3 10 27 https://dawnlandvoices.org/collections/files/original/0776da9dc4aae2aa65de11e15b980162.jpg 815b9eb0eeaca65e43f2a4c9fdf8b8c9 https://dawnlandvoices.org/collections/files/original/97d092b42fcf170a4838afed1ecba3eb.jpg 15478ba04d4813c3431ad07de0f4934d Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Abenaki Description An account of the resource Traditional Abenaki territory encompasses what is now New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as parts of western Maine, western Massachusetts, and Quebec. The Abenaki people comprise numerous bands and communities. In the United States, at this time, none of those groups is federally recognized. The Canadian government formally recognizes two reserves, at Odanak (St. Francis) and Wolinak (Becancour). Resources <a href="http://tribal.abenakination.com/" target="_blank">Mississquoi Abenaki Tribal Council</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.elnuabenakitribe.org/" target="_blank">Elnu Abenaki Tribe</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.abenakitribe.org/" target="_blank">Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe</a> (VT) <a href="http://koasek-abenaki.com/" target="_blank">Koasek Traditional Band</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.cowasuck.org/" target="_blank">Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki</a> (NH) Subject The topic of the resource Abenaki Indians Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Lidded Basket Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpg Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DV-273 https://dawnlandvoices.org/collections/files/original/e9ec76a4d4f1974b4806ebf0b24f1bb1.jpg ba783f3dc1d777646b5a86471669e8ee Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Abenaki Description An account of the resource Traditional Abenaki territory encompasses what is now New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as parts of western Maine, western Massachusetts, and Quebec. The Abenaki people comprise numerous bands and communities. In the United States, at this time, none of those groups is federally recognized. The Canadian government formally recognizes two reserves, at Odanak (St. Francis) and Wolinak (Becancour). Resources <a href="http://tribal.abenakination.com/" target="_blank">Mississquoi Abenaki Tribal Council</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.elnuabenakitribe.org/" target="_blank">Elnu Abenaki Tribe</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.abenakitribe.org/" target="_blank">Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe</a> (VT) <a href="http://koasek-abenaki.com/" target="_blank">Koasek Traditional Band</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.cowasuck.org/" target="_blank">Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki</a> (NH) Subject The topic of the resource Abenaki Indians Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Yarn Basket (c. 1760) by Penacook Abenaki Indians Description An account of the resource Yarn Basket, c. 1760, Ash Splint, Penacook Abenaki, Housed at the Hopkinton Historical Society This ash splint yarn basket, dating to 1760, is one of the earliest baskets in our online archive. It is also one of the earliest known Penacook baskets. The early date is notable because most baskets around today are of a later date. Part of the Hopkinton Historical Society collection, this basket once held a label that read, "Ball Basket for Knitting Work/ Date 1760" and indicates that the basket would have been used as a holding place for yarn (<a href="http://www.nhantiquarian.org/">Hopkinton Historical Society</a>). Additionally, a piece, meant to hold knitting needles, is missing. Splints of different sizes make up the rotund shape of the basket. Several splints are dyed black with a natural dye. Despite fading, red and yellow dye is evident on some of the splints. This basket boasts a friendship chain around the lid and at various points around its midsection (Hopkinton Historical Society). (The friendship chain is also present in another <a href="http://indnewengland.omeka.net/items/show/75">basket</a> within this archive.) The basket boasts an equal mix of utilitarian purpose and aesthetic design. In other words, it fulfills both the functions of utility and decoration. This basket and others like it are a testament to the continuing presence of the Abenaki people long after they are said to have disappeared from New Hampshire. Much earlier than the popular fancy baskets of the late 1800s, the basket is a precursor that emphasizes the longstanding Abenaki tradition of basket making. <h4>The Significance of an Early Basket</h4> The early date of this basket indicates that the Abenaki adapted economically much sooner than the fancy basket period: “Beginning in the 1700s, making and selling baskets and other traditional art forms became a means of survival that still allowed for the freedom to continue traditional ways” (Mundell 25). Not only were they selling utilitarian baskets to farmers but were creating more specialized baskets to fill specific needs such as this particular basket for yarn. Most baskets do not have such an early date because baskets were utilitarian in purpose: they were not preserved. <h4>Proof of a Continued Culture</h4> The tradition of making baskets as well as the stories that accompany the process are just as important as the physical object itself. While the presence of the physical basket reminds the younger generation about their ancestors, the actual process forms a deeper connection because they are performing the same acts as their ancestors (Mundell). The time, effort, and talent needed in creating the baskets leave a lasting effect. Baskets are an important aspect of Abenaki culture that underscores the tribe's adaptability and survival. For a long time, Abenaki people were hidden from mainstream vision and baskets such as this one help to reaffirm the continued presence of their culture and traditions. This basket emphasizes that the Abenaki people were not simply making baskets for profit. The designs and materials have a context that transforms this basket into a text that can be read. It expresses that while Abenaki basketmakers altered the specific types of baskets they made, they continued to express traditional and perhaps historical messages through their baskets. The functional aspect of baskets does not diminish its power of communication (Fitzgerald). <h4>Works Cited</h4> "Digital Collection: Abenaki Knitting Basket." Memorial Hall Museum Online. Pocumtuck Valley Memorial Association, 2008. Web. 30 May 2012. Fitzgerald, Stephanie. "The Cultural Work of a Mohegan Painted Basket." Early Native Literacies in New England. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2008. 52-56. Print. Mundell, Kathleen. North by Northeast: Wabanaki, Akwesasne Mohawk, and Tuscarora Traditional Arts. Tilbury House Publishers, 2008. Print. Rasmussen, Birgit Brander. Queequeg’s Coffin: Indigenous Literacies and Early American Literature. Duke University Press Books, 2012. Print. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Penacook Abenaki Indians Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1760 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ana Caguiat, UNH 2012 Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DV-272 https://dawnlandvoices.org/collections/files/original/ee3eac4605416b3e935e3fc2f490a1f4.JPG ea29ce87526cb5753583c17e50513ac9 https://dawnlandvoices.org/collections/files/original/8865f2c4221ea48afd47110443c06cb0.JPG e1fec9d8f8b1a1e01d3bec2f8ea60703 https://dawnlandvoices.org/collections/files/original/514f96d37fab4088cfe4ab140d71b2a3.JPG 22c845a0c18dd43a994900d4665f61ef Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Abenaki Description An account of the resource Traditional Abenaki territory encompasses what is now New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as parts of western Maine, western Massachusetts, and Quebec. The Abenaki people comprise numerous bands and communities. In the United States, at this time, none of those groups is federally recognized. The Canadian government formally recognizes two reserves, at Odanak (St. Francis) and Wolinak (Becancour). Resources <a href="http://tribal.abenakination.com/" target="_blank">Mississquoi Abenaki Tribal Council</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.elnuabenakitribe.org/" target="_blank">Elnu Abenaki Tribe</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.abenakitribe.org/" target="_blank">Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe</a> (VT) <a href="http://koasek-abenaki.com/" target="_blank">Koasek Traditional Band</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.cowasuck.org/" target="_blank">Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki</a> (NH) Subject The topic of the resource Abenaki Indians Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Utilitarian Basket (mid-late 1800s) by unknown Abenaki woman Description An account of the resource Farm Basket, mid-late 1800s, Wood Splint, Abenaki, Housed at the Hopkinton Historical Society <h4>The Life of a Basket</h4> <blockquote> waligek abaznoda gagalnemenal/ abaznodakad w’eljial. A good basket holds its maker's hands. (Jesse Bruchac, "Abaznodaal") </blockquote> Baskets are very important in Abenaki culture, and Abenaki linguist Jesse Bruchac's poem describes them as having life within them. Abenaki oral tradition ties the people intimately to baskets by way of the natural materials used to make them. According to ethnohistorian Gordon Day, Western Abenakis believe that “man was created by Tabaldak… he created a couple from living wood who pleased him and who became the ancestors of the Indian race” (218). <h4>Abenaki Language and Baskets</h4> In the Abenaki language, words are categorized as either “animate” or “inanimate.” The word for basket, abaznoda, is inanimate. And yet "inanimate" does not mean "less important." Day explains that “many things are alive that whites commonly regard as inanimate, and every living thing has its own peculiar power, more or less specific in kind and limited in quantity” (218). <a href="http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~abenaki/Wobanaki/nouns.htm">Elie Joubert</a>, an author and teacher of the Abenaki language, elaborates on this point: an animate noun is “the Abenaki way of expressing connectedness with reverence to living things, celestial bodies, and the creation of all things great and grand on this land. The determination was made long ago, by our ancestors according to their view of the world at that time. We as speakers of the language do not question why one bush is animate and another is inanimate.” <h4>Abenaki Culture in a Basket</h4> The basket pictured here captures these relationships between the people, their history, and their land and resources. Unlike many of the fancy baskets seen in museums, it is a strictly utilitarian item--an unusual find, since baskets of this type were often thrown away. The Hopkinton Historical Society obtained this basket from a local farmer named Ebenezer Morrill (1806-1892), who reported that he got it from a Native woman who camped by the river in Contoocook. In its original description, the Historical Society noted that this basket is sturdy, able to carry heavy items, and that it shows evidence of having been made in relative haste: its splints are not smoothed as they are in more decorative baskets; and its vertical warps are cut off, rather than folded in at the rims. For all the humble nature of its design, this basket is nevertheless a powerful testament to Native people's continuous presence in the Hopkinton area throughout the 1800s, and in New Hampshire more generally, despite the persistent myth that they "vanished" from this state. <h4>Basketmakers Today</h4> Like basketmakers, advocates and teachers of the language like Jesse Bruchac and Elie Joubert are working to ensure that Abenaki culture and will survive through many more generations. These teachers are adapting to new economies and technologies: Bruchac uses media like <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WN8iTHZeJOw&feature=relmfu">YouTube</a> to document his children learning the language. Just as this utilitarian basket has survived two hundred years, carrying histories of its culture, the Abenaki language has also survived, carrying the stories and knowledge of the people who have lived along the river in Contoocook and in other areas of New England since time immemorial. <h4>Works Cited</h4> Bruchac, Jesse Bowman., Joseph Alfred Elie. Joubert, and Jeanne A. Brink.L8dwaw8gan Wji Abaznodakaw8gan: The Language of Basket Making. Greenfield Center, NY: Bowman, 2010. Print. Day, Gordon M. Title In Search of New England's Native Past: Selected Essays by Gordon M. Day. Univ of Massachusetts Pr, 1999. Print. <div> </div> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Abenaki woman Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Alexandra Binder, UNH '13 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource mid-late 1800s Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Image used with permission of Hopkinton Historical Society, Hopkinton, NH Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DV-270 https://dawnlandvoices.org/collections/files/original/06eb1a69ccf3ef916a8cdd55b255231f.jpg b686cb41e938eb628f8514b134786369 https://dawnlandvoices.org/collections/files/original/b2404f68d47e0994392d6bfc6f64d6e2.jpg 27bf436ec04a6aed28f4357cbee8d881 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Abenaki Description An account of the resource Traditional Abenaki territory encompasses what is now New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as parts of western Maine, western Massachusetts, and Quebec. The Abenaki people comprise numerous bands and communities. In the United States, at this time, none of those groups is federally recognized. The Canadian government formally recognizes two reserves, at Odanak (St. Francis) and Wolinak (Becancour). Resources <a href="http://tribal.abenakination.com/" target="_blank">Mississquoi Abenaki Tribal Council</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.elnuabenakitribe.org/" target="_blank">Elnu Abenaki Tribe</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.abenakitribe.org/" target="_blank">Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe</a> (VT) <a href="http://koasek-abenaki.com/" target="_blank">Koasek Traditional Band</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.cowasuck.org/" target="_blank">Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki</a> (NH) Subject The topic of the resource Abenaki Indians Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource "Signature, Treaty of Portsmouth" (1713) by Bomoseen Description An account of the resource The signature of Abenaki sachem Bomoseen is one of many attached to the Portsmouth Peace Treaty of July 13, 1713. Some of these signatures are printed in spiraled cursive while others are elaborate totems, emblems used by Native American leaders to represent their tribe (1). Most totems on the treaty are recognizable figures like turtles, birds, or deer, but Bomoseen’s is not as easily discernible. Some, like Mary Calvert, have speculated that “Bomoseen’s totem is a charming drawing of a girl’s head bringing to mind that he had a dearly loved daughter” (2). This claim can be argued however, mirroring the complicated and debatable legacy Bomoseen left behind. Known best for leading the attack on Oyster River Plantation in 1694, he was a man revered by his Abenaki tribesmen and loathed by the British. But to understand Bomoseen and his place in the Oyster River Massacre, one must look deep into history prior to the raid and the related Portsmouth Peace Treaty to see the conflicts that had driven the Abenaki’s to fight in a white man’s war. A two sentence summary of the Oyster River Massacre is etched into a plaque on the banks of Mill Pond in Durham, New Hampshire: <blockquote>“On July 18, 1694, a force of about 250 Indians under command of the French soldier, de Villieu, attacked settlements in this area on both sides of the Oyster River, killing or capturing approximately 100 settlers, destroying five garrison houses and numerous dwellings. It was the most devastating French and Indian raid in New Hampshire during King William's War.”</blockquote> While the dates and numbers are true, this memorial promotes the one-sided history that has been passed down for generations, retelling the event as an unprovoked attack on a sleepy New England colony. What is often excluded in these accounts is the expansionist culture of the British settlers, who had begun invading Abenaki territory many years earlier. While the Abenaki people witnessed the land they once knew drastically altered by colonization, they took action to save their tribe from devastation by adapting to European war customs and forming an alliance with the French. As historian Craig Brown explains, “the Abenaki regarded themselves as a military power on equal footing with the Europeans. The Indians were fighting primarily to recover kinsmen taken by the English and to push back English encroachment on their land” (3). For years, Abenakis struggled to continue their way of life as the British pushed them off their land in Eastern New Hampshire and Southern Maine, blocking their fishing sites and damaging their corn crops with loose cattle. The Abenaki view of land rights can be seen through Bomoseen’s own words as reported to the Council of Massachusetts by John Hill: “all those lands belonged to his uncle Moxis the Chief Sachamor of that place, and [John Hill] saith that those Eastern Indians carry themselves very surly and insolently and do say, that the English shall not repossess and enjoy ye lands in ye province of Maine than by agreement with them” (<a href="http://books.google.com/books?id=XyIK3fBFzdsC&printsec=frontcover&dq=saliha+belmessous&hl=en&sa=X&ei=r_CfT4inDKTf0QHRs8GpAg&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q&f=false" target="_blank">4</a>). The Abenaki realized that their best approach to dealing with these people was to follow European customs, including using treaties and agreements to come to compromises. Although Bomoseen’s request to respect Abenaki land should have come as a forewarning for future conflict to come, his words were often ignored by the British, who constantly “encroach[ed] on [Abenaki] territory creating much tension between the two peoples, which fed a continuing cycle of diplomatic negotiations and violent clashes” (4) including the Oyster River Massacre. During King William's War, fought from 1689 to 1697, French-Abenaki raids on British settlements were a common battle tactic. After the Treaty of Pemaquid was signed in 1693, outlining peace and trade conditions between the British and Abenaki, the French realized they had to keep their Abenaki allies on good terms if they wanted to win the war. Although thirteen Abenaki chiefs signed the document, "the English assumed that the signers of the treaty represented all the Indians, which reflected a dangerous lack of understanding of Indian politics and social structure" (3) Each smaller tribe had a chief, and any chief who did not sign the treaty did not feel like they had to listen to it. While some Abenaki clans agreed to these new acts of neutrality with the British, others remained loyal to the French. When the governor of New France, Louis de Bade Frontenac heard news of the Treaty of Pemaquid, he enlisted the French military and Abenaki allies to invade Oyster River Plantation, a small town some ten miles inland from the Atlantic Ocean. The French were led by Claude-Sebastian de Villieu and the Abenakis by Bomoseen. The 250 Frenchmen and Indians attacked Oyster River Plantation on July 18, 1694, killing 45 settlers, taking 49 captive, and burning 5 homes to the ground. Hezekiah Mills, an Indian who allied with the British testified his account of the raid, claiming he “saw Bomaseen in his canoe which was well-laden. There was four English captives, some scalps and a large pack of plunder brought in that canoe” (<a href="http://users.rcn.com/smartin.javanet/longley.htm" target="_blank">5</a>). This is one of very few first-person testimonies of the Oyster River Massacre, corroborating Bomoseen’s commanding presence at the raid. Due in part to his leadership during the raid, it was determined a French and Abenaki success as the attack resulted in death, famine and destitution for British survivors. Almost twenty years later, the French admitted defeat against the British in the War of Spanish Succession, which carried over into the New World territories. On January 19, 1712, the French signed the Treaty of Utrecht, establishing peace between the two powers and shifting control in many European nations. With command of New England, the British called Abenaki leaders to Portsmouth in July of 1713 to sign the Peace Treaty of Portsmouth, outlining the new rules tribes must follow under British command. These included but were not limited to: -Acknowledge themselves submissive, obedient subjects of Queen Anne -Cease acts of hostility towards subjects of Great Britain and their estates -Allow English settlers to return to their former settlements without molestation or claims by the Indians -Address grievances in English court, rather than in "private revenge" -Cast themselves upon Her Majesty for mercy and pardon for past rebellions, hostilities and violations of their promises The signatures of Bomoseen and other Abenaki tribal leaders on this document shows their acceptance to follow British customs in an attempt to conduct themselves as a respectable military power. Although their French allies had lost, the Abenaki were not willing to abandon their dignity and followed the treaty until the British broke their promises, encroaching on land they promised not to touch. Bomoseen remained loyal to his people while attempting to do what was best for them, whether during the Oyster River Massacre, the Peace Treaty of Portsmouth, or other events during the French and Indian War in later years. Works Cited: (1) Kidder, Frederic. The Abenaki Indians: Their Treaties of 1713 & 1717, and a Vocabulary. Portland: Brown Thurston, 1859. Page 25. (2) Calvert, Mary R. Black Robe on the Kennebec. Monmouth, 1991. (3) Brown, Craig J. "The Great Massacre of 1694': Understanding the Destruction of Oyster River Plantation." Historical New Hampshire 53 (1998): 69-91. (4) Belmessous, Saliha. Native Claims: Indigenous Laws Against Empire:1500-1920. New York: Oxford University Press, 2012. Page 108. (5) Farnsworth, Janice. <a href="http://users.rcn.com/smartin.javanet/longley.htm">"Testimony of Hezekiah Miles, Friendly Indian, on Preparations of Attack on Groton & Oyster River."</a> Northeast Captivity Stories. 3 April 2012. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bomoseen (Bomazeen) Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="http://www.1713treatyofportsmouth.com/index.cfm">"Portsmouth Peace Treaty of 1713"</a> Levi Woodbury Papers, Library of Congress, Washington D.C. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1713-07-13 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Rebecca Howard, UNH Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DV-266 https://dawnlandvoices.org/collections/files/original/3b1cab2851acc0999affb1da95d7b8df.jpeg 18c33afc624edc96f6757c08c0e38a17 https://dawnlandvoices.org/collections/files/original/fc0cd0680953086e4dbbdfcbebec6d77.jpeg 064d63f9c7c0938ddace16e7c38bd9e3 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Abenaki Description An account of the resource Traditional Abenaki territory encompasses what is now New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as parts of western Maine, western Massachusetts, and Quebec. The Abenaki people comprise numerous bands and communities. In the United States, at this time, none of those groups is federally recognized. The Canadian government formally recognizes two reserves, at Odanak (St. Francis) and Wolinak (Becancour). Resources <a href="http://tribal.abenakination.com/" target="_blank">Mississquoi Abenaki Tribal Council</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.elnuabenakitribe.org/" target="_blank">Elnu Abenaki Tribe</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.abenakitribe.org/" target="_blank">Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe</a> (VT) <a href="http://koasek-abenaki.com/" target="_blank">Koasek Traditional Band</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.cowasuck.org/" target="_blank">Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki</a> (NH) Subject The topic of the resource Abenaki Indians Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Eel weir basket (c. early 1900s) Description An account of the resource Eel Weir, c. early 1900s, Wood Splint, Abenaki, Housed at The Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum An unidentified fishing basket trap from the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum in Warner, NH, is likely an eel trap. Woven from wood splints, it stands nearly three feet high when stood on end. Museum staff is unsure of this basket’s exact date and place of origin, but Abenaki and other Native people in northeastern New England have long used trap baskets of this kind with their fishing weirs. Abenaki basket maker <a href="http://www.westernabenakibaskets.com/">Bill Gould</a>, who makes similar items, explains that a trap like this “is set up under water and weighed down with bait inside.” <h4>What is a Fishing Weir?</h4> Fishing weirs, sometimes constructed of stone, and sometimes of wooden stakes, work “to obstruct the passage of the fish in order to facilitate its capture, and impound the fish so that it cannot get away" <a href="http://www.lutins.org/thesis/#3.1">(lutins</a>). Weirs can capture fish traveling either upstream or downstream, usually during the spawning period, when they have the most fat. In a 1992 study of prehistoric fishing weirs in the northeast, allen lutins observes that “weirs and traps may be used independently, but their functions are often combined in a single structure when traps are used to collect the fish forced by the weir to a narrow outlet.” The oldest fishing weirs could be vast. Fredrick Johnson describes an enormous prehistoric weir found in 1913 under Boylston Street in Boston. Dating back to the Late Archaic period, it covers about two acres and includes some 65,000 stakes interwoven with brush wattling, or a mixture of shrubs and branches (27). The Late Archaic period occurred in 1250 BC-3800 BC (Fagan 202). According to Johnson, the difference in construction between this ancient fish weir and modern ones was that the stakes were not evenly spread out or of the same size (Johnson 57). <h4>Fishing, Baskets, and Culture</h4> Throughout New England, fishing has been an important means of subsistence for Native people, promoting a spiritual connection to specific places. Kerry Hardy finds that, for the Wabanaki Indians of Maine, waterfalls and ideal fishing spots historically determined the significance of villages: “The greater the obstacle, the better the harvest, and the more important the town” (62). In New Hampshire’s Winnepesaukee region, three stone weirs were found in the 1930s. One was W shaped and the other two were V shaped, with points oriented downstream (Proctor 41-49). According to Brian Fagan, V-shaped weirs could be used with basket traps (79). The traps could be placed near the points of the weirs, which funneled fish into them. The weirs at Winnepesaukee, unfortunately, were eventually removed because they interfered with water navigation (Moorhead 51). <h4>Protection of Fishing Grounds</h4> Historically, Native people have fought determinedly to protect their fishing grounds. In a 1748 petition, residents of the praying town of Natick defined their right to fish on Lake Cochituate, against the encroachment of English settlers. Historian Jean O’Brien has discussed this petition in some detail as evidence of Indian resistance; with respect to the value of fishing weirs, she notes that “The petitioners describe their fishing rights as an ‘old and valuable liberty’ rather than a gift in the form of a specific grant from the General Court” (O’Brien 126). Therefore, this petition conveys that the Indians had these rights long before the arrival of the English, although they were forced to formally request them back in writing. Similarly, the eel basket pictured here—made of trees, placed in rivers, and capturing food for people—acts as a text tying indigenous people to a particular place. <h4>Works Cited</h4> Fagan, Brian M. The First North Americans: An Archaeological Journey. Ancient Peoples and Places. New York, N.Y: Thames & Hudson, 2011. Gould, Bill. E-mail interview. 10 Apr. 2012. Hardy, Kerry. Notes on a Lost Flute: A Field Guide to the Wabanaki. 1st ed. Down East Books, 2009. Johnson, Frederick. The Boylston Street Fishweir, a Study of the Archaeology,biology, and Geology of a Site on Boylston Street in the Back Bay District of Boston, Massachusetts. Papers of the Robert S. Peabody Foundation for Archaeology v. 2. Andover, Mass: Phillips academy, The Foundation, 1942. Lutins, Allen. Prehistoric Fishweirs in Eastern North America. MS thesis. 1992. Binghamton : n.p.,1992. Web. 10 Apr. 2012. Moorehead, Warren King, and Benjamin Lincoln Smith. The Merrimack Archaeological Survey: a Preliminary Paper. Peabody Museum, 1931. O’Brien, Jean M. Dispossession by Degrees: Indian Land and Identity in Natick, Massachusetts, 1650-1790. Cambridge Studies in North American Indian History. Cambridge ; New York: Cambridge University Press, 1997. O'Brien , Jean. "Our Old and Valluable Liberty ." Early Native Literacies in New England. Ed. Kristina Bross and Ed. Hilary E. Wyss . Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2008. 119-129. Print. Proctor, Mary A. The Indians of the Winnipesaukee and Pemigewasset Valleys. Powwow River Books, 2007. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown "Woodlands Indian" Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum Hayley Pac, UNH '12 Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Image used with permission of Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DV-265 https://dawnlandvoices.org/collections/files/original/69a32d97f36c7e79906aaf9b4e2d2404.JPG a28a1fa3e6064c23ce002ef96dff5d7e https://dawnlandvoices.org/collections/files/original/4b508df2628ec692876d1d58cd383261.JPG 1b490d149464c641fd9364e7fb3597df Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Abenaki Description An account of the resource Traditional Abenaki territory encompasses what is now New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as parts of western Maine, western Massachusetts, and Quebec. The Abenaki people comprise numerous bands and communities. In the United States, at this time, none of those groups is federally recognized. The Canadian government formally recognizes two reserves, at Odanak (St. Francis) and Wolinak (Becancour). Resources <a href="http://tribal.abenakination.com/" target="_blank">Mississquoi Abenaki Tribal Council</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.elnuabenakitribe.org/" target="_blank">Elnu Abenaki Tribe</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.abenakitribe.org/" target="_blank">Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe</a> (VT) <a href="http://koasek-abenaki.com/" target="_blank">Koasek Traditional Band</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.cowasuck.org/" target="_blank">Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki</a> (NH) Subject The topic of the resource Abenaki Indians Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Hat Basket (c. 1860-1880) Description An account of the resource Hat Basket, c.1860-1880, Ash Splint, Abenaki, Housed at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum This hat basket, one that would have been sold to tourists, nicely illustrates Abenaki basketry's functional and aesthetic appeal. The chain link design on the lid, a common design on many baskets, represents friendship (Hopkinton Historical Society). The inside of the basket is lined with newspaper, a common practice at the time, and serves a purely functional purpose (Fitzgerald 52). Although various words can be read from the print, the basket overtakes the newspaper as the "text" through its continuance of Abenaki culture and tradition (Fitzgerald 52). <h4>The Impact of Tourism</h4> The earliest baskets were used for carrying items and storage. However, beginning in the nineteenth century, an influx of tourists into northern New England turned this tradition into a way to earn a living. As authentic Native-made baskets became more fashionable. their design changed. They went from simple, understated containers to brightly colored affairs designed to draw consumers' attention. When visitors to New England were shelling out cash for authentic Native American-made baskets, they wanted what they envisioned as the full Native experience. Some Abenaki families, like that of Maurice Dennis, donned stereotypically “Indian” looking clothing expressly to sell their wares (McMullen 32). Cultural observers, and basketmakers themselves, have mixed feelings about these accommodations. One Native anthropologist, Lisa Neuman, has expressed concern about the damage done to Native cultures and economies when basketmakers are forced "into the expected stereotypical roles of indigenous 'craftspeople'” (90). In Maine, Neuman observers, voters roundly defeated a Wabanaki proposal to build a casino for economic self-sufficiency. In Neuman's assessment, non-Native citizens expected Wabanaki people to "'stay quietly on our reservations'. . . passive and docile rather than full participants in Maine’s economy” (91). <h4>Economic Adaptation</h4> Art historian Joan Lester details these aesthetic changes: “Basket weavers were already accustomed to accommodating their craft to non-Indian tastes and styles. By the 1860s, round, covered ash-splint baskets with splints of varying widths, swabbed with color, were being made by Penobscot weavers [in Maine]. Modeled after hat boxes and bandboxes, these baskets were sought after for their practical as well as aesthetic qualities. And the weavers seem to have understood what would appeal to this new tourist market.” <div> On the other hand, some basketmakers use their art directly to combat stereotypical attitudes. <a href="http://dev.stoningtongallery.com/artistselect.php?fn=Gail&ln=Tremblay&artist=262&artType=0&topic=works">Gail Tremblay</a> (Onondaga/Mi'kmaq) makes baskets out of a material that is arguably a prime source of many contemporary stereotypes: film stock. She effectively “us[es] film against its cultural grain to build an indigenous object for preservation” (Cohen 176). Similarly, <a href="http://neculture.org/exhibit1/dow.html">Judy Dow</a> (Abenaki) makes baskets out of materials including recycled gum wrappers and pantyhose as a way of commenting on the depletion of natural resources on which her people--and all people--depend. Moreover, Dow asserts, adaptation is a way of ensuring that "basketry techniques will live on and then so will our heritage." <h4>Works Cited</h4> Cohen, Matt. The Networked Wilderness: Communicating in Early New England. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010. Fitzgerald, Stephanie. "The Cultural Work of a Mohegan Painted Basket." Early Native Literacies in New England. Amherst: University of Massachusetts Press, 2008. 52-56. Print. Lester, Joan. "We Didn't Make Fancy Baskets Until We Were Discovered." In Ann McMullen and Russell Handsman, eds.,. A Key Into the Language of Woodsplint Baskets. Washington, CT: Institute for American Indian Studies, 1987. 42-53. Neuman, Lisa K. "Basketry as Economic Enterprise and Cultural Revitalization: The Case of the Wabanaki Tribes of Maine." Wicazo Sa Review (25)2. 2010. 89-106. <div> </div> </div> Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Northern New England, possibly Abenaki Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1860-80 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Annie Schofield, UNH '12 Ana Caguiat, UNH '12 Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource Image used with permission of Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DV-262 https://dawnlandvoices.org/collections/files/original/7bce4dffbe5c0619d07ed60b43834125.jpg 34bd9e8ea79ee76b1495530533a5edb6 https://dawnlandvoices.org/collections/files/original/56faaa85a6a98d6f36854094412d658c.jpg 4594e918c400197a9e24ed25da720ec9 https://dawnlandvoices.org/collections/files/original/8decad00ce87072c3bef89616b653740.jpg b2eb72206b3bb4ba8169a318640ac118 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Abenaki Description An account of the resource Traditional Abenaki territory encompasses what is now New Hampshire and Vermont, as well as parts of western Maine, western Massachusetts, and Quebec. The Abenaki people comprise numerous bands and communities. In the United States, at this time, none of those groups is federally recognized. The Canadian government formally recognizes two reserves, at Odanak (St. Francis) and Wolinak (Becancour). Resources <a href="http://tribal.abenakination.com/" target="_blank">Mississquoi Abenaki Tribal Council</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.elnuabenakitribe.org/" target="_blank">Elnu Abenaki Tribe</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.abenakitribe.org/" target="_blank">Nulhegan Abenaki Tribe</a> (VT) <a href="http://koasek-abenaki.com/" target="_blank">Koasek Traditional Band</a> (VT) <a href="http://www.cowasuck.org/" target="_blank">Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki</a> (NH) Subject The topic of the resource Abenaki Indians Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Fancy Basket Hamper (c. 1900) Description An account of the resource Fancy Hamper, c. 1900, Ash Splint, Abenaki, Housed at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum This basket, housed at the Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, is a fancy basket hamper decorated with cowiss that dates to c. 1900s. Cowiss is the Abenaki word for the spiral strips of splint that add texture to the basket (Wiseman 135). The inside wefts (horizontal splints) are dyed a pretty sea green and provide an appealing contrast to the tan colored warps (vertical splints) (McMullen 20). This basket is representative of the type of basket that would be found in non-native basketseller catalogues (Clark). After fancy baskets rose in demand and popularity, "non-native middlemen set out to organize and control the basket industry by preparing wholesale catalogues, supplying tools and molds and raw materials (including dyes), and dictating what baskets would be made" (Porter 67). Non-native middlemen hoped to streamline the basket selling process in order to increase their profits and facilitate the transportation of baskets to customers. However, this had the following negative impact on native basketmakers: -Basketmakers made less money per basket -Basketmakers were no longer in control of the designs and styles of the baskets -Basketmakers were no longer free in expressing themselves through their basketry -The catalogues showcased large amounts of the same type of baskets, which reduced the value of each basket The St. Regis Indian Trading Company is one example of this type of middleman industry. Their catalogue, for instance, illustrates baskets as one of many instead of one of a kind. The catalogue describes a similar basket as follows: "hampers for soiled linen, made Urn shape of fine splint sides decorated with rows of curl trimming, detachable covers" (St. Regis Indian Trading Company). Because it focuses on the physical function and appearance of the basket, the description strips the basket of character and personality. It attempts to reduce the basket into an object without a story. Before middleman companies, baskets were usually purchased either directly from the basketmaker or through a family member or friend. The transaction itself was interactive, social and a part of the story of the basket. The catalogue removed the necessity of meeting the creator and turned the transaction into any other everyday purchase. Because basketmakers were no longer able to make a living on selling baskets alone, many of them took other jobs in order to feed their families (Porter). Less and less American Indians taught their children or made baskets. Many assumed that basketry was a dying art form until American Indians from various tribes took it upon themselves to revitalize basketry. Today many Abenaki are able to make a living through basketmaking. Furthermore, baskets are treated as more than a functional object or as art: they are full of stories. <h4>Works Cited</h4> Clark, Lynn. "Comments on Basket Essays." 8 Aug. 2012. E-mail. McMullen, Ann. Key into the Language of Woodsplint Baskets. Institution for American Indian Studies, 1987. Print. Mundell, Kathleen. North by Northeast: Wabanaki, Akwesasne Mohawk, and Tuscarora Traditional Arts. Tilbury House Publishers, 2008. Print. Porter, Frank W. The Art of Native American Basketry: A Living Legacy. Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, 1990. Google Books. Web. 29 Aug. 2012. St. Regis Indian Trading Company. "St. Regis Indian Trading Company Catalogue." 46-47. Print. Wiseman, Frederick Matthew. The Voice of the Dawn: An Autohistory of the Abenaki Nation. University Press of New England, 2001. Print. Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Unknown Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived Mt. Kearsarge Indian Museum, Warner, NH Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource circa 1900 Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ana Caguiat, UNH 2012 Type The nature or genre of the resource Still Image Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource jpeg Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context DV-256