| Maine’s four Indian tribes have occupied the region for 12,000 years.
The last 400 are marked by struggle, as disease, warfare and erosion
of tribal traditions have jeopardized the survival of the first nations
to call Maine home. Today, the Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet
and Micmac are all in a period of cultural renaissance. The 12,000
year history is long and storied, full of triumph and loss, heartbreak
and tears. |
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| People of the Dawn tells the story of the dynamic people who’ve
inhabited the landscape of Maine. The first and longest lasting period
of Maine’s history is the world of the Native American, stretching
from the retreat of the last Ice Age, 12,000 years to the present. |
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The birch bark canoe, a symbol of heritage for all four of Maine's
native Wabanaki tribes, connects today's tribe members to their ancestors
of 12,000 years. The Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet and Micmac
people are all are known for making distinctive boats out of the
plentiful birch tree. |
| The history of these native people dates long before the first
canoe was crafted but as the tribes evolved, the skills necessary
to make the boats were developed. Maine’s Wabanaki today continue
to meticulously construct the birchbark canoe using the same methods
perfected thousands of years ago, these boats are uniquely suited
for the various waterways of coastal and interior Maine. And it’s
no wonder that the birchbark canoe is the perfect metaphor, symbolizing
the resilience Maine's Wabanaki people today. |
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TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WABANAKI CULTURE IN MAINE HERE ARE
SOME LINKS TO MAINE'S WABANAKI PEOPLE:
- The Houlton Band of Maliseet
Indians
- The Aroostook Band of Micmac
- The Penobscot Nation
- Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant
Point
- Passamaquoddy Sovereign
Nation
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