Browse Items (189 total)

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…

Peter Mitchell ( b. 1929) was a World War II veteran from Perry, Maine. He wrote frequently for the tribal newsletters, contributing pieces like this 1966 letter. Mitchell was murdered in 1978; as with several other homicides of Maine Native people…

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…

This 1754 herbal diary is a rare written record of indigenous medicinal practices from early New England. Part of the original manuscript is housed at Dartmouth College (link above); the other part is in the New London County Historical Society in…

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.…

Written by Penobscot Governors and Indians in Council at Old Town, Maine, The Penobscot Land Claims Petition of November 5, 1829 concerns the sale of tribal lands in the new State of Maine. The petition, which was in response to an application for…

Paula Peters is a Native American journalist and educator from Mashpee, Massachusetts. She worked for the Cape Cod Times from 1992-2002 and has worked to educate the public about Native history as part of the Indian Program at Plimoth Plantation…

Wampanoag artist Ramona Peters wrote this piece for a flyer distributed at the Mashpee powwow in 1988 and 1989. Powwow flyers have been an important source of Mashpee Wampanoag writing and self-representation. This piece, signed "Nosapocket," speaks…

Basket, Ash Splint and Sweetgrass, Abenaki This basket, by Denise Pouliot, showcases a combination of sweetgrass and ash splint. Behind its deceptively simple yet beautiful design is the story of Abenaki basketmaking tradition. Abenaki basketmaking…