Exhibitions

Collage of three images with Abenaki people wearing traditional clothing from different eras.
Images courtesy of Jill Cressy Gross, Jeanne Morningstar Kent, and Vera Longtoe Sheehan.

The exhibit Alnobak: Wearing Our Heritage shows the connections between Abenaki clothing and jewelry and cultural identity. Alnobak is the Abenaki word for people so the exhibit title means People, wearing their heritage, referring to special clothing from their culture.

Artwork by Francine Poitras Jones. Courtesy of artist.

Lacrosse, Little Brother of War, or The Spirit Game…No matter what you call it, the game require the players to have great skill and demonstrate physical prowess. Babaskwahomwôgan:The Spirit Game brings together a collection of traditional and modern Lacrosse sticks, with family images of players and the original artwork from the book Swift Deer’s Spirit Game. Watercolor paintings by Francine Poitras Jones bring the game and a village to life. Curated by Vera Longtoe Sheehan

painting of wildlife that need water to survive
Detail of artwork by Francine Poitras Jones. Courtesy of artist.

*Nebizun: Water is Life draws its inspiration from Native American Grandmothers that have been doing water walks to pray for the water. This exhibit shows the Abenaki relationship to water and draws attention to water as a fundamental element that is necessary for all life and acknowledges how pollution can change our traditional lifeways and health. Artwork by Francine Poitras Jones.
* Nebi is the Abenaki word for water and Nebizun is the Abenaki word for medicine.

Courtesy of Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.

Parley and Protocol: Abenaki Diplomacy Past and Present is an exhibit about the continuance of Abenaki governance, sovereignty, and the protocols that have been in place for diplomacy for hundreds of years.