Traditions Come to Life at Abenaki Heritage Weekend
June 14-15 at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
On June 14-15, citizens of the New England Abenaki community will gather at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum to celebrate their history and heritage, and the public is invited! Organized by the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, this free event is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
One of the highlights is the Native Arts Marketplace, where visitors can talk to artists, watch craft demonstrations, and purchase outstanding beadwork, paintings, jewelry, wampum, woodwork, leatherwork, drums, and other items.
“That’s what I love about this event – Abenaki people get to speak for themselves,” said Vera Longtoe Sheehan, Executive Director of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association. “Visitors get to have personal conversations with artists about unusual craft traditions, with scholars Frederick M. Wiseman and Margaret Bruchac, and other community members with deep knowledge of both new research and the lived experience of generations of Indigenous Vermonters.”
Throughout the weekend there will be activities of interest to everyone. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy singing and drumming by the Nulhegan Drum. Children and adults alike will enjoy storytelling by Nulhegan Chief Don Stevens. A Children’s Area will include hands-on projects where children can enjoy cultural learning or make a gift to bring home for Father’s Day.
For those who want to bring home some lasting memories, the variety and quality of work created by Abenaki artists is outstanding. In the Arts Marketplace you will find traditional arts handed down through generations, as well as contemporary art often inspired by tradition. Michael Descoteaux demonstrates the making of hand drums; Patrick and Morgan Lamphere showcase an abundance of carved wood and shaped stone; and Linda Longtoe Sheehan presents wampum jewelry, while Victoria Barry shares beadwork. Liz Charlebois creates designs with the little-known art of birchbark biting. Carol McGranaghan crafts jams and jellies from hand-picked wildflowers. On Saturday, basketmaker Kerry Wood demonstrates the traditional weaving of Ash splints, a centuries-old technique now threatened by the arrival of Emerald Ash Borer beetles.
For a deeper dive into Abenaki culture, browse book tables with works by Abenaki authors both scholarly and family friendly. Bring home the latest research or favorite classics.
A special exhibit, Deep Roots, Strong Branches will open during Heritage Weekend. Artwork and stories by a dozen American Abenaki artists reflect centuries of life in the Abenaki homeland and the resilience of Abenaki people during troubled times. Tour the exhibition with curator, Vera Longtoe Sheehan this weekend, and return to visit the exhibition all season.
Thanks to Vermont Humanities and Vermont Arts Council, for their sponsorship of the event. Vermont Abenaki Artists Association and the Abenaki Arts & Education Center are supported by New England Foundation for the Arts through the Cultural Sustainability program of the Wallace Foundation. For more information on Abenaki Heritage Weekend, visit: AbenakiArt.org/abenaki-heritage-weekend.
Vermont Abenaki Artists Association is supported by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ Cultural Sustainability program, made possible by the Wallace Foundation.
Join Vermont’s Native American community for Abenaki Heritage Weekend and Arts Marketplace June 14-15 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 children’s play area. Featured arts include jewelry, wampum, quillwork, stonework, woodworking, and more. Special presentations include new publications on Vermont Abenakis 1790-2020, Abenaki Beadwork, and gallery talk in new exhibition “Deep Roots, Strong Branches.”
Bring a picnic and enjoy the the day with us!
Presented by Vermont Abenaki Artists Association and Abenaki Arts & Education Center.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
SATURDAY – June 14th
Museum Hours: 11 am to 4 pm
Ongoing Activities until 4:00pm
Arts Marketplace (Boat Shed and on the Green)
Art demonstrations in the Arts Marketplace (Boat Shed and on the Green)
Children’s Activities: Abenaki Games, Make and Take (Boat Shed)
Storytelling (Key to Liberty)
Memory Art (Boat Shed)
Open Door Clinic – FREE health screenings [Diabetes and Blood Pressure check] (Pine Grove)
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 – Something of Value: the Vermont Abenaki Community 1790 – 2020 (Book Talk), 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 – Introducing the Abenaki Cultural Conservancy, Joanne Crawford
4:00 – Closing
In the event of rain outdoor programs will be held in the Auditorium.
SUNDAY – June 15th
Museum Hours: 11 am to 4 pm
Ongoing Activities until 4:00 pm
Arts Marketplace (Boat Shed and on the Green)
Art demonstrations in the Arts Marketplace (Boat Shed and on the Green)
Children’s Activities: Abenaki Games, Make and Take (Boat Shed
Storytelling (Key to Liberty)
Memory Art (Boat Shed)
Open Door Clinic – FREE health screenings [Diabetes and Blood Pressure check] (Pine Grove)
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 – Deep Roots, Strong Branches gallery talk with curator Vera Sheehan (Schoolhouse)
4:00 – Closing
In the event of rain outdoor programs will be held in the Auditorium.
Vera Sheehan – Deep Roots, Strong Branches Gallery talk
Joanne Crawford – Introducing the Abenaki Cultural Conservancy
Ongoing Activities
Children’s Abenaki Play Area (Ongoing)
Arts Marketplace (see vendors/artists list below)
Special Exhibit: Deep Roots, Strong Branches
Nulhegan Drum
Cultural Tables
Abenaki Cultural Conservancy
Margaret Bruchac – Book Table
Vermont Abenaki Artists Association
Abenaki Arts & Education Center
Vermont Abenaki Artists Association
Abenaki Arts and Education Center
Abenaki Health and Heritage
Abenaki Play Group
Arts Marketplace
Linda Sheehan – jewelry made from wampum
Chief Roger Longtoe Sheehan (Saturday only)
Patrick and Morgan Lamphere – Wood work, stone work
Kerry Wood: Ash Splint Baskets (Saturday only)
Mike Descoteaux/Pat Leno: Drums, rattles, beadwork, jewelry
Chief Don Stevens, Nulhegan Tribe – cultural information
Liz Charlebois – Birchbark biting and jewelry
Willow Green – Jewelry, accessories, and rattles
Victoria Barry – Beaded jewelry, ribbon skirts
Carol McGranaghan – Wildflower Jams and Jellies
June 14 – 15, 2025, 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.
On June 29-30 citizens of the American Abenaki community will gather at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Vergennes, Vermont to celebrate their history and heritage, and all are welcome! Organized by the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, this free, family-friendly event is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
Throughout the weekend there will be activities for all ages. Children and adults alike should not miss storytelling and book-signing by celebrated Abenaki author, musician and historian Joseph Bruchac on Saturday. All weekend, bring a picnic lunch. Enjoy singing and drumming by the Nulhegan Drum. A table hosted by the Abenaki Toddler Group welcomes families to stop by for storytelling, drumming, and free children’s books. Visitors can also participate in animal-tracking games and visit the “make and take” table.
Inspired by our three-year Storytelling Project, the VAAA’s Waolowzi Health and Wellness committee encourages the healing that is possible through community projects connecting with cultural heritage, arts, and education. VAAA has partnered with Abenaki Health and Heritage Inc. and Haven Heritage Productions to publish Always Coming Home, a graphic novel about an Abenaki family in the 1880s.
A new special exhibit, Deep Roots, Strong Branches, will open during Heritage Weekend in the Schoolhouse Gallery, and will be on view all season. “Abenaki culture is a complex network of people, places, relationships and ceremony that links the people with the living land,” says curator Vera Sheehan. “For this exhibit we have selected artwork and stories by contemporary American Abenaki artists that illustrate the resilience of the region’s Indigenous people.”
One of the highlights is the Native Arts Marketplace of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, where visitors can talk to artists, watch craft demonstrations, and purchase outstanding beadwork, paintings, jewelry, wampum, woodwork, leatherwork, drums, and other items. “The variety and quality of the work created by our Abenaki artists is outstanding,” said Vera Sheehan, Executive Director of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association. If you are looking to purchase a special gift or something new for your collection, be sure to visit the Native Arts Marketplace.”
VAAA’s Waolowzi Health and Wellness committee has partnered with the Open Door Clinic and Vermont Department of Health to host a pop-up clinic on site all weekend offering check-ups, referrals, and advice.
The Abenaki Heritage Weekend is organized in partnership with the Abenaki Arts & Education Center. Special thanks to Lake Champlain Maritime Museum for hosting this annual celebration since 2007, and the Vermont Department of Health for their support.
On June 17-18, 2023, citizens of the New England Abenaki community will gather at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum to celebrate their history and heritage, and the public is invited! Organized by the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, this free event is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
One of the highlights is the Native Arts Marketplace of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, where visitors can talk to artists, watch craft demonstrations, and purchase outstanding beadwork, paintings, jewelry, wampum, woodwork, leatherwork, drums, and other items.
“The variety and quality of the work created by our Abenaki artists is outstanding,” said Vera Longtoe Sheehan, Executive Director of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association. “Some of our artists create traditional art and some create contemporary art, often inspired by tradition. If you are looking to purchase a special gift or something new for your collection, be sure to visit the Native Arts Marketplace.”
Throughout the weekend there will be activities of interest to everyone. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy singing and drumming by the Nulhegan Drum — you may even be invited to drum with them. Children and adults alike should not miss storytelling by Abenaki author and historian Joseph Bruchac, and songs for the little ones with Francine Poitras Jones.
Artists in the Arts Marketplace include Michael Descoteaux demonstrating the making of hand drums; Elnu Abenaki Elder Jim Taylor making wampum beads from whelk and quahog shells; and Linda Longtoe Sheehan weaving wampum, an intricate process using the shell beads. On Saturday, meet basketmaker Kerry Wood. On Sunday, visit the “Make and Take” table, where children can make a gift to bring home for Father’s Day.
A new special exhibit, Beyond the Curve: The American Abenaki Covid Experience will open during Heritage Weekend in the Schoolhouse Gallery, and will be on view all season. Artwork and stories by 20 American Abenaki artists illustrate the impact of the pandemic in the Abenaki homeland and the resilience of Abenaki people during troubled times. Meet the curator, Vera Longtoe Sheehan, for a gallery talk.
Thanks to Vermont Humanities, Vermont Arts Council, and Vermont Department of Health for their sponsorship of the event. For more information on Abenaki Heritage Weekend, visit: AbenakiArt.org/abenaki-heritage-weekend.
Abenaki Heritage Weekend June 18-19, 2022 at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
Are you looking for a special experience to start the summer? On June 18th and 19th, citizens of the New England Abenaki community will gather at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum to celebrate their history and heritage and they are inviting you and your family to join them!
This free event will be open from 11am to 4 pm both Saturday and Sunday. One of the highlights is the Native Arts Marketplace of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, where visitors can talk to artists, watch craft demonstrations, and purchase outstanding beadwork, paintings, jewelry, wampum, woodwork, leatherwork, drums, feather boxes, and other items.
There are four state-recognized tribes in the state of Vermont. Each tribe is self-governed and operates as a sovereign tribe or band. The citizens of the tribes often gather at various functions to fellowship. A good example is the Abenaki Heritage Weekend, which will be held June 18 – 19 this year. To learn more about each tribe, please visit their website. The links are provided here:
Thank you to everyone who attended our 2024 Abenaki Heritage Weekend!
With your support in celebrating Abenaki culture & community we were able to have a wonderful gathering full of language, dancing, music, sharing stories and much more.
About the weekend…….
Vermont’s Native American community for Abenaki Heritage Weekend and Arts Marketplace gathered on June 29-30 at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum to explore Abenaki perspectives on life in the Champlain Valley. Activities included storytelling, craft demonstrations, drumming, singing, and more. Presented by Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, this event brings together citizens of the Elnu, Nulhegan, Koasek, and Missisquoi Abenaki Tribes.
The Open Door Clinic offered FREE health and wellness exams and was well attended.
As always, we are so thankful for the ongoing support from our sponsors and partners Vermont Humanities, Vermont Arts Council, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Abenaki Alliance, and the Abenaki Arts & Education Center.
Even though the weekend is over, you can still visit our newest exhibit, Deep Roots, Strong Branches, which will focus of Abenaki foodways, food security, and gardening throughout the centuries. The exhibit is in the schoolhouse at the museum.
On June 29 – 30, 2024, citizens of the New England Abenaki community gathered at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum to celebrate their history and heritage, and the public was invited! Organized by the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, this free event was open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Events scheduled for outside were moved inside when it rained, but the rain did not deter our 700+ guests!
One of the highlights of the weekend was the Native Arts Marketplace of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, where visitors could talk to artists, watch craft demonstrations, and purchase outstanding beadwork, paintings, jewelry, wampum, woodwork, leatherwork, drums, and other items.
“The variety and quality of the work created by our Abenaki artists is outstanding,” said Vera Longtoe Sheehan, Executive Director of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association. “Some of our artists create traditional art and some create contemporary art, often inspired by tradition. If you are looking to purchase a special gift or something new for your collection, be sure to visit the Native Arts Marketplace.”
Throughout the weekend there were activities of interest to everyone. The public was advised to bring a picnic lunch so they could sit and listen to singing and drumming by the Nulhegan Drum. Children and adults alike enjoyed storytelling by Abenaki author and historian Joseph Bruchac.
Following was the schedule for the 2024 Abenaki Heritage Weekend:
(subject to changes due to weather)
Following is information about some of the programs that were presented during the weekend:
Assigning Racial Birthright in Vermont 1900 – 1925
Join Prof. Frederick Wiseman as he discusses the early 20th century evidence for a significant Indigenous presence in the birth and other official records of Northwestern Vermont. Combining ethnohistorical research with genealogical standards of proof, Wiseman explores the bicultural social and cultural milieu that permitted state officials to judiciously pen an Indigenous Identity on various official Vermont documents. This new body of documentary evidence leads to a reconsideration of Northwestern Vermont social history and ethnicity just over a century ago.
Always Coming Home (Book Reading and Signing)
Join us for the story of the first in the series of four graphic novels designed for understanding and healing ethnic American Abenaki intergenerational trauma. Always Coming Home is a short story set in an old farmhouse nestled in the Vermont Uplands of the third quarter of the 19th century, and establishes a therapeutic baseline of comforting family, traditional technology, subsistence, and ceremony. The multi-generational family works, learns, gossips, eats, hunts, ice-fishes and dances together in ways that are only now being fully understood in light of the results of new cultural, technological, spiritual and environmental discoveries about the 19th century Vermont Abenaki experience. There will be a book reading as well. A limited number of hot-off-the-press copies of Always coming Home will be available for signing in the Pavilion throughout the day.
Who are the American Abenakis of Vermont? Heritage through Place, Voice, and Craft
Join Prof. Frederick Wiseman as he summarizes a neglected body of knowledge regarding written, genealogical, graphic, oral-historical, horticultural and material culture of the Vermont American Abenaki community. Using PowerPoint slides and demonstration, Wiseman discusses the high points of his decades of work on the three pillars of American Abenaki ethnic legitimacy: 1.) genealogy (also addressed in detail on Saturday), 2.) cultural continuity (a continuous historic presence in the region) and 3.) cultural competence (deep knowledge of local ancestral tradition). Some of this information is introduced in print in his two new books, Always Coming Home and American Abenaki Beadwork, as well as several new YouTube videos online.
Remembering The Dawn Land with author Joseph Bruchac (Book Reading and Signing)
The area we now refer to as Western New England has been the homeland of Native people for at least 10,000 years. Blending oral traditions, natural history, archaeology, cultural survival, indigenous language, and the living land itself, the author takes us back to that ancient time. The program will include discussion of the novel, its main characters, and the telling of some stand alone stories from the book.
American Abenaki Beadwork (Book Reading and Signing)
Join Prof. Wiseman at his table in the Pavilion as he introduces his new book, the first of a series of peer-reviewed publications detailing the unique arts of the American Abenaki Community. The book presents an entirely unstudied tradition of important and beautiful regional northeastern art, beginning around 1800 and persisting until modern times. Copies will be available for purchase.
The Abenaki Toddler’s Play Group
The children will lead a few drum songs accompanied by an elder. We will host a few storytelling sessions throughout the day. Free Indigenous-themed books will be provided at no cost to children that visit. HEART bags available by request. Contact [email protected] for more information.
Link for Accessibility information: ? For access questions, contact Elisa [email protected] or (802) 265-0092
For other questions, you may also email Francine at [email protected]
Vermont Abenaki Artists Association is supported by the New England Foundation for the Arts through the New England Arts Resilience Fund, part of the United States Regional Arts Resilience Fund, an initiative of the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with major funding from the federal CARES Act from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Juried Artist since 2013 – Master Artist: Fiber Art, Twined Bags, Weaving
Vera Longtoe Sheehan working on a twined basket.
Vera Longtoe Sheehan is an artist, educator, and activist who believes strongly in community service and giving back to the community so she has served on many committees and education initiatives over the years.
For more than 25 years, Vera combines the cordage-making and weaving skills she learned from her father in the production of her fiber art. Using materials such as milkweed, dogbane, and inner cedar bark she makes one-of-a-kind twined art that is both contemporary and ancient at the same time. Each innovative handmade object takes hours, days, weeks, or even months of complex weaving and knotting to complete.
Vera is committed to passing this endangered art form on to the next generation and beyond.
Artist Statement
My education in traditional fiber arts began when I was six years old. My father taught me about the plants and everything I needed to know about processing plant fibers and weaving.
As a child, I loved to go to museums but was discouraged by glass cases. So when I set up displays or do demonstrations at museums and schools, I always encourage the public to touch, smell, and listen to the sounds that my twined baskets, bags, containers, and textiles make. I want this art form to continue as a living, breathing art, not just a dusty basket in an archive or glass case.
With practice, I grew as an artist, so my passion grew as well, almost like jumping from one fire to another. I have worked with the natural fibers of milkweed, dogbane, and inner barks that I harvested and rolled myself; commercial hemp, jute, cotton, silk, wool, and finally with metallics and even plastic bags – and there seems to be an endless number of materials yet to be experimented with. The array of designs spins endlessly in my mind. Natural fibers are by far my favorite because of their spirit. I can be swept away by my textile projects, twisting and weaving are ever-inspirational.
My artwork is not available for sale to the public. Instead, I prefer to make pieces to give as gifts and lend to tribal governments, organizations, and citizens.
Water is Life – 2022 Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes. VT
Water is Life – 2023 Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington, CT
Water is Life – 2023 University of Vermont Medical Center, Burlington VT
Water is Life – 2023 Bixby Library, Vergennes, VT
Water is Life – 2024 Bixby Library, Vergennes, VT
Water is Life – 2024 Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
Water is Life – 2024 Ethan Allen Homestead, Burlington, VT
Water is Life – 2025 Chimney Point State Historic Site, VT
Beyond the Curve 2023-2024
2023 Beyond the Curve, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
2024 Mad River Valley Arts, Waitsfield, VT
2024 Chaffee Art Center, Rutland, VT
Deep Roots, Strong Branches 2024-2025
2024 Deep Roots, Strong Branches – Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
2025 Deep Roots, Strong Branches – Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
2009 to present
Contact of Cultures, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
2013 to 2018
Walking With Our Sisters, A Commemorative Art Installation for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women of Canada and the USA. The large collaborative art piece will be made available to the public through selected galleries and locations (Canada & United States)
2014 – present
Northeast Woodland Fiber Arts (Guest Curator and Artist), Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
Limited Engagement Exhibits (select list)
2019
I AM... Vermont Arts Council. Invitational exhibit. Montpelier, VT.
2016
Nebizun: Water is Life. Curator and artist. Vermont Abenaki Artists Association. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Vergennes, VT
Babaskwahomwôgan: The Spirit Game. Curator and artist. Vermont Abenaki Artists Association and Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
2017-2018
Alnobak: Wearing Our Heritage (traveling exhibit). Vermont Abenaki Artists Association and Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
2016
Parley and Protocol: Abenaki Diplomacy Past and Present. Curator and artist. Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Farmington, PA
Contemporary Wabanaki Art. Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
2015
Parley and Protocol: Abenaki Diplomacy Past and Present, Curator, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Vergennes, VT
Warmth and Protection. Curator and artist. Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
2014
Along the River, Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
All of My Relations (Guest Curator and Artist), Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
Traditional Sources, Contemporary Visions” – Invitational Group Art Exhibit. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
2013
Idle No More. Trickster Gallery, Schaumberg, Illinois
Featured Artist, Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington, CT
Containers. Mt Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
April 19 th, 2018, 7:00 pm – Wearing Our Heritage – Contemporary Abenaki artists and tribal members talk about the meaning of garments, accessories and regalia in their own lives and in the expression of community and tribal identity. This program was created by the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association in partnership with Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and Flynn Center for the Arts, supported in part by a grant from the Vermont Humanities Council. Charlotte Library, Shelburne, VT. Admission is free.
Every year the Abenaki Heritage Weekend offers opportunities for in promtu activities for the public to interact with the Abenaki community. Lina Longtoe of Askawobi Production captured a couple of these encounters.
Aaron Wood teaches two young people learn how to pound an ash log to produce ash splints for basket making.
