Musician - Vermont Abenaki Artists Association

Jon Manitouabe8ich

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.

Image of graphic design poster by Jon Manitouabe8ich.

Red Urban Project logo

Books

Contact

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.soundcloud.com/black-lizards

Facebook: www.facebook.com/blacklizardsofficial

www.facebook.com/manitouabe8ichart

Joseph Bruchac

Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation

Juried Artist since 2018

Joseph Bruchac lives in the Adirondack Mountains of New York in the house where his grandparents raised him. An enrolled citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Abenaki Nation, much of his work draws on his native ancestry.

He and his sons, James and Jesse, work together in projects involving Native language renewal, traditional Native skills, and environmental education at their Ndakinna Education Center (www.ndakinnacenter.org) on their 90 acre nature preserve.

Author of over 180 books for young readers and adults, his experiences include teaching in Ghana, running a college program in a maximum security prison and 40 years of teaching martial arts.A featured storyteller at numerous festivals, including the British Storytelling Festival, Clearwater, Corn Island, and the National Storytelling Festival, his Keepers of the Earth books (co-authored with Michael Caduto), which use traditional Native American stories to teach science, have over a million copies in print.

“His novel CODE TALKER, about the Navajo marines in World War II who used their language to create an unbreakable code, was named by TIME magazine as one of the 100 best books of all time for young adults.”

Contact

Address: PO Box 308, Greenfield Center, NY 12833

Email: [email protected]

Website: Website: josephbruchac.com (A list of his book awards can be viewed here.)

Image of cover for Honor Songs by The Dawnland Singers. — Cover for Honor Songs by The Dawnland Singers

Affiliations:

Vermont Abenaki Artists Association

Ndakinna Education Center

Jesse Bowman Bruchac

Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation

Juried Artist since 2018

Image of Jesse Bowman Bruchac — Jesse Bowman Bruchac

Jesse Bowman Bruchac is an enrolled Nulhegan Abenaki Citizen. He is a traditional storyteller, musician, and Abenaki language instructor. As one of the last fluent speakers of Western Abenaki, he works vigorously to revitalize the language. His efforts have led to the creation of a Western Abenaki website, YouTube channel, Facebook group, and a number of bilingual publications.

Following in the footsteps of his father Joseph Bruchac, Jesse has been visiting schools and universities to share Northeastern Native American traditional stories, music, language, history and culture for over two decades.

As a musician he has produced several albums of Abenaki music. These include collections of traditional songs using drum and rattle, and Native American flute music. He has opened for such notable acts as The Grateful Dead, Bob Dylan, and at Woodstock ’94. He won the Best Storyteller Competition at Indian Summer in Milwaukee in 1995. In 1996 he toured Europe as a member of the Abenaki Drum from the Odanak reservation in Quebec. Jesse has also acted as consultant, translator, composer, and language coach for programs on AMC, National Geographic, and PBS.

Jesse began learning stories, songs, and language as a child from his father, as well as elders his family would often visit in Vermont, Maine, the Adirondacks, New Hampshire, and Canada. He began studying the language in earnest at the age of 20 from Cecile Wawanolette in 1992. He studied with her, and dozens of other speakers at the Abenaki reservation of Odanak, Quebec for over a decade. He has continued to learn and teach the language with Cecile’s son Joseph Elie Joubert.

In the fall of 2018 he began co-teaching a course in Wabanaki languages alongside renowned Eastern Algonquin linguist Conor Quinn at the University of Southern Maine.

Contact

Email: [email protected]

Artists Statement

Pahakwin8gweziakw! Nd’eliwizi Jesse. Nd’aln8ba8dwa, ni waji toji wlidah8zia. Akwi chigitamokw klawôganowô awskô wagaosao. Tôni kwani aiakw wskitkamigwa, koskitkamigwiba wasanmôganowi! Iolil klozw8ganal kd’achwi kagakim8n8l k’nij8nw8k, k’witamenn8l t8ni adoji abiakw k’wigw8mw8k, t8ni adoji pab8mosaakw, t8ni adoji wlessinakw, ta t8ni adoji wan8giakw. Wlinanawalmezikw, wlipamkannikw, ta s8gnaw8wzikad8wadikw.

Greetings! My name is Jesse. When I speak in the Abenaki language I am so happy (my mind and heart are good). Do not allow your own hearts to be troubled. For while you are in the world, you are the light of the world. Teach these words to your children, share them when you sit in your homes, when you travel about, when you lay down to sleep, and when you rise. Take good care of yourselves, travel well, and find peace within yourselves and among each other!

Affiliations

Vermont Abenaki Artists Association

Ndakinna Education Center