The Abbe Museum and Reel Pizza Cinerama are partnering to present the region’s only Indigenous Film Festival during the Abbe Museum Indian Market, May 17-20. Each evening will feature films by and about Indigenous peoples, presenting stories often overlooked in the film industry. Tickets are $8 per film and will be available at the Reel Pizza box office.

On the slopes of an active volcano in Guatemala, a marriage is arranged for seventeen-year-old María (María Mercedes Coroy) by her Kaqchikel parents. In this brilliant debut by Guatemalan filmmaker Jayro Bustamante is a mesmerizing fusion of fact and fable, a dreamlike depiction of the daily lives of Kaqchikel speaking Mayans on a coffee plantation at the base of an active volcano. Immersing us in its characters' customs and beliefs, Ixcanul chronicles, with unblinking realism, disappearing traditions and peoples.

Click here to learn more about the event and films >

The Abbe Museum and Reel Pizza Cinerama are partnering to present the region’s only Indigenous Film Festival during the Abbe Museum Indian Market, May 17-20. Each evening will feature films by and about Indigenous peoples, presenting stories often overlooked in the film industry. Tickets are $8 per film and will be available at the Reel Pizza box office.

Presenting a tale within a tale, this Australian film follows Dayindi (Jamie Gulpilil), a young aboriginal warrior, as he wanders the wilderness hunting for eggs. Dayindi hears a story told by his brother Minygululu (Peter Minygululu), which echoes his own situation. A man who lusts after his brother's wife, the character in the tale kills a member of another tribe and faces dire consequences, with the story's ending reverberating in Dayindi's own life.

Click here to learn more about the event and films >

The Abbe Museum and Reel Pizza Cinerama are partnering to present the region’s only Indigenous Film Festival during the Abbe Museum Indian Market, May 17-20. Each evening will feature films by and about Indigenous peoples, presenting stories often overlooked in the film industry. Tickets are $8 per film and will be available at the Reel Pizza box office.

When a prominent Kitasoo/Xai’Xais activist (Evan Adams) passes away, his 14-year-old niece Ella (Ta’Kaiya Blaney) makes it her mission to take his ashes home to Klemtu and stand in his place at a community gathering against a proposed pipeline that would bring oil tankers through their beloved homeland waters. Along for the journey are her aunt, cousin, and cranky uncle (Lorne Cardinal). Zoe Hopkins’s first feature film is a delightful family adventure that speaks to our hearts and minds about the importance of protecting our lands for future generations. 

Click here to learn more about the event and films >

The Abbe Museum and Reel Pizza Cinerama are partnering to present the region’s only Indigenous Film Festival during the Abbe Museum Indian Market, May 17-20. Each evening will feature films by and about Indigenous peoples, presenting stories often overlooked in the film industry. Tickets are $8 per film and will be available at the Reel Pizza box office.

Songs My Brothers Taught Me is a compelling and complex portrait of modern day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It explores the bond between a brother (John Reddy) and his younger sister (Jashaun St. John), who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home. The film sensitively infiltrates isolated Indian Country to offer a rare, modern gaze keenly felt through the eyes of its magnetic non-professional lead actors, presenting a universally resonant tale.

Click here to learn more about the event and films >

The Abbe Museum and Reel Pizza Cinerama are partnering to present the region’s only Indigenous Film Festival during the Abbe Museum Indian Market, May 17-20. Each evening will feature films by and about Indigenous peoples, presenting stories often overlooked in the film industry. Tickets are $8 per film and will be available at the Reel Pizza box office.

On the slopes of an active volcano in Guatemala, a marriage is arranged for seventeen-year-old María (María Mercedes Coroy) by her Kaqchikel parents. In this brilliant debut by Guatemalan filmmaker Jayro Bustamante is a mesmerizing fusion of fact and fable, a dreamlike depiction of the daily lives of Kaqchikel speaking Mayans on a coffee plantation at the base of an active volcano. Immersing us in its characters' customs and beliefs, Ixcanul chronicles, with unblinking realism, disappearing traditions and peoples.

Click here to learn more about the event and films >

Modeled after markets like the Heard and Santa Fe (SWAIA) , the Abbe Museum Indian Market is the first multi-day event of its kind in New England that invites Native American artists from across North America to participate, with the goal of developing Bar Harbor as THE destination for Northeastern Native Art .

Learn more through this link!

The Abbe Museum and Reel Pizza Cinerama are partnering to present the region’s only Indigenous Film Festival during the Abbe Museum Indian Market, May 17-20. Each evening will feature films by and about Indigenous peoples, presenting stories often overlooked in the film industry. Tickets are $8 per film and will be available at the Reel Pizza box office.

Songs My Brothers Taught Me is a compelling and complex portrait of modern day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation. It explores the bond between a brother (John Reddy) and his younger sister (Jashaun St. John), who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home. The film sensitively infiltrates isolated Indian Country to offer a rare, modern gaze keenly felt through the eyes of its magnetic non-professional lead actors, presenting a universally resonant tale.

Click here to learn more about the event and films >

The Abbe Museum and Reel Pizza Cinerama are partnering to present the region’s only Indigenous Film Festival during the Abbe Museum Indian Market, May 17-20. Each evening will feature films by and about Indigenous peoples, presenting stories often overlooked in the film industry. Tickets are $8 per film and will be available at the Reel Pizza box office.

In Maine, a historic investigation—the first government-sanctioned truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) in the United States—is the start of a bold journey. For over two years, Native and non-Native commissioners travel across Maine. They gather testimony and bear witness to the devastating impact of the state’s child welfare practices on families in Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot communities of the Wabanaki Nation.
The feature-length documentary DAWNLAND follows the TRC to contemporary Wabanaki communities to witness intimate, sacred moments of truth-telling and healing. With exclusive access to this groundbreaking process and never-before-seen footage, the film reveals the untold narrative of Indigenous child removal in the United States.

Click here to learn more about the event and films >

The Abbe Museum Indian Market Fashion Show highlights the work of Indigenous fashion designers who draw inspiration from their tribal identities to present their culture through a modern lens. This year's designers are ACONAV (Acoma Pueblo/Navajo), Ingrid Brooks (Mi'kmaq), Leslie Deer (Muskogee Nation of Oklahoma), Niio Perkins (Haudenosaunee), Dawn Spears (Narragansett/Choctaw). VIP tickets are available for purchase ahead of the event. VIPs will get exclusive seating during the fashion show and be invited to a reception directly after to mix & mingle with the designers, plus get to see the designs close up — all with some good food and beverages.

The Abbe Museum and Reel Pizza Cinerama are partnering to present the region’s only Indigenous Film Festival during the Abbe Museum Indian Market, May 17-20. Each evening will feature films by and about Indigenous peoples, presenting stories often overlooked in the film industry. Tickets are $8 per film and will be available at the Reel Pizza box office.

Presenting a tale within a tale, this Australian film follows Dayindi (Jamie Gulpilil), a young aboriginal warrior, as he wanders the wilderness hunting for eggs. Dayindi hears a story told by his brother Minygululu (Peter Minygululu), which echoes his own situation. A man who lusts after his brother's wife, the character in the tale kills a member of another tribe and faces dire consequences, with the story's ending reverberating in Dayindi's own life.

Click here to learn more about the event and films >

The Abbe Museum and Reel Pizza Cinerama are partnering to present the region’s only Indigenous Film Festival during the Abbe Museum Indian Market, May 17-20. Each evening will feature films by and about Indigenous peoples, presenting stories often overlooked in the film industry. Tickets are $8 per film and will be available at the Reel Pizza box office.

In Maine, a historic investigation—the first government-sanctioned truth and reconciliation commission (TRC) in the United States—is the start of a bold journey. For over two years, Native and non-Native commissioners travel across Maine. They gather testimony and bear witness to the devastating impact of the state’s child welfare practices on families in Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot communities of the Wabanaki Nation.
The feature-length documentary DAWNLAND follows the TRC to contemporary Wabanaki communities to witness intimate, sacred moments of truth-telling and healing. With exclusive access to this groundbreaking process and never-before-seen footage, the film reveals the untold narrative of Indigenous child removal in the United States.

Click here to learn more about the event and films >

The Abbe Museum and Reel Pizza Cinerama are partnering to present the region’s only Indigenous Film Festival during the Abbe Museum Indian Market, May 17-20. Each evening will feature films by and about Indigenous peoples, presenting stories often overlooked in the film industry. Tickets are $8 per film and will be available at the Reel Pizza box office.

When a prominent Kitasoo/Xai’Xais activist (Evan Adams) passes away, his 14-year-old niece Ella (Ta’Kaiya Blaney) makes it her mission to take his ashes home to Klemtu and stand in his place at a community gathering against a proposed pipeline that would bring oil tankers through their beloved homeland waters. Along for the journey are her aunt, cousin, and cranky uncle (Lorne Cardinal). Zoe Hopkins’s first feature film is a delightful family adventure that speaks to our hearts and minds about the importance of protecting our lands for future generations. 

Click here to learn more about the event and films >

Join us in celebrating the opening of the 2nd Abbe Museum Indian Market on Friday, May 17 at 5 pm with local cuisine, a special performance, and the opportunity to mingle with participating Native artists. And new for 2019 we will be having a People’s Choice and Artists Choice competition, you won’t want to miss it.

Join us on Friday May 17 from 10:30 am - 3 pm for a demonstration with renowned beadwork artist Karen Ann Hoffman, Oneida Nation of Wisconsin. This demonstration is part of a series of events from the Abbe Education Team celebrating the kick off of the Abbe Museum Indian Market (AMIM).

Karen Ann is a well-known raised beadwork artist from the Oneida Nation of Wisconsin and a beadwork student of Samuel Thomas and the late Lorna Hill, who also holds a Masters Degree in Human Development with an emphasis on Cultural Identity. Her beadwork is in the permanent collections of the National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI), the Wisconsin State Historical Society Museum, the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art in Kansas City, the Memorial Hall Museum of Deerfield, MA, the New York State Museum, and the Field Museum of Chicago. She has exhibited in Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, New York, and Massachusetts. An advocate for Native Arts, Karen Ann has curated opportunities to showcase Native art at museums and galleries across Wisconsin. She is a board member of the Wisconsin Arts Board where she chairs the Wisconsin Woodland Indian Arts Initiative.

Join Karen Ann at the Abbe Museum for a demonstration of her art and hear about her experiences at art markets like AMIM.

This program is free with the cost of admission and is open to the public at the Abbe Museum’s downtown location. Questions? Please contact us at educator@abbemuseum.org

In anticipation of the Abbe Museum Indian Market (AMIM), May 17-19, the Education Team is hosting specialized programs for visitors interested in learning more about Wabanaki artforms. Join us for an interactive talk in our Archeology Lab where we will bring out special items from our collection -- this month we are featuring Wabanaki artists who will be at this year’s market. Come see exquisite items and learn more about the artists you will meet at AMIM.

This is a free program open to the public. Space is limited, please register by emailing educator@abbemuseum.org

Join the Abbe Museum education team at Reel Pizza Cinerama for a celebration of Indigenous films each month as we gear up for the second annual Abbe Museum Indian Market Film Festival this May 17-20.

Our last film in the lead up series will be the award winning Before Tomorrow (2008).  The setting is in a small Inuit community in the Nunavik region of northern Quebec in the 1840s, the film stars Madeline Ivalu as Ninioq, an Inuk elder isolated with her grandson Maniq (Paul-Dylan Ivalu) after most of their community perishes from smallpox transmitted by strange traders. "Their adaptation moves the setting from northeast Greenland to northwest Ungava (Nunavik) and from the 1960s to the 1840s, when explorers and whalers began to trade with local Inuit and transmitted contagious diseases." The film was shot near Puvirnituq in Nunavik, northern Quebec.

 This is a free program with a suggested donation of $5. Have questions? Contact us at educator@abbemuseum.org.

In anticipation of the Abbe Museum Indian Market (AMIM), May 17-19, the Education Team is hosting specialized programs for visitors interested in learning more about Wabanaki artforms. Join us for an interactive talk in our Archeology Lab where we will bring out special items from our collections. This month we are featuring our staff’s favorite items from the collection -- these items are not currently on display and will be a unique opportunity for you and your family to learn about Wabanaki art.  

This is a free program open to the public. Space is limited, please register by emailing educator@abbemuseum.org

Join the Abbe Museum education team at Reel Pizza Cinerama for a celebration of Indigenous films each month as we gear up for the second annual Abbe Museum Indian Market Film Festival this May 17-20.

Our featured film in March is Kissed by Lightning directed by Shelley Niro (Mohawk). Mavis Dogblood is a Mohawk painter who keeps the memory of her dead husband Jessie Lightning alive through the recreation of stories he would tell her. Jessie was a musician whose compositions continues to haunt Mavis. Mavis has a potential lover waiting for her to absolve her grief and continue in the world of the living. Mavis is delivering a series of paintings to New York. On the trip to New York she decides to visit Jessie's grandmother Josephine. Here Mavis is given permission to love her friend and lover Bug.

 This is a free program with a suggested donation of $5. Have questions? Contact us at educator@abbemuseum.org.