Volunteer at the Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas!

Did you know that on July 12th and 13th, we’ll be hosting our second annual Dawnland Festival of Arts and Ideas at the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor? The Abbe staff is pulling out all the stops to make this a fantastic event, and we could use your help!

Listed below are the volunteer opportunities for the Festival for your review. If you are interested in volunteering, please fill out the volunteer form below. Any questions? Contact volunteer@abbemuseum.org or 207-288-3519.

We look forward to working with you!

• Set-Up or Breakdown

  Saturday, July 12 | 7 - 9 am
  Sunday, July 13 | 5 - 7 pm

  Volunteers assisting with Set Up and Breakdown will be on hand to transform the College of the Atlantic into the Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas...and back again. Kind of like a fairy godmother, but with tools instead of a magic wand! Set up will be taking place on Saturday morning, with breakdown occurring on Sunday evening. Some heavy lifting may be required.

• Abbe Booth

  Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13 | 9 am - 1 pm, 1 - 5 pm

  Volunteers at the Abbe Booth will assist visitors by answering questions about the event, discussing other Abbe Museum programs, and promoting engagement with museum initiatives. If you enjoy giving directions or selling raffle tickets, this opportunity could be a great fit for you!

• Artist Support

  Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13 | 9 am - 1 pm, 1 - 5 pm

  This role is responsible for ensuring that the artists attending the Market are well taken care of. Responsibilities include distributing snacks, providing breaks, and engaging in conversation with them about their experience. Even a small amount of your time can make a significant impact!

• Performance / Panelist Assistant

  Saturday, July 12 and Sunday, July 13 | 9 am - 1 pm, 1 - 5 pm

  Volunteer as a Stagehand for a behind-the-scenes experience during performances and panels! In this role, you will assist the Abbe staff and the Stage Manager. Your responsibilities may include timekeeping, ushering, setting up the stage, and helping panelists and performers with their preparations.

Volunteer Sign-Up Form

Learning Together: New Abbe Museum Tours

Just in time for the upcoming school year, the Abbe Museum is excited to announce that we have developed two new guided tours – Living in Harmony: Caring for Land & Waters and What is Sovereignty?  An Introduction to Wabanaki Self-Governance – to accompany our Visiting the Abbe tour option.

 Living in Harmony complements environmental and earth science learning, and can be tailored to suit all grade levels.  At the heart of this tour is a focus on environmental responsibility through Wabanaki world views of inter-relatedness. Through place-based knowledge, traditional stories, and examining contemporary efforts, visiting groups will learn how, throughout time, Wabanaki peoples’ environmental stewardship practices sustain the land and waters for future generations. 

What is Sovereignty? brings you on a civics lesson over 12,000 years in the making – a story actively featured in today's news. This tour invites participants to learn about the concept of sovereignty, as well as  Wabanaki Nations’ self-determination and intergovernmental relations over time. It will touch on pre-contact diplomacy, relationships with the US federal government, and how state and federal policy affect the Nations today. This tour complements social studies classroom learning about civics, government, and history and is suggested for 6th-12th grade.

We can accommodate a maximum of 50 people at one time. Larger groups can be arranged with staggered start times. For student groups, we require at least 1 chaperone for every 10 students. Visit our website at abbemuseum.org/programs to learn more and schedule your tour today. If you have any questions, reach out to our Curator of Education, Christiana Becker, at educator@abbemuseum.org. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Abbe Executive Director Appointed to Interior Department Indian Arts & Crafts Board

The Abbe Museum is excited to announce the appointment of Executive Director and Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations Betsy Richards as a Commissioner of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Indian Arts and Crafts Board (IACB). The Indian Arts and Crafts Board was created by Congress to promote the economic development of federally recognized Native American and Alaska Natives through the expansion of the Indian arts and crafts market. A top priority of the IACB is the implementation and enforcement of the Indian Arts and Crafts Act (IACA), a “truth-in-advertising” law that prohibits misrepresentation in the promotion and commerce of Native American art and craft products with the United states. Other activities overseen by this role include providing information on the IACA and Intellectual Property Rights Protections, and supporting opportunities to Native American artists and cultural organizations.

For over 25 years, Richards, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, has been dedicated to building cultural and narrative power for Indigenous peoples and other BIPOC communities. She brings to her role a wealth of experience in museums, philanthropy, social justice, and the performing arts. In addition to her leadership of the Abbe Museum, she currently serves as the Board Chair of the Native Arts and Cultures Foundation and serves on the Maine Arts Commission.

“I'm deeply grateful to Secretary Haaland and the Department of the Interior for this appointment,” says Richards. “ I hope to work with my fellow commissioners to uplift and protect Native artists and in particular, advocate for further visibility of Native art east of the Mississippi.” 

Richards is joined on the IACB Board of Commissioners this year by Robert Kinneen, Jr., an Alaska born and raised chef who promotes Alaska “indigenized” cuisine. This 4-year term began in June of 2024.

Exciting lineup for Abbe Museum’s Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas!

The Abbe Museum is excited to announce the premiere of its Dawnland Festival of Arts and Ideas on July 12-14, 2024, at the College of the Atlantic (COA).

This multi-day event will feature a Native arts market, public performances, and panel conversations on some of the biggest questions of our time, including Weaving a Sustainable Environment, Savoring Native Food Wisdom, Recognizing Sovereignty as a Stepping Stone to an Enduring Democracy, and Arts Transforming Our Futures. 

“Native arts and cultures cannot be separated from Native ways of knowing. The Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas continues to celebrate the Native creative economy on Wabanaki homelands while lifting up Indigenous thought leadership vital to the conversation on a healthy planet and society for us all.”

Betsy Richards (Cherokee),
Executive Director & Senior Partner
with Wabanaki Nations

* * *

ARTISTS/VENDORS

More than 50 leading Native American artists from across the U.S. and Canada will share artwork ranging from ash baskets, beadwork, textiles, painting, fashion, and pottery representing the breadth and excellence of Indigenous art. 

ARTIST PROFILES >>

* * *

PANELISTS

Panel conversations will address some of the biggest questions of our time, including:

• Weaving a Sustainable Environment

• Savoring Native Food Wisdom

• Recognizing Sovereignty as a Stepping Stone to an Enduring Democracy

• Arts Transforming Our Futures. 

Panelists include scientist and author Dr. Suzanne Greenlaw (Maliseet); attorney Corey Hinton (Passamaquoddy); curator and Forge Project Executive Director Candice Hopkins (Carcross/Tagish First Nations); attorney and Brown University visiting professor Honor Keeler (Cherokee Nation); filmmaker, photographer and educator Jared Lank (Mi’kmaq); author, radio host, and former legislator Donna Loring (Penobscot); author and attorney Sherri Mitchell (Penobscot); James Beard Award-winning chef Sherry Pocknett (Wampanoag); anthropologist and scholar  Dr. Darren Ranco (Penobscot); James Beard Award-nominated Chef Joe Robbins (Penobscot); Co-CEO of Wabanaki Public Health and Wellness Lisa Sockabasin (Passamaquoddy); artist and arts and culture leader Frances Soctomah (Passamaquoddy).

PANELIST PROFILES >>

* * *

PERFORMERS

The Festival will feature concerts by award-winning musicians Firefly the Hybrid (Penobscot) and Jennifer Kreisberg (Tuscarora) as well as performances by Penobscot Nation drum group Burnurwubskek Singers; Eastern Woodlands flutist Hawk Henries (Nipmuc); singer/songwriter JJ Otero (Navajo/Hopi); and storyteller/artist Jennifer Pictou (Mi’kmaq).

PERFORMER PROFILES >>

* * *

The Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas is FREE and open to the public.

This event is supported in part by grants from the Maine Office of Tourism and the Henry Luce Foundation along with a partnership with College of the Atlantic.

For the latest Festival information, please visit:

 DAWNLANDFESTIVAL.ORG 

23rd Annual Waponahki Student Art Show

This Monday, May 6th, 2024, the Abbe Museum hosted the opening reception of the 23rd annual Waponahki Student Art Show. The thirty-eight participating students – representing all of the federally recognized Tribal Nations in what we currently call Maine: Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot – and their families joined us in celebration of the beautiful works submitted to the show and the strong collaborative spirit of institutions devoted to promoting art education and Wabanaki culture in the homeland. Watercolor, crayon, pastel, and even clay and leather were employed to bring their visions to life, coloring the walls of the Abbe and welcoming the arrival of spring and summer.

Alongside valued partnerships with Maine Indian Education and the Boys and Girls Club of Border Towns,  the Abbe Museum received a Youth Empowerment Mini-Award from the Maine Permanent Commission on the Status of Racial, Indigenous & Tribal Populations. These funds allowed us to create systems of support for the Maliseet and Mi'kmaq Nation participants, who are regionally the farthest away from the Museum and not part of the Maine Indian Education School System (our 23-year partner on the event). In order to receive student art from these groups, the Abbe Museum has been partnering with the Boys and Girls Club of Border Towns since 2018, and support from the Permanent Commission went a long way in helping us further their involvement.

Abbe Curator of Education, Christiana Becker (Penobscot Descent) as a child with her piece for the Waponahki Student Art Show in 2007 (Left) and Giving Welcoming Remarks at the 2024 Student Art Show Opening Reception (right).

As an alumni of the Waponahki Student Art Show, I, Christiana Becker (Abbe Curator of Education), was thrilled to give a speech recognizing the young Wabanaki students, their families, and our partners. The student's artwork is inspiring, delightful, and an important part of making sure that the next generation of Wabanaki artists get to share their voices and visions with our visitors. This is a twenty-three year tradition that we hope continues for decades to come and inspires young people to pursue the arts.

We invite you to digitally view the exhibit now through the button below, and in-person when the Abbe reopens to the public on Tuesday, May 28th from 10 am - 5 pm!

Abbe Museum’s Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas Kicks Off on July 12

The Abbe Museum is excited to announce the premiere of its Dawnland Festival of Arts and Ideas on July 12-14, 2024, at the College of the Atlantic (COA). This unique multi-day event is an evolution of our popular Abbe Museum Indian Market (AMIM) and Native American Festival that featured invitation-only Native arts markets and performances. The Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas includes those elements but will also spotlight conversations by Wabanaki and other Indigenous leaders on some of the biggest questions of our time, including climate, democracy, and food systems.

“Native arts and cultures cannot be separated from Native ways of knowing. The Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas continues to celebrate the Native creative economy on Wabanaki homelands while lifting up Indigenous thought leadership vital to the conversation on a healthy planet and society for us all.”

Betsy Richards (Cherokee), Executive Director & Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations

The Festival will be free to the public and is being supported by the Henry Luce Foundation and the Maine Office of Tourism, along with a partnership with College of the Atlantic. Among the speakers will be attorney and author Sherri Mitchell (Penobscot), James Beard Award-winning Chef Sherry Pocknett (Mashpee Wampanoag), and Native rights attorney Michael-Corey F. Hinton (Passamaquoddy). Musician Firefly the Hybrid (Penobscot) will also take the stage for a one-of-a-kind performance during the weekend. More than 50 leading Native American artists from across the U.S. and Canada will share artwork ranging from ash baskets, beadwork, textiles, painting, fashion, and pottery representing the breadth and excellence of Indigenous art. 

Known for its stunning coastal beauty and vibrant cultural scene, Bar Harbor is a significant place to the Tribal Nations of the Wabanaki Confederacy (Maliseet, Mi'kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot): a site of exchange and waterways that connected all of the Nations together. For many visitors, this will be an opportunity to engage Wabanaki thought leaders and artists – alongside their national counterparts for a weekend of inquiry, creativity, and celebration.

Schedule of events, list of artists, speakers and performers at: https://www.dawnlandfestival.org

Join Us in Shaping the Future of the Abbe Museum

Dear Community Members,
Please join us in shaping the future of the Abbe Museum! Looking toward our 100th Anniversary in 2028, we have embarked on a six-month strategic planning process and would love your input on our future direction. Would you take a few minutes to help co-create this plan by filling out this brief anonymous survey?

Your input in this process is crucial to our Board, Staff, and Council as we seek to create new pathways toward a thriving and even more impactful institution. A bonus: Each respondent will be entered in for a chance to win a lovely Tracey Metallic (Mi'kmaq) gift set.

Thank you in advance for all your feedback and your time.

Wado,

Betsy Richards
Executive Director and Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations

New Paths, New Faces - News from the Abbe’s Collections Department

I’m pleased to share that after a brief hiatus, the Abbe Museum’s Collections Department has re-emerged with new leadership, financial support, and an investment in the next generation of Wabanaki curators. This past June we were delighted to receive generous two-year support from the Henry Luce Foundation’s American Art Program to underwrite a new Curator as well as an emerging Curatorial Fellow.

In July, Dr. Aaron Miller joined our team as the Luce Curator of Exhibits and Collections. He brings nearly two decades of experience as a museum professional and archaeologist. Most recently, Aaron headed the curatorial department at the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum in South Hadley, Massachusetts where his work focused on visual and material culture, Native American art, and cultural repatriation. Aaron’s previous fieldwork in archaeology focused on the American and Canadian northeast in the 17th and 18th century.

Joining us this week is the Museum's 2023–2024 Luce Curatorial Fellow, Sage Neptune. Sage is a Citizen of the Penobscot Nation and is finalizing his Masters Degree in Anthropology and Environmental Policy (with a focus on Museum Studies) at the University of Maine, Orono.

With guidance from Dr. Miller and our Wabanki-led Collections Committee, Sage will spend a few days a month during his academic year focused on hands-on learning, research, and a special project. We are looking forward to Sage’s time with us and remain committed to supporting pathways for the development of the next generation of Wabanaki museum professionals.

As always, the Abbe and its staff are devoted to the thoughtful caretaking and collaborative interpretation of the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet, and Mi’kmaq Nation’s material pasts. At the same time, this moment marks a renewed commitment to the development of exciting exhibitions to share the thriving cultures and artistic expressions of Wabanaki artists and culture bearers with our audiences and partners.

Please join us in welcoming them. We are excited for what is to come!

2023 Abbe Museum Indian Market News: Supporting Artists and Evolving for the Future

pICTURED: gABRIEL fREY, pASSAMAQUODDY; nANCY oAKLEY, mI’KMAQ; kAREN aNN hOFFMAN, Haudenosaunee; aLLEN hAZARD, Narragansett. PhotoS by HB Mertz AND aBBY lANK.

The Abbe Museum Indian Market (AMIM) is re-emerging from the necessary closures of the past few years to once again illuminate Wabanaki artistic excellence and support Tribal creative economies and artists from across Turtle Island. As AMIM returns to Bar Harbor’s Village Green for the weekend of June 2 – 4, 2023, we are also mindful of the toll the pandemic has taken on Native artists.

That's why we are delighted to announce that booth fees for all invited 2023 Abbe Museum Indian Market artists have been sponsored by a generous one-time donation from the JKW Foundation/Collective. In addition, we will also be offering the opportunity, at no cost, for artists to share their booth with a next generation Tribally-enrolled mentee of their choosing. 

We know that we are stronger when we nurture connection and support for each other. This funding opportunity helps us honor these artists as central to Native communities' health and cultural continuance, and at the same time, acknowledge the economic hardships that COVID-19 brought with it.

We know that we cannot promise sponsorships of booth fees in perpetuity but we do plan to engage in a process of listening while we plan for the evolution of this event in the future. One of our hopes is to broaden the scope of AMIM: a multi-venue, multi-day Indigenous Arts & Ideas Festival that would not only host the market but also offer audiences opportunities to hear from Wabanaki and other Native thought leaders about Indigenous values and worldviews as they relate to the big questions of our time ( eg. climate justice, food systems, wellness, democracy, technology).

We look forward to seeing you at the 2023 Abbe Museum Indian Market in June!

Abbe Museum Indian Market Returns to Bar Harbor June 2 - 4

Photo by HB Mertz

After a 3-year hiatus, the Abbe Museum Indian Market (AMIM) returns to Bar Harbor’s Village Green for the weekend of June 2 – 4, 2023. This multifaceted event will feature more than 50 Native artists working in forms ranging from baskets and pottery to jewelry and sculpture - along with performances, demonstrations, and educational programs. “We’re delighted that AMIM is re-emerging from the necessary closures of the past few years to once again illuminate Wabanaki artistic excellence and support tribal creative economies,” says Executive Director & Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations Betsy Richards (Cherokee).

Almost a decade ago, the Abbe set out to produce a juried Indian Market developed with and for Wabanaki artists, responding to their desires for more accessible market opportunities than those in the Southwest. The inaugural AMIM in 2018 saw this dream realized, with more than 5,000 people heading to Mount Desert Island for a weekend celebrating Indigenous art and cultures.

The Abbe Museum plans to bring back some of its most popular events including the weekend’s kick-off AMIM Preview Party at the Museum on June 2nd from 5 to 7:30 pm. Guests will have the chance to meet exhibitors, preview the art, and vote on the People’s Choice competition. On Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 3 pm, visitors can walk the Village Green visiting exhibitor booths to discuss their work and make purchases. There will also be opportunities to further engage with Native art and cultures through performances from musicians and storytellers, as well as demonstrations and educational programs from participating artists. 

“Members of the Wabanaki art community have worked hard in the past several decades to revive and save our own endangered art forms, particularly the basketry,” Penobscot basketmaker and AMIM artist, Theresa Secord states, “Native artists appreciate and count on partnerships with museums like the Abbe to help maintain culture through research and exhibitions and to co-host markets that support long-standing, Indigenous entrepreneurship through sales of art.”

The Museum will communicate more details about the Market on its website and social media pages, including information about participating artists and special events.

Report Finds Issues with Enforcement of Wabanaki Studies Law

A new study finds that despite a 21-year-old law requiring all Maine K-12 schools to teach students about the Wabanaki Tribes school districts across the state, school districts have failed to include Wabanaki Studies consistently and appropriately in their curriculum and that the law is not being meaningfully enforced. 

The report, prepared by the Abbe Museum, ACLU of Maine, Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission and the Wabanaki Alliance, was released today. 

“Accurate and inclusive education is a necessary part of overcoming centuries of efforts to eradicate the Wabanaki people, stereotyping about Indigenous people and the erasure of contemporary Wabanaki people and their tribal communities,” said Betsy Richards, Executive Director of the Abbe Museum and Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations. “We urge state and local educators to dedicate themselves to implementing the Wabanaki Studies Law fully and as it was intended.” 

The report reviews the goals of the original legislation, as well as efforts by state and local educators to implement the law over the past 21 years. Central conclusions of the report include local school districts have inadequately implemented the Wabanaki Studies law, when they have implemented it at all, and the Department of Education has not provided sufficient support and enforcement to realize the intent of the legislation. 

“The relationship between the Wabanaki Nations and the state of Maine is frayed, and one way to repair that relationship is for the state to invest in proper implementation of the Wabanaki Studies Law. That means engaging Wabanaki people to help oversee and enforce implementation. Guided by citizens of Wabanaki Nations, Maine can fulfill the promise of this law and be a leader in decolonizing our education system,” said Maulian Dana, Penobscot Nation Ambassador and President of the Wabanaki Alliance.  

“Teaching Wabanaki Studies is not optional. It is required by law. State and local entities, including the Legislature, the Department of Education, and individual school districts have a duty to implement the law,” said Michael Kebede, policy counsel at the ACLU of Maine. “Additionally, citizens of the Wabanaki Nations must be included and compensated for the real work enforcement and implementation will require.” 

The report found: 

• The Wabanaki Studies Law is not meaningfully enforced across the state. While the Maine Department of Education has made some progress toward this goal, and many of its staff care deeply about the Wababaki Studies Law, the Department has failed to use available tools to enforce the law or enough specificity in the Maine Learning Results Standards to guide schools properly.

• Despite some successes, as a whole, school districts have failed to include Wabanaki Studies consistently and appropriately in their curriculum. The authors sent public records requests to 10 school districts across Maine and most schools failed to cover all areas required by statute—including Wabanaki history, economic systems, political systems, and culture.

• Teacher training and professional development are insufficient to equip educators to teach Wabanaki Studies. While Wabanaki educators and other experts have offered many high-quality trainings, the lack of any mandatory pre-certification or continuing education requirements means that too many teachers lack the knowledge and skills necessary to teach Wabanaki Studies.

“As the body that has advocated for better implementation of the Wabanaki Studies Law from the beginning, we are intimately aware of the progress and pitfalls over the past 21 years,” said Rachel Bell, Projects Coordinator of the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission. “The Wabanaki Studies Law was visionary when it was passed, and we are committed to working with State partners to ensure that the promises of the law become a reality.” 

Indigenous 2022 Returns to a Bar Harbor Stage

Firefly the Hybrid and Humble G tha Fiddla will light up the Abbe Museum’s backyard on October 8th.

Penobscot artist Firefly the Hybrid returns for the second annual Indigenous 2022 on October 8th from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. Joined by Cleveland-based Humble G tha Fiddla, the two are set to perform in the Abbe Museum's backyard for a one-of-a-kind, immersive experience to mark Maine's fourth Indigenous Peoples' Day. This event is proudly sponsored by Healthy Acadia, College of the Atlantic, the Jackson Laboratory, and the Abbe Museum.

"I'm so excited to build on what we started last year," Firefly said of the performance. "To me, it's important to mark a day like this with song and celebration, that's what my ancestors would have done."

Arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, Firefly is a multimedia artist who channels their Penobscot roots to create music that is a melding of the traditional and contemporary. After prolific careers in both jewelry-making and fashion design, the pivot to music has proved equally successful. Firefly has quickly expanded from streaming performances from their home to the Kennedy Center and, most recently, an in-person performance at the SWAIA Indigenous Fashion Show. 

With a similarly storied career, Humble G brings a unique integration of electric violin & vocals fused with rhythms and sounds of Hip-Hop, Reggaeton, EDM, and world fusions. They have graced stages from Caesars Palace to the Grammy's Museum and were the first musical act to perform during President Obama's campaign.

"What I love about our music is it brings all kinds of people together," Firefly says. "We come together in the spirit of openness and connection." This spirit is especially important in the lead-up to Indigenous Peoples Day, which was initially a counter to Columbus Day and has grown to become a nationwide celebration of Native history, culture, and resilience. Maine formally adopted Indigenous Peoples' Day in 2019. 

Indigenous 2022 with Firefly the Hybrid and Humble G tha Fiddla invites attendees to enjoy creative and authentic visual and audio performances while learning about Maine Indigenous peoples and supporting inclusiveness in Downeast Maine. The evening is free and open to the public. Coordinators are currently determining whether a live streaming option will be available for remote viewing. Visit Firefly’s website: www.fireflythehybrid.com, to learn more.

Abbe Museum Announces New Leader

The trustees of the Abbe Museum are pleased to announce the selection of Betsy Richards as our new Executive Director and Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations.

For over 25 years, Betsy Richards has been dedicated to building cultural and narrative power for Indigenous peoples and other BIPOC communities. A citizen of the Cherokee Nation, she brings to her role a wealth of experience in museums, philanthropy, social justice, and the performing arts.  

For the last decade, Richards has led The Opportunity Agenda’s national cultural strategy initiatives with artists, influencers, and advocates to shift narrative, culture, and policy towards greater economic and racial justice.  Before that, she spent seven years as a program officer at the Ford Foundation, leading a $30M grantmaking effort for Native American and place-based cultural communities. While at Ford, she initiated the creation of the unprecedented Native Arts and Cultures Foundation.  Starting in 1997, she spent five years as the inaugural Director of Public Programs at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, the country's largest tribal museum and research center.  Richards has also consulted for the Eiteljorg Museum, the Montclair Art Museum, Museum of Contemporary Native Arts, The Natural History Museum and served on the team for the groundbreaking narrative change research project Reclaiming Native Truth.  In addition, she has run two theater companies, served as a Fellow at the New York Shakespeare Festival/Public Theater and has developed and directed plays by Native playwrights on stages in New York, Los Angeles, and Canada. Richards holds degrees from NYU and Yale University.

Board of Trustees co-chair Margo Lukens says “it is so important for us to have Betsy’s leadership at this time; the Abbe is poised for growth, and Betsy brings the skills and experience needed to realize our potential.”  Lukens notes that with the hire of Richards, unlike most non-tribal museums focused on Indigenous cultures and histories nationwide, the Abbe Museum will be one of the few that has an Indigenous woman in the role of CEO. With the appointment of Richards, Board co-chair James Francis looks forward to “elevating Wabanaki arts and culture in Indian Country and becoming a model for decolonizing cultural institutions worldwide.”

Of her new position, Richards says “I am thrilled to be joining the Abbe and looking forward to the opportunity to work in partnership with tribal representatives, continuing to build pathways to uplift the voices, histories, and visions of Wabanaki people.”

Betsy Richards’ first day will be October 1, 2022.

The Abbe Seeks Next Executive Director & Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations

The Abbe Museum is hiring! We are very excited to be launching the search for our next Executive Director and Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations. In partnership with the Board of Trustees and the tribally-appointed Wabanaki Council, this critical role supports the Abbe’s vision to review, revise, and implement ongoing strategies that facilitate the mission and goals of decolonizing.

Find the full description and application instructions through the button below. Review of applications will begin on January 18, 2022.

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Executive Director & Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations

Full-time position
Required Education: Master’s degree or equivalent experience
Salary: $82K-$87K, plus benefits
Salary negotiable based on experience and proven record of success

The Executive Director and Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations supports the Abbe’s vision to review, revise, and implement ongoing strategies that facilitate our decolonizing mission. They work in partnership with the Board of Trustees and the tribally-appointed Wabanaki Council to establish operational objectives that support the strategic planning. The primary responsibilities of the Executive Director and Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations are to: 

• Manage the Abbe’s staff, operations, business, and facilities 
• Lead development efforts for the Museum, including ongoing fundraising, capital campaigns, and grant-seeking programs that meet goals established by the Board 
• Lead development of relationships with Indigenous/First Nations/Native communities, pursuing new opportunities for collaboration and partnerships 
• Serve as an ambassador for the Abbe, sustaining active involvement in regional and national museum organizations. 

The Executive Director and Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations is based at the Abbe’s Bar Harbor location. Some travel is required within our region and beyond. The Executive Director and Senior Partner with Wabanaki Nations reports to the Board of Trustees; they engage the Board, the committees of the Board, and the Wabanaki Council in planning the overall direction and key initiatives of the Museum. We seek a capable manager with experience, preferably at a museum. Candidates should be able to demonstrate: history of success working with non-profit organizations; a strong record in fundraising and cultivation of programs; a minimum of five years’ experience working with Native communities; engagement in decolonizing practices; a graduate degree or equivalent experience in Indigenous/Native American Studies, Anthropology, Museum Studies, Management, or an associated field; knowledge of and/or experience in Wabanaki cultural traditions. Indigenous heritage is advantageous but not required. TO APPLY, please email a cover letter indicating previous relevant work, a resume or CV, and contact information for three references to: Search Committee search@abbemuseum.org

 View the full job description and application instructions through the button below.

The Abbe Museum Welcomes New Trustees

The Abbe Museum has added nine new Trustees to its Board of Directors, bringing the total number of Trustees to 21. The new appointees assumed their roles on September 30, 2021. Please join us in welcoming this impressive group to our team!

We invite you to learn more about each appointee by clicking the “+” icon next to thier name below.

• Jane Anderson

  Dr. Jane Anderson is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Museum Studies and a Global Fellow in the Engelberg Center for Innovation Law and Policy in the Law School at New York University. Her work is focused on the philosophical and practical problems for intellectual property law and the protection of Indigenous/traditional knowledge resources and cultural heritage in support of Indigenous knowledge and data sovereignty. Jane is the co-founder (with Professor Kim Christen, Washington State University)  of Local Contexts.  Local Contexts (www.localcontexts.org)  is an initiative to support Native, First Nations, Aboriginal, Metis, Inuit and Indigenous communities in the management of intellectual property and cultural heritage specifically within the digital environment. Local Contexts provides legal, extra-legal, and educational strategies (including the TK Labels system) for navigating copyright law and creating new options for Indigenous control over vital cultural heritage.

• Joe Cistone

  As Chief Executive Officer of International Partners in Mission (IPM), Joe provides the strategic vision, leadership, and supervision of all activities, programs and staff of this multi-faith, international, non-governmental organization with offices in El Salvador, India, Kenya, and the USA. Joe was appointed a Lecturer in Ethics at Yale Divinity School in 2015 and since 2016 has served as the Pastor of Seaside UCC in Northeast Harbor, ME. A resident of Mt. Desert, Maine, Joe is married to Alyne Kemunto Cistone, a Kenyan human rights attorney, and is the proud father of Francesca, JJ, and Kemy.

• Lee Ann Francis

  Lee Ann Francis has taught at Indian island school for 19 years, where she teaches primarily Native American studies and Wabanaki languages, she also serves on the school’s Executive leadership team. She is a published author; her most recent is the children’s book Kunu’s Basket. Lee Ann is also a Penobscot Nation council member. She and her Passamaquoddy husband, Zou Francis, have three Wabanaki children.

• Julia Gray

  Julia Gray is a museum professional and archaeologist who lives in Orland, Maine. She is the executive director at the Wilson Museum in Castine (starting on Sept. 11, 2021). Prior to taking on this new adventure, Julia was part of the Abbe team for more than 17 years, working in collections, exhibits, education, and facilities. For the last few years, she had her own consulting business, Riverside Museum Solutions. She makes her home on the banks of the Narramissic River in the Penobscot homeland, with her husband John and her two dogs, Marley and Maisie.

• Natalie Dana-Lolar

  Mrs. Natalie Dana-Lolar is Passamaquoddy/Penobscot by heritage and ancestral lines. She grew up on Motahkomikuhk - Indian Township, Maine. She is a Ph.D. degree graduate student - at the University of Maine in Anthropology and Environmental Policy. She draws on ancestral inspiration and passion; that passion is for the Wabanaki people, their history, and their future understanding of archeological importance around Indigenous voice and presence and the understanding of past Indigenous lifeways both within and outside of contemporary Wabanaki communities. She is the wife of Penobscot Tribal Member - Kyle Lolar and mother of 3 exceptional children, their names are Susep, Aseli and Neyanna.

• Brenda Dana Lozada

  Brenda Dana Lozada works at Indian Township School at Motahkomikuk. She grew up at Peter Dana Point, studied at Lee Academy and at Washington County Community College, and now lives in Princeton, ME.

• Matt Polstein

  Matthew A. Polstein, of Millinocket, is a Maine native and the owner and founder of New England Outdoor Center. A registered Maine guide, he is considered a pioneer of Maine whitewater rafting and is a passionate supporter of natural and economic sustainability. He served on the Governor’s Nature-based Tourism Initiative Task Force, the Governor’s Task Force on Natural Resource-based Industries, America Outdoors, and Millinocket Town Council. He currently is developing Ktaadn Resorts, where guests will be able to meet and see the work of local artisans, bakers, potters, weavers, farmers, and others. He serves on the board of Maine Community Foundation, and is vice-chair of MCF’s Penobscot County Committee.

• Isaac St. John

  From Houlton, Maine, and a member of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians (Wolastoqiyik), I attended Bates College in Lewiston, ME and received a Bachelor’s in Anthropology/Archaeology. From there, I worked with the National Museum of the American Indian as a resident curator for a year and a half. After that, I did CRM work down in the DC area, around historical sites. In August/September 2020, I became the Tribal Historic Preservation Officer (THPO) for my tribe. Around the same time, I started a Master’s program in Archaeology at the University of New Brunswick at Fredericton.

• Andres Verzosa

  Andy is Executive Director of Stanley-Whitman House, a historic house, museum and living history center in the land of the Tunxis or what is now known as Farmington, Connecticut. Prior to this he was Interim Executive Director and Curator of the Ogunquit Museum of American Art, and Director of Aucocisco Galleries in Portland, Maine. Andy currently serves on the boards of the Maine Historical Society and the Rotary of Farmington. He previously served on the boards of the Tides Institute & Museum of Art, Ogunquit Museum of American Art, Maine College of Art, the Quimby Family Foundation, Portland Arts and Cultural Alliance, and was a founder of Portland's First Friday Art Walk. Andy studied art history and studio art at the University of Maine and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the Maine College of Art. he is married to David G. Whaples. They reside in New Britain, CT and have a summer home in Perry, ME.

Greetings from Chris: Reopening and Yo-Yo Ma

Yesterday was a glorious day! Not only were we blessed with beautiful weather, but the Abbe Museum reopened to the public! 

After more than a year of having our doors closed, it is such a sincere good feeling among the whole team at the Abbe to welcome you all to the museum again. 

We have new things for you to see. Our new exhibit Stitching Ourselves Together, is open in the main gallery. Curated by Mi’kmaq artist Jennifer Pictou, it showcases historic Mi’kmaq quillwork from the Abbe’s collection and contemporary pieces commissioned for the exhibit.

The 2021 Waponahki Student Art Show is up and installed in the Community Gallery, giving you a wonderful glimpse into the hearts and minds of Wabanaki youth artists and their reflections on the world around them. There are striking pieces showcasing talent, humor, heartache, and love.  

You may have heard the recent buzz about my collaboration with world-renowned cellist Yo-Yo Ma in Acadia National Park . Words cannot express what a transformational experience it was to work with such a supremely talented musician and an absolute gem of a human being. How does a museum executive director end up collaborating on surprise pop-up performances with an 18-time Grammy winner? To be honest, I’m still contemplating the answer to that myself. However, the stars aligned, and somehow it happened. 

The message of Yo-Yo’s visit to the Dawnland is one of hope and healing as we slowly emerge out of the global pandemic. It is also a message about humanity’s connection to nature, and he chose to do so by centering the voice of Wabanaki peoples in our homelands. Not on himself.  

As I often talk about at the Abbe, the solution to sustainable living on this land is in the languages of the Wabanaki peoples. Our ancestors knew how to speak from the land itself. They sustained life for themselves and the land for over 10,000 years and did so with knowledge, science, and a worldview that placed humanity with nature, not separate from it. It was indeed fitting that Yo-Yo Ma chose to honor Wabanaki homelands by including Wabanaki people in the conversation. 

When I was asked by Yo-Yo Ma’s office what type of performance would be meaningful to Wabanaki peoples, I knew the framework of this collaboration was on solid ground. My suggestion was a performance during sunrise at dawn to welcome the day. Greeting the day is a purpose central to the existence and spirituality of Wabanaki peoples. When making the suggestion, I did not realize fully what I just signed myself up for as Yo-Yo Ma’s office answered the suggestion with a resounding “Yes!”

What began as a small experimental music idea grew to involve several partners, including Acadia National Park, Schoodic Institute, Yo-Yo Ma’s office, Yo-Yo Ma, and several Wabanaki performers. Then a suggestion was made to invite Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland as a gesture of goodwill. To our surprise, she accepted. 

It’s a testament to the power of art and music. The collaboration did not originally intend to involve a gathering of tribal, state, and federal leaders. We simply wanted to share some joy and hopefully create a transformational moment for some lucky people who just happened to be there. However, the outcome of Yo-Yo Ma’s intent to honor Wabanaki homelands with music was something much more resounding and powerful than we ever imagined.  Check out some photos of the event below (courtesy of Nakia Newell Dana).

What a beautiful day.

Lyle Cairdeas Joins the Abbe Museum

The Abbe Museum is pleased to announce the selection of Lyle Cairdeas as its new Director of Collections and Exhibits.

"The Director of Collections and Exhibits is a unique and important position," says Chris Newell, the Abbe's Executive Director and Senior Partner to Wabanaki Nations. "With the Abbe Museum’s commitment to our Decolonization Initiative, this position required expertise in collections, exhibits, and research, as well as a track record of work with Native communities that implements the power-sharing necessary for equitable relationships.  Lyle is ready and eager to continue this decolonization work, strengthening the Abbe's bonds to the Wabanaki communities, creating equitable partnerships, and looking ahead to training the next cohort of up-and-coming Wabanaki museum professionals.  He was a standout candidate for a position with very specific needs, and we look forward to welcoming him to our team."

Lyle Cairdeas joins the Abbe with an MS in Folklore and an MFA in Fine Arts from the University of Oregon. While in Oregon, Lyle worked for over seven years at both the Oregon Folklife Network (OFN) and the Museum of Natural and Cultural History (MNCH) as a Folklorist and Exhibit Developer. He co-authored the 2nd edition of Exhibit Makeovers and, along with his colleagues at MNCH, received the 2020 Oregon Heritage Excellence Award for the exhibit Racing to Change: Oregon’s Civil Rights Years—The Eugene Story. Most recently Lyle taught art, art history and managed gallery internships at James Madison University.

“I believe the arts, exhibits, and public programming can have a beneficial impact on our society,” Cairdeas said of his new appointment. “I strive to serve as a bridge, connecting individuals with information, creativity, and one another to foster healthy communities. I acknowledge the systemic issues inherent in the colonial roots of collecting institutions — issues centered around representation and authority. I am honored and humbled to join the talented staff at the Abbe Museum in dismantling the harmful legacies of colonization, enacting shared historical authority, and lifting up the voices of the Wabanaki people represented in the Abbe’s collections."

Calling for Justice for George Floyd and Systemic Change to Move Toward Equity

Wolankeyawolotultiq (wool-an-kay-ow-lod-ool-tiqw) - "take good care of each other"

Wolankeyawolotultiq is a Passamaquoddy/Maliseet imperative term that is the basis for community/kinship/family. In order for our communities to work, we must live by taking good care of each other — wolankeyawolotultiq. In this historic moment, taking care of each other means listening to black voices and confronting systemic racism. 

American history has a deep intersection between the establishment of settler-colonial society, white supremacy, and the continued violence against black communities. The thousands protesting the killing of George Floyd are a reminder that systemic racism and white supremacy put black and brown lives at risk every day. Equality is a human right, yet it does not exist in America today. Blinding ourselves from that fact led to the violence that ended George Floyd's life, and the lives of countless others. As a nation, we must confront this ongoing violence.

The Abbe Museum believes that museums are not neutral. When museums choose not to speak out on issues of race and inequity, they are supporting the status quo. As a museum in a field created by and for white settler-colonists, the Abbe is working hard to shift power back into the hands of those we serve. Through our Decolonization Initiative, we are taking a serious look at our practices, admitting hard truths, and making meaningful changes. We will continue working towards the goal of equity and equality in the spaces we influence. We call on other museums to engage in antiracist and decolonizing practices. To this end, we will be sharing resources in the coming days and weeks. As museums and as a society, we must engage in a shift of power, or we will continue to cause harm.

The Abbe Museum is in solidarity with those speaking against violence. We support and believe that Black Lives Matter. We believe in the amplification of black voices at this time and in the future to continue the shift to dismantle systems that cause harm. We believe we can only truly achieve equality and end oppression when we embrace the notion that our collective communities' survival depends upon our ability as human beings to take good care of each other. 

Wolankeyawolotultiq. Now and every day forward.

Abbe Museum Team

From the Web - "Conversations About Aging: Wayne Newell, 77"

Wayne Newell is the father of our Executive Director and Senior Partner to the Wabanaki Nations, Chris Newell. Below we are sharing a podcast episode that presents a conversation between Wayne and Diane Atwood of "Catching Health with Diane Atwood" about his life and about aging.

Referenced in the discussion is the first volume of his edited works, which is due to be published later this year. We're all looking forward to it!

From Chris:

“My father, Wayne Newell, grew up in Sipayik (Pleasant Point, ME) with no electricity, no running water and only speaking Passamaquoddy in the 40’s, 50’s and 60’s. It wasn’t until he enrolled himself in the nun’s school that he learned how to speak, read and write English. He went straight from life on the reservation to college in Boston and later Houlton where he struggled so badly with the culture shock he flunked out of both schools. After encouragement from some key players, he made a case for the Harvard Graduate School of Education and emotionally tells how he got in and succeeded with a master’s degree. He’s part of a group Harvard calls the “original 11” as they were the first Natives accepted as part of Harvard’s re-commitment to Native education.

These are some of the stories I’ve heard all my life from my number one mentor in everything I’ve done. I’m so proud to be his son and follow his example and philosophy of life.

He’s the first Native American trustee for the University of Maine system, twice appointed by presidents Carter and Obama to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education and given the distinction by the Department of the Interior as a national living treasure among other honors. He won’t tell you all that because he’s still humble and still lives the same life he always did working to help others, so we, as his children do that for him as he deserves the recognition for his life’s work.

This is an honest conversation about his life and about aging and I encourage you all to listen. It’s a great story. Enjoy.”

Listen to the podcast below and be sure to visit Diane’s website for more from her conversation with Wayne!