Always the 2nd Weekend in July
on the College of the Atlantic campus
Bar Harbor, Maine
Thank you for attending!
The Abbe Museum’s Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas was held on July 11-12, 2026, on the College of the Atlantic campus, continuing its tradition as a multi-day summer festival that centers Wabanaki and Native thought leadership through panels, performances, and a Northeastern Native arts market.
The Dawnland Festival in 2026 also marked a new moment of national connection through a collaboration with The Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage’s 2026 Of the People: Smithsonian Festival of Festivals.
“This collaboration places the Abbe Museum’s Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas within a broader national conversation about ongoing cultural practice, while remaining grounded in Wabanaki leadership and place-based knowledge,” stated Betsy Richards, executive director at the Abbe Museum. “Being the only New England-based festival participating reflects the importance of Indigenous-led platforms that support cultural continuity and cross-cultural dialogue in this region.”
Smithsonian Folklife collaborated with the Abbe on select panel conversations and performance programming, while Dawnland remained fully grounded in Wabanaki voices, perspectives, and shared authority. See below for photos and panel videos.
A Look Back at Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas 2026
Photographer and Videographer: Nolan Altvater
Honoring 250 Years of Wabanaki Veterans
Wabanaki warriors allied with American colonists in 1775, launching a tradition of service that has continued through every U.S. conflict. That same year, the new nation signed its first treaty—the Watertown Treaty—with the Wabanaki Tribes. This panel reflects on that legacy alongside the realities of denied rights and sovereignty, offering perspectives on service, sacrifice, and the responsibilities carried forward as the nation marks its 250th anniversary.
Moderated by Donald Soctomah (Passamaquoddy), and featuring Donna Loring (Penobscot), Darren Ripley (Passamaquoddy), Shane Hill (Mi’kmaq - absent from panel)
The members of the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Mi’kmaq, and Maliseet tribes fought to help this country gain its independence. We were not simply individuals living on the land. We were organized nations with governments, diplomacy, laws, military alliances, responsibilities to one another. Long before the United States existed, we defended our homelands and our people. So 1776 was not the beginning for us. We were here through almost 250 years of warfare.
Donna Loring (Penobscot)
Native Freedom of Expression
As debates around freedom of expression evolve across the United States, this panel examines these issues through a Native lens. Panelists will explore how Indigenous communities navigate and respond to challenges with resilience and creativity, while also addressing the historical and legal barriers that have shaped Native peoples’ access to First Amendment rights.
Moderated by Esther Labrado (North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians) and featuring Daniel French (Mohawk) and Mikhu Paul (Maliseet)
I think dreams are more inspiring than fear. I know fear moves people, but I think we sleep on dreams, and we should wake them.
Daniel French (Mohawk)
Native Photography as Self-Determination
In conjunction with the Abbe Museum’s exhibition Holding the Light: Contemporary Wabanaki Photography, this panel brings together Native photographers to reflect on reclaiming the medium from its colonial past. Artists will share how their work challenges stereotypes, reclaims representation, and helps shape new narratives and Native futures.
Moderated by Jeremy Dennis (Shinnecock), and featuring Maya Attean (Penobscot/Passamaquoddy), Nolan Altvater (Passamaquoddy)
We as Wabanaki people are People of the Dawn. We are the first to see the light and photography is all about manipulating light. We assess what is hidden, what is showing. We use the environment around us to create this art and listen to the land while we’re doing it.
Maya Attean (Penobscot/Passamaquoddy)
Water is Life
For Wabanaki peoples, water is not simply a resource but a sacred, living relative essential to cultural, spiritual, environmental, and physical well-being. This panel explores the deep connections between people and waterways, including cultural teachings, legal struggles, and environmental responsibilities, while highlighting how the health of these waters shapes the well-being of all.
Moderated by Jennifer Neptune (Penobscot), and featuring Samuel St. John (Maliseet), Billy Longfellow (Passamaquoddy)
The water doesn’t belong to us. We belong to the water. We are the water.
Billy Longfellow (Passamaquoddy)
A Look Back at Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas 2026
Photographer and Videographer: Nolan Altvater
THE DAWNLAND FESTIVAL IS ORGANIZED BY THE ABBE MUSEUM
The Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine, is dedicated to advancing understanding of Wabanaki Nations’ heritage, living cultures, and homelands. Guided by a Wabanaki-majority Board of Trustees, the Museum centers Indigenous voices in its exhibitions and programs. Founded in 1928, the Abbe now includes a year-round downtown location and a historic site in Acadia National Park.
Learn more at the Abbe Museum website | Support
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Marquee Funders
Market Sponsors
Panel Sponsors
Performer Sponsors
Demonstrator Sponsors
Food Sponsor for Panelists
Killick Fund of the Maine Community Foundation
Friends of the Festival
This project (Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas 2026) received funding from the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: 250,” a Smithsonian-wide initiative supported by private philanthropy and created to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary and advance the Smithsonian vision for the next 250 years.