaki Wilderness Canoe Trip" is one of two experiences available in the live auction. 

Tickets for the evening are $150 per person . To RSVP, please visit www.abbegala.org, email the Abbe Museum at gala@abbemuseum.org, or call 207-288-3519. Absentee bidding and underwriting opportunities are also available for those who cannot attend.

Schoodic Institute Artist in Residence: Gina Brooks, Maliseet

Gina Brooks and Abbe Museum Director of Collections & Interpretation Julia Gray at the 2015 Native American Festival & Basketmakers Market

New this year, the Abbe Museum and Acadia National Park are partnering to offer an artist in residence program at the Schoodic Institute in order to provide more opportunities for park visitors to learn about Wabanaki history and culture.

The artist, Gina Brooks, Maliseet, works in many art forms, including pen and ink, acrylic paint, ash baskets, quillwork, moosehair embroidery, and countless more. Considering herself an artist that is informed by Wabanaki culture and tradition, Gina uses traditional knowledge and designs to create intricate, one of a kind pieces that often reflect Wabanaki oral histories. Join Gina at various times during the week to learn about her different mediums, artistic process, and cultural influence as a professional artist.

Monday, July 25

Painting Demonstration at Dorr Hall, Schoodic Institute

11 am – 3 pm

Storytelling at Schoodic Woods

7:30 – 8:30 pm

Rain Date: July 26

Tuesday, July 26

Basketmaking Demonstration at Dorr Hall, Schoodic Institute

11 am – 3 pm

Wednesday, July 27

Porcupine Quill and Moosehair Embroidery Demonstration at Nature Center Patio, Sieur de Monts Spring in Acadia National Park

11 am – 3 pm

Rain Location: Abbe Museum downtown

Wednesday, July 27

Storytelling at Schoodic Woods

7 – 8 pm

Thursday, July 28

Birchbark Etching Demonstration at Dorr Hall, Schoodic Institute

11 am – 3 pm

Friday, July 29

Pen and Ink Demonstration at Dorr Hall, Schoodic Institute

9 am – 12 pm

Location: Schoodic Institute at Acadia National Park, 9 Atterbury Cir, Winter Harbor, ME 04693

23rd Annual Native American Festival & Basketmakers Market

The Native American Festival and Basketmakers Market will celebrate 23 years on July 9, 2016, from 10 am to 4 pm at College of the Atlantic (COA). The Festival is free and open to the public and features the celebrated Native arts market, Native music, dance, storytelling, craft demonstrations, and delicious food. A collaborative partnership between the Abbe Museum, the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance (MIBA), and COA, the Festival offers visitors, collectors, and gallery owners the opportunity to buy directly from the artists.

“This will be my 12th year participating in the Festival, as a jewelry vendor,” said Donna Brown, Penobscot, who attended the 2015 Festival as an Abbe Museum Wabanaki Artist Fellow. “This festival brings together a blend of creativity, culture, and sharing of knowledge that is surrounded by the joyous energy of vendors, festival organizers, volunteers, collectors of Native American art, and visitors from around the world. The support and exposure that I have received by attending this festival have greatly influenced my career as an artist, and as a result, I have been able to move forward with confidence, as well as the knowledge, that there is a great market for Native American jewelry.”

The Festival itself began in 1989 at the Abbe and moved around to several locations in town before landing at COA. The location on the ocean-front grounds of the college allowed the Festival to grow, with ample space for vendors and parking for many more guests. This nationally renowned Indian Market features exquisite handcrafted Wabanaki ash and sweet grass baskets, wood and stone carvings, jewelry, beadwork, dolls, and other handcrafted items representing the beauty and culture of the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot people of Maine and the Maritimes. For many visitors, this is a rare opportunity to meet the artists and learn about contemporary Wabanaki arts and cultures from Maine and the Maritimes.

MIBA, as part of its mission to preserve and extend the art of basketmaking within the Wabanaki communities, is responsible for bringing in dozens of new, “next generation” basketmakers and their families to the event. Many of these talented basketmakers first got their start at the Festival over the 23 years it has been in Bar Harbor.

From a bow-drill fire starting demonstration to children’s storytelling to a Mosquito Dance to a Wabanaki cuisine demonstration to a regalia making demonstration to a silent auction, there is undoubtedly something for everyone at the Native American Festival. Proceeds support the non-profit teaching and apprenticeship programs of MIBA.

Parking is limited, and public transportation is available. Visitors are encouraged to use the free Island Explorer bus system which stops at COA. The grounds of the College of the Atlantic are handicap accessible.

About Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance
The Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance is a nonprofit Native American arts service organization focused on preserving and extending the art of basketmaking within Maine’s Native American community. MIBA seeks to preserve the ancient tradition of ash and sweetgrass basketmaking among the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot tribes. www.maineindianbaskets.org

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.

Abbe Museum and Dawnland, LLC Announce 2016 Fellowship Winners

The 2016 Wabanaki Artist Fellows, Gabriel Frey, Theresa Secord, and Jason Brown, all gave artist demonstrations at the Abbe Museum's Annual Meeting on June 3, 2016. 

The Abbe Museum is honored to announce the 2016 Wabanaki Artist Fellows, recognizing three exceptionally creative individuals with a track record of achievement and significant contributions to the arts: Jason K. Brown, Penobscot, Gabriel Frey, Passamaquoddy, and Theresa Secord, Penobscot. These fellowships are made possible through support from Dawnland, LLC, the concessioner in Acadia National Park.

The fellowships are intended to provide support for travel, lodging, and other costs associated with exhibiting at Indian art markets in Maine and New Mexico. Brown and Secord will attend the 2016 Southwestern Association for Indian Arts Santa Fe Indian Market (SWAIA) in August, and Frey will attend one of the local markets.

“It is an honor to support talented Wabanaki artists and we look forward to hearing about their success and supporting them through fellowships, our Native American Festival and Basketmakers Market on July 9, 2016, and through our museum shop,” said Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, president and CEO of the Abbe Museum. 

Brown, owner of Bangor-based jewelry studio Decontie & Brown, handcrafts jewelry and traditional beadwork made from various metals and semi-precious gemstones. “My work is motivated by my desire to bring to life the designs created by my imagination,” Brown said. “I find inspiration in nature, and in the designs of my Penobscot culture. Historically, the Wabanaki people hired local metalsmiths to create adornments for them. I feel that as a contemporary Wabanaki jeweler, I am breaking new ground as a metalsmith and jeweler.”

Frey, a Passamaquoddy brown ash basketmaker, specializes in utility baskets such as pack baskets, market baskets, and purses. “I weave each basket solely with brown ash and handcraft leather straps for each basket,” Frey said. “My artistic process includes locating and harvesting basket quality brown ash trees from the woods, processing brown ash logs, and weaving brown ash materials into basket forms. I carve the hoops, rims, handle, and wooden pins to fasten leather straps. The majority of my tools, such as basket molds, gauges, and my shave horse, are adaptations of traditional designs. Maintaining the traditional knowledge of Wabanaki basketmakers is an important aspect of my artistic process.”

Over the past ten years, Secord has won awards for her basketry, including several first places at Santa Fe Indian Market, the Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair and Market, and the Eiteljorg Indian Market. She is also the first U.S. citizen to receive the Prize for Creativity in Rural Life by the Women’s World Summit Foundation at the United Nations in Geneva, Switzerland, for helping basket makers rise out of poverty. “My art journey is currently focused on the use of alternative, natural materials to supplement ash, due to the Emerald Ash Borer beetle,” Secord said. “I’ve been dedicated to the preservation/protection of the sacred ash trees for 23 years, and helped pioneer the use of cedar bark overlay on ash in Maine Indian basketry a few years ago.”

About Dawnland, LLC
Dawnland, LLC operates the Jordan Pond House restaurant, including the traditional tea and popovers on the lawn overlooking Jordan Pond and the Bubbles, and retail services at Jordan Pond House, Cadillac Mountain, and Thunder Hole. Dawnland's parent company, Ortega National Parks, LLC, has more than 45 years of hospitality experience and over 16 years' experience operating concessions in the National Park Service, including at Bandelier National Monument, White Sands, Muir Woods, Carlsbad Caverns, Death Valley and Gateway National Recreation Area.

Wabanaki Placenames Tour with George Neptune, Passamaquoddy

Join Museum Educator George Neptune on Friday, June 24th, from 10-11:30 am for a tour examining the history of Wabanaki People at Moneskatik. This walking tour of Bar Harbor will visit places that are significant to Wabanaki history and culture, and will include information on local Wabanaki placenames, traditional songs, and creation stories. Traditional knowledge and shared history combine to create a tour experience that is engaging for audiences of all ages.

Cost is $10 for members, $20 for non-members. Children under 10 are free. Not a member?

Sign up here. Please contact the Abbe at 207-288-3519 to reserve your spot today!

Please note: this is a walking tour around Bar Harbor, so comfortable shoes and cool attire are recommended. There will be at least two opportunities along the way to sit and rest for a few moments.

Native American Culture is Thriving in Maine

“Are there really Native Americans living in

Maine today?”

This is one of the most frequently asked questions from our visitors.

Of the more than five million Native people living in the U.S., approximately 10,000 call Maine home. Most are Wabanaki—a confederacy of Nations that today consists of the four federally recognized tribes in Maine: Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Micmac, and Maliseet. The Wabanaki also includes several bands of the Abenaki tribe, located primarily in New Hampshire, Vermont, and Quebec.

Education changes everything. And at the Abbe Museum, in Bar Harbor, Maine, education is at the center of what we do—every single day. Our 30,000 guests experience a different kind of engagement that includes aesthetic, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual exploration and meaning-making.

They leave the Museum knowing that Native American culture is thriving in Maine.  

Your support is the only way we can accomplish all that we do.

Your support this spring will help change lives by providing cultural experiences that inspire new learning about the Wabanaki Nations. 

For as little as $30, you can directly impact our ability to offer life-changing experiences!

From all of us at the Abbe Museum, thank you for believing in what we do!

May is Member Appreciation Month at the Abbe!

This May, we celebrate your support as a member with month-long perks when you present your current membership card.

• 15-25% discount on Museum Shop purchases May 9th - 13th (restrictions apply)
• Receive a $10 discount on all gift membership purchases
• Visit either of our locations (downtown Bar Harbor or Sieur de Monts in Acadia National Park) for an exciting opportunity to enter a members-only drawing for two tickets to the Abbe Backyard Bash on September 10, 2016
• Use the hashtag #AbbeMember on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for a chance to win a Wabanaki made basket from our gift shop
• Relax in the members-only lounge and enjoy free WiFi and light refreshments
• Bring along friends and family to enjoy reduced Abbe admission tickets: $3 for adults and $2 for children (max of four tickets total for the entire month)
• Enjoy a member appreciation Wabanaki Placenames Tour on Friday, May 20th at 2pm. This walking tour of Bar Harbor will visit places that are significant to Wabanaki history and culture, and will include information on local Wabanaki placenames, traditional songs, and creation stories.

Not a member? Sign up or renew online today!

Your generous support enables the Museum to present outstanding exhibitions, preserve our permanent collections, and provide enriching programs for our community – we love our members!

Education Changes Everything

Have you ever had a learning experience completely change your life? 

Education changes everything. And at the Abbe Museum, education is at the center of what we do, every single day. Your support has helped us change the way our guests visit the Museum. Take twelve-year-old Clara's experience, for example:

"I went home and told my parents about everything I learned during my school's field trip to the Museum. The cool part was that they didn't know a lot about the Wabanaki people, and in a way, I became the teacher. Kids my age really need to learn the truth about Native Americans. I know I will never forget that day at the Abbe."

Thanks to our supporters, the 3,000 students who visit the Museum experience a different kind of engagement that includes aesthetic, intellectual, emotional, and spiritual exploration and meaning-making. They leave the Abbe knowing that Native culture is thriving in Maine. In 2015, we delivered 105 programs at the Abbe and 82 programs outside the Museum, influencing 6,677 individuals. We collaborated with Acadia National Park and presented 13 programs that drew a total of 3,191 visitors.

Your support is the only way we can accomplish all that we do.

Your support this spring will help change lives by providing cultural experiences that inspire new learning about the Wabanaki Nations. For as little as $30, you can directly impact our ability to offer life-changing experiences to more people like Clara.

From all of us at the Abbe Museum, thank you for believing in what we do!

Campfire Storytelling with George Neptune, Passamaquoddy

Storytelling is an important part of Wabanaki culture, as stories are used to pass on the knowledge of Wabanaki traditions, history, and worldview to the next generation. Join us on Saturday, April 23rd from 7 - 8:30 pm for an evening around the campfire and listen to stories from across the Dawnland. With s’mores and hot beverages, this is a unique and intimate experience open to all ages. Please note that the terrain of the location is uneven and rocky in spots, so may not be suitable for some audience members. 

Cost: $10 for members and $20 for non-members. Children under 10 are free. To buy tickets, please contact the Abbe at 207-288-3519. Tickets will not be available for purchase the evening of the event. 

Location: Private residence at 156 Indian Point Road, Bar Harbor, Maine.

Wabanaki Artists from Maine Take Top Spots at Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market

Sarah Sockbeson, Penobscot, won Best of Division in Traditional Baskets and Best of Class in Baskets at the 58th annual Heard Museum Guild Indian Fair & Market, which draws nearly 15,000 visitors and more than 600 of the nation’s most outstanding and successful American Indian artists. George Neptune, Passamaquoddy, won first place in Non-Traditional Basketry and Emma Soctomah, Passamaquoddy, won Best in Classification in Junior Division-Baskets.

“It’s an incredibly exciting time to be a Wabanaki artist,” said Neptune, an educator at the Abbe Museum. “For several years now, we've been traveling west to the biggest Indian art markets in the world and claiming top prizes in the basketry divisions at every market. This year, I won my first blue ribbon at the Heard Museum and I was beyond excited to have won with a piece that is so representative of my style as an artist. I hope it will inspire other Wabanaki people, especially youth, to take pride in our culture and practice our traditions—because when you do, beautiful things happen.”

Sockbeson apprenticed with Jennifer Neptune, Penobscot, in 2004 and learned the history, techniques, and art that has become modern Native basketry. Soon thereafter, museums and collectors across the country began to recognize her incredible talent. Her unique style incorporates many different elements of traditional Wabanaki technique and she combines that with innovative colors to create a fresh, new approach to a timeless and beautiful art form.

Neptune has been making baskets since he was four years old. At the age of seven, he wove his first basket by himself and has continued weaving through the years, fine-tuning his skills and attention to detail. His baskets now take on a sculptural element that is unique to his style, often featuring woven flowers, the signature of his family’s work. Twigs, woven birds, and other creatures are also used to create baskets that are truly one of a kind. At twenty years old, he was awarded the title of Master Basketmaker by the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, making him the youngest person to ever receive the title.

“It made me feel really good to win Best of Classification, and it made me feel like I can do a lot better and go further with my basket career,” said 12-year-old Soctomah. “My friends were really surprised how far you can go with making baskets, and where you can go. They all congratulated me when I got home. I'm really excited to go to Santa Fe Indian Market this summer and hopefully back to the Heard next year.”

Soctomah is one of the youngest basketmakers in the Wabanaki tribes and began weaving with her brother, George Neptune, at five years old. Now her brother's formal apprentice, Soctomah has already received national recognition for her work. At nine years old, she was one of the 2013 recipients of the SWAIA Youth Fellowship and was featured in Native Peoples Magazine. In 2015, Soctomah was one of the first artists to receive an Abbe Museum Wabanaki Artist Fellowship.

Other Wabanaki artists invited to attend the fair were Abbe Museum Trustees Jennifer Neptune, Penobscot and David Moses Bridges, Passamaquoddy, Molly Neptune Parker, Passamaquoddy, Jeremy Frey, Passamaquoddy, Gal Tomah, Passamaquoddy, and Theresa Secord, Penobscot. A complete list of winners can be found at http://heard.org/event/fair-2016/.

Abbe Museum Free Admission Program to Continue in 2016

Machias Savings Bank Branch Manager Matt Horton presents Abbe Museum President and CEO Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko with a check in support of the Abbe's free admission program.

The Abbe Museum will continue to offer free admission in 2016, thanks to the generosity of Machias Savings Bank. Admission will be free on select days throughout the summer and fall, as well as from November through December.

“For the past 24 years, Machias Savings Bank has been an incredibly generous supporter of the Abbe Museum,” said Abbe President and CEO, Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko. “Thanks to their support, our free admission program during the 2015 winter months made a substantial impact on the Maine community. Not only did our visitor numbers dramatically increase—from approximately 900 in 2014 to 1,100 in 2015—we also received verbal and written comments from guests about how pleased they were to be able to visit the Museum for free during the quieter months.”

As Maine’s first and only Smithsonian Affiliate, the Abbe’s free admission program aligns nicely with the Smithsonian’s goal of being easily accessible to the public, and it helps raise the Abbe’s statewide visibility as the only museum dedicated solely to sharing the story of the Wabanaki Nations. In 2016, the Abbe will be open free to the public on the following dates:

• Opening day (May 1)
• Memorial Day (May 30)
• July 4th 
• Labor Day (September 5)
• Indigenous Peoples’ Day (October 10)
• Winter of 2016 (Thursdays-Saturdays in November and December)

The Abbe anticipates a lot more traffic in 2016 due in part to the opening of their new core exhibit and it being Acadia’s centennial year. Offering free admission on key dates will give visitors something the Museum has never actually done before: free admittance on high profile, popular holidays.

“We at Machias Savings Bank are once again honored to partner with the Abbe Museum to offer free admission to all that the Museum has to offer,” said Branch Manager, Matt Horton. "And especially with the installation of the new core exhibit, People of the First Light, I encourage everyone to take the time and visit.”

The Abbe is currently closed through the end of April 2016 while its new core exhibit is designed and installed in the Museum’s main gallery. The exhibit, People of the First Light, is the first large-scale permanent exhibit of its kind for the Abbe.

Abbe Museum and Dawnland, LLC Announce 2016 Fellowship Program

The Abbe Museum and Dawnland, LLC are pleased to announce the second annual Fellowship program, designed to help Wabanaki artists promote their work within the greater artistic communities. Three fellowships will be awarded to provide support for travel, lodging, and other costs associated with exhibiting at Indian art markets in Maine and New Mexico. The submission deadline is midnight on April 15, 2016.

“In our efforts to foster and promote contemporary Wabanaki art in both a regional and national context, these fellowships are designed to help Wabanaki artists promote their work within the greater artistic communities,” said Abbe Museum President and CEO, Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko.

Two fellowships will be awarded to artists attending the 2016 Southwestern Association for Indian Art’s Santa Fe Indian Market, and one shall be awarded to an artist attending one or more of the four annual Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance shows:

• Native American Festival and Basketmakers Market in Bar Harbor - July 9, 2016
• Maine Native American Summer Market & Demonstration in New Gloucester – August 27, 2016
• Common Ground Country Fair in Unity - September 23-25, 2016
• Maine Indian Basketmakers Holiday Market in Orono - December 10, 2016

All applicants must provide proof of acceptance or eligibility to participate in the markets for the 2016 year. Each applicant is also expected to attend the Abbe’s Annual Meeting on June 3, 2016, to offer a demonstration and meet the donors (travel accommodations will be provided). In addition, they will provide a closing report by no later than December 15, 2016. Ten percent of the grant award will be held until this report is filed.

Visit www.abbemuseum.org/shop for eligibility details, including an application. Fellowship applications received before the deadline of April 15, 2016, at midnight will be added to the pool of applicants. The application will be entered into a lottery system where eligible applications will be pulled randomly from the pool. Award notification will be made on or before May 1, 2016.

About Dawnland, LLC
Dawnland, LLC operates the Jordan Pond House restaurant, including the traditional tea and popovers on the lawn overlooking Jordan Pond and the Bubbles, and retail services at Jordan Pond House, Cadillac Mountain, and Thunder Hole. Dawnland's parent company, Ortega National Parks, LLC, has more than 45 years of hospitality experience and over 16 years' experience operating concessions in the National Park Service, including at Bandelier National Monument, White Sands, Muir Woods, Carlsbad Caverns, Death Valley and Gateway National Recreation Area.

People of the First Light Photo Contest

The Abbe Museum is currently in the process of installing our new, permanent exhibit, People of the First Light, and we're in search of some stunning photos in and around Maine to use in specific sections of the exhibit. Do you have any photos of Maine's natural landscapes, animals, or plants? Or of Mount Katahdin, Moosehead Lake, Mount Kineo, Mount Desert Island, Penobscot Bay, Downeast coast, or Aroostook County? If so, please consider submitting them to our People of the First Light Photo Contest, which begins February 24, and ends March 7, 2016, at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time (EST).

The contest is open to anyone of any age, including Abbe Museum staff and trustees. Any photos chosen as finalists may be included in our permanent exhibit, People of the First Light, in the following ways: background images, murals, and in digital interactives.

Please only submit landscape photographs in the following two categories.

All photos must be void of people:

1. Natural Maine: Animals, plants, and landscapes specifically pertaining to the ocean, lakes, and rivers; geological or climatological features. 
2. Travel: Locales or activities in Maine that convey a sense of place specifically in/around Mount Katahdin, Moosehead Lake, Mount Kineo, Mount Desert Island, Penobscot Bay, the Downeast coast, and Aroostook County.

Cropped photos are eligible in both categories. We do not accept digitally or otherwise enhanced or altered photos. Minor adjustments, including spotting, dodging and burning, sharpening, contrast, and slight color adjustment or the digital equivalents, are acceptable.

Entrants whose photos depict other people’s work (such as sculptures, statues, and other copyrightable works) may need to obtain a release from the rights holder and provide it to the Abbe upon request. When photographing the work of others, it must be as an object in its environment and not a full-frame close-up of another person's creation.

Photos that violate or infringe upon another person's rights, including but not limited to copyright, are not eligible. Photos that contain sexually explicit, nude, obscene, violent or other objectionable or inappropriate content, as determined by the Abbe in its sole discretion, are ineligible for all categories of this contest.

How to enter: 
By submitting an entry, each contestant agrees to the rules of the contest. Please submit high-resolution photographs to Allison Shank at allison@abbemuseum.org. When submitting your photo, please indicate the following information:

• Name
• Credit line (how to credit the photo)
• Information about the photograph: what the photo is of, location, and any other important details
• Contact information
• Please submit a separate email for each photograph.

We do not accept photographs submitted through the postal service. We do not accept more than one contestant per e-mail address. Photographs submitted to the contest must be at least 300dpi or greater so that they can be displayed on our website and in our core exhibit, People of the First Light, without being stretched or distorted.

High-quality scans of non-digital photographs are acceptable. Digital photographs should be taken at the highest resolution possible. Photographs must be in a .jpeg, .jpg, or .png format. Files submitted may not be larger than 10 MB. We will not accept original negatives, prints, or slides.

You retain your rights to your photograph; however, by entering the contest, you grant the Abbe Museum a royalty-free, world-wide, perpetual, non-exclusive license to publicly display, distribute, reproduce, and create derivative works of the entries, in whole or in part, in any media now existing or later developed, for any People of the First Light purpose, including, but not limited to, advertising and promotion of the exhibit. Any photograph reproduced will include a photographer credit and possibly a short bio. The Abbe will not be required to pay any additional consideration or seek any additional approval in connection with such uses.

Entry deadline:
The contest begins on February 24, 2016. All entries must be received by 11:59 pm Eastern Time on March 7, 2016.

Judging:
Photo entries will be judged based on creativity, quality, originality, responsiveness to the prompt, and overall impact. Judging will be conducted by the Director of Collections & Interpretation and the Manager of Creative Services. All final photographs selected will be used in some shape or form for the core exhibit, People of the First Light, which will open to the public on May 1, 2016. The finalists will be notified by March 11, 2016, and will appear on our website in spring 2016. The Abbe will notify the finalists via the contact information provided at the time of entry. Please do not contact us about the status of entries or judging.

Conditions of Entry:
All entrants hold the Abbe Museum and their respective regents, directors, trustees, officers, employees, fellows, interns, research associates, and volunteers (the “Indemnified Parties”) harmless from and against all claims of any nature arising in connection with entrant’s participation in the contest and acceptance or use of a prize. The Indemnified Parties are not liable for any costs, damages, injuries, or other claims incurred as a result of entrants’ participation in the contest or winner’s acceptance and usage of a prize.  The Indemnified Parties are not responsible for incomplete or misdirected entries, technical or network malfunctions or failures, or causes beyond their control. Entrants are solely responsible for their entries. Entrants may not submit materials that introduce any software viruses, worms or other programs designed to damage software, hardware or telecommunications equipment or are off-topic, partisan-political, contain advertising, nudity, personal attacks or expletives, or is otherwise abusive, threatening, unlawful, harassing, discriminatory, libelous, obscene, false, sexually explicit, or that infringes on the rights of any third party.

The contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law. The Abbe Museum reserves the right to cancel the contest or modify these rules at its discretion. In the event of a dispute regarding the winners, the Abbe Museum reserves the right to award or not award the prizes in its sole discretion. The Abbe Museum reserves the right to disqualify any entrant whose entry or conduct appears in any way to: inhibit the enjoyment of others; tamper with the competition; violate these rules or other applicable law or regulation; infringe on the rights of third parties, or act in an unsportsmanlike or disruptive manner. Decisions of the Abbe Museum are final and binding.

Sponsor an art supply kit for $25 and inspire a young artist

The Abbe Museum is gearing up for our 15th annual Waponahki Student Art show, in collaboration with Maine Indian Education. This art show and artist reception always bring together a wonderful variety of art created by approximately 35 Passamaquoddy and Penobscot students from early childhood education through high school. And exciting news for this year, for the first time ever the show will also include student artwork from the Micmac and Maliseet communities in northern Maine! All the artwork will be on display in the Abbe's main gallery for six months.

As an award for having their artwork selected for this fan-favorite show, each student receives an art supply kit consisting of a few items to feed their artistic passion - sketch pads, paints, paint brushes, charcoal, pencils, pencil holders - and a framed certificate.

The Abbe Museum has been able to produce these popular kits through the support of Maine Indian Education and generous donations from community members like you. With the inclusion of Micmac and Maliseet student artists this year, your added support will make this a rewarding experience for all the young artists involved.

For just $25, you can sponsor one of these art supply kits, ensuring that each student receives an award for their creativity.

Each sponsor will have a kit named in their honor, as well as receive an invitation to the Waponahki Student Art reception held in May, which is usually a private reception reserved for students and their friends and families.

Please join us. Spread the word. Make a donation. 100% of your gift will directly fund these student art supply kits.

Abbe Museum to Make the Case for Museums on Capitol Hill

Local Museum Leaders to Join Hundreds of Citizen-Lobbyists from Across the Country Feb. 22-23

Abbe President and CEO Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko. Photo by Rogier van Bakel.

Abbe Museum President and CEO, Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko, and Director of Collections and Interpretation, Julia Gray, will travel to Washington, D.C. February 22-23 to petition our government and make the case for museums.

Joined by other museum leaders from Maine, Catlin-Legutko and Gray will be visiting members of Congress and their staff to make the case for federal support of America’s museums. They will be among more than 200 museum professionals and supporters from across the country participating in the eighth annual Museums Advocacy Day, organized by the American Alliance of Museums.

Catlin-Legutko and Gray are rising to the occasion to educate elected officials and inspire support for museums, at a critical time—just as Congress begins its work for the year.

“Legislators have a lot of issues on their plates, and we can’t expect them to fully appreciate the museum field unless we bring the message to their doorstep,” said Catlin-Legutko. “We want to make sure Congress knows about the indispensable work museums do, and their role as educational and economic assets.”

As the first and only Smithsonian Affiliate in the state of Maine, the Abbe Museum is trying to do more than just be a cultural and historical institution. Education is central to its mission, and with the launch of a new strategic plan this past fall, the Abbe’s mission hasn’t changed, but its vision has a new focus.

“Decolonization, which means sharing authority for the documentation and interpretation of Native culture, has been the Museum’s touchstone and guiding principle for many years,” said Catlin-Legutko. “As the only museum in the world dedicated to telling the story of the Wabanaki, we are committed to an ongoing process of better understanding Wabanaki culture, history, and values and examining and changing our practices to assure they reflect those values.”

Decolonization is an emerging concept in museum practice in the United States, and the Abbe is deeply committed to work that positively impacts the tribal communities and the museum industry. The Abbe is already a resource and a model that the museum field turns to for ideas, solutions, and strategies for comprehensive museum decolonization and the board and staff will deepen and broaden that commitment.

Abbe Museum Director of Collections and Interpretation Julia Gray. 

This is emblematic of the work museums of all types and sizes are doing nationally. According to the American Alliance of Museums, there are more than 850 million museum visits annually in the U.S.– more than the attendance at all major league sporting events combined. Museums invest more than $2 billion in educational programs each year, serving Americans of all ages and income levels, in a variety of ways. There are more than 55 million visits by schoolchildren to U.S. museums each year, and museums are among the most trusted sources of information for Americans.

Another study found that for every $1 invested in museums and other cultural organizations, over $5 is returned in tax revenues through cultural tourism and related economic activity.

Catlin-Legutko and Gray will be sharing these and other facts about museums with the Maine Congressional delegation.

“Museums are essential to communities everywhere, as part of our educational infrastructure, as economic engines, and as community assets that improve the overall quality of life,” said American Alliance of Museums President and CEO Laura L. Lott. “We feel privileged that Cinnamon Catlin-Legutko and Julia Gray will be joining us in Washington for Museums Advocacy Day. The Abbe Museum is doing extraordinary work in Bar Harbor and the members of Congress from Maine need to hear from constituents about how the Museum serves its community.”

For more information on the Abbe Museum, visit www.abbemuseum.org. For more information on museums and their impact on communities nationally, visit www.aam-us.org.

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Read to ME Challenge

TheRead to ME Challenge is a month-long public awareness campaign beginning in February 2016 to promote childhood literacy in Maine.

Looking for a good book for theRead to ME Challenge February 2 through March 2, 2016? There are some amazing Wabanaki authors out there you should check out! Take a journey of friendship between Passamaquoddy birchbark artist and guide Tomah Joseph and future president Franklin Delano Roosevelt in Donald Soctomah's book Remember Me: Tomah Joseph's Gift to Franklin Roosevelt. Cross the sky with Muin through the telling of a very old Mi'kmaw legend inMuin and the Seven Bird Hunter's: A Mi'kmaw Night Sky Story by Lillian Marshall, Murdena Marshall, Prune Harris, and Cheryl Bartlett. Follow Kunu as he tries to make an ash basket for the first time just like the other men on Indian Island inKunu's Basket: a Story From Indian Island by Lee DeCora Francis. From ancient oral traditions to contemporary stories, there is something for everyone!

On Saturday, February 20, 2016, the Abbe is partnering with theJesup Library from 1 - 2 pm for a specialRead to ME program. Do you have personal objects that spark a specific memory? Do you have a stuffed animal, toy, or photograph which reminds you of a time you spent with a friend? Bring that with you to the Jesup Library and join Abbe Museum Educator Jen Heindel as we share some of our own memories before we readRemember Me: Tomah Joesph's Gift to Franklin Roosevelt by Donald Soctomah and Jean Flahive. After the story, we'll make miniature faux-birchbark canoes just like the one Tomah Joseph gave to Franklin Roosevelt!

Here are a few more books by Wabanaki authors:

• Thanks to the Animals by Sockabasin, Allen J., and Rebekah Raye
• Muskrat Will Be Swimming by Savageau, Cheryl, and Robert Hynes
• Weska'qelmut Apje'juanu by Fitch, Sheree, and Bernard Francis
• A Little Boy Catches a Whale by Perron, Judith Carol, and Naomi Mitcham
• How the Cougar Came to Be Called the Ghost Cat by Isaac, Michael James, and Dozay Christmas
• How the Petitcodiac River Became Muddy by Maillet, Marguerite, and Raymond Martin. English Version by Allison Mitcham
• Tihtiyas Et Jean by Gagnon, Nathalie, Naomi Mitcham, and Donald Soctomah
• Un Petit Garçon Pêche Une Baleine by Perron, Judith Carol, and Naomi Mitcham
• Nine Micmac Legends by Nowlan, Alden

Happy reading!

Teamwork at its Best!

The Abbe staff spent some time last week taking down a wall that has been up in our main gallery for 15 years. With this wall gone, we are one step closer to installing our new core exhibit, People of the First Light!

Abbe Museum Staff Rocked #MuseumSelfieDay

January 20th was ‪#‎MuseumSelfieDay‬, and the Abbe staff had way too much fun snapping photos all around the Museum. There happened to be a lot going on that day in and around our main gallery as we prepare for our new core exhibit, People of the First Light, which made our photo opps all the more interesting!

We think we won #MuseumSelfieDay, for sure. At least on Facebook. Hop on over and search for "#MuseumSelfieDay" to see for yourself.