Nebizun: Water is Life, is a “living, breathing exhibition,” curated by Vera Longtoe Sheehan, founder of the Abenaki Art Association. The exhibition brings together artists from four recognized tribes from the Champlain Valley and the Connecticut River Valley for its fourth stop on a two-year tour. Nebizun (Abenaki for medicine, whose root nebi means water) metamorphosizes in each curatorial iteration. A vital part of Abenaki art and culture is stewardship of the land, N’Dakinna (our homeland). Explains Sheehan, “The Abenaki people know how essential water is to foodways, medicine, and everyday activities that may be taken for granted.”
Many works are influenced by activist elders. Nebizun is inspired by Grandmother Doreen Bernard’s ‘water walk’ from Nova Scotia to Maine to pray for an abundance of water. Another inspiration is the Standing Rock crisis and art activism by Grandmother Willi Nolan: “Our waters are our highways.” Only Native American people were at Standing Rock—the word was spread via social media. No Pipelines, a drawing by artist JES, was created to share through those channels. Francine Poitras Jones’ Water is Life painting is a direct expression of this protest, “…it was my reality…the painting flowed from me, much like the water that sustains life.”
The exhibition takes visitors through several watershed topics while mirroring Abenaki making and way of life. Traversing a long space, each stop works like a tributary. The exhibition is peppered with water facts that will make you pause the next time you make a cup of coffee, and more. Another tributary begins with images of creation and Standing Rock, then flows into the importance of wetlands as protectors highlighting duck-decoys made from cattails, netmaking, fishing implements and birch, a vital material in canoe making and creating “biting patterns” in pieces of art. At one end of the space is an arresting photo of ancestral rock carvings—petroglyphs of the faces in Bellows Falls, VT. The installation continues with beading and pottery, and concludes with detailed maps, calls to activism, and digital paintings Across the River by Hawk Schulmeisters that evoke pollution in water.
The above advertisement is an example of the type of promotion that may be given to juried artists who participate in shows. This one was designed by the gallery.
The best part about becoming a Juried Artist is knowing you’re a part of an organization that supports your art and culture. Juried Artists are eligible for benefits such as:
Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Darryl Peasley is for the most part a self taught arts and crafts person who creates contemporary style pieces. He uses his imagination to make his pouches, dance sticks and hats come to life.
Darryl started in 2003 by creating pouches made of deer skin with fringe with some edge beading, He made some dance sticks from tree branches that spoke to him and a turtle shell purse from a turtle shell that said …”make me into something special” and that’s what he did. Darryl started vending at Pow Wows and found people really liked his work. Then Darryl introduced top hats and derbies to the Pow Wow circuit at a New Hampshire Intertribal Council event. Soon Darryl was known as “The Hat Guy”.
In 2013, Darryl was awarded a NH Council for the Arts Folk Art scholarship that allowed him to apprentice under master bead worker Debbie Bazin Dostie. During his apprenticeship Darryl demonstrated loom beading at Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum during several of their events.
Artist Statement
I enjoy working with all sorts of media. I use leather, bone, glass beads and feathers. I use bone beads to create choker style hat bands. I use leather to create the different style pouches or a hat band and glass beads to put a decorative edge on a pouch or hat band. I like creating loom pieces on the loom I made for my apprenticeship. My biggest joy is when someone sees one of my creations and they enjoy it as much as I do…that makes my day!
Welcome to the heart of Abenaki creativity. Here, you have the power to choose your artistic journey, exploring the diverse expressions of our talented Abenaki artists. Select your path below and uncover the rich heritage embedded in each masterpiece:
1. Alphabetical Showcase: Embark on a journey through the names of our remarkable artists. This path connects you with the individuals behind the art, inviting you to discover their unique stories and inspirations.
2.Art by Medium: Immerse yourself in the magic of different artistic mediums – quillwork, wampum, paintings, and more. Each medium reflects a distinct facet of Abenaki creativity, transporting you into the heart of our culture.
3.Artist Memorial Pages: Pay homage to the artists who have left a lasting imprint on our community and culture. Through these memorial pages, we remember and celebrate their contributions, ensuring their artistic spirits remain alive in our hearts.
Your choice, your journey. Whichever path you choose, you’re engaging with the living legacy of the Abenaki people, a legacy that bridges the gap between tradition and innovation. Each brushstroke, beadwork, and creation tells a story – a story that becomes richer with every step you take.
Questions? Please contact Elisa by email [email protected] or call (802) 265-0092.
To read the story published by the New York State Writers Institute about this honor that has been given to Joe Bruchac, please click here.
On Tuesday, January 17, 2023, Joseph Bruchac was honored as the first Poet Laureate of Saratoga Springs at a ceremony that took place at 7 p.m. at Saratoga Springs City Hall, 474 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866. The Vermont Abenaki Artists Association is privileged to call Joseph Bruchac one of our own. His titles are many: author, writer, Doctor, poet, Tribal Elder, storyteller. His children’s books (and there are over 120 of them) can be found in most school libraries.
The impact of COVID-19 has been felt all over N’dakinna (our homeland) for over three years. Now we have an opportunity for Native American visual and performing artists to create and share artwork that expresses their response to the pandemic experience.
We are looking for Abenaki or Native American artists, musicians, and community members who can help to express the impact of this pandemic on ourselves, our families and community, through visual or performing arts, or simply sharing stories of personal experience and perceptions about the the COVID-19 global pandemic, vaccines, disparities, and access.
We are defining artwork in its broadest form. All artistic mediums are welcome. Paintings, collage, mixed media, carving, sculpture, fiber, weaving, pottery, poetry, photography, music, storytelling, dance, video…
The stories and artwork will be shared in an online exhibit about our experiences and will be considered for possible inclusion in a museum exhibit and educational materials.
Eligible Native American artists will submit artwork by December 31, 2022, with an artist statement that explains the artwork, and a brief intake form.
Check out the various links on this page to get help with having your artwork seen. These resources for artists can guide you in your endeavors as a successful artist.
December 5, 2022 – We are so honored that Abenaki and other Native American Families are trusting us with their family stories about vaccines, disparity, and access issues they are experiencing. During storytelling sessions, we provide participants with many different types of art materials to help them express themselves. Here is an example of a process drawing that was created during a storytelling session. What do you see when you look at it?
We are looking for Abenaki or Native American artists, musicians, and community members to help express the impact of this pandemic ourselves and our local community through visual or performing arts, share stories of personal experience and perceptions about the COVID-19 global pandemic, vaccines, disparities, and access.
All artistic media are welcome: painting, collage, mixed media, carving, sculpture, fiber, weaving, pottery, poetry, photography, music, storytelling, dance, video, & more . . .
Contact Us! If you are interested in submitting work or would like more information, email [email protected] or call (802) 265-0092.
November 15, 2022 – We are grateful to everyone who is participating in the Abenaki Storytelling Project. We’ve spent months collecting stories and artwork about the Native American COVID experience in Vermont. The stories are like legos that come in different sizes and shapes.
October 20, 2022 – Our team attended the Mending Ourselves, Together conference at the UVM Davis Center, Burlington and we share our community initiative with healthcare professionals interested in health equity.
August 19 – 20, 2022 – We set up a memory booth at the Nulhegan Heritage Gathering, Camp Sunrise Cub Scouting Camp. Community members created artwork and shared their COVID memories.
October 1, 2022 – Visit the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association’s Storytelling booth at the Indigenous People’s Day Rocks event in Stowe on October 8th. Mayo Farm Fields, Stowe, VT.
August 3, 2022 – We are excited to announce we will be gathering stories and artwork about the Native American COVID experience in Vermont at the Nulhegan Abenaki Gathering at Camp Sunrise Cub Scouting Camp. Stop by our booth and tell us your story. Artwork and stories will inform an upcoming traveling museum and digital exhibition.
July 15, 2020 – Are there incentives for participating in the Abenaki COVID-19 Storytelling Project Memory Booth? Recently, we were asked if there are any incentives for participating in Abenaki COVID-19 Storytelling Project Memory Booth. Individuals who participate in the Memory Booth may select their choice of either an I support the Abenaki t-shirt or an insulated drink cup. There are monetary incentives available for one-on-one storytelling or focus group storytelling sessions.
Insulated cup – incentive for participation in the Abenaki Storytelling Project
T-shirt – incentive for participation in the Abenaki Storytelling Project
June 20, 2022
VAAA’s Executive Director Vera Longtoe Sheehan did a presentation about the Abenaki COVID-19 Storytelling Project at the annual at Abenaki Heritage Weekend, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT. After the presentation, people flocked over to the Memory Booth seeking more information. We collected stories and artwork from more than 18 Native American people!
June 13, 2022
The VAAA Storytelling Project will be hosting a Memory Booth at various community events around N’Dakinna (our homeland). The Memory Booth is a place where Abenaki people can create artwork and tell their stories to promote health and wellness. This year, we are processing our thoughts and feelings about the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccines, disparities, and access. VAAA will have a Memory Booth set up at our annual Abenaki Heritage Weekend on June 18-19, 2022. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.
Like everyone else in the world, the Abenaki community has been greatly affected by the global pandemic and the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association is no exception. VAAA’s Abenaki Storytelling project will “allow us to explore this period of our history in a way that hasn’t been done before. Abenakis will tell and interpret their own experience about the pandemic and vaccination intake,” says VAAA Executive Director Vera Longtoe Sheehan.
May 25
We are excited to share the logo for our banners and website.
Storytelling Project logo
May 15, 2022
What is the Abenaki Storytelling Project?
The Abenaki Storytelling Project is a community-based arts and storytelling project that focuses on Native American strength and resiliency. The project is led by Vermont Abenaki Artists Association (VAAA), a Native American arts organization that serves the public by connecting them to Abenaki educators and artists from the visual, performing, and literary arts. VAAA has special expertise in working with Abenaki artists and incorporating their arts and storytelling into public programs, cultural events, and museum exhibitions. VAAA uses insights from Native American arts and storytelling to uplift Abenaki voices and perspectives in the interpretation of museum exhibitions, education resources, and in health equity.
FYSE 1570: Native Presence and Performance – 13 May 2021
Due to the length of this narrative, it will be introduced in two parts over a period of two weeks. This is part two.
Therrien also illustrated the book My Bring Up, which was a memoir written by her mother Shirly Hook and published in 2019. Therrien worked closely with her mother in order to create from memory the most accurate portrayals of different aspects of Hook
FYSE 1570: Native Presence and Performance – 13 May 2021
Due to the length of this narrative, it will be introduced in two parts over a period of two weeks. This is part one.
Amy Hook Therrien is a local artist who specializes in watercolor painting and is a citizen of the Koasek Traditional Band of the Koas Abenaki Nation. Therrien grew up with her family in Chelsea, Vermont in a house overlooking the valley, and surrounded by nature. She graduated from Randolph Union High School and, with the support and encouragement of her parents, attended the University of Maine in Orono to study art. She considers herself very lucky to have such a supportive relationship with her family. While at the University of Maine in Orono she majored in fine art and specialized in painting and sculpture. Therrien moved back to Vermont after graduation, and is living in Windsor with her husband Alex, along with their bunny and two dogs. When she isn
In spring 2021, Vera Longtoe Sheehan (Elnu Abenaki) met with the students of “Native Presence and Performance: Reclaiming the Indigenous Narrative,” a first-year seminar offered by Middlebury College. After the meeting, Longtoe Sheehan recommended the students interview and write about VAAA affiliated artists. This blog post is one of a series that were created for that project, respectfully submitted by a student who self-identifies as non-Native.
Due to the length of this narrative, it will be introduced in two parts over a period of two weeks. This is part two.
Annabelle Wyman 24.5 – Middlebury College
Native Presence and Performance – 1 June 2021
Melody also uses cultural weaving to move forward from the injustices of the past. When I asked her about the Abenaki history with colonization, she shared the advice of her Chief, Roger Longtoe Sheehan, on rebuilding traditions through the analogy of a broken puzzle. Their community is still trying to piece the puzzle together today, but the painting is different so you can never piece the original one together. However, the ancestors knew that life was going to change, so it is okay for the picture to change, because some traditions no longer fit into the current native culture. Melody thinks that the important thing to ask is
In spring 2021, Vera Longtoe Sheehan (Elnu Abenaki) met with the students of “Native Presence and Performance: Reclaiming the Indigenous Narrative,” a first-year seminar offered by Middlebury College. After the meeting, Longtoe Sheehan recommended the students interview and write about VAAA affiliated artists. This blog post is one of a series that were created for that project, respectfully submitted by a student who self-identifies as non-Native.
Due to the length of this narrative, it will be introduced in two parts over a period of two weeks. This is part one.
Annabelle Wyman 24.5 – Middlebury College
Native Presence and Performance – 1 June 2021
Melody Mackin is a wonderful finger weaver, diligent activist, ardent educator, and devoted member of the Elnu Abenaki Tribe. In March of 2021, I had the privilege of speaking with her about this work and what she believes are the important aspects of Abenaki culture and history. Melody was taught to weave by two of her community members, Linda Longtoe Sheehan and Rose Hartwell, both of whom provided her with information on different facets of weaving. She explains that Linda taught her about the value of deliberate, slow, and methodical work while Rose taught her the intricacies of the craft and helped Melody to develop her own style of finger weaving. In the Abenaki community, finger weaving is deeply interwoven with the personality of the artist. The artist who creates the project incorporates their own techniques and methods to the process that bring their own style to the piece. Weaving has not changed much over the thousands of years it has been in existence, and members of the Abenaki community continue the tradition by using the same patterns, techniques, and materials as their ancestors to create a nearly identical product. However, the projects that are completed today are often very different than the ones of the past. Many products that were originally needed are not necessary today. Instead of ceremonial sashes, modern weavers have created pieces such as cell phone cases; beautifully connecting modern needs with traditional practices.
When Melody first began learning, there were only a limited number of finger weavers left in the community. She used her new skills to teach others in her family and the community, which then helped the number of weavers to multiply. She also took the time to teach non-native people from outside of her community in schools and at gatherings (most notably the Affirming Traditions Conference) in an effort to raise awareness about indigenous art forms. As Melody began to teach weaving to other members of her community, she came to a realization: her students were creating amazing products their first or second time weaving. She explains that her ancestors showed her that she was meant to be a teacher and should use her skills to educate others about the Abenaki community.
In her book Decolonizing Methodologies, Linda Tuhiwai Smith introduces twenty-five indigenous projects that serve to help Native communities in their attempts to conduct research and renew their tribal identities and culture. She explains that Protecting is a project used to ensure the continuation of oral and cultural tradition. Melody exemplifies this project by using her knowledge and passion for teaching to share her skills with her community and thus protect the art of finger weaving from extinction. As she began to explore her passion for teaching further, Melody worked at Johnson State College where she taught Abenaki history, culture, and spirituality, and Native American history and culture. After Johnson State College, she taught a class called
Let’s Connect: Reach Out to Vermont Abenaki Artists Association. We’re thrilled to hear from you and to engage in meaningful conversations. Whether you have questions or feedback or simply want to learn more about Vermont Abenaki Artists Association contact us to start the conversation.
18th Century Abenaki Couple
General Inquiries: Have a question about our programs, events, or mission? We’re here to provide you with the answers you’re seeking. Feel free to contact us, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can.
Collaborations and Partnerships: If you’re interested in collaborating with us, exploring partnerships, or contributing to our initiatives, we’re excited to explore the possibilities together. Let’s discuss how we can create a meaningful impact.
Feedback and Suggestions: Your insights matter to us. If you have suggestions, ideas, or feedback that could help enhance our offerings, we’re all ears. We’re committed to continuous improvement, and your input is invaluable.
Stay Connected: Connect with us through the channels below to stay up-to-date with our latest news, events, and initiatives. We look forward to connecting with you and sharing the journey ahead.
Book an Exhibition: If you’re interested in bringing one of our traveling exhibits to your location, we’re excited to hear from you. Our exhibits offer a unique opportunity to immerse your community in the richness of Abenaki artistry and culture.
We’re here to make meaningful connections and to ensure your experience with us is rewarding and informative. Please contact our Program Coordinator Elisa with any questions or access needs and she will forward your message to the appropriate person.
In spring 2021, Vera Longtoe Sheehan (Elnu Abenaki) met with the students of “Native Presence and Performance: Reclaiming the Indigenous Narrative,” a first-year seminar offered by Middlebury College. After the meeting, Longtoe Sheehan recommended the students interview and write about VAAA affiliated artists. This blog post is one of a series that were created for that project, respectfully submitted by a student who self-identifies as non-Native.
Due to the length of this narrative, it was introduced in three parts over a period of three weeks. This is Part Three.
Meet our Artist of the Year for 2022 – Amy Hook-Therrien – a gifted watercolor artist. Amy was chosen by her peers for this prestigious award in 2019 to be featured for the year 2020. Due to the pandemic, the VAAA was not able to celebrate Amy’s achievement. Please join us in celebrating Amy’s artwork now and throughout 2022.
Amy is a native Vermonter, originally from Chelsea, she grew up nestled on top of a hill overlooking the valleys below. She was surrounded by nature and beauty. She graduated from Randolph Union High School with a passion for art. She went on to college at the University of Maine in Orono majoring in fine art with a focus in sculpture and painting. After graduating with a BFA from UMaine she moved back to Vermont and she and her husband bought a house in Windsor. When she is not creating art Amy loves to travel, hike, garden, and spend time with her family.
I love painting with watercolor. When I first started working with the medium it made me nervous not to be able to control it, but in time I learned to love the uncontrollable chaos of it. I use pen to add fine details, giving my paintings more structure. I mix my paint loosely so that it separates slightly giving the painting texture. I love to paint things from nature, waterfalls, trees, plants, stones, it allows me to be freer in my painting style, nothing ever looks exactly the same in nature. You can fall in love with the imperfect, a flower missing a part of its petal, a tree with a broken branch. Painting in nature is always exciting, and exploring it is my passion.
Please enjoy this gallery of Amy’s outstanding artwork . . .
These pieces have been sold, but they are great examples of Amy’s incredible talent.
Winter No. 2Summer No. 3Summer No. 1
The following paintings are all available. Please contact Amy if you would like to purchase her art.
The Cardinal and Tufted Titmouse were painted in 2020 and the others were painted in 2021.
The Birds are all 8″x10″, Spring Birch is 8″x16″ and the View from Little Ascutney is 29″x37″.
CardinalTufted TitmouseThorned Blue BirdSpring BirchView from Little Ascutney
These paintings are available at Collective – The Art of Craft in Woodstock, VT through September. These are all for sale through the gallery. They are all watercolor w/ pen & ink. Ascutney and Winter Chill are 8″x16″ and Winter No. 3 is 11″x22″. They were painted in 2020
In spring 2021, Vera Longtoe Sheehan (Elnu Abenaki) met with the students of “Native Presence and Performance: Reclaiming the Indigenous Narrative,” a first-year seminar offered by Middlebury College. After the meeting, Longtoe Sheehan recommended the students interview and write about VAAA affiliated artists. This blog post is one of a series that were created for that project, respectfully submitted by a student who self-identifies as non-Native.
Due to the length of this narrative, it will be introduced in three parts over a period of three weeks. This is Part Two.
In spring 2021, Vera Longtoe Sheehan (Elnu Abenaki) met with the students of “Native Presence and Performance: Reclaiming the Indigenous Narrative,” a first-year seminar offered by Middlebury College. After the meeting, Longtoe Sheehan recommended the students interview and write about VAAA affiliated artists. This blog post is one of a series that were created for that project, respectfully submitted by a student who self-identifies as non-Native.
Due to the length of this narrative, it will be introduced in three parts over a period of three weeks. This is part one.
By Faith Wood. Middlebury College. Class of 2024 Native Presence and Performance (First Year Seminar Course)
In spring 2021, Vera Longtoe Sheehan (Elnu Abenaki) met with the students of “Native Presence and Performance: Reclaiming the Indigenous Narrative,” a first-year seminar offered by Middlebury College. After the meeting, Longtoe Sheehan recommended the students interview and write about VAAA affiliated artists. This blog post is one of a series that were created for that project, respectfully submitted by a student who self-identifies as non-Native.
Poitras Jones believes the United States government has not done nearly enough to heal the wounds it has inflicted upon Indigenous peoples. She
By Faith Wood. Middlebury College. Class of 2024 Native Presence and Performance (First Year Seminar Course)
In spring 2021, Vera Longtoe Sheehan (Elnu Abenaki) met with the students of “Native Presence and Performance: Reclaiming the Indigenous Narrative,” a first-year seminar offered by Middlebury College. After the meeting, Longtoe Sheehan recommended the students interview and write about VAAA affiliated artists. This blog post is one of a series that were created for that project, respectfully submitted by a student who self-identifies as non-Native.
Due to the length of this narrative, it is being introduced in three parts over a period of three weeks. Thisis the second part.
By Faith Wood. Middlebury College. Class of 2024. Native Presence and Performance (First Year Seminar Course).
In spring 2021, Vera Longtoe Sheehan (Elnu Abenaki) met with the students of “Native Presence and Performance: Reclaiming the Indigenous Narrative,” a first-year seminar offered by Middlebury College. After the meeting, Longtoe Sheehan recommended the students interview and write about VAAA affiliated artists. This blog post is one of a series that were created for that project, respectfully submitted by a student who self-identifies as non-Native.
Due to the length of this narrative, it will be introduced in three parts over a period of three weeks.
Even at 72 years old, Francine Poitras Jones of the Nulhegan Abenaki tribe plays an active role in teaching through creation. Dressed in her traditional regalia, she often volunteers to visit the classroom to teach students about Abenaki games, songs, culture, and language. Her BlueWolfCrafts Etsy page boasts over 170 items of Native American hand-crafted items, from jewelry made with Wampum shells she herself gathered, to leather pouches and moccasins. Francine does not limit herself with just one or two mediums.[1] For example, in two-dimensional works, her art spans from acrylic painting, to sketches with India ink, to creating with watercolors. For as long as she can remember, Francine has loved and been naturally inclined to creating.
Support the Heart of our Culture: Your Generous Donation Makes a Difference.
Join us in preserving and celebrating the Abenaki culture through your contribution, enabling us to continue our impactful programs, cultural events, educational initiatives, and the creation of new exhibitions. Every donation is a vital investment in the legacy we cherish.
Questions? Please contact Elisa by email [email protected] or call (802) 265-0092.
Donate Online
To donate to the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, please click on the button below. It will take you to a secure form. You will receive a receipt from the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum and thank you notes from both the Museum and VAAA.
To mail a donation with a check, please click on the button below to download the Donation Form, fill it out, and mail it to the address on the form with your check. Make checks payable to our fiscal sponsor Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.
Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Lisa Ainsworth Plourde brings a career of 28 years of teaching visual arts with a BA in art education along with her passion for knowledge of the people of N’dakinna. Of Abenaki heritage, she has acquired knowledge through research and interaction with Abenaki elders; a lifelong journey.
Lisa is ardent about bringing to life the traditions and art of the Abenaki people, past and present, and in doing so also bringing a better understanding of this proud and very much alive culture. Lisa’s fine art practice includes graphite, ink and conte crayon drawing and acrylic and watercolor painting.
Her journey of discovery has brought to her a practice of many different traditional art forms, as in native culture, items for everyday living are functional as well as beautiful. Hide and fur, birch bark, feathers, shells, quills, and beads create objects that bring a connection to the environment as well as create a sense of peace. In her teaching of children, Lisa has been successful with replacing traditional materials with ones that are inexpensive and readily found while exhibiting examples of her own made with traditional materials. During this creative process Lisa speaks to all aspects of life, survival, kinship, respect, and a love of all things, while working to dispel the ravages of colonization and stereotype.
Artist Statement
I grew up in southern NH and discovered art at an early age, always knowing that I wanted to be an educator. I was employed by the Goffstown School district for 28 years. During that time, I raised two daughters and took in commissioned artwork in various mediums. Upon early retirement, I moved back to my family’s ancestral homeland of the Northeast Kingdom on Maidstone Lake, in the heart of N’dakinna. Here I have been able to focus on my connection to the land and Alnobak. Exhibits may be in my future; but, currently I feel that educating and showing the children of Vermont about the Abenaki and our art is my contribution.
Gourd with dreamcatcher and deer antlers made by Jeanne Morningstar Kent
Traditional arts are listed on the left of the page and contemporary artforms are listed on the right side. They are listed by media.
Artists are organized by media and skill level*.
See definitions of skill levels below.
Click on the artist’s name to view their profiles, images of their art, artist bios, and artist statements.
*ARTIST SKILL LEVELS*
MCB = Master Culture Bearers have a superior skill level, mentor emerging artists, exhibit their artwork internationally, and have received awards for their artwork or work with and for the community.
M = Master Artists have practiced their craft for at least 10 years are familiar with the history of their art form. They have exhibited their work, offer workshops and lectures.
J = Journey Person have practiced and sold their craft for at least 5 years.
Crafts-person (C) = Craftspeople are can either be self-taught or had some lessons but they are not doing an apprenticeship with a Master Artist. They do not have the technical expertise to be considered for the Journeyman or Master Artist categories.
A = Apprentices are in the process of learning their craft.
Enrolled Citizen of the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi
Juried Artist since 2017
Carol Billings McGranaghan has served the community as a member of the Vermont Commission on Native America Affairs. She is also a culinary artist who follows the traditions of her grandmothers who taught her about wild edible plants. She uses this knowledge of regional edible plants to create her one of a kind jams and jellies.
Artist Statement
I was born and raised in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. My parents and grandparents taught me about plants, gardens, and “living off the land.” My interest in plants really started with my paternal Grandmother showing me the different wild flowers and what they were for, which were edible and how to care for them so they could continue for generations. Mom made chokecherry and apple jelly – the reason I started researching wild flowers and herbs to make my own products. Each season brings yet more to find and more to learn about, which provides an ongoing learning experience.
I also do beadwork. That interest was initiated at my other Grandmother’s knee. She showed me how to weave seed beads, string beads using patterns and colors to tell a story and how to use natural materials as beads. I have been selling my handmade beaded jewelry on Etsy for several years now. I am currently learning how to weave baskets, both in traditional and non-traditional designs.
I have participated in many panel discussions about Abenaki subjects, from wearing our heritage to women’s roles today, the history of Abenaki survival from colonization to the trauma of the Vermont eugenics survey and present day ethnic mascots. I teach my grandson about smudging, our plants/animals and the traditional stories so he will have an understanding of Abenaki history, to be proud of it, and to pass it on to others when he’s older.
I was appointed to the Vermont Commission of Native Affairs in 2016. I was elected Vice-Chair in 2017 and Chair in 2018-2019, 2019-2020, and 2020-2021. In 2018, one of my first projects was to have the items which were gifted to Vermont at the time of State recognition for the four Abenaki tribes installed as a permanent display in the Vermont State House. In 2019, with the assistance of the Friends of the State House, we held a celebration on the State House lawn for the opening of the display, the declaration of Abenaki Heritage Week and for Indigenous Peoples’ Day being passed into law. I provided training sessions to the State House tour guides so they would have a better understanding of Abenaki history. In 2020, I worked with the legislature to have Abenaki names added to state park signs. In 2021, members of the VCNAA and I provided testimony in behalf of the eugenics survey apology and in support of schools who were attempting to change their ethnic school mascots.
I have worked closely with Carol Irons, another member of the Commission, to present and teach basic Abenaki history, culture, and customs to both adults and students as part of the Abenaki Cultural Regeneration project. I welcome the opportunity to share this learning with others who are interested.
When artists join VAAA their work is juried and they are classified into one of the following four categories. Artists may also request their artwork be reevaluated annually or after receiving appropriate awards.
Master Culture Bearer (MCB)
Birchbark Moose Caller made by Aaron York
Master Culture Bearers are few and far between because this distinction requires superior skill level, mentoring Abenaki apprentices, and emerging artists using traditional Abenaki epistemology. They have exhibited their artwork internationally, and have earned awards for their artwork or work with/for the Abenaki community. They have a long-standing record of service to their community, VAAA, and the arts and humanities organizations. Some may also have academic credentials that support their traditional knowledge. Anyone applying for this level must provide a resume of their achievements, photo samples of their work and original pieces to be examined if requested. By this time in their career, they should be well known throughout the region. (Please note that this is a new category.)
Master Artists (M) Most Master Artists are culture bearers that are bringing traditional arts to the next generation. They must be knowledgeable about the history of their chosen art form, how to harvest and prepare the necessary materials. They have their own style, create original pieces, not replicas. Their work is increasingly original, and they may be increasingly pushing the boundaries of their chosen medium, and they have designed and taught classes and workshops about their medium. Their art is sought after by museums, galleries, and collectors. Master Artists must also be available as a jurist for new artists coming into the category of their art form. Anyone applying for this level must provide a resume of their achievements, photo samples of their work and original pieces to be examined if requested. By this time in their career, they should be well known throughout the region. A journeyman who has been selling their pieces professionally may apply to be juried after ten years. Application does not guarantee designation of a title.
Journeyman (J)
Sterling silver cuffs made by Paul-Rene Tamburro
The minimum requirements to being a Journeyman are to have practiced a craft for at least five years. They have achieved technical proficiency but are still developing their style, and they make professional looking pieces that are of high quality to sell. Some Journeymen may be beginning to exhibit their works and be thinking about teaching workshops. Apprentices are eligible to apply for this level after three to five year period as an apprentice, but they must show significant growth in their skill and creativity before they apply to be re-juried for this designation or title.
Craftsperson (C)
Craftspeople are can either be self-taught or had some lessons but they are not doing an apprenticeship with a Master Artist. They do not have the technical expertise to be considered for the Journeyman or Master Artist categories.
Apprentice (A)
Four turtle shell rattles with fur on handles made by Michael Descoteaux.
Apprentices are taking their first step on their journey as an artist. They are in the process of learning about the tools and techniques of their craft. During this stage, their work may appear primitive or inconsistent in quality. Through practice, they are developing proficiency. Some apprentices are studying with VAAA Master Artists while others are learning from other culture bearers. Apprentices can also be self-taught through research, trial, and error. Although apprenticeship typically lasts a few years, they will not automatically move on to the next level. They must request that the VAAA committee required them. If successful they will move on to be a Journeyman and if not they may remain Apprentices for a longer period. Kits may never be used during the jurying process.
Thank you for your interest in applying to be a juried artisan with the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association (VAAA). Our mission is to promote Vermont’s Indigenous arts and artists, to provide an organized central place to share creative ideas; professional development; and a have a method for the public to find and engage Abenaki artists.
How to request a VAAA application? Email [email protected] to request an application form. Please provide your name, contact information, Abenaki Tribal affiliation, and Tribal ID number. After your status as a citizen in a state-recognized Abenaki tribe is confirmed, we will send you an application packet with more details and directions.
Please prepare to have good-quality photos of your craft/art, an artist statement, and biographical information about yourself as an artist, such as how you learned what you do and where you may have exhibited it.
Who is responsible for jurying new VAAA artists? The VAAA jury is comprised of four artists, one from each recognized Abenaki Tribe. Two have degrees in fine art, and two are traditional artists. Master Artists and Consultants are also called upon to help jury art within their area of expertise. When a VAAA artist applies to be juried or is nominated for an award, they must recuse themselves from voting, and a consultant is appointed in their place.
How can I apply to be rejuried into a new category or artistry group? Submit a letter describing your request with 3 to 5 high-resolution images of your work and an updated artist statement. Email your request to [email protected]
The following links for a variety of tutorials are provided to aid our artists in writing important documents such as an Artist’s Statement and an Artist’s Biography. You can also get good information on how to write a resume.
This page provides links to information about joining the VAAA, such as how to apply, how VAAA artists are juried, our various levels, our awards, and professional development information.
Melody Mackin is an educator, mom, and artist. She works at the Atowi Project. She received her master’s degree in History from the University of Vermont in May 2011. Melody has taught at several institutions an adjunct professor, such as Northern Virginia Community College and taught the History of Western Civilization and US History.
Prior to this, she was an adjunct professor at Champlain College through the EHS Division. Before that, she was an adjunct professor at Johnson State College where she taught “Native American Worldview and Spirituality,” “Native American History and Culture,” and “Abenakis and Their Neighbors.” She gives lectures on a variety of topics, including Abenaki history, women’s issues, and Abenaki political history.
She has done ground breaking research on Abenaki Spirituality and is heavily involved in the Abenaki cultural revitalization movement. She works with museums and lectures in both the K-12 and collegiate level classroom on topics relating to the Eastern Woodlands and indigenous history.
Melody is a traditional finger weaver, photographer, ribbon work, beadworker, and interprets wampum belts.
Artist Statement
I am an Abenaki historian and I am in love with stories. The finished pieces that I create whether it is a beaded bag or a breechclout with ribbon are created with spirit. They tell my story but they also tell the story of my people. In each stitch I think about the hands that have come before me using the same techniques with the same type of materials. Most importantly, I think of the hands that will create the same artifacts in the future and honor the culture that lights the path through time that we all walk. I spend a lot of time teaching Abenaki history and culture but the artifacts that I shape are the physical manifestations of what being Abenaki means to me. They represent pride, generational love, talent, resiliency, and ultimately they tell a story of survival.
Weaving a thread through the 7 generations, Melody Walker, TEDx Stowe Melody Walker gives an incredibly powerful and touching insight into rebirth of the Abenaki Elnu tribe. Finding pride in each other and hope for the future, Melody weaves a beautiful talk about finding one’s place in creation and community.
Native History Month Program Coordinator, Champlain College, November 2016. Lectured in Native American Leadership and completed Cultural Awareness Training for Diversity Programmers
Affirming Traditions Conference Coordinator, Mt. Norris Boy Scout Reservation, October 22, 2016
Camel’s Hump Middle School Lecture/Workshop, Lake Carmi: Abenakis Throughout History and storytelling/drumming workshop over the campfire on September 24, 2016
Mount Norris Boy Scout Frontier’s Camp: Full days of arts and crafts workshops for a week long camp June-July 2016
Abenaki Heritage Weekend Lecture, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum: “Bringing History to Life” on June 27, 2015
Chittenden County School System: Personhood Lecture for educators and parents on June 24, 2015
Mount Norris Boy Scout Winter Camp: Full day of drumming workshops on March 7, 2015 for students traveling from all over New England
Encounter – Vermont Indigenous Culture for the Classroom: Full day lecture on November 9, 2014 for teachers from a variety of schools held at Endeavour School
Abenaki Heritage Weekend Presentation: “Haven Project: Seeds of Renewal,” June 28-29, 2014
Abenaki Spirituality: Class lecture at Middlebury College on January 21, 2014National Native Seeds School,MA: “Seeds of Renewal,” January 2014
Nancy Millette Doucet Memorial Lecture Series Presentations: Various full day lectures twice a semester regarding cultural revitalization topics, 2012-2014
Lead Like a Beaver Speaker Series Presentation: “A Shifting of the Glass: Indigenous Perspectives on Leadership,” December 2013
Echo Center Harvest Fest: “The House That Raven Built Storytime with Melody Brook” & “Fingerweaving with Melody Brook,” November 29, 2013
Champlain College Native American Heritage Month Presentation: “Native American Identity,” November 2013
UVM Native American Heritage Month Presentations: “Walking in Two Worlds” and “Rethinking Thanksgiving,” November 2013
UVM Continuing Education Diversity Series Presentation: “Identity in the Workplace Through an Abenaki Lens,” May 2013
UVM Abenaki Heritage Week Presentation: “Against the Darkness: Indigenous Identity Through the Ages,” April 2012
Lake Champlain Basin Program Love the Lake Series: “Abenaki Heritage Center – Haven Project,” February 2012
VASS Conference Making Sense of the World: “Haven Project: A Virtual Museum,” December 2011
Echo Center Indigenous Summit, Co-Coordinator, November 2011
Old Stone House Museum Time Traveler’s/Children’s Camp: “Abenaki History & Culture,” Summer 2009 & 2010
Lyndon State College My Story Matters Conference: “Walking in Two Worlds: The Wabanaki Experience,” Keynote speaker, April 2009
St. Michael’s College VT Quadricentennial Indigenous Conference, Co-Coordinator, May 2009
Film & Radio
Miricle, Irene, “Changeling, AKA Dawnland.” Miricle Girl Productions. 2009. DVD
Reger, Deborah. Moccasin Tracks . Recorded February 15, 2013. WGDR 91.1 FM . Web
Timrick, Ted. “Before The Lake Was Champlain.” Hidden Landscapes. 2009. DVD
Wiseman, Frederick M. Ph D. “1609: The Other Side of History.” 2009. DVD
Wertlieb,Mitch. “Interview: El-Nu citizen Melody Walker ” Recorded March 27,2009, Vermont Public Radio
“Vermont Indigenous Celebration: Abenaki Singers – Interview with Abenakis Walker & Melody Brook – Abenaki Dancers, Takara Matthews & Josh Hunt.” Recorded July, 11, 2009. Channel 17. Web
Awards
Cum Laude Honors (undergraduate)
ALANA Leadership Award (undergraduate)
2009 Ally of the Year Award from the UVM Greek Community.
Affiliations
Atowi Project
Vermont Abenaki Artists Association
Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs, Vice Chair (2010-2012 and 2016-2017)
Native American Quadricentennial Advisory Committee (2008-2009)
WAOLOWZI Minority Health and Wellness Program (2006-2009)
Vermont Women’s History Project Steering Committee (2005-2007)
Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Juried Artist since 2014
Lori Lambert, PhD, DS
Lori Lambert is a scriptwriter, photographer, writer, and researcher. In her spare tine she follows her passion of beading. She has been beading for over 20 years. She learned her craft from the elders on the Flathead Indian Reservation, especially Rachel Bowers and Edna Finley, and from the great granddaughter of Wooden Legs, a Cheyenne Warrior.
She believes that anyone can learn to bead and that anything can be beaded. It takes patience, and a good sense of what the colors can express. She says, “It is important to have a peaceful heart and calm mind otherwise the work will have bad karma.” At Salish Kootenai College, where she is a professor and the Head of the Native American Studies Department, she has taught students to bead stethoscopes, medallions, dance dresses, and even moccasins. In addition to beading, Lori loves doing research, writing, traveling, and hosting television programs for KSKC-TV. She lives on the Flathead Indian Reservation in western Montana with her husband, Dr. Frank Tyro and their band of sled dogs.
Artist Statement
Although I enjoyed drawing and writing since I was a child, I never thought of myself as an artist. To me artists were musicians, painters, dancers and their work was shown in museums or theaters. After I married my husband Frank, I paid more attention to Native cultural arts and took courses in reservation arts at Salish Kootenai College, where I teach. Many of my friends are amazing bead workers and I continually aspire to their level of perfection.
I have written and published six books. They are all on amazon.com. My latest book is entitled “Research for Indigenous Survival: Indigenous research methodologies in the behavioral sciences.
My husband Frank is filmmaker and broadcast engineer. As the scriptwriter, we have collaborated on several projects all of which won various awards from “Best Documentary Short” “Aurora” “Aurora Platinum.”
Over the years I have learned that art is writing, bead working, powwow dancing, and script writing and doesn’t necessarily have to be shown in a museum or a theater.
My most recent book, Children of the Stars: Indigenous Science Education in a Reservation Classroom was written in coordination with Ed Galindo. It is the story of students and a teacher, courage and hope. Written in a conversational style, it’s an accessible story about students who were supported and educated in culturally relevant ways and so overcame the limitations of an underfunded reservation school to reach great heights.
All of my Relations: Faces and Effigies from the Native World – Invitational Group Art Exhibit. Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
Western Montana Fair: Blue Ribbon for Katiya’s beaded harness
Art show at the Sand piper Art Gallery in Polson Montana
Salish Kootenai College Art exhibit/ Faculty Art exhibit
Selected Publications
Lambert, L. (2014). Research for Indigenous survival: Indigenous research methodologies in the behavioral sciences. Pablo: Salish /Kootenai Press
Lambert, L. (2011). Two-Eyed Seeing: Indigenous Methodologies in Psychology. Paper accepted: International Congress for Qualitative Research
Lambert, L. (2011). Two-Eyed Seeing: Indigenous Methodologies in Psychology. Paper presented for the Eberhard Wenzel Oration. Australian Health Promotion Association Conference, Cairns, Qld, Australia
Lambert, L. (2011). Historical Trauma and Environmental Degradation as Health Disparities for Indigenous People.Keynote paper presented Health Promotion Association of Australia, Cairns, Australia
Lambert, L. & Toby, R. (2009). Gungalu Warrior Dreaming: The biography of Robert Toby senior. Rockhampton, Queensland, Australia (Unpublished Manuscript at the Request of the Family)
Lambert, L (2008). In Our Own Voice: 12 Narratives focusing on culture and health for Grades 8-12. Seattle, WA: University of Washington
Lambert, L.,Wenzel, E. (2007). Issues in Indigenous Health in Critical Issues in PublicHealth. Ronald Labonte and Judith Greene (Eds). Routledge
Lambert, L. (2005). Paper presented at the Canadian Aboriginal Science and Technology Conference, Cape Breton, Canada: Distance Education Providing College Courses for Remote Aboriginal students
Lambert, L (2005).Cheyenne Daughter. Bloomington, IL: Authorhouse
Lambert, L & Walsh, C. (2002). Heart of the Salmon, Spirit of the People: Ethnicity, Pollution, and Culture Loss. Bloomington: Author House
Lambert, L.A. (2001). International Union for Health Promotion and Education Journal: Promotion and Education. Vol. viii/2-4. American Indian Partnerships: Historical and contemporary
Lambert, L. (2000). Keepers of the Central fire: Issues in Ecology for Indigenous Peoples. New York: National League of Nursing Press
Lambert, L. (1996). Through the Northern Looking Glass: Breast Cancer Stories told by Northern Native Women. New York: National League of Nursing Press
Awards & Honors (select list)
2014: Conference Chair: American Indigenous Research Association Conference
2013: Conference Chair: American Indigenous Research Association Conference
2013:
Founder and member: American Indigenous Research Association
Member: Indigenous Studies Research Network. Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Queensland
Tapestry Institute, Longmont, CO: Board President
2013: The International Women’s Leadership Association: Woman of Outstanding Leadership.
2012: American Indian College Fund Faculty of the Year for Salish Kootenai College
2011: American Indian College Fund Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Fellowship Award for Faculty Research
2009 Award: Outstanding Contribution to Distance Learning and Adult Education. The North Carolina State University
2009 Fulbright Scholar: China (6 weeks)
2005: Aurora Award- Platinum Best of Show Cultural Documentary: Lambert, L. & Tyro, F. (2003) Sacred Salmon. Documentary Produced by Salish Kootenai College Media Productions. Frank Tyro, Director, Lori Lambert, Script Writer.2003: Faculty Fellowship Award: United States Department of Agriculture, Foreign Agriculture Service 2002: Faculty Development Award: Center for Theology and the Natural Sciences
2002: Faculty Development Award: Canadian Embassy
2001: Sloan –C National Award for “Excellence in Asynchronous Teaching”
2001: Nominated for Outstanding Employee of the Year: Salish Kootenai College
1999: Course Award: Center for Theology and the Natural Science, Berkeley, Calif.: Science and Religion : Environmental Science and Indigenous Religions.1995 American Society for Canadian Studies in the United States: Nominated for the Distinguished Dissertation Award
1996: Canadian Embassy Research Grant
1995 The Union Institute: Nominated for the Sussman Award for Distinguished
Dissertation
1994: Canadian Embassy Graduate Student Fellowship
1988: The Schuylkill Center for Environmental Education, Philadelphia, PA: Board Award.
1982: Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, PA: Outstanding Graduate Award.
1980: Temple University, Philadelphia, PA: Outstanding Graduate Award 1980
1979: Gladys Pearlstein Humanitarian Award: Montgomery County Community College, Blue Bell, PA
Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Juried Artist
June Roberts Wesley
June Roberts Wesley, like many artisans before her, had an affinity for drawing and painting. No surprise her favorite class in school was Art Class! She had an eclectic interest in many mediums, including silversmithing and painting. During her high school tenure she began to explore more traditional Native art forms and bought her first beading loom.
She attended her first pow wow at Dartmouth college and was enthralled with a whole new world opening up for her. She was fortunate to have her early work on display at an All Native art show for high school students and one of her drawings was chosen to be the graphics on the pow wow poster for the Dartmouth event.
June has settled into the sewing and designing of dance outfits using applique as her “paint”, creating colorful contemporary powwow dance clothes for dancers all over the US and Canada, including a former Miss Indian World. She also enjoys beading and sequin work. She is currently working on a traditional fully beaded top for a client as well as other custom orders. She is also helping to make a traditional Apache dress for a young lady’s Sunrise Ceremony, a coming of age celebration for Apache girls as they come into womanhood.
June lives in Arizona with her husband Fred in the beautiful Apache homeland enjoys the always dramatic surroundings in the Southwest desert.
Artist Statement
I have always been drawn to color and being able to design and sew powwow dance outfits or bead items for a living is pretty extraordinary! My mom always encouraged me, even allowing me to paint murals all over my bedroom. ..how cool is that for a little girl? Get me in a fabric store or bead shop and I just get excited at the possibilities…..
I am so grateful to those who enjoy my work and to those who encouraged me through the years, especially my friend Amisa Yellowbird who spent countless hours with me, teaching me new techniques and brainstorming ideas.
Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Juried Artist since 2015
Jon Manitouabe8ich is a well-known graphic artist and musician with a heart for serving the Native community. His creative and unique style of art is sought by many businesses and organizations for designing logos and advertising for marketing campaigns. As a musician, he and his band create a variety of music in many different languages – an artistic approach that causes his music to be appealing to a wide range of interests.
Jon is now working on refining his skills in jewelry-making as well as crafting other types of Native American items. His strong desire to hold to the customs of his family is evident by all he does.
Jon Manitouabe8ich is also a writer. With six books published at Éditions Kizos, the writing work has taken up much of his interest and time. Literary essay, initiatory novel, tales, the collection grows from year to year. You can find the links on his Facebook page.
Artist Statement
I’ve been creating art since I was born. My parents taught me the basic techniques and I quickly develop my own work methods. I studied graphic design in which I hold a diploma. Since then I make my living in art.
In addition to this work, I also create music. In 2007, I founded the music band called Black Lizards. I have a recording studio so I can create music with other amazing artist. In this circle everyone is equal and I refused to take center stage. My vision is that each one of us is a part of a circle and nothing is possible without each other. Our music has no particular style. The songs are written in different languages so that everyone feels comfortable. Since the beginning of the adventure with the Black Lizards, I had the chance to invite several artists to participate to share the same vision of Love, Compassion and Gratitude.
The earth is loaned to us and we need to improve it as a legacy to our children. It is only trough the transmission of values such as respect for others that we will find balance in this world so that we may live in harmony. These values that we teach others must come from within ourselves.
Jim Taylor – Photo courtesy of Adam Sings in the Timber
I am a Tribal Councilman and citizen of the Elnu Abenaki Tribe of Southern Vermont which recently was granted State Recognition after years of battling with both the State & Federal Governments. I also descend from the Eastern Cherokee my Fathers people who reside in Kentucky.
Artist, Eastern Quillworker, & Wampum, I have been involved with various art forms since I was a small child, with the help from my recently deceased maternal Aunt she fostered the talent the Creator blessed us both with.
I am currently employed as a Graphic Designer designing Police, Fire, Federal, & International Law Enforcement badges; for past 28 years.
I currently reside in Rhode Island with my wife Claudine and two daughters, Ashley age 22 and Jillian age 16 along with our Golden Retriever Abby. My Tribal duties in Vermont do take me away from home many weekends throughout the year which my wife is very understanding. The many reasons are is it’s what’s needed to build a better future for the next 7 generations of my people; I thank her and my 2 girls for their patience and understanding.
I have been doing Eastern style quillwork for the past 26 years along with other various native related beadwork and crafts and most recently learning how to create wampum beads from quahog & whelk shells. My quill work began when I became more involved with Living History/ Native Interpreting at French & Indian Living History events. The Abenaki played an important role as Allies with the French during that period. As I became more proficient, my quillwork became more sought after by other Living History people as well as other Native people.
My quillwork has been featured in numerous articles and magazines & books; also my work has been displayed in the Mingei International Museum of Folk Art in San Diego, CA, and currently I have an Underwater Panther bag on permanent display in the American Museum of Natural History in New York City, NY. My work has also have been in various local Art shows in RI as well.
I hope to continue doing quill work and to become more proficient in the wampum bead work as well, my hope is to pass this onto future generations of youth within my tribe along with possibly getting future grants to allow me to travel west to Washington State to share how to do quillwork and wampum making with Native Artists in the Communities there with the hope of learning some of their traditional crafts like Cedar Hat making and Cedar carving to share with my tribe Elnu and others here on the East Coast.
Future work:
I am currently trying to organize a Multi-Eastern Tribal Canoe Journey on the Connecticut River beginning at its head waters in Canada to where it spills out into Long Island Sound. This Journey will be mirrored to the same one held annually out west in Washington by the Salish Coastal peoples. My hope is that this will be a Journey to inspire our youth to make them stronger physically, mentally as well as spiritually; this will be a journey for ALL ages. We along with others here in New England hope to have a smaller version to start with by sometime next year; I urge all eastern peoples / Tribes to contact us if they are interested in being part of this hopefully Annual event. We can be reached via Facebook at Kwinitekw Canoe Journey https://www.facebook.com/groups/248209231873305/ or my Email at [email protected]
Alnobak: Wearing Our Heritage. Traveling Exhibit. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.
2016
Parley and Protocol: Abenaki Diplomacy Past and Present. Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Farmington, PA.
2015
Parley and Protocol: Abenaki Diplomacy Past and Present. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Vergennes, VT.
2014
First Light: Native American Artists from New England, The Flanagan Campus Art Gallery, RI
Traditional Sources, Contemporary Visions – Invitational Group Art Exhibit. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
All My Relations: Faces and Effigies from the Native World – Invitational Group Art Exhibit. Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
2013
Like Breathing: Native American Beading and Quillwork. Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
2012
Quilled Underwater Panther Bag. American Museum of Natural History, NYC, NY
2000
Arrow of the Spirit. Mingei International Museum, San Diego, CA
Publications
Jones, Paul R. “Quillworkers 2: The Tradition Continues.” Muzzleloader, Nov/Dec 1999, 40
Dubin, Lois Sherr. North American Indian Jewelry and Adornment: From Prehistory to Present Concise Edition, Harry N Abrams Incorporated, NYC, NY. 2003. 71
Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Master Culture Bearer (MCB) – Juried Artist since 2013
Jeanne Morningstar Kent
Jeanne Kent was named Spozowialakws (Morningstar) by an Abenaki Elder many years ago. It means: “One who leads others out of the darkness into the light…a teacher.”
She is an enrolled citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation of Vermont, and also descended from Nipissing, Montagnais, and Algonquin People from the Quebec area of Canada. Her father was French and Indian; her mother was German. Her art work contains Native American symbols and designs of the Northeast Woodland People with a focus on the Wabanaki group. Her medium is gourd art. Currently, she is working on a series of gourd designs which she hopes will provide a visual language for the woodland people.
In 2024, Jeanne was raised to the artisan level of Master Culture Bearer (MCB). To learn more about this prestigious designation, please click here.
“There is something wonderful about putting one’s hands into the soil to plant the seed, nurturing it until the blossoms form, then protecting them until they develop into natural canvases upon which to work my art, ” she said. “Working with gourds is a combination of my art and heritage bound together in a spiritual journey with Mother Earth.”
She has received both state and national awards and participated in one man shows, and group shows through out CT, NY, NH, and MA. Her work has sold internationally via her website. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree and a Master in Art Education from the University of Hartford. Additional courses were taken at Johnson College, VT; Smith College, MA; Trinity College and Yale Campuses, CT, and the Woodstock School of Art, NY. She taught art in public schools for twenty years transversing levels from kindergarten to college. As teacher and artist, she has given in-services on Native crafts and history, to educators, acted as a mentor for student teachers, and offered courses at the University of Hartford Extension Service.
Morningstar serves as an interpreter at the Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington, CT, where she has also lectured and given workshops. One of her gourd rattles is part of their permanent collection. Other permanent collections containing her work are the Chimney Point Museum (VT) and the Roger Williams University (RI). Many pieces are in private collections.
“I have been drawing since I could hold a pencil,” she said. “Once I made a mark, I never stopped experimenting.”
Her work has been shown at the Millbrook Gallery and Sculpture Garden (NH), the Artworks Gallery, (CT), McDaniels-Wiley Gallery, (CT), the Gallows Book Store and Gallery at Trinity College(CT) and the Bushnell Theater Gallery (CT). She was invited to participate in an invitational group show in Boxboro (MA) at the New England Native American Institute which hosted the show: “Walking Between Two Worlds.” She currently shows her work at the Autumn Light Gallery in Avon, CT.
She recently offered lectures and workshops at the Institute for Native American Studies, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, the University of Connecticut, the Naugatuck Community College, the ECHO Maritime Museum (VT) and numerous social groups.
Affiliations include the Institute for American Indian Studies, (CT), the American Gourd Society, the Northwest Connecticut Arts Council, and the Connecticut Commission on the Arts and the French Genealogy Library (CT).
“Although I am continuously walking between two worlds, I consider myself fortunate for having found a balance between my ancestral cultures.”
The artist is a recognized Abenaki Artist and enrolled Member of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation of Vermont with work housed in the following permanent collections:
Smithsonian’s National Museum of American Indian Studies, imagiNATIONS Activity Center, New York, New York
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
Mount Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH, Permanent Collection
Institute for American Indian Studies Permanent Collection, Washington, CT
Roger Williams University, Bristol, Rhode Island
Chimney Point Museum, Addison, VT, Permanent Collection
Part of the permanent collection of Abenaki Cultural items at the Burlington International Airport, Vermont.
Exhibits, Lectures and Demonstrations
2021
“Abenaki People Emerging From the Ashes”, show and sale, Villages Gallery, Contoocook, NH
Group Show, Bennington Museum, Bennington, VT
On line presentation on The Visual Language of Wabanaki Art for the Institute for American Indian Studies
Video Interview by Museum of American Indian Studies. 2021-Installed as Member of the Board of Trustees at the Institute for American Indian Studies
Installed as Member of the Board of Trustees at the Institute for American Indian Studies
2020
Featured on Mt. Kearsarge Indian museum Blog “Being Native is Both Inborn and a Way of Life”
2019
Group show office of Bernie Sanders, Washington, DC
Selected by Institute of American Indian Studies to have painted portrait added to their Hall of Elders
Spring and Winter Shows at the Whiting Mills Studios, Winsted, CT
Board Member of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association
2017
Alnobak: Wearing Our Heritage. Traveling Exhibit. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.
2016
Parley and Protocol: Abenaki Diplomacy Past and Present. Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Farmington, PA.
2015
Parley and Protocol: Abenaki Diplomacy Past and Present. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Vergennes, VT.
2014
“Traditional Sources, Contemporary Visions” – Invitational Group Art Exhibit. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
All of my Relations: Faces and Effigies from the Native World – Invitational Group Art Exhibit. Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, N.H.
2013
Containers. Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
Reading Native Art. Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH
Artist. Autumn Light Studios And Gallery, CT
New England Now!: Celebrating six years of NEFA’s Native Arts
Presenter: Ward Hertmann House Museum, Savin Rock, West Haven,
CT Village Docent, Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington
Open Your Eyes, Studio Tour, Litchfield, CT
EDUCATION
Presenter at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, Ledyard, CT. University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT B.F.A. and M.A., Ed.
Additional Coursework: Johnson State College, VT
Smith College, Amherst, MA
Northwest Community College, Winsted, CT
Woodstock School of Art, Woodstock, NY
School of Fine Arts and Theater, NY, NY
Article: Indigenous Arts, Cultural Survival Quarterly
CRAFTS
Chimney Point Museum, VT
ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center , Burlington, VT
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum Show
VT Indigenous Celebration, Burlington, VT
Hammonassett Indian Festivals
AWARDS
2O12 Native Arts Grant. New England Foundation for the Arts.
PUBLICATIONS
Author of “The Visual Language of Wabanaki Arts”, published by History/Acadia Press, which discusses history and meanings of some of the designs used by the Wabanaki people.
Kent, Jeanne. Gourds: Seeds of Inspiration, Jeanne Kent publication, Winsted, CT (out of print)
Lavin, Lucienne, Connecticut’s Indigenous Peoples: What Archaeology, History, and Oral Traditions Teach Us About Their Communities and Cultures. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT. 2O13.
Photos of my work included in “Connecticut’s Indigenous People, Their Communities and Cultures, Then and Now” by Lucienne Lavin. Published by Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History and Yale Press.
Affiliations
Vermont Abenaki Artist Association, Committee Member
Institute for American Indian Studies, Native Advisory Board, Committee Member
Enrolled Citizen of the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi
Juried Artist since 2013
Fred Wiseman teaches Wabanaki decorative arts, ceremonial oratory, dance and song based on historical precedent, but adapted for modern venues and audience.
His most recent (2010-) work focuses on the choreography, stagecraft, regalia and ceremonial accoutrements for dances and ceremonies associated with the agricultural and ceremonial calendar, from Winter solstice observances through spring planting ceremonies, to the various sun dances through the green corn and harvest supper observances. However, in the past, he has worked in other media and formats from “fashion shows” to ceremonial gaming, to the crafting of arms and armor.
Fred uses whatever is necessary to accomplish the goal, from set (stage) design to rock and shell carving to clothing to video and printed word.
Artist Statement
I am a scholar and artist whose purpose is to connect the Indigenous Peoples of Vermont and their environs to their stylistic heritage by all means necessary, whether it be through film/graphic arts, the performing arts or the decorative arts. Professional goals and objectives revolve first around repatriation, the converting of written data, or archival music artifacts and imagery held by Euroamerican institutions into formats and systems of knowing usable by Indigenous people and organizations for cultural reclamation and revitalization. Second, it incorporates tradition and revelation as guideposts in this work. Third it incorporates going beyond recaptured tradition to synthesize antique materials and motifs with the contemporary, to envision an alternative, syncretic stylistic world that could answer –“what if Genocide of Northeastern Natives had been less complete?” Southwestern and Plains Native styles rooted in deep time arts tradition flourish in the West, why not allow this to happen in Indigenous Vermont?
My work is not available for sale to the Euroamerican public, it exclusively produced for tribal governments, organizations and citizens and lent or given at no cost to the recipient. The artist’s designs and productions, ranging from regalia to wampum belts and collars belong to the Pleasant Point and Indian Township Governors (ME), The Citizens of the Aroostook Band of Micmacs (ME), the Grand Chief of the Seven Nations at Akwesasne (NY), and the Chiefs and Tribal Councils of Missisquoi, Nulhegan and Koasek (VT).
However, my work has been exhibited and studied over the years at the various venues listed below.
Belt on staff made by Dr. WisemanPaleo-Indian Sea-Mammal hunter, complete with mountain grizzly claw headdress, bladder (imitation) waterproof tunic, Arctic-phase bobcat knife case; hickory, mammoth-ivory and stone repeating harpoon with hemp lanyard. Designed by Frederick Wiseman.Wabanaki (Micmac) style Pipe. Catlinite bowl, ash wood stem, blue jay, yellow flicker and owl feathers, red ribbon.
Exhibit, event and performance history:
1994 “The Spirit of the Abenaki.” Chimney Point Historic Site. Jewelry and sculpture.
1994-1995 “The Light Of the Dawn.” Chimney Point Historic Site. Jewelry and wood sculpture
1995
“Shamans, Magicians and the Busy Spider” Rochester Museum of Art. Rochester, NY. Jewelry and wood sculpture.
“Abenaki Dawn” American Indian Institute. Washington, CT. Jewelry and wood sculpture.
1996
“Light from the Dawnland” San Diego Museum of Man. San Diego, CA. Jewelry and wood
sculpture.
1998- 2008 Abenaki Tribal museum, Swanton, VT (All museum installations)
1999 The Great Council Fire Performance. The Akwesasne Cultural Center (NY)
2001
“Wabanaki Wampum” Old York (ME) Historical Society. Wampum belts
“Notes from the Underground” Shelburne Museum. Stone wampum, wood
2001 Kanien’kehaka Raotitionhkwa Culture Centre (Kahnawake QC) “Seven and Six (Nations) Exhibit.
2001-2003 New Hampshire Historical Society Museum, various exhibits and event)
2004 “Wabanaki Memories. Missisquoi Valley HS Stone, Wampum, wood.
2004 Museé des Abénakis (QC) (my materials are on permanent exhibit there.)
2005
Great Council Fire Exhibition Museé des Abénakis. Wampum and stonework.
“Against the Darkness” Screened at the Museé des Abénakis (Odanak, QC), March 22, 2005
“Against the Darkness” Screened at Mashentucket Pequot Museum. Mashentucket, CT. Oct. 16, 2005
“Against the Darkness” (35 Minute digital video) Screened at the Vermont Archaeological Society, Oct. 1, 2005
2007
“The Material Heritage of 17th Century Vermont. Lake Champlain Quadricentennial “Workshop” St. Michael’s College, June 13, 2007
2007-2013 The Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, June, Indigenous Heritage Celebration (also my materials are on permanent exhibit there.)
2008 Passamaquoddy Section of the Downeast Heritage Museum, (ME) (my materials are on permanent exhibit there)
2010 ECHO Science Center and Lake Aquarium, Materials of Culture: 10,000 years of Abenaki Attire (also my materials are on permanent exhibit there.)
2010
Indian Township Museum (ME), (my materials are on permanent exhibit there.)
Wapohnaki Museum (ME) “Language and Object” Exhibit and Discussion.
2011 “Before the Lake Was Champlain” Screened at the New England Antiquities Research Association Conference, Burlington, VT. October 2011
2013
“1609:the other side of history.” Screened at the Swanton 250th Anniversary
“Dinner and a Movie” Program. Swanton, VT, April 28, 2013
2014
Traditional Sources, Contemporary Visions – Invitational Group Art Exhibit. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
All My Relations: Faces and Effigies from the Native World – Invitational Group Art Exhibit. Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH.
2015
Parley and Protocol: Abenaki Diplomacy Past and Present. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Vergennes, VT.
2016
Parley and Protocol: Abenaki Diplomacy Past and Present. Fort Necessity National Battlefield, Farmington, PA.
Publications
1987
Mapping antiques. Maine Antique Digest, Waldoboro ME. Feb. 14-15C.
Folk art and antiques: a different view. Maine Antique Digest, Waldoboro, ME
The case of the peripatetic candleholder. Maine Antique Digest, Waldoboro, ME July 34-35 B.
1990 Some Queen Anne furniture of the Federal Period. Maine Antique Digest, Waldoboro ME
Jan.1991
“The Colchester Jar” pp. 98-99; “Quillwork trinket box; thimble cover, notions basket and pincushion”; “Beaded reticule” pp. 178-183; “Rectangular bark container”, pp. 204-205; and “Tipi and canoe”, pp. 216-217. In Graff, N.P.
Celebrating Vermont: Myths and Realities.University Press of New England.Hanover
American Indian Art and Native Americans. Maine Antique Digest, Waldoboro, ME
1994
Bapwoganal Alnobaiwi: The Games of Wôbanakik Cedarwood Press. Underhill, VT. 3 figures. 10 pp.
Ngwegigaden, an Abenaki year.(11″ X 17″ Three-color poster and accompanying handbook). Cedarwood Press. Underhill, VT
Wôbanakik. (11″ X 17″ Three-color poster map and accompanying handbook) Cedarwood Press. Underhill, VT
We were always here. (9″ X 17″ Two-color poster and accompanying handbook) Cedarwood Press. Underhill, VT
1995
The Gift of the Forest. Ethan Allen Homestead Abenaki Handbook Series # 1. Lane Press. Burlington, VT. 10 figures. 12pp.
Wôbanakik, the Ancient Land of the Dawn. (18″ X 24″ Four-color map and accompanying handbook) Cartography by Kevin Ruelle. Horseman Press. Burlington, VT
Wild Plant Foods of the Abenaki. Ethan Allen Homestead Abenaki Handbook Series # 2. Lane Press. Burlington, VT. 12 pp.
Abenaki Clothing Ethan Allen Homestead Abenaki Handbook Series # 3. Lane Press. Burlington, VT. 7 figures. 12pp.
An Annotated bibliography and resources list for Abenaki studies. Cedarwood Press. Underhill, VT. 22 pp.
“New Abenaki Booklets available.” in The Oracle. Summer, 1995. Ethan Allen Homestead. Burlington VT. p. 3.
“A view from within” Vermont Humanities. Winter 1994-95. Vt. Council on the Humanities, Hyde Park, VT. p. 6.
1996 History in beads. Historic Roots. Pp. 25-30 Montpelier, VT.
1997
Linda Pearo, Frederick Wiseman, Madeline Young and Jeff Benay. New Dawn: The Western Abenaki, a Curricular Framework for the Middle Level. Franklin Northwest Supervisory Union Title IX Indian Education Program, 14 First St. Swanton, VT 05488
1997 Wobobial. (18X26 pictorial poster and accompanying handbook) Abenaki Tribal Museum. Lane Press, Burlington
2000 The Abenaki and the Winooski. In L. Krawitt. The Mills at Winooski Falls. Onion River Press. Pp. 7-10 Winooski
2001 The Voice of the Dawn University Press of New England. Hanover, NH.
2003
“Abenaki”, “Abenaki Heritage Days” p. 31; “Mahicans” pp. 194-195;
“Missisquoi Village” p. 207;
“Winoskik” 327 in Duffy, J, S. hand and R. Orth. Vermont Encyclopedia University Press of New England, Hanover
“Truthless”. Seven Days, Sept. 10-17, 2003. p. 4A
2005
The Wabanaki World Vol. I : Decolonizing a taken prehistory of the Far Northeast University Press of New England
Blom, Deborah, James Petersen and —– “Repatriation and Monument Road:
Abenaki and archaeologists efforts to find a solution.” In Jordan Kerber. Cross Cultural Collaboration. University of Nebraska Press
2008
“Changeling” Video, Miraclegirl Productions. 1522 Harvard Street Apartment 5, Santa Monica, CA (Producer)
“Calumet to crisis and back.” (Video) Franklin Northwest Supervisory Union Office of Indian Education (Producer/Director/Filmographer)
2009
At Lake Between. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Basin Harbor, VT, Champlain Tech Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Basin Harbor, VT
“1609: The other side of history. Wôbanakik Heritage Center, Swanton, VT (Producer/Director)
2009 “1609: Quadricentennial Curriculum” Lake Champlain Maritime Museum lcmm.org/navigating
2010
Baseline 1609. Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Basin Harbor, VT
“Before the Lake Was Champlain” Hidden Landscapes Productions 1 Hewins Farm Rd., Wellesley, MA (Co-Producer)
“The New Antiquarians” Hidden Landscapes Productions 1 Hewins Farm Rd., Wellesley, MA 02481 (Co-Producer)
2011
____ and Melody Walker. The Abenakis and their Neighbors: Teachers and Interpreters resources. Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs. Montpelier, VT.
2012
Reclaiming Western Wabanaki Ceremony: A Handbook for Cultural Revitalization. Wôbanakik Heritage Center, Swanton, VT Indigenous Vermont Series 2012:8. 313pp.2013
Theo Panadis sings Wabanaki songs. Wôbanakik Heritage Center, Swanton, VT Indigenous Vermont Series 2013:4. CD
Wabanaki Confederacy political and ceremonial songs. Wôbanakik Heritage Center, Swanton, VT Indigenous Vermont Series 2013:5.
Wabanaki Songs: Fun, Dance and Ceremony. Wôbanakik Heritage Center, Swanton, VT Indigenous Vermont Series 2013:6
Lets Learn Abenaki Songs I. Wôbanakik Heritage Center, Swanton, VT Indigenous Vermont Series 2013:8.n.d. P
Proposed K-12 Curriculum on Indigenous Vermont Studies Manuscript housed in the Wôbanakik Heritage Center archives
Awards:
1998 Highest ceremonial honors, Abenaki Nation at Missisquoi
2001 Great Peace of Montreal Honor Ceremony and Honor Inscription Museé de Montreal, Montreal, QC
2002 Keynote Speaker, Native American Studies in New England, University of New Hampshire
2005 Wampum Carrier, Seven Fires Alliance, Akwesasne Reserve, NY
2007 Keynote address. Vermont Alliance for Social Studies, Burlington, VT December, 7, 2007
2009 “Governor’s Award” Vermont Lake Champlain International Ceremony July 11, 2009
Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Juried Artist since 2013
Chief Don Stevens is an award-winning leader, businessman, writer, and lecturer. He has been featured in magazines, books, TV shows, and documentaries. He was appointed to the Vermont Commission on Native American Affairs by Governor Douglas in 2006 for two terms, where he served as Chair and led the fight to obtain legal recognition for the Abenaki People in Vermont. Chief Stevens was able to acquire tribal land for the Nulhegan Tribe which had been absent for over 200 years. A gifted storyteller, he speaks about issues of Native American Sovereignty, Racial Disparity, and Abenaki Identity.
He was appointed by the Attorney General to the “Racial Disparities in the Criminal and Juvenile Justice Systems Advisory Panel” and serves on the Lake Champlain Sea Grant Advisory Panel and Vermont State Police Fairness and Diversity Advisory Panel.
Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Juried Artist
My Love for nature photography was a natural progression of my love for travel. A friend of mine joined the Peace Corps and encouraged me to join her for a two-week adventure in Namibia and Zambia, Africa. Thus began an incredible photographic journey. Vermont’s abundant wild life and beauty have enable me to hone my craft.
Hiking and back water kayaking have led to incredible, yet at times challenging, photographic opportunities. Continued travels in New England, Florida, and Peru have expanded my appreciation of all nature has to offer. I recently won best in color at the Seaba Artists Exhibit.
Enrolled Citizen of the Koasek Traditional Band of the Koas Abenaki Nation
Juried Artist since 2014
Amy Hook-Therrien has a Bachelors Degree in Fine Arts from the University of Maine. She has been painting for almost ten years. She specializes in water colors and is inspired by nature. Amy is also a Traditional Abenaki singer.
Artist Statement
I love to paint natural things, it could be a flower, a landscape, or a topographical map. I try to segment my pieces, painting and focusing on small areas at a time. I love to mix my colors in a way that they tend to separate slightly, giving the paintings texture.
Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Juried Artist since 2017
Aaron York
Aaron York is an internationally celebrated traditional artist, educator, public speaker and mentor. He is the owner and founder of the Red Child Studio of Fine Wabanaki Arts. Although best known for his skills as a birchbark canoe artisan, he has also revived several other rare Wabanaki art forms such as brides boxes and highly embellished crooked knives. His pieces are of equal complexity to the ancestral examples known in museums and private collections.
Birchbark Moose Call
As a result, his arts can be found in museums and high-end private collections resting aside pieces of Wabanaki greats such as Tomah Joseph and Eugene Francis of the 1800s. Aaron’s arts have earned many prestigious publications as well placement Hollywood films, commercials, documentaries and radio worldwide.
In 2005, Aaron was asked by the Ministikwan Cree First Nation in Saskatchewan to go west and help them rediscover their traditional canoe forms. Since then, he has worked extensively with several western First nations in Canada to revive their aboriginal watercraft. In return for his teaching out west, he was immersed in all other aspects of Algonquian culture that he had been longing to learn. Aaron attributes being well rounded culturally to traveling to cousin nations where he found missing pieces of his nation’s traditions that were lost to colonization. Aaron now has strong family ties in the treaty 6 and treaty 7 regions of Saskatchewan and Alberta. In short, his time and bond with his western Cree cousins was life altering, and the quality of his art is what he attributes to making that relationship possible.
“Culture is not inherited, it is learned.” We do not arrive from the womb with the ability to speak our ancestral language or know our culture. It takes only one generation of failing to teach our children their culture for devastating cultural erosion to occur. As an eastern Native I know this all too well! This is what drives me to work so hard to create art that is “over the top” but well within the parameters of regionally specific, traditional Wabanaki art forms. Such art forms that are rare, labor intensive and have a life-long learning curve. I am trying to do my part to heal the toxic affect that cultural erosion has caused our people.
Material culture is a language! Its a non-verbal language that transcends the limits of what we can convey through speech or written word. Material cultural crosses racial divides, political boundaries, and time itself. Material culture gives us a direct form of connection to our ancestors, other living beings, and the Aki (earth) itself. When I give thanks to a beautiful canoe birch for the materials it provides me I make a promise to turn its skin into a timeless piece of beauty. The quality of my art is my greatest giving of thanks to the plants, animals and Aki that give to me. I am bound through an ancient traditional agreement with my plant, animal and human relations to do my absolute best with their gifts. This is what I offer the world, my nation, my family.
This is the non-verbal I message I encapsulate in my art to be understood by my descendants hundreds of years from now: “Do your very best. Always stay humble enough to improve your skill! Your hands are speaking for your people! You are telling the world what our values are! You are Wabanaskiya! You are a human representative of Aki’s beauty, health, and a celebration of life itself! This is the only thing you inherit! The rest is up to you to show just how much beauty you can convey through good hands, just as we did, and my grandmothers and grandfathers did before me. Love your culture. Love yourself as much as we love you grandchild and pass this message on through your art the way we passed this on to you!”
Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Juried Artist since 2018
Aaron Wood making a basket
Aaron Wood descends from a line of Abenaki basket makers. Both he and his mother Kerry Wood did traditional basket making apprenticeships under the renowned basket maker Jeanne Brink. Aaron is familiar with all phases of basketmaking from the initial harvest, through pounding the Ash log to produce long thin splints that will ultimately be wove into a lovely basket.
Artist Statement
Building on a three year apprenticeship with Abenaki master basket maker Jeanne Brink, I weave fancy designs from the 1800s to 1940s styles, as well as less processed work baskets for traditional gathering and household tasks. I also apply traditional techniques to modern recycled materials at times, my ancestors adapted what was available to them, and so do I.
I demonstrate material preparation in exhibit settings to give people a better appreciation for the effort that goes into traditional work.
Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Juried Artist since 2016
Brian Chenevert
Brian Chenevert is the Historic Preservation Officer for the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe and a talented artist. He is a storyteller, author, and wood worker. who was taught wood carving and whittling by his grandfather at a young age.
He is a history buff whose research helped to revive the traditional Abenaki winter game of Snow Snakes which has now been played annually since 2007. Brian’s hand carves snow snakes, war clubs and rattles decorating them by burning in traditional Wabanaki designs.
For almost 20 years Brian has provided traditional Abenaki and Wabanaki stories for multiple Abenaki newsletters and in 2015 published his first book, “Azban’s Great Journey”, which is a compilation of traditional and original tales of the Abenaki trickster – Azban, the raccoon. Azban’s Great Journey is now available for purchase on Amazon.
Brian Chenevert reading to children
Brian has developed the coloring book Abenaki Animals with fellow Nulhegan Abenaki artist, Francine Poitras Jones. Most recently, they have collaborated on the storybook Swift Deer’s Spirit Game (2019) that was just released.
He is also a drummer and singer who performs with the Nulhegan Abenaki Drum.
Artist Statement
I have always loved working with wood, carving and shaping it into a creation of all your own. I enjoy taking a simple branch and working it into a snow snake which will bring joy to some boy or girl at our annual winter games.
I have been telling and sharing Abenaki stories for many years, providing stories for multiple Abenaki newsletters and culminating in completing my first book about Azban the raccoon. The tales of Azban, in particular, are ones my children loved to hear over and over throughout the years which is what led to him being the topic of my first book.
In 2015, Brian published his first book, “Azban’s Great Journey”, which is a compilation of traditional and original tales of the Abenaki trickster – Azban, the raccoon. Azban’s Great Journey is now available for purchase on Amazon. Brian has developed the coloring book Abenaki Animals with fellow Nulhegan Abenaki artist, Francine Poitras Jones. Most recently, they have collaborated on the storybook Swift Deer’s Spirit Game that was just released.
In addition to woodworking and carving, I enjoy bead work and crafting and have made many pieces which include porcupine quill earrings and chokers, wampum earrings, belts, bracelets, and necklaces.
Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Juried Artist since 2017
.
As the Education Coordinator the Title VI, Indian Education Grant for the Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe, she provides programs for elementary schools, high schools, and colleges, and she has created the Nulhegan Youth Drummers because she believes that teaching Native American culture to the youth is very important.
Lucy enjoys painting in all mediums, enjoys pottery and many other crafts. She currently has paintings on exhibit at Holland Town office, and her art has been exhibited at T.W. Wood Gallery in Montpelier, Derby Line Days, and other venues .
As a Certified School Nurse Lucy obtained her nursing degree from the University of South Florida, she has worked in the Emergency Room, Intensive Care Units, dialysis unit, school nurse and served as Mayor of Zolfo Springs Florida.
Artist Statement
I have been painting and studying art over the past decade or so. I have been fortunate to work with Bea Nelson and other artists over the years. Painting, I find, softens the soul. It is a peaceful time for me. The outside forces just wither away and I’m focused on the project at hand. It is my happy place. I find I am in tune to the depths and shapes and colors of the forest, plants and animals and in trying to get their likenesses challenging.
Vermont Abenaki Artists Association (VAAA) is a Native American arts organization that serves the public by connecting them to Abenaki educators, artists from the visual and performing arts as well as literary genres.
MISSION STATEMENT: Our mission is to promote awareness of state-recognized Abenaki artists and their art, to provide an organized central place to share creative ideas, and to have a method for the public to find and engage state-recognized Abenaki artists.
We do this by presenting public programs, cultural events, and museum exhibitions that educate the public in understanding Abenaki art and culture.
Connect with us to stay up-to-date and be part of a dialogue that embraces the past, present, and future of Abenaki art.
Space is Limited. Reserve your space in Presenting Abenaki Culture in the Classroom. Classes run from October 13th through January 17th. Options for 3 credits or a professional development certificate. In partnership with Abenaki Arts & Education Center,Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, and Vermont State University Castleton Campus. Learn more…
Step into the captivating world of our artists, where you’ll find a treasure trove of visual narratives that speak to the heart and soul of the Abenaki culture. The stories and artistic expressions of state-recognized Abenaki artists are at the heart of our association. With diverse backgrounds and a shared passion for their heritage, they bridge the gap between tradition and innovation. Browse these virtual galleries, where art defies the constraints of time, and culture resonates through brushstrokes, carvings, weavings, and more. Your visit to our artist pages promises not only inspiration and connection but also a profound appreciation for the enduring artistic spirit of the Abenaki people.
Thank you to the 700+ supporters and visitors who attended the 2024 Abenaki Heritage Weekend!We look forward to seeing you all again in 2025!
It takes a team to make a large-scale event like this happen. Special thanks to our partners and sponsors:
Abenaki Arts & Educations Center
Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
Open Door Clinic
Vermont Cares
Vermont Department of Health
And friends like you who volunteered your time, made donations, and shared the event.
We are stronger together!
Highlighting UVM Collaborations with the Abenaki was held on April 16, 2024. Read the article Panel Highlights UVM Collaborations with Abenaki on the University of Vermont website. Please contact the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Office with questions. (802) 656-3166 | [email protected]
Join us in sustaining our mission of preserving Abenaki culture and fostering artistic expression by making a meaningful donation. Your support directly contributes to our impactful programs, enriching events, educational initiatives, and the creation of new exhibitions. Together, we can ensure the continuity of this invaluable cultural legacy.
Step into a world of creativity and culture – visit our Exhibits page for detailed information on current exhibitions, including locations and dates. Immerse yourself in the vibrant stories waiting to be explored.
Expand your knowledge and access valuable resources by visiting the Abenaki Arts & Education Center website for comprehensive Abenaki educational information and teacher resources.
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Beyond the artwork, Vermont Abenaki Artist Association (VAAA) organizes public programs, cultural events, and museum exhibitions that educate and inspire. By engaging with us, you’re not just experiencing art – you’re becoming part of a vibrant community that values tradition, creativity, and connection.
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