FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Abenaki Heritage Weekend 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

June 2, 2025

Media Contact:

Eloise Beil, Deputy Project Manager
[email protected]
Cell/Text 802 999-1798

Traditions Come to Life at Abenaki Heritage Weekend

June 14-15 at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

On June 14-15, citizens of the New England Abenaki community will gather at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum to celebrate their history and heritage, and the public is invited! Organized by the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, this free event is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.

One of the highlights is the Native Arts Marketplace, where visitors can talk to artists, watch craft demonstrations, and purchase outstanding beadwork, paintings, jewelry, wampum, woodwork, leatherwork, drums, and other items.

“That’s what I love about this event – Abenaki people get to speak for themselves,” said Vera Longtoe Sheehan, Executive Director of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association. “Visitors get to have personal conversations with artists about unusual craft traditions, with scholars Frederick M. Wiseman and Margaret Bruchac, and other community members with deep knowledge of both new research and the lived experience of generations of Indigenous Vermonters.”

Throughout the weekend there will be activities of interest to everyone. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy singing and drumming by the Nulhegan Drum. Children and adults alike will enjoy storytelling by Nulhegan Chief Don Stevens. A Children’s Area will include hands-on projects where children can enjoy cultural learning or make a gift to bring home for Father’s Day.

For those who want to bring home some lasting memories, the variety and quality of work created by Abenaki artists is outstanding. In the Arts Marketplace you will find traditional arts handed down through generations, as well as contemporary art often inspired by tradition. Michael Descoteaux demonstrates the making of hand drums; Patrick and Morgan Lamphere showcase an abundance of carved wood and shaped stone; and Linda Longtoe Sheehan presents wampum jewelry, while Victoria Barry shares beadwork. Liz Charlebois creates designs with the little-known art of birchbark biting. Carol McGranaghan crafts jams and jellies from hand-picked wildflowers. On Saturday, basketmaker Kerry Wood demonstrates the traditional weaving of Ash splints, a centuries-old technique now threatened by the arrival of Emerald Ash Borer beetles.

For a deeper dive into Abenaki culture, browse book tables with works by Abenaki authors both scholarly and family friendly. Bring home the latest research or favorite classics.

A special exhibit, Deep Roots, Strong Branches will open during Heritage Weekend. Artwork and stories by a dozen American Abenaki artists reflect centuries of life in the Abenaki homeland and the resilience of Abenaki people during troubled times. Tour the exhibition with curator, Vera Longtoe Sheehan this weekend, and return to visit the exhibition all season.

Thanks to Vermont Humanities and Vermont Arts Council, for their sponsorship of the event. Vermont Abenaki Artists Association and the Abenaki Arts & Education Center are supported by New England Foundation for the Arts through the Cultural Sustainability program of the Wallace Foundation. For more information on Abenaki Heritage Weekend, visit: AbenakiArt.org/abenaki-heritage-weekend.

Abenaki Heritage Weekend

Abenaki Heritage Weekend 2025

When: June 14 – 15, 2025, 11:00 am to 4:00 pm

Where: Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, 4472 Basin Harbor Rd, Vergennes, VT 05491

Cost: FREE

Directions: Click here for Google Map

Click here to read about the 2024 weekend.

People holding hands and doing the Round Dance.

Join Vermont’s Native American community for Abenaki Heritage Weekend and Arts Marketplace June 14-15 at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT. Admission FREE. Rain or shine.

Citizens of Vermont’s Elnu, Nulhegan, Koasek, and Missisquoi Tribes share perspectives on life in the Champlain Valley. Storytelling, craft demonstrations, drumming, singing, and children’s play area. Featured arts include jewelry, wampum, quillwork, stonework, woodworking, and more. Special presentations include new publications on Vermont Abenakis 1790-2020, Abenaki Beadwork, and gallery talk in new exhibition “Deep Roots, Strong Branches.”

Bring a picnic and enjoy the the day with us!

Presented by Vermont Abenaki Artists Association and Abenaki Arts & Education Center.


SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

SATURDAY – June 14th

Museum Hours: 11 am to 4 pm

Ongoing Activities until 4:00pm

  • Arts Marketplace (Boat Shed and on the Green)
  • Art demonstrations in the Arts Marketplace (Boat Shed and on the Green)
  • Children’s Activities: Abenaki Games, Make and Take (Boat Shed)
  • Storytelling (Key to Liberty)
  • Memory Art (Boat Shed)
  • Open Door Clinic – FREE health screenings [Diabetes and Blood Pressure check] (Pine Grove)

11:00 – Greeting Song and Opening Remarks (Key to Liberty)

12:00 – Lunch and Listen: Nulhegan Abenaki Drum Group (Key to Liberty)

12:30 – Storytelling with Grandmother Willow Green (Key to Liberty) 

1:00 Something of Value: the Vermont Abenaki Community 1790 – 2020 (Book Talk), Frederick M. Wiseman, Ph.D.  (Auditorium)

2:30 – Nulhegan Abenaki Drum Group (Key to Liberty)

3:00 – Storytelling with Chief Don Stevens (Key to Liberty)

3:30Introducing the Abenaki Cultural Conservancy, Joanne Crawford

4:00 – Closing

In the event of rain outdoor programs will be held in the Auditorium.


SUNDAY – June 15th

Museum Hours: 11 am to 4 pm

Ongoing Activities until 4:00 pm

  • Arts Marketplace (Boat Shed and on the Green)
  • Art demonstrations in the Arts Marketplace (Boat Shed and on the Green)
  • Children’s Activities: Abenaki Games, Make and Take (Boat Shed
  • Storytelling (Key to Liberty)
  • Memory Art (Boat Shed)
  • Open Door Clinic – FREE health screenings [Diabetes and Blood Pressure check] (Pine Grove)

11:00 – Greeting Song and Opening Remarks (Pine Grove)

11:30 – Storytelling with Chief Don Stevens (Key to Liberty)

12:00 – Lunch and Listen: Nulhegan Abenaki Drum Group (Key to Liberty)

1:00 Earthshapers & Placemakers: Abenaki History in Deep Time, Margaret Bruchac, Ph.D. (Auditorium)

2:00 – Nulhegan Abenaki Drum Group (Key to Liberty)

2:30 – Storytelling with Grandmother Willow Green (Key to Liberty)

3:00 – Gallery Talk – Deep Roots, Strong Branches gallery talk with curator Vera Sheehan (Schoolhouse)

4:00 – Closing

In the event of rain outdoor programs will be held in the Auditorium.


Presentations

Ongoing Activities

  • Children’s Abenaki Play Area (Ongoing)
  • Arts Marketplace (see vendors/artists list below)
  • Special Exhibit: Deep Roots, Strong Branches
  • Nulhegan Drum

Cultural Tables

  • Abenaki Cultural Conservancy
  • Margaret Bruchac – Book Table
  • Vermont Abenaki Artists Association
  • Abenaki Arts & Education Center
  • Vermont Abenaki Artists Association
  • Abenaki Arts and Education Center
  • Abenaki Health and Heritage
  • Abenaki Play Group

Arts Marketplace

  • Linda Sheehan – jewelry made from wampum
  • Chief Roger Longtoe Sheehan (Saturday only)
  • Patrick and Morgan Lamphere – Wood work, stone work
  • Kerry Wood: Ash Splint Baskets (Saturday only)
  • Mike Descoteaux/Pat Leno: Drums, rattles, beadwork, jewelry
  • Chief Don Stevens, Nulhegan Tribe – cultural information
  • Liz Charlebois – Birchbark biting and jewelry
  • Willow Green – Jewelry, accessories, and rattles
  • Victoria Barry – Beaded jewelry, ribbon skirts
  • Carol McGranaghan – Wildflower Jams and Jellies

June 14 – 15, 2025, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT.

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
Abenaki Alliance logo with mountains, water, and sun.
Abenaki Arts and Education Association logo with dark blue background and a white design with double curves and florets and words that say Sharing Abenaki Educational Resources with Classrooms Across N'dakinna.
New England Foundation for the Arts logo - NEFA
Vermont Arts Council logo.
Vermont Humanities logo.
Cabot logo.
Middlebury Natural Foods Co-op logo.

Kchi Wliwni (A Big Thank You) to our Supporters, Patrons, and Sponsors


Vermont Abenaki Artists Association is supported by the New England Foundation for the Arts’ Cultural Sustainability program, made possible by the Wallace Foundation.

Abenaki Heritage Weekend 2023

Abenaki Heritage Weekend poster

June 17-18 at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

On June 17-18, 2023, citizens of the New England Abenaki community will gather at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum to celebrate their history and heritage, and the public is invited! Organized by the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, this free event is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday. 

One of the highlights is the Native Arts Marketplace of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, where visitors can talk to artists, watch craft demonstrations, and purchase outstanding beadwork, paintings, jewelry, wampum, woodwork, leatherwork, drums, and other items. 

“The variety and quality of the work created by our Abenaki artists is outstanding,” said Vera Longtoe Sheehan, Executive Director of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association. “Some of our artists create traditional art and some create contemporary art, often inspired by tradition. If you are looking to purchase a special gift or something new for your collection, be sure to visit the Native Arts Marketplace.”

Throughout the weekend there will be activities of interest to everyone. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy singing and drumming by the Nulhegan Drum — you may even be invited to drum with them. Children and adults alike should not miss storytelling by Abenaki author and historian Joseph Bruchac, and songs for the little ones with Francine Poitras Jones. 

Artists in the Arts Marketplace include Michael Descoteaux demonstrating the making of hand drums; Elnu Abenaki Elder Jim Taylor making wampum beads from whelk and quahog shells; and Linda Longtoe Sheehan weaving wampum, an intricate process using the shell beads. On Saturday, meet basketmaker Kerry Wood. On Sunday, visit the “Make and Take” table, where children can make a gift to bring home for Father’s Day.

A new special exhibit, Beyond the Curve: The American Abenaki Covid Experience will open during Heritage Weekend in the Schoolhouse Gallery, and will be on view all season. Artwork and stories by 20 American Abenaki artists illustrate the impact of the pandemic in the Abenaki homeland and the resilience of Abenaki people during troubled times. Meet the curator, Vera Longtoe Sheehan, for a gallery talk. 

Thanks to Vermont Humanities, Vermont Arts Council, and Vermont Department of Health for their sponsorship of the event. For more information on Abenaki Heritage Weekend, visit: AbenakiArt.org/abenaki-heritage-weekend.

#   #   #

Abenaki Heritage Weekend 2022

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

For information contact: Francine Poitras Jones

[email protected]

 804-943-6197

Abenaki Heritage Weekend June 18-19, 2022 at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

Are you looking for a special experience to start the summer? On June 18th and 19th, citizens of the New England Abenaki community will gather at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum to celebrate their history and heritage and they are inviting you and your family to join them! 

This free event will be open from 11am to 4 pm both Saturday and Sunday. One of the highlights is the Native Arts Marketplace of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, where visitors can talk to artists, watch craft demonstrations, and purchase outstanding beadwork, paintings, jewelry, wampum, woodwork, leatherwork, drums, feather boxes, and other items.

Buy Native Art this Holiday Season

Buy Native - Low ResThere’s still time to buy Native this holiday season. Shop for one-of-a-kind holiday gifts from our local Native American artists at these locations and art markets:

Everyday. Half Baked and Fully Brewed. Main Street Lincoln, NH. Features art by Bernie Mortz.

Online. http://store.lcmm.org/SearchResults.asp?Search=abenaki&Submit=Search carries a selection of wampum jewelry by Linda Lontoe Sheehan and Twined bags by Vera Longtoe Sheehan.

December 1, 2, & 3, Vermont International Festival. Champlain Expo, Essex Junction

December 2, Grande Isle School Holiday Craft Bazaar. Grande Isle, VT. Ash Baskets by Kerry Wood.

December 2 & 3. Winter Indian Arts & Crafts Market. Institute for American Indian Studies. Washington CT. Gourds by Jeanne Morningstar Kent.

December 9 & 10. Winter Indian Arts & Crafts Market. Institute for American Indian Studies. Washington CT.Gourds by Jeanne Morningstar Kent.

December 16 & 17. Winter Indian Arts & Crafts Market. Institute for American Indian Studies. Washington CT. Gourds by Jeanne Morningstar Kent.

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