HOULTON, Maine — Vivid abstract lime green, orange and teal painted figures accented the more traditional birch bark shavings and woven indigenous creations in the new Wabanaki Cultural Exhibit designed to breathe life into the generational artistic story of the state’s Indigenous people.
The cultural exhibit, a project of the Wabanaki Nations, the Maine Tourism Association and the Maine Office of Tourism, opened on Thursday with a ceremony at the Maine State Visitor Information Center in Houlton on North Road just off I-95.
The exhibit welcomes visitors to the Wabanaki Territory and invites a deeper understanding of the cultures of Wabanaki Nations, and the traditions of the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot that have shaped this land for generations, said Tony Cameron, head of the Maine Tourism Association.
Wabanaki Cultural Tourism Fellows Aron Griffith and Adam Murphy spent a year curating the exhibit with art representing people in all of Maine’s indigenous communities.
Griffith, a Maliseet birchbark basket maker, said their ancestors used to have roadside stands selling baskets to tourists and the cultural exhibit is an evolution of that work.
In curating the art pieces for the exhibit, it was their intent to illustrate the evolution of their culture and artwork over time, not only as traditional indigenous artists but also as modern people, Griffith said.
“We thought it important to focus on people that were at the [adolescent] stage of their career,” he said. “It will give them a boost not only from a sales and marketing perspective, but also as a self-esteem and confidence builder so they can continue doing their art work.”
Gov. Janet Mills attended Thursday’s ribbon cutting ceremony. In her tenure Mills has vetoed multiple bills related to Wabanaki independence and access to all federal benefits and dollars available to tribal nations in other states.
On Thursday she told the Bangor Daily News that her administration and the tribes have been working on many things together and “it is not always easy.”
In January, Mills announced that she would allow LD 1164 to become law. The bill authorizes Maine’s tribal governments to operate online gaming. Mills on Thursday said it will improve the economic sovereignty and standard of living of tribal members across the state.
During Thursday’s ceremony Mills said that the Wabanaki Cultural Exhibit is about fostering connections rooted in living culture not stereotypes, Mills said.
“These pieces of art and artifacts will allow visitors to appreciate the people who have shaped the fabric of the place we all call home,” she said.
She presented a peace lily from her home as a gift from the state to the exhibit as a symbol of their partnership and their continuing efforts to find common ground.
“We have been able to work together with all the tribes to foster connections and common ground,” Mills said. “We have taken the time and energy to identify specific problems and address them directly.”
Cameron, of the state’s tourism association, said that what makes the exhibit especially meaningful is the collaboration behind it.
“Thousands of visitors will walk through these doors and we hope they leave having learned something new and having reflected more deeply and with a greater appreciation of the people and cultures that continue to shape this place today,” he said.
