When: June 13 – 14, 2026
Time: 11:00 am to 4:00 pm
Where: Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, 4472 Basin Harbor Rd, Vergennes, VT 05491
Cost: FREE, donations welcome
Directions: Click here for Google Map
Join Vermont’s Native American community for Abenaki Heritage Weekend and Native Arts Marketplace June 13-14 at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT.
Admission FREE. Rain or shine.
Citizens of Vermont’s Elnu, Nulhegan, Koasek, and Missisquoi Tribes share perspectives on life in the Champlain Valley. Storytelling, craft demonstrations, drumming, singing, and a children’s play area. Featured arts include jewelry, wampum, quillwork, stonework, woodworking, and more.
Bring a picnic and lunch while you listen!
For questions or accommodations, contact: [email protected]
To discuss sponsorship opportunities, contact: [email protected]
Presented through a partnership between Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, Abenaki Alliance, and Abenaki Arts & Education Center, and Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.
2026 Schedule
SATURDAY – JUNE 13th
Ongoing Activities until 4:00 pm
- Arts Marketplace (Boat Shed and on the Green)
- Art demonstrations in the Arts Marketplace (Boat Shed, on the Green, and in the Pinegrove)
- Children’s Activities: Abenaki Games, Make and Take (Boat Shed)
- Storytelling (Key to Liberty)
- Memory Art (Boat Shed)
11:00 – Greeting Song and Opening Remarks (Key to Liberty)
12:00 – Lunch and Listen: Nulhegan Abenaki Drum Group (Key to Liberty)
12:30 – Storytelling with Grandmother Willow Green (Key to Liberty)
1:00 – Mirror with a Memory. The Cultural bases of the Vermont Abenaki Legitimacy Debate, Frederick M. Wiseman, Ph.D. (Auditorium)
2:30 – Nulhegan Abenaki Drum Group (Key to Liberty)
3:00 – Storytelling with Chief Don Stevens (Key to Liberty)
3:30 – TBA
4:00 – Closing
SUNDAY – JUNE 14th
Ongoing Activities until 4:00 pm
- Children’s Activities: Abenaki Games, Make and Take (Boat Shed
- Arts Marketplace (Boat Shed and on the Green)
- Art demonstrations in the Arts Marketplace (Boat Shed, on the Green, and in the Pinegrove)
- Storytelling (Key to Liberty)
- Memory Art (Boat Shed)
11:00 – Greeting Song and Opening Remarks (Pine Grove)
11:30 – Storytelling with Chief Don Stevens (Key to Liberty)
12:00 – Lunch and Listen: Nulhegan Abenaki Drum Group (Key to Liberty)
1:00 – Earthshapers & Placemakers: Abenaki History in Deep Time, Margaret Bruchac, Ph.D. (Auditorium)
2:00 – Nulhegan Abenaki Drum Group (Key to Liberty)
2:30 – Storytelling with Grandmother Willow Green (Key to Liberty)
3:00 – Gallery Talk – Parley and Protocol, War and Peace gallery talk with curator Vera Sheehan (Schoolhouse)
4:00 – Closing
In the event of rain outdoor programs will be held in the Auditorium.
Schedule subject to change.
Native Arts Marketplace Vendors
- Linda Sheehan – Jewelry made from wampum
- Chief Roger Longtoe Sheehan (confirmed)
- Mike Descoteaux/Pat Leno: Drums, rattles, beadwork, jewelry
- Liz Charlebois – Birchbark biting and jewelry
- Willow Green – Jewelry, accessories, and rattles
- Victoria Barry – Beadwork and clothing
Cultural Tables
- Nulhegan Tribe – cultural information
- Abenaki Cultural Conservancy
- Greenfield Review Press/Bowman Books
- Vermont Abenaki Artists Association
- Abenaki Arts & Education Center
- Abenaki Health and Heritage
- Abenaki Language School
Art Demonstrations
- Making wampum beads from quahog shells
- Weaving wampum beads
- Wood Carving
Accessibility
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum is committed to making our museum visit accessible for all visitors. The Museum originally opened in 1985 and we have both historic and contemporary buildings on our grounds, all of which have an accessible entrance at grade level or with ramps. Approximately one-third of the Museum site consists of open grounds, which include gardens, grassy and natural areas, pine groves, picnic areas, gravel walkways, outdoor exhibits, and facilities for watercraft at North Harbor. Our waterfront is at the base of a steep gravel path and is not wheelchair accessible.
Partner With Us
Join us in supporting Abenaki artists!
Why Sponsor?
Sponsorship supports:
- Abenaki arts and culture programs.
- Free access to events.
- Visibility: Over 700 people attend the event annually. Your logo will appear on this page, on print materials (programs and event maps), and on social media posts.
- Allyship: Partner with the local Indigenous community on cultural and educational programming.
- Alignment: Arts, culture, and community wellness.
- Strengthened community connections and positive brand recognition.
How to Become a Sponsor
- Email Vera at [email protected]
- Download and complete the Sponsorship form
- Choose you sponsorship level
- Submit form and electronic payment through our fiscal sponsor’s secure website OR
- Scan QR code to make a secure payment through our fiscal sponsor’s website and email us your name or company name as it should appear .
Sponsorship Levels and Benefits
Platinum – Presenting Supporter $5,000
- Top-tier placement on all event materials
- Prominent recognition on sponsored event social media posts and website
- Verbal recognition during event
- Recognized at a Presenting supporter of the Abenaki Heritage Weekend
Gold – Lead Supporter $2,500
- Logo featured prominently on event materials
- Recognition on website and social media
- On-site recognition during events
Silver – Event Sponsor $1,000
- Logo on event materials
- On-site acknowledgement
- Social media acknowledgement
Bronze – Community Sponsor $500
- Name listed on event materials
- Social media acknowledgement
Custom sponsorship available upon request.
Vermont Abenaki Artists Association is supported by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ Cultural Sustainability program, made possible by the Wallace Foundation.
June 13 – 14, 2026, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
Kchi Wliwni (A Big Thank You) to our Supporters, Patrons, and Sponsors
Vermont Abenaki Artists Association is supported by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ Cultural Sustainability program, made possible by the Wallace Foundation.