Maine Native/ Wabanaki Studies
NEW! ONLINE CLASSROOM RESOURCES
 The Equinox Petroglyph Project: Interpretations by Women and Children
In October of 2006, one of the most sacred and well-documented sites of ancient petroglyphs on the eastern seaboard of the United States was returned to its original peoples, the Passamaquoddy Tribe. The site is known as “Picture Rocks” and lies on the Machias Bay in “Downeast” Maine. The rock carvings and peckings date as far back as 3,000 to 5,000 years and its most ancient peckings may be as old as 10,000 years. Believed to be made by Shamans, the petroglyphs are positioned such that they are the most visible at the Fall or Spring Equinox and thus the name of the Exhibition, The Equinox Petroglyph Project: Interpretations
The Equinox Petroglyph Project is an effort to document and interpret the ‘Picture Rocks’ from the female point of view and that of the Passamaquoddy youth through visual, auditory, and tactile works of art.
http://www.equinoxpetroglyphproject.com/index.html |
Maine Memory Network
The Maine Memory Network is a digital museum that provides access to historical items from over 180 museums, historical societies, libraries, and other organizations from every corner of Maine. Step inside to see rare photographs, documents and artifacts. Go to the Maine Memory Network website and type the following phrases in the search box: Abenaki Indian, Maine Indian, Maliseet Indian, Micmac Indian, Passamaquoddy Indian, Penobscot Indian
http://www.mainememory.net
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˜Maliseet-Passamaquoddy Language Resources˜
The Maliseet and Passamaquoddy people were closely related neighbors who shared a common language, but though the French referred to both tribes collectively as Etchemins, they always considered themselves politically independent. The tribes of the east coast were confusing to Europeans, who couldn't understand why dozens of small groups of Native Americans lived together yet claimed to be separate nations. What they didn't realize was that these groups had not always been so small. European diseases decimated the Indian populations--the Passamaquoddy were 20,000 strong before European contact and no more than 4000 afterwards.
http://www.native-languages.org/mali.htm#language |
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Finding Katahdin Online: Primary Sources
Finding Katahdin Online complements Finding Katahdin: An Exploration of Maine's Past, a comprehensive Maine Studies text book developed and published by the University of Maine Press for Grade 7-12 teachers and students.
http://www.mainememory.net/schools/schools_FK.shtml.
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Windows on Maine is a pilot project to develop an online service offering streaming video programs and clips, and other primary and secondary digital resources, via broadband and wireless connections. It features a searchable database of complete programs and video clips from the Maine Public Broadcasting Network. Rich multimedia that further documents Maine's history has been selected from collections of the state's cultural institutions, and complements the video archive. Search for topics including Wabanaki-, Maliseet-, Micmac-, Passamaquoddy-, Penobscot Tribes, Land disputes, and Native American.
http://windowsonmaine.library.umaine.edu/index.aspx
Maine Folklife Center
Malecite ad Passamaquoddy Tales |
The Maine Folklife Center focuses on bringing the resources and skills of oral history and folklife research to school teachers and students. The following link highlights Malecite and Passamaquoddy Tales.
http://www.umaine.edu/folklife/NF6Contents.htm
THE ALGONQUIN LEGENDS OF NEW ENGLAND
or, Myths and Folk Lore of the Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Tribes
by Charles G. Leland, 1884
Myths and folklore of the Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes
http://www.sacred-texts.com/nam/ne/al/al00.htm |
OTHER SUGGESTED RESOURCES FOR TEACHERS
Wabanaki: A New Dawn (DVD)
The Wabanaki, the People of the Dawn Land, have lived in what is now Maine and Maritime Canada for more than 11,000 years. It was not until the early 1600s that Europeans came to live in the territory inhabited by an estimated 32,000 Wabanaki. This contact was disastrous. "Wabanaki: A New Dawn" shows the quest for cultural survival by today's Wabanaki... the Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot People. The voices in the video offer hope that the Wabanaki will use their cultural and spiritual inheritance to survive and thrive in the third millennium. A 1995 film, presented by the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission. http://mainehistorical.stores.yahoo.net/wanewda.html
Invisible (DVD)
The Native American people of Maine are invisible. To most whites they do not exist, and many who do know of the Indians presence are ignorant of both their history and their present circumstances. This video examines some of the history of the relations between the white and Indian communities in Maine. Through individual voices, it looks at underlying reasons for the racism so deeply imbedded in white American culture and how that racism continues to shape Native American reality today. It then asks how we can begin to change our own racism and confront the invisible racism that underlies much of white American society today. Available from Northeast Historic Film at 1-800-639-1636
Rethinking Columbus
First published in 1991, Rethinking Columbus has changed the way schools teach about the "discovery of America." This greatly expanded edition has more than 100 pages of new material, including handouts to conduct a classroom "Trial of Columbus" and other activities. Available through the American Friends Service Committee at http://www.rethinkingschools.org/orderform/order.shtml or http://www.amazon.com/
The Wabanakis of Maine and the Maritimes: A Resource about Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, Micmac and Abenaki Indians
The Wabanakis of Maine...is organized into four parts: historical overview, lesson plans, readings, and fact sheets. It contains many excellent line drawings and photographs. Also included are a bibliography and a list of resources that includes native governments, organizations, museums, and other institutions, as well as books and audio visual materials. Available from the American Friends Service Committee at http://www.afsc.org/resources/items/wabanakis.htm
WEBSITES FOP TEACHERS
MAINE’S NATIVE AMERICAN STUDIES RESOURCES WEBSITE
- Wabanaki Tribal Websites
- Information about LD 291
- Lesson Plans
- Wabanaki History, Culture, Language Study, Oral History, and Legends
- Maine Museum Resources for Native Studies
- Resources from MPBN
- Videotape Resources
http://www.teachdeep.org/nativeresources.htm
UNIVERSITY OF MAINE’S WABANAKI CENTER
http://www.naps.umaine.edu/
LD 291 GATWAY WEBSITE
- Maine Native American Resources
- Maine Tribal Websites
- General Native American Websites
http://www.umaine.edu/ld291/
ELIZABETH SKY-MCLLVAIN’S WABANAKI LESSON PLANS WEBSITE
http://www.leasttern.com/Wabanaki/index.html
LEGAL STATUE FOR TEACHING WABANAKI STUDIES
TITLE 20-A - §4706. INSTRUCTION IN AMERICAN HISTORY, MAINE STUDIES AND MAINE NATIVE AMERICAN HISTORY
American history and Maine studies must be taught as specified in Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction.
American history and civil government, including the Constitution of the United States, the Declaration of Independence, the importance of voting and the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship, must be taught in and required for graduation from all elementary and secondary schools, both public and private.
Maine history, including the Constitution of Maine, Maine geography and environment and the natural, industrial and economic resources of Maine and Maine’s cultural and ethnic heritages, must be taught. A required component of Maine studies is Maine Native American studies, which is now included in Maine Learning Results: Parameters for Essential Instruction and must address the following topics:
- Tribal governments and political systems and their relationship with local, state, national and international governments;
- Maine Native American cultural systems and the experience of Maine tribal people throughout history;
- Maine Native American territories; and
- Maine Native American economic systems.
The current law can be viewed at:
http://janus.state.me.us/legis/statutes/20-A/title20-Asec4706.html
The current law, as edited from its previous version, can be viewed at:
http://janus.state.me.us/legis/ros/lom/lom120th/9pub401%2D450/pub401%2D450%2D02.htm
