Panelists | Performers | Market Artists
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Nolan Altvater
TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Passamaquoddy
PANEL: Native Photography as Self-Determination
BIOGRAPHY
Nolan Altvater (they/them) is a Passamaquoddy visual artist from Sipayik. Working with film, photography, and mixed media as an interdisciplinary studies Ph.D student, their work explores the intersections between visual culture and the (re)production of place, identity, and history within Passamaquoddy ways of knowing and being. They currently have work displayed as part of the Mαwte: Bound Together exhibit at the Paul J. Schupf Art Center and in the permanent archives for the Maine Historical Society.
Maya Attean
TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Penobscot & Passamaquoddy
PANEL: Native Photography as Self-Determination
MEDIUM: Photography
BIOGRAPHY
Maya Tihtiyas Attean (b. 1994) is a Wabanaki (Penobscot & Passamaquoddy) artist living in Abenaki territory in Maine, raised on the Penobscot Reservation. Her work reflects her ancestry, resilience, and connection to the natural world. Through exploring the duality she embodies within the colonized world she exists within, she marries mediums and techniques of multiple cultures to create new realities and possibilities within her work. Maya earned her BFA within Photography from Maine College of Art & Design in 2023. Her work has been shown at the Portland Museum of Art, the Abbe Museum, the ICA at MECA&D, SPACE Gallery, and more. She has received the BIPOC studio award from SPACE Gallery in 2024, the Visionary Award from the Film Photo Award in 2025, and is a Kindling fund 2026 grantee. Her work is in the permanent collection of the Portland Museum of Art and the Abbe Museum.
Jeremy Dennis
TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Shinnecock Indian Nation
PANEL: Native Photography as Self-Determination
BIOGRAPHY
Jeremy Dennis (b. 1990) is a contemporary fine art photographer, an enrolled Tribal Member of the Shinnecock Indian Nation in Southampton, NY, and lead artist and founder of the non-profit Ma’s House & BIPOC Art Studio, Inc. on the Shinnecock Reservation. In his work, he explores Indigenous identity, culture, and assimilation.
Dennis was one of 10 recipients of a 2016 Dreamstarter Grant from the national non-profit organization Running Strong for American Indian Youth. He was awarded $10,000 to pursue his project, On This Site, which uses photography and an interactive online map to showcase culturally significant Native American sites on Long Island, a topic of special meaning for Dennis, who was raised on the Shinnecock Nation Reservation.
Jeremy Dennis holds an MFA from Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, and a BA in Studio Art from Stony Brook University, NY.
He lives and works in Southampton, New York, on the Shinnecock Indian Reservation.
Daniel French
TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Mohawk
PANEL: Native Freedom of Expression
PERFORMER: Featured performer - Saturday, July 11, 1 - 1:45 p.m. on the Main Stage
BIOGRAPHY
From Bonnaroo to the Hollywood Bowl Daniel French is turning heads & hearts with his electric stage presence & signature sound. From Las Cafeteras founder to film composer turned solo firebrand Daniel’s art influences culture worldwide from Netflix studios to National debates, from Bonnaroo to the Hollywood Bowl & beyond. Hailing from Mohawk & Mexican roots his L.A. Latin, hip hop & Indigenous future sounds aim to build bridges even the most divided nation can dance on.
Photo By Gio Solis
Esther Labrado
TRIBAL AFFILIATION: North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians
PANEL: Native Freedom of Expression
BIOGRAPHY
Esther Labrado is an attorney at Drummond Woodsum, in the Tribal Nations Practice Group. She assists clients on a broad array of matters, including trial and appellate litigation, code drafting, and development and enhancement of tribal justice systems, with an expertise in criminal jurisdiction issues. Esther is a citizen of the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians and a descendant of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.
Prior to joining Drummond Woodsum, Esther was the Legal Manager and Policy Lead, Legal and Governance at the National Congress of American Indians, where she advised Tribal Nations on implementation of the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, managed a $13 million microgrants program for crime victim services, and staffed the Tribal Supreme Court Project. Esther also clerked for the Honorable Marjorie K. Allard on the Alaska Court of Appeals. Esther has been recognized by Super Lawyers as a Rising Star in 2024 and 2025, and by Best Lawyers on its Ones to Watch list in 2026 for her work in Native American Law.
Sam St.John
TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Maliseet
PANEL: Water is Life
BIOGRAPHY
As a Maliseet tribal member, Sam has had a lifelong relationship with the environment on both a personal and professional level. Since 2016, he has worked as a Natural Resources Technician, mainly in the Meduxnekeag River, an international branch of the greater Wolastoq (St. John River) watershed. Projects include:
Meduxnekeag River water quality monitoring and river restoration
Atlantic salmon conservation efforts in Maine and New Brunswick, Canada in conjunction with First Nation and Canadian government entities
Climate change adaptation methods and action plan writing
Implementing methods of controlling invasive plants and animals
Wabanaki Youth in Science
Contributor to salmonid research in Mongolia through Rutgers University
Jennifer Pictou
TRIBAL AFFILIATION: Mi’kmaq Nation
MEDIUM: Diverse Arts
PERFORMANCE: Featured Performer - Sunday 1-1:45 p.m. on the Main Stage
BIOGRAPHY
Jennifer Pictou (Mi’kmaq) is a member of the Mi’kmaq Nation (formerly the Aroostook Band of Micmac). She is a professional storyteller, artist, and historian as well as owner of a nationally renowned tour company, Bar Harbor Ghost Tours. She holds a Bachelors of Fine Arts, a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, and A Masters Degree in American and New England Studies. Jennifer describes her art style as a mix of traditional Mi’kmaq forms with an Art Deco flair. Her original bead designs involve intricate traditional double curves and floral patterns beaded into exquisite limited edition handbags and wall art. Currently Jennifer is also studying and is a founding member of a group reviving traditional Mi’kmaq porcupine quill embroidery.
ARTIST STATEMENT
As an artist deeply connected to my Mi’kmaq heritage, I draw inspiration from the rich cultural tapestry of my ancestors’ resistance and survival, infusing my work with elements of tradition and history. Through the ancient techniques of glass beads, lampwork, and stained glass, I reclaim indigenous space and weave a contemporary narrative that honors the resilience and beauty of Mi’kmaq people in my homeland.
In the fiery torch, I mold molten glass into statements of today’s enduring issues and passions. Each bead and sculpture tell a story of strength and perseverance, reflecting the enduring legacy of my ancestors.
Within the delicacy of stained glass, I draw from the vibrant hues of ancestral objects and the natural world, using the Colonizer’s own medium of religious oppression to tell our story of survival and world views.
In my beadwork I delve into the cultural resistance of my ancestors to create one-of-a-kind statement pieces of intricate form and function. These represent a claiming of modernity and space within fashion.
Through all of my work I explore the themes of identity and belonging, using the interplay of light and color to reclaim and redefine Mi’kmaq narratives in a contemporary context. Each piece is a rebuttal of the prevalent ideas that we are no longer here, reminding viewers of the importance of preserving and honoring indigenous heritage in an ever-changing world.
