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…
Carol Willette [Snow Moon] Bachofner is a Native American poet of Abenaki descent. She is a resident of Rockland, Maine. She has published several collections of her own poetry, includingNative Moons, Native Days, as well as Drink from Your Own…
Henry Lorne Masta was born on March 9, 1853. He was an Abenaki writer, teacher, and a scholar of the Abenaki Language. He was also a respected leader in the Abenaki community. Lisa Brooks, author of The Common Pot, wrote that Masta, “published…
Basket with Cowwiss, Ash Splint and Sweetgrass, Abenaki
What Is In A Basket?
At first glance this basket might seem like a beautiful decoration or a cherished household item. While the basket is both of these things, there is a history and story…
Pictured: Pack Basket, Ash Splint, Abenaki
Introduction
The components of an Abenaki basket are not as simple as they appear to be. The amount of physical labor hiding behind even small baskets is immense, perhaps overwhelming for those not familiar…
Basket, Ash Splint, Abenaki
The Universal Container
We do not think of baskets in a practical way anymore; they are mostly decorative art. If we need a durable container for large dry goods, we are likely to use a plastic bin. Starting in the 1930s,…