An insider look

WRITTEN BY AISLINN SARNACKI

Jennifer Neptune is a Wabanaki artist, basketmaker, outdoor guide, author, teacher, and so much more. A citizen of the Penobscot Nation, she carries on the traditions of her ancestors and is passionate about sharing the knowledge and stories of her people. 

Neptune is the lead exhibit writer for Tekαkαpimək Contact Station in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. Her artwork can also be found throughout the building. 

To give you an insider look at Tekαkαpimək, we sent Neptune a few questions. Here are her answers:

What was your favorite thing about putting together the exhibits?

One of my favorite things about working on the exhibits was finding creative ways to tell the story of this place through both western science and traditional knowledge. The geology of how the Penobscot River came to be reborn after the last ice age, and the Penobscot traditional story of the water famine and creation of our water clans is one example of two stories of the same event leading to a deeper understanding of place. 

On the other hand, what was your biggest challenge in the process?

The biggest challenge was condensing down complex histories and ideas into short, relatable sentences without losing the importance, truth, and essence of the story. As a writer, I could have written essays and entire books on any one topic, so it was definitely my biggest challenge. 

The contact station is full of stunning and meaningful artwork, including some of your own. When people are viewing your art, what would you like them to know?

The artwork that I contributed was inspired by, and meant to honor, our ancestors who called this place their home for thousands of years before us, and who protected our language, stories, and culture through incredibly hard times. Because they cared about our future, we are still here and able to share with visitors, as well as keep our traditions strong for future generations after us.

I used designs from birch bark etchings, root club carvings, beadwork, and carved powder horns for the designs on the panels above each of the fireplaces. The design for the beadwork on the river panel came from a beadwork design on a traditional Penobscot women’s peaked cap, which I elaborated on to represent the plants along the riverbanks.

What’s one thing in the building that you hope visitors don’t miss?

The view of Katahdin from the western balcony is beautiful and ever changing depending on the time of day and weather conditions. It’s awe-inspiring and hard to miss. 

Something a bit more subtle that I hope visitors don’t miss would be the floor. The rivers from the Penobscot to the St. Croix, along with Penobscot and Passamaquoddy place names, canoe routes, and portages, are etched into the floor. One of my favorite things is seeing the surprise when visitors notice and then watching them look for the places that are special to them. 

Outside the building are nature trails with more educational displays. 

What were you hoping to share through those trailside panels?

The trailside panels are meant to orient and introduce visitors to the history, landscape, trees, animals, and birds they can see and experience in Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. 

In what ways did tribal members throughout Maine have input on this project?

An advisory board with representatives from the Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Nations was formed early on in the project to contribute, advise, and make decisions on all aspects of the building, including landscape, exhibits, and art. The Wabanaki Advisory Board, as it came to be called, was also instrumental in protecting all intellectual property of tribal nations and Indigenous artists (language, stories, cultural knowledge) used in the building.

What do you think makes this contact station special?

There are many reasons this Visitor Contact Station is special — the building is entirely off grid and has many environmental features meant to reduce its impact on the natural world. Many local builders and businesses worked on the construction of the building and roads. Local materials were used as much as possible. 

The building in itself is a work of art. But I think what makes the Visitor Contact Station unique is the opportunity to learn about Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument from the worldview of the people who have lived here and loved this place for as long as there have been people in this landscape. Through language, stories, and artwork, the love for this place shines through.