Sherry Gould (Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation) and Vera Sheehan (Elnu Abenaki Tribe), are both lifelong artists and their apprenticeship structure is unique. They are both recognized in their communities as expert artists in different art forms. Sherry is a basket maker. In 2006 she became a juried basketmaker through the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen in 2006, being the first Native American artist in the league. Sherry and her husband, Bill, work to maintain basketmaking as part of Abenaki culture through teaching other Abenaki people through traditional arts programs in New Hampshire and Vermont. Sherry is also a state representative in New Hampshire. Vera practices knotting: Abenaki textile weaving using natural fibers such as milkweed (also referred to as twining). She is also an educator and activist, the Director of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, and the Founder of the Abenaki Arts & Education Center, and previously a Museum Educator and the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian.
Click here to read the full article on the Vermont Folklife website and listen to recordings by Sherry and Veraabenaki culture
Abenaki Heritage Weekend 2023
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.
# # #
Our Turn: Sharing Community, Rutland Herald. May 4, 2023
Is Vermont being lobbied for Nuremberg Laws?
Race-based attacks and harmful stereotypes are putting Vermont’s Abenaki communities in jeopardy, and it needs to stop. This week is Abenaki Recognition and Heritage Week, yet international special-interest groups are threatening state-recognized Abenaki tribes with cultural erasure in an effort to position themselves for recognition and rights within the United States.
Stop Hate Toward Abenaki. Mountain Times. May 3, 2023
Dear Editor
Race-based attacks and harmful stereotypes are putting Vermont’s Abenaki communities in jeopardy and it needs to stop. This week is Abenaki Recognition and Heritage Week, yet international special-interest groups are threatening state-recognized Abenaki tribes with cultural erasure in an effort to position themselves for recognition and rights within the United States. Click here to read the entire letter to the editor.
Governor Recognized Abenaki Recognition and Heritage Week. Saint Alban’s Messenger. May 4, 2023
SWANTON — For the fifth consecutive year, Gov. Phil Scott has recognized May 1-7 as Abenaki Recognition and Heritage Week.
The State of Vermont recognizes four Western Abenaki tribes: the Elnu Abenaki, the Koasek Traditional Band of the Koas Abenaki Nation, the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation, and the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi St. Francis-Sokoki Band.
“This week we celebrate andhonor the heritage and culture of the Abenaki people in Vermont,” Scott said in a press release. “Vermont is stronger for the contributions of Indigenous people.” Click here to read the full article.
Late Period (1890-1970) Indian Baskets In Vermont, PDF Series
by Frederick Mathew Wiseman, Ph.D.
Publication from the the Indigenous Vermont Series 2012:9, published courtesy of Wôbanakik Heritage Center.
EXCERPT FROM INTRODUCTION
“The prime directive of Haven is to reclaim lost, fragmented or otherwise damaged cultural practice and belief from Indigenous Vermont, and to a certain extent, applicable forms of documentation from neighboring areas. A second important principle is the repair of fragmented or damaged cultural practice by using all available reconstructive/healing tools. The third function of Haven is to make the repaired information available to those Indigenous Vermonters and their neighbors, who have any interest in reviving lapsed culture. The fourth reason; and the one that gives Haven its name, is to safely archive this information in a format that will be of use to future Indigenous generations, if the current one is uninterested.
Probably the one craft that is universally recognized as giving Indian Identity is the ash splint basket. Although probably not made before the 18th century, Indigenous Vermonters, as well as other regional tribes became masters of the craft. Much of the early history of Indigenous Vermont Baskets are to be found in other Haven publications.”
Late Period (1870-1970) Indian Baskets In Vermont – Part 1. 11 pages.
- Introduction
- Part1: Basket History and Technology & Preparing the materials for the Fancy Basket
Late Period (1870-1970) Indian Baskets In Vermont – Part 1A. 11 pages.
- Decorative overweave, or “Cowiss”
- Basket Handles and Hinges
Late Period (1870-1970) Indian Baskets In Vermont. Part 2. 11 pages.
- Part Two: Baket Types Represented in Vermont
- Multi-purpose work and arm baskets
Late Period (1870-1970) Indian Baskets In Vermont. Part 2A. 13 pages
- Knitting and Tatting baskets
- Baskets for the Hall Table
- Baskets for the Dining Room
- An unclassified basket
- Hampers. goose down baskets and other large, “fancy” baskets
- Basket for the Field and Lake
- Bibliography
Back to THE HISTORIC INDIGENOUS ARTS OF VERMONT and NEW HAMPSHIRE
About Us
The Vermont Abenaki Artists Association was a long time in the making. After the state of Vermont recognized the four tribes, we realized there was a need to collaborate so that our artists could be found. Please read Our Story, which follows, and then click on Abenaki History for detailed information about the types of art created by our people in the past and present.
Abenaki Historic Art↗
Learn about the historic Indigenous arts of Vermont and New Hampshire.
Current Shows ↗
Stay updated and see our current exhibitions here.
Our Artists ↗
Artists are organized by media and skill level.
Speaker Series Shares Indigenous and Scientific Views of American Abenaki Heritage
In February and March, Vermont Abenaki Artists Association (VAAA) is pleased to present the 2023 Two-Eyed Seeing Speaker Series. The term “Two-Eyed seeing,” coined by Mi’kmaw Nation Elder Albert Marshall, describes the experience of seeing the strength of Indigenous knowledge with one eye and the strength of Western knowledge with the other. Series speakers will share perspectives on community relationships to regional waterways, including archaeology, ecology, advocacy, Western and Indigenous science, and more. Admission is free, and donations are welcome.
All programs in the Two-Eyed Seeing Speaker Series are presented on Zoom, thanks to support from the Vermont Humanities and Vermont Arts Council.
February 21, 7pm. Frederick M. Wiseman, Ph. D. presented Heritage Forensics: Rethinking Indigenous Ways of Knowing in an Increasingly Dangerous World. Since the 1990s, Indigenous research has moved toward awareness of many different truths, each depending on one’s cultural or political perspective. “Politicized rewriting of Native history poses a distinct threat to such emerging Indigenous ways of exploring the world,” says Dr. Wiseman. “Indigenous and scientific ways of knowing can work together to preserve a legitimate American Abenaki biocultural history and worldview.”
Registration Closed
Image: This ancestral American Abenaki beadwork from Waterville, Vermont, created about 1845, was identified by Dr. Wiseman. Vermont Indigenous Heritage Center Collection
March 7, 7pm. A Deep Presence and a More Inclusive History. Rep. Sherry Gould (Nulhegan Abenaki), member of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, and Dr. Robert Goodby of Monadnock Archaeological Consulting are long-time friends and collaborators. As charter members of the New Hampshire Commission on Native American Affairs, Sherry served as Chair and Bob was the representative appointed by the New Hampshire Division of Historical Resources. Their work together includes educational projects funded by the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation and the Abenaki Trails Project that seeks to honor and share a more inclusive history of the Abenaki people and to highlight historical Abenaki sites. Registration closed
March 22, 7pm. Kwanitekw (Connecticut River): The Sustainer of Life. In honor of World Water Day, a panel of Indigenous citizens and environmental scientists share multiple perspectives on living in relationship with the Connecticut River watershed. Panelists include Darlene Kascak (Schaghticoke Tribal Nation) Education Director of the Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS) and Traditional Native American Storyteller; Vera Sheehan (Elnu Abenaki Tribe) and Director of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association and Abenaki Arts & Education Center; Kathy Urffer, River Steward with the Connecticut River Conservancy; and Matt Devine, Fisheries Biologist with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. Gabriel Benjamin, Public Historian and IAIS Museum Educator serves as Moderator. Register in advance for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwtcuGvpj0rHNSwpRzRKqYc05cw7RmeL4ix
Most recently, Vera Longtoe Sheehan (Elnu Abenaki Tribe) curated the exhibit Nebizun: Water is Life, which is touring New England 2022-2024.
As a traditional Native American storyteller, Darlene Kascak (Schaghticoke Tribal Nation) understands the importance of educating both young and old about the many misconceptions and stereotypes about her ancestors, providing children and adults the opportunity to have a new understanding of Connecticut’s Indigenous Peoples both in the past and in the present.
Matt Devine is a Fisheries Biologist with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.
As a River Steward, Kathy Urffer works to protect and restore the Connecticut River and its tributaries. She enjoys re-learning about the natural world through the eyes of her two children.
VAAA is grateful for the support for this Speaker Series from the Vermont Humanities. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed do not necessarily represent those of the Vermont Humanities.
Program partners for the Two-Eyed Seeing Speaker Series include Abenaki Arts and Education Center (AAEC), Abenaki Trails Project, the Connecticut River Conservancy, the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (CDEEP), Institute for American Indian Studies (IAIS), and Monadnock Archaeological Consulting LLC.
Abenaki Organizations
The four state-recognized tribes of Vermont are very active. It is important to note that, though the tribes are recognized in Vermont, our land was not divided by borders. We, the Abenaki, call our homeland N
Melody (Walker Brook) Mackin: Weaving Core Values Through Time – Part 2
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
Melody (Walker Brook) Mackin: Weaving Core Values Through Time – Part 1
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
Contact Us
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.
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.
Email: [email protected] or [email protected]
Phone: (802) 265-0092
The 2023 Abenaki Heritage Weekend
We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the more than 700 visitors who graced us with their presence at the Abenaki Heritage Weekend. Your enthusiastic participation and unwavering support made this event truly remarkable. We are especially thankful for the presence of citizens from the four Vermont tribes and tribal citizens from Odanak, as your invaluable contributions enhanced the richness of our gathering. Your presence demonstrated the strength of unity and the power of shared heritage. Together, we celebrated the vibrant traditions and ancestral wisdom that continue to shape our communities.
We are so thankful for the ongoing support from our sponsors and partners Vermont Humanities, Vermont Arts Council, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Abenaki Alliance, and the Abenaki Arts & Education Center.
When it was held: June 17-18, 2023
Where: Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, 4472 Basin Harbor Rd, Vergennes, VT 05491
Cost: $0
Directions: Click here for Google Map
About the 2023 Abenaki Heritage Weekend:
On June 17-18, 2023, citizens of the New England Abenaki community gathered at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum to celebrate their history and heritage, and the public was invited! Organized by the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, this free event was open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
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 were activities of interest to everyone. The public was advised to bring a picnic lunch and enjoy singing and drumming by the Nulhegan Drum. Children and adults alike enjoyed storytelling by Abenaki author and historian Joseph Bruchac, and songs for the little ones with Francine Poitras Jones.
Artists in the Arts Marketplace included 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, the public met basketmaker Kerry Wood. On both Saturday and Sunday, children were invited to visit the “Make and Take” table, where children could make a gift to bring home for Father’s Day.
A new special exhibit, Beyond the Curve: The American Abenaki Covid Experience opened 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.
Link for Accessibility information: ? For access questions, contact Elisa [email protected] or (802) 265-0092
For other questions, you may also email Francine at [email protected]
Special Programs that took place at the Abenaki Heritage Weekend:
- Storytelling by Joe Bruchac
- Nulhegan Abenaki Drum group
- Music and Storytelling by Francine Poitras Jones
Artists Featured in the Arts Marketplace
- Paul René Tamburro – hand-wrought heirloom quality silver and copper, wood carving, stone carving, and other traditional artwork
- Jim Taylor – wampum bead-making demonstration
- Jeanne Morningstar Kent – Gourds
- Linda Longtoe Sheehan – Wampum jewelry
- Roger Longtoe Sheehan
- Patrick Lamphere
- Morgan Lamphere
#Abenaki #heritage #weekend #VAAA #AbenakiHeritageWeekend #heritageweekend #abenakiheritage
Vermont Abenaki Artists Association is supported by the New England Foundation for the Arts through the New England Arts Resilience Fund, part of the United States Regional Arts Resilience Fund, an initiative of the U.S. Regional Arts Organizations and The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, with major funding from the federal CARES Act from the National Endowment for the Arts.
Kchi Wliwni (A Big Thank You) to our Sponsors
PLEASE DONATE NOW TO HELP US KEEP THIS EVENT GOING FOR THE FUTURE
Historic Art
The Historic Indigenous Arts of Vermont and New Hampshire
By Frederick M. Wiseman Ph.D.
Introduction
When we think of indigenous American craft arts, we immediately think of Navajo rugs and Tahono o’odam (Papago) basketry. Or perhaps the woodcarvings of the Northwest Coast of North America. Possibly one of the least recognized historical Native American crafts regions of North America is the Far Northeast, only a few books will mention baskets made by Maine or Canadian Maritime tribes. However, Vermont and New Hampshire have a vibrant but little known artistic tradition stretching back over 10,000 years. The oldest artistic works are made of stone, chipped or ground into beautiful but useful tools such as the clean, almost Art Deco-looking lines of Vermont Middle Archaic Period gouges, the tight design of Late Archaic lapidary jewelry, or the evocative rock-carved human face petroglyphs at Bellows Falls. However, except for stone, and a few pieces of shell, there is little that remains, underground of this rich artistic tradition. During the So-Called Colonial Era (1609-ca. 1800) the Indigenous Arts of our region are still little understood and seem to resemble those of neighboring tribes. There are occasional pieces of 18th century quillwork-decorated leather craft or twined basketry residing in museums and private collections illustrating the precise work and artistic flair of the People. Unfortunately, they are so similar to items made by our Penobscot, Huron and Iroquois neighbors that there has been little effort by art historians to find out what is specific to our region.
Below, are a few examples of older art traditions that have good ties to the VT/NH region and its immediate environs of southern Quebec. These show a careful choice of material, excellent plotting out the eventual form, and meticulous care in decoration — evidence of a well developed craft tradition that its practitioners were very comfortable with. Many of our 19th and early 20th-century craft arts seem to have its closest ties to the great multiethnic Indian Village of Kahnawake, south of Montreal, but other traditions especially basketry shows early artistic similarity to Southern New England, while cloth seems more similar to our Wabanaki brethren, showing that our area was a great crossroads of artistic ideas flowing throughout the region.
Woodcraft
Most Indigenous Vermont and New Hampshire wood craft is very utilitarian, and probably would not be classed as fine or decorative art. However, some particular forms, such as crooked knives and root clubs have become accepted as valuable craft arts by art historians and critics. We do see nice examples of these tools that have come from our area, but have a distinct stylistic look. Root clubs, for example, did not seem to be made and sold in Vermont as tourist items, although very similar looking ones were sold for that purpose at Kahnawake. These root clubs tend to be carved relatively simply with minimal decoration, usually of fine ink or watercolor delineating bird-like beaks and eyes, rather than the fine carved detailing and painted design demanded by tourist buyers. Instead, we have a documented example that seemed to be used in healing, and another that was used to keep order within a family, indicating that they remained, at least in part, internal cultural implements.
Another well-designed and executed wooden implement is the crooked knife (often called “basket-knife” in VT). These distinctive native-design tools seem as rare as root clubs and are almost always entirely utilitarian. However, one crooked knife with a provenance just north of the Canadian Border in the Southern Eastern Townships of Quebec is finely crafted with beautiful incised and filled detail on the obverse and an artistically sweeping rake to the blade; thereby making a classic pieces of Northeastern Native art. (Photo to the right)
In the last 50 years or so decoys have emerged as a great vernacular art tradition, with many fetching many thousands of dollars at auction. Although there are Vermont decoy carvers with Indigenous heritage their creations are not considered “Indian Art.” However, a composite twig decoy from the same area as the crooked knife is so similar to the Cree “Tamarack Twig” decoys accepted as legitimate Indian Art that we will list it here. This is a goose “shadow decoy” constructed of black or river birch twigs and bound with cotton twine. A Nulhegan band elder remembered their use in middle 20th century cornfields around Lake Memphramagog to attract Canada geese to the shotgun. When viewed from a distance, the decoy has a wonderful flowing stance, and as the elder said “looks like a goose to another goose.. (Photo to the right)
These few items are only an introduction to the richness of historic Indigenous woodcraft of our region. Old bowls, spoons, wall-hangings, cups, walking staffs and even furniture remain to this day to grace museums and collections.
Fashion design
Since the 1970’s, beaded clothing and fashion accessories of our neighbors to the East have become some of the most collected and valuable of any Native American art. Fortunately, our regional styles have not seen such interest or even study by elite art collectors, and so the materials are still somewhat available and collectable by Indigenous museums and cultural organizations. I find that some of the late 19th and early 20th century clothing used by basketsellers especially interesting. It combines European materials such as cloth and ribbons with indigenous motifs to make a distinctive, but underappreciated fashion that I call “cut-cloth Fringe’ style. We have several examples of this style from the Connecticut River Valley and Lake Champlain which seem to date from the 1890’s to about the beginning of the Great Depression. The example that I share here is made from a tan twilled cotton with patchwork and ribbon-work detail below the neck and above the hem. It is sturdy and technically well made, so much so that it is still worn for educational purposes. (Photo to the right)
Of course everyone wants to know about “Abenaki Beadwork,” and unfortunately, pre-1900 Indigenous Vermont/New Hampshire beaded cloth is the most elusive craft art that remains today. There is one late 18th/early 19th century beaded moccasin vamp or epaulet that was found in NW Vermont that is in a generalized style that may or may not be Vermont Abenaki, but was at least used here at one point. (Photo below).
Probably a more characteristic style is the mid 19th century “flat bag” or reticule described below. It has a form related to the typical “tulip” or “inverted keyhole” bag sold by the Eastern Wabanaki people of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. However, the beadwork itself is distinctive and unlike that of the standard Wabanaki to the East, or the Iroquois styles to the west. Unfortunately, it has not yet attracted interest of collectors, museums and academics, so it is uncertain exactly whether this is a “Montreal Area,” “Eastern Townships (Quebec) area,” “Vermont area” “or “New Hampshire area” style; or all of the above. However, I believe that it represents the best candidate style for having been produced here in the mid 19th century. (Photo to the right)
Basketry
The one craft art likely to show up in VT/NH antique shops is ash-splint basketry, and there are many styles and types. I will illustrate two of the older more utilitarian types that were made before the ubiquitous “sweetgrass” and “cowiss” touristic souvenir baskets that are so common today. Ash splint basket making in VT/NH basically went extinct in the 1930’s. Baskets after that time seem to be made by expatriate basket sellers from Canada or Maine who sold tourist goods in places such as the White Mountains Intervale or the shores of Lake Champlain. (Photo to the right)
The first early type is from the 1830’s and is more closely related to southern New England basketry, in its “varying splint” construction and the use of stamping and or painting on the wide splints as decoration. it was probably used like a bandbox, for the storage of lightweight household and fashion goods such as yarn or hats. The second basket, probably from the third quarter of the 19th century, still retains the varying splints, but now shows direct influence of basketry evolution to the East, in its checkerboard (rectangular) base and the treatment of the radiating splints on the lid. Instead of being stamped, the wider splints are “daub-dyed” or pigment painted only on the outside before weaving the basket. The later, turn of the 20th century dyed ash splints are dipped in dye and thus show the color both inside and out. Both of these early basket styles are relatively uncommon in VT/NH and even less common with a good provenance placing them here in the 19th century. (Photo to the right)
Another important basket type is the coiled basket. Even more elusive than early beadwork, coiled basketry is only known from two areas in the Northeast, the Passamaquoddies and a single family in Northwestern VT. These are tiny items, made from carefully selected and prepared horse-hair, similar to the much more well known Thono O’odam tourist wares. As with most local wares, there is no historical interest in these beautiful tiny baskets, and we await the continuation of this tradition by young members of the VT basket making family.
Interested in Learning more about the Indigenous Art of Vermont?
Kerry R. Wood
Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Juried Artist since 2016
Kerry Wood/Kalli Abazi is a citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation. In 2016 she completed a 3 year apprenticeship program with Jeanne Brink through the Vermont Folklife Center Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program for making traditional Black Ash and Sweetgrass baskets.
Elvine Obomsawin, Kerry’s Great-Grandmother, and her family made and sold baskets to tourists in Vermont in the early to mid-1900’s. Jeanne Brink is also Kerry’s cousin, and hearing the stories from their Obomsawin family heritage while learning basket making brought her past alive! When she is making baskets, she feels a deep connection with those who have gone before her, and is at peace and connected. Her husband helps prepare the ash by harvesting the ash trees and, with their son Aaron, pounds and splits the ash. The family works together to create the materials for baskets from the harvest of the tree to the final project.
Kerry has baskets on display at the Vermont Maritime Museum, The Abenaki display at the Burlington Airport, and at the Bennington Museum. Black Ash and baskets remain a critical aspect of Abenaki culture and heritage. They are part of Ndakinna, our land. Kerry teaches Abenaki people and others the history and craft of Abaznodaka as well as the language of the Abenaki people, Alnôbaôdwa, so the culture and heritage will continue. She is also collaborating with people across Vermont to help combat the impact of the Emerald Ash Borer, which threatens the very existence of the Black Ash trees. Basket making is part of the Abenaki soul and heritage, and it is critical to ensure it is never lost.
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Demonstrations (as an Apprentice with Master Basketmaker Jeanne Brink)
2016
- Dartmouth Powwow, Dartmouth College
- Native American Program, Dartmouth College
- Vermont History Exposition, Tunbridge, VT
2015
- Abenaki History Day, Hartford, VT
- Dartmouth Powwow, Dartmouth College, NH
- Native American Program, Dartmouth College, NH
- Saratoga Native American Festival, Saratoga, NY
2014
- Dartmouth Powwow, Dartmouth College, NH
- Native American Program, Dartmouth College, NH
- Vermont History Exposition, Tunbridge, VT
Awards
2013, 2014, 2015
- Traditional Arts Apprenticeship Program, Vermont Folk Life Center. Middlebury, VT
Affiliations
- Vermont Abenaki Artists Association
Jim Taylor
Enrolled Citizen of the ELNU ABENAKI TRIBE
Juried Artist since 2013
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]
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Website: Quillwork by Swift Fox
Exhibits
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
- 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
Affiliations
- Vermont Abenaki Artists Association
- Woodland Confederacy
Jessee Lawyer
Enrolled Citizen of the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi
Juried Artist since 2014
Jessee Lawyer is an enrolled citizen of the Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi. He i the head chef at Sweetwaters in Burlington and caters special events. As a culinary artist he creates indigenous specialties using Wabanaki ingredients.
Jesse descends from a long line of Indigenous artists. He continues his family tradition as one of the last two Native families in the Northeast who continue to make miniature horsetail coiled baskets. Jessee also hand carves traditional soapstone pipes and contemporary soapstone sculptures. He draws great inspiration from his father who taught him how to carve. As he continues to polish his skills, he is being mentored by two VAAA artists.
Artist Statement
As a child, I spent many nights watching my father create art. He worked in many mediums; he was well known for his moccasins and homes that he built. His attention to detail captivated and inspired me. Hand carved feathers and chip carving around doors and windows, decorative stitching graced his moccasins, and subtle lines touched his pipes. He would tell me stories of my grandfather who made miniature horsehair baskets, woodcarvings and would cast miniature animals out of bronze. I absorbed as much knowledge and wisdom as I could from my father and cannot thank him enough for preparing me with the skills and love needed to continue our Abenaki traditions before he passed on to the spirit world.
I have only recently started carrying on my family traditions as well as creating my own style. I try to experiment with many mediums but am focusing on horsehair baskets and soapstone pipes and sculptures for the moment, with moccasins shortly. I feel a deep connection to both the plant and animal worlds, and try to incorporate them as much as possible in my art, honoring all they provide for us.
With the knowledge that has been passed to me from previous generations, I have been blessed with the gift of a child on the way. Now there is another generation to carry on our cultural traditions, and another art form for me all-together.
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Exhibits
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
- Eastern Woodland Fiber Arts (permanent exhibit), Mt. Kearsage Indian Museum, Warner, NH
- “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.
Affiliations
Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, Committee Member since 2013
Jeanne Morningstar Kent
Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Juried Artist since 2013
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.
“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.”
— Spozowialakws (Morningstar)
Contact
Email: [email protected]
Website: Fine Wabanaki Art by Morningstar
MUSEUMS AND PERMANENT COLLECTIONS
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
- Program. Mashantucket Pequot Museum, Mashantucket, CT
- Presenter. Stamford Museum & Nature Center, Stamford, CT
- Native Interpreter. Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington. CT
- Panelist. “Quarterly Conversation.” Mashantucket Pequot Museum, Mashantucket, CT
2012
Native Interpreter. Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington. CT
2011
Native Interpreter. Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington. CT
2010
- Featured Artist. Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington, CT
- Artist. Northwest Arts Council, Studio Tours, CT
- Native Interpreter. Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington. CT
2009
- Native Interpreter. Institute for American Indian Studies, Washington. CT
- Gourds: Seeds of Inspiration. Vermont Indigenous Celebration, Burlington, VT
EARLIER Group Shows
- Millbrook Gallery and Sculpture Garden, NH Group Show, Artworks Gallery, CT Group Show, Arlene
- McDaniels Gallery, CT
- Bushnell Theater Gallery, CT
- Gallows Book Store and Gallery at Trinity College, CT
- “Walking Between Two Worlds”, Boxboro, MA, hosted by the New England Native American Institute – Shown at Autumn Light Gallery, CT
- NW Arts Council, Studio Tour, Winsted, CT ArtZest, Litchfield, CT
Other Accomplishments
- Vendor: Wabanaki Confederacy Conference, Shelbourne, VT
- 2015 Recipient of NEFA Grant for work on book, The Visual Language of Wabanaki Art
- Classroom Art Instructor, Hartford School System, Pre-K-8 University of Hartford Extension Courses, Hartford, CT
- H.O.T. (Higher Order of Thinking) School Consortium, UConn, Campus UConn Workshop, Main Campus
- Torrington Adult Education, Torrington High school, Torrington,
- Workshops and talks at Institute for American Indian Studies, Master Teacher-Supervising Student Teachers
- Master Teacher- Supervising High school Students in Community Service
- Presenter at the 46th Algonquian Conference, Mohegan Sun,
- Presenter: ECHO Museum, Burlington, VT
- Presenter: Mashantucket Pequot Museum, Ledyard, CT
- 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
- American Gourd Society
- Northwest Connecticut Arts Council
Frederick M. Wiseman, P.h.D.
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.
Contact
Email: [email protected]
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
2010
- Appreciation Ceremony. Missisquoi Abenaki Swanton, VT
- Silver Astrolabe Award Lake Champlain Quadricentennial Commission
2011 Appreciation Ceremony. Missisquoi Abenaki Swanton, VT.
2012
- Elnu Tribe Honor Ceremony Recipient of Gratitude. Basin Harbor, VT
- Nulhegan Band Honor Ceremony. Basin Harbor VT
Affiliations
Vermont Abenaki Artists Association
Elnu Abenaki Singers
All are Enrolled Citizens of the Elnu Abenaki Tribe
Elnu Abenaki Singers
For more over two decades, the Elnu Abenaki Singers have performed across the Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions. They are invited to sing at events, museums, school, and historic sites They echo the voices of their ancestors, who have lived in N’dakinna (the land) for thousands of years.
The public has come to know the Elnu Singers through their repertoire of Wabanaki songs and chants; their signature Eastern style hand drums and rattles. With each new song comes an explanation of what it means and any historic information with may be related.
The Elnu Singers are of mixed ages. The group includes men, women, and children. They can perform in either modern or traditional clothing from any era from the early 17th century to contemporary.
Contact Info
Chief Roger Longtoe Sheehan
Email: [email protected]
Click here to listen to the Elnu Abenaki Singers
Filmed in night vision at the Jamaica State Park archeological dig. The El-Nu Abenaki Tribe Singers led the public through a night of traditional story-telling and songs. Featured here is one of those songs and the protocol that surrounds it.
For more information on the El-Nu Abenaki Tribe please visit:
http://elnuabenakitribe.org/
Film by Lina Longtoe. Featured in the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s exhibit, “Contact of Cultures, 1609.”
Circle of Courage
Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi
Background
This highly regarded after-school initiative draws on the writings of acclaimed Native American author Larry Brendtro (Reclaiming Youth At-Risk) who, with colleagues, first introduced this holistic model. While we (Abenaki Nation of Missisquoi, St. Francis/Sokoki Band) believe in the tenets of belonging, generosity, independence, and mastery, these core values have been adapted to accommodate our own beliefs about children.
As we view children from an “at-promise” paradigm, conventional “at-risk” models are replaced by a strengths-based approach.
Through a model that utilizes our traditional dance and other customs, students learn the difference between tobacco as a sacred herb used for ceremonies verses the social convention of cigarette smoking. Ultimately, there is a profound sense that when a community creates a context in which youth can thrive, they will.
The Abenaki Circle of Courage Afterschool Program puts the concepts of belonging, mastery, generosity, and independence into practice.
Children master skills in Native dance and crafts, experience belonging through working together as youth leaders, practice independence in completing artistic projects, and exhibit generosity through community service.
Project Director, Brenda Gagne, is an Abenaki Community member. Brenda directs the “Circle of Courage” after-school cultural program for both Native and non-Native students in Swanton and Highgate, Vermont. She has been honored by the State of Vermont’s Department of Education for outstanding service.
Jeff Benay is the Director of Indian Education Programs for Franklin County and former long-time Chair of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Native American Affairs. He has worked with Vermont’s Abenaki for nearly 30 years.
Contact
Brenda Gagne is the Coordinator of the Circle of Courage program.
Click here to read article on St. Albans Messenger website.
Email: [email protected]
Donate to Circle of Courage
Brian Chenevert
Enrolled Citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Nation
Juried Artist since 2016
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 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.
Contact Info
Email: [email protected]
Presentations
2016, 2018
Abenaki Heritage Weekend, Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, Vergennes, VT
Publications
- 2015 Azban’s Great Journey, Amazon Publications, Print Media – Available on Amazon
- 2019 Swift Deer’s Spirit Game. Crowstorm Publishing – Available on Amazon
Radio Interviews
- Reger, Deborah, Moccasin Tracks. January 2016. WGDR 91.1 FM
- Native Opinion. February 12, 2016. http://nativeopinion.com/new-events/2016/2/12/podcast-guest-brian-chenevert
Affiliations
Vermont Abenaki Artists Association
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.)
Affiliations:
Vermont Abenaki Artists Association
Blog
Traditional Arts Spotlight by Vermont Folklife – Abenaki Basket Making and Fiber Art
Abenaki Heritage Weekend 2023
Our Turn: Sharing Community, Rutland Herald. May 4, 2023
Abenaki Alliance: Is Vermont being Lobbied for Nuremberg Law? Brattleboro Reformer. May 2, 2023
Stop Hate Toward Abenaki. Mountain Times. May 3, 2023
Champlain College Student Develops App for Abenaki Artists
Burlington, VT., August 30, 2017 – The Google Play store has released a new Android app called Vermont Abenaki Artists Association which was designed by Dustin Lapierre, a senior at Champlain College.
It all began two months ago when Lapierre
Hartford Historical Society to Honor Abenaki Tribe
After a year
Abenaki cultural artifacts on view at lake museum
CONTEMPORARY ABENAKI ARTISTS share their artwork and family photographs in the special exhibit
Pocumtuck Homelands Festival
The 4th Annual Pocumtuck Homelands Festival, a celebration of Native American Art, Music, and Culture, takes place on Saturday, August 5 from 10am to 7pm at the Unity Park Waterfront in Turners Falls, MA. The event features live traditional, original and fusion music, Native American crafts, story telling ,drumming, games and activities for kids, primitive skills demonstrations, and an impressive selection of books.
The Mashantucket-Pequot archaeology team will be on site to analyze early contact period artifacts brought to the festival. Festival food will be available, including Native American fare. The Pocumtuck Homelands Festival is free, family friendly, educational, accessible and fun for all ages!
This event is sponsored by The Nolumbeka Project, with support by Turners Falls RuverCulture.
Read the full text and schedule on Facebook.
Sessions for Teacher Training
When: Wednesday, August 2, 2017 from 9:30am-4pm
Where: Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, 4472 Basin Harbor Road, Vergennes, VT
Cost: $15 registration fee includes lunch and program materials.
Register: Eventbrite
Session Descriptions
Walk Through Western Abenaki History with Melody Walker Brook
From creation to the present day, Brook will touch upon key events in Abenaki history to highlight their unique story in the Northeast.
Introduction to VAAA Educational Resources with Vera and Lina
Explore VAAA educational tools, study guides, activity sheets and possible classroom visits by Abenaki culture bearers. Followed by a sample screening of some of our documentary short that teachers can show their students in their classrooms.
Using the Land, River, Forest, and Animals to Survive with Roger Longtoe Sheehan
When talking about hunting, spirituality, and land use, it’s important to understand how they are all connected. Sheehan will guide us through seasonal lifeways from hunting moose, ice fishing, harvesting materials for survival. There will also be a display of equipment and other items from his private collection.
Alnobak: Wearing Our Heritage Exhibition Tour with Vera Longtoe Sheehan
Teachers will have the opportunity to further their knowledge of the intertwining historical and cultural concepts that they have been learning throughout the day, and to become more familiar with some of the materials available to the Abenaki people. The tour will explore how culture bearers express their identity through wearing regalia that shows their connections to the world, their community and their ancestors.
Coming Home: the Significance of Local Knowledge and Stewardship by Lina Longtoe
Across Native American communities, what is the principle of the Next Seven Generations and how have Abenaki families communicated it to their children? Learn how to connect students to local plant life, then utilize them to create children’s toys and activities.
Gardening and Foodways with Liz Charlebois
Liz
Vermont Humanities grant funds Abenaki Exhibition
News Release
Presenting Abenaki Culture in the Classroom
Members of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association serve as faculty for this one-day professional development seminar at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum (LCMM), designed to provide teachers and homeschool educators with new resources and techniques to help elementary students learn about the Abenaki tribe. This program is supported by a grant from the Vermont Humanities Council.
Abenaki culture and history that spans 11,000 years in the Champlain Valley will be introduced by culture bearers with deep understanding of how this vibrant regional culture continues into the 21st century. Some of the topics include: history and stereotypes; new resources being developed for use in classrooms; age-appropriate activities; and learning how you can better support Abenaki and other Native students while presenting American history. The program includes a gallery talk and tour of the traveling exhibition Alnobak: Wearing Our Heritage that explores Abenaki identity and continuity through the lens of the clothing we make and wear to express our identity.
When: Wednesday, August 2, 2017 from 9:30am-4pm
Where: Lake Champlain Maritime Museum, 4472 Basin Harbor Road, Vergennes, VT
Cost: $15 registration fee includes lunch and program materials.
Register: Eventbrite
Instructors:
Melody Walker Brook is an Adjunct Professor at Champlain College and has taught The Abenakis and Their Neighbors and Abenaki Spirituality at Johnson State College. She serves on the Vermont Commission of Native American Affairs and is a traditional beadworker and finger weaver.
Liz Charlebois, Abenaki culture bearer, is a powwow dancer, traditional bead worker, ash basket maker, and bitten birch bark artist. She cultivates a traditional garden and has organized a seed bank of heirloom seeds grown by the Indigenous people of the Northeast. Liz has served on the New Hampshire Commission of Native American Affairs and as Education Specialist at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum in Warner, NH.
Lina Longtoe is certified Project WILD instructor for the Growing Up WILD, Aquatic WILD and Project WILD K – 12 programs, which are sponsored by the EPA, US Fish and Wildlife, and the National Wildlife Federation. Her area of study is environmental science with a concentration in sustainability. She is Tribal Documentarian for the Elnu Abenaki Tribe and maintains a YouTube channel to help preserve Abenaki culture.
Vera Longtoe Sheehan, Director of the Vermont Abenaki Artists Association, has a background in Museum Studies and Native American Studies. She has been designing and implementing educational programs with museums, schools and historic sites for over twenty-five years. Her art is focused on traditional clothing and twined woven plant fiber bags.
For more information, please contact:
Vera Longtoe Sheehan, Vermont Abenaki Artists Association [email protected]
Photos From the 2017 Abenaki Heritage Weekend
Every year the Abenaki Heritage Weekend offers opportunities for in promtu activities for the public to interact with the Abenaki community. Lina Longtoe of Askawobi Production captured a couple of these encounters.
Aaron Wood teaches two young people learn how to pound an ash log to produce ash splints for basket making.
Everyone gathers for a Round Dance
2017 Abenaki Heritage Weekend Schedule
Abenaki Heritage Weekend at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum
Saturday, June 24
The Past Meets the Present at Abenaki Heritage Weekend
VERGENNES, VT., JUNE 9, 2017
Hello world!
Kwai Nedoba (Hello friend)!
Welcome to our Blog where we will be discussing Native American culture and art in our area. We hope you will enjoy learning more about us.
Thank you for visiting!