Pathfinders: Penobscot Culture |
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Penobscot CultureThis pathfinder was produced to help students and educators participating in “A Gathering of Readers,” an international, virtual celebration of indigenous children’s reading and culture, locate information about and examples of Penobscot culture. The Penobscot are noted for their intricate woven basketry and beadwork. This pathfinder also provides resources about the Penobscot langu age and traditional Penobscot dances. In order to aid students and educators, t he included books have been published within the last decade and the Web sites can all be accessed free of charge. Where can I find general information about the Penobscot Indian Nation? The Penobscot Indian Nation maintains its own Web site providing information on current events in the Penobscot Indian Nation. Links are provided to the Penobscot Nation Department of Human Services, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Trust Responsibility and other tribal government services. For a more general introduction to the history of the Maine and its native peoples, Maine PBS has produced a Web site to accompany its television series, Home: The Story of Maine, and the Maine State Museum has created a Virtual Tour: Museum without Walls. Where I can see examples of Penobscot basketry? There are numerous Web sites with examples of Penobscot basketry including the Abbe Museum, the Hudson Museum, the Penobscot Nation Museum’s Penobscot Basketery, and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance. The National Museum for the American Indian’s online exhibit The Language of Native American Baskets from the Weaver’s Point of View – Theresa Hoffman features the work and philosophy of Theresa Hoffman, a modern Penobscot fancy basket-maker. Where can I locate examples of other types of Penobscot art? In addition to basketry, the Penobscot are also known for their beadwork. The Hudson Museum’s online exhibit Brilliantly Beaded: Northeast Native American Beadwork has numerous examples of Penobscot beadwork. What language does the Penobscot tribe speak? The Penobscot tribe once spoke Penobscot, a dialect of Abnaki. Unfortunately, Madeline Shay the last native speaker of Penobscot died in 1993. You can learn more about the Penobscot language at Native Languages of the Americas, and hear audio clips of Madeline Shay speaking Penobscot at Penobscot Primer. Where can I find out more about Penobscot dances and dancers? The Web site for the 1997 short film Our Dances has images of modern Penobscot dancers and provides information on the importance of dance to the Penobscot. Molly Spotted Elk is one of the most famous Penobscot dancers having danced in Paris in the 1930s. Bunny McBride’s biography, Molly Spotted Elk: A Penobscot in Paris, was published in 1995. The Abbe Museum also provides information about Molly Spotted Elk and her most successful film, The Silent Enemy. I hope that this pathfinder has helped you learn more about Penobscot culture and enhanced “A Gathering of Readers.” If you find that any of these Web sites are no longer in existence or have any additional Web sites that you would like to suggest, please email me, Jane O’Connell. |
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