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  A TREE WITH EYES

The Abbe Museum is pleased to offer a class in connection with our Spring/Summer birch bark exhibit, “A Tree With Eyes”, opening April 19^th and running through August 19^th, 2007.  The class can be adjusted to meet the age and knowledge level of the students, meets Maine Learning Requirements, and LD 291.  Please contact Raney Bench at the Abbe Museum to schedule a trip, 288-3519.

Birch Bark Past and Present:

Why is birch bark so important to the Wabanaki people?  How was it used traditionally, and how is it used by Wabanaki people today?  The Wabanaki had over 100 uses for birch bark, students will learn about some of these uses through study of birch bark objects, and by looking at every day objects we use today that would have been made from birch bark.  Through slides, objects, and gallery hunts, students will learn about contemporary uses of birch bark, and have the opportunity to compare that with traditional uses.  Finally, students will learn about two birch bark artists- Tomah Joseph and David Moses Bridges.  Joseph was a traditional birch bark artist and canoe builder who made objects to sell to tourists along the coast of Maine.  His historic work is alive with animals and people, continuing to tell stories long after he passed on.  David Moses Bridges is a contemporary birch bark artist who has learned the art of canoe making, and creates traditional bark containers.  Moses Bridges was recently awarded the Maine Arts Commission’s Traditional Artist Fellowship Award for his work as a birch bark artist.  Students will compare objects from these two men and learn about the design features etched into the bark. 

The class runs an hour and a half and includes a take home activity where students can make their own mocuck (a traditional birch bark container) and decorate it with designs they saw at the Abbe, or with images that are important in their own lives.

The class meets LD 291 in the following categories: 

Cultural Systems (2): How does the environment shape cultures?  How does/did it shape Wabanaki culture?

How and why have cultural practices changed and remained the same over time?  How has the Wabanaki worldview been passed on through generations?

Maine Native American Economic Systems (2): How did interactions with Europeans change the Wabanaki economic system? 

History (2): How have Wabanaki people maintained and changed their cultural and social traditions over time? 

History (3): What strategies did/do the Wabanaki used/use and adapt to their culture while being impacted by the changing population around them?