Climate Change: Past, Present and Future

Tuesday, November 10 at 7:00 p.m.
Hutchins Hall, Collins Center for the Arts

“The Prehistory of El Niño in Ancient Peru.”

Dan Sandweiss

Dean and Associate Provost for Graduate Studies .

Every few years, the climatic phenomenon known as El Niño, changes weather throughout the world. Sometimes these changes are positive, such as a reduction in hurricanes. Often, however, El Niño is devastating--nowhere more than in its heartland on the coast of Peru. There, torrential rains can ravage the desert landscape, destroying buildings, roads, canals, and fields and bringing plagues of insects and diseases. At the same time, the normally productive fishery is decimated. Over the longer term, the synergy between earthquakes, rains, and wind can make agriculture less sustainable. All of these effects of El Niño influence human lifeways today and must have done so in the past. In this lecture, Prof. Sandweiss explores the prehistory of El Niño over the 13,000 years that people have lived in coastal Peru. He explains the methods used to track ancient El Niños and discusses how this phenomenon may have altered the course of cultural development in the region.

2009 Annual Maine Indian Basketmakers Sale and Demonstration

December 5, 2009 from 9:00 to 4:00
The Hudson Museum, Collins Center For The Arts
Free and Open to the Public

This event features Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot Basketmakers who sell their hand-made, one of a kind, ash splint and sweet grass basketry. Work baskets, such as creels, pack and potato baskets and fancy baskets ranging from strawberry and blueberry shaped- baskets to curly bowls may be found along with quill jewelry, wood carvings and birchbark work. Traditional foods served up by the Penobscot Nation Boys and Girls Club (hull corn soup, fry bread, blueberry desserts), music, demonstrations of brown ash pounding and basket making as well as traditional drumming and dancing will also be presented.

Schedule of events

9:00 a.m.Event opens to the public.

9:30 a.m.  Welcome with Penobscot Chief Kirk Francis and traditional greeting songs with Watie Akins, Penobscot

10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.  Book signing with Kathleen Mundell author of North by Northeast:  Wabanaki, Akwesasne Mohawk, and Tuscarora Traditional Arts

10:00 a.m. Brown Ash Pounding and Work Basket Demonstration with Eldon Hanning, Micmac

10:30 a.m.  Fancy Basket Demonstration with award-winning basketmaker Barbara Francis, Penobscot

11:00 a.m.  Penobscot Beadworking Demonstration with Jennifer Sapiel Neptune, Penobscot

11:30 a.m.  Moose calling Demonstration with Barry Dana, Penobscot

11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.  Traditional Foods, featuring hull corn soup, fry bread and blueberry desserts.  Food sales benefit the Penobscot Nation Boys and Girls Club

12:00  Rootclub Demonstration with Stan Neptune, Penobscot Master Carver

1:00 p.m. Children’s storytime with Donald Soctomah, author of Remember Me:  Tomah Joseph’s Gift to Franklin Roosevelt

1:00 p.m.  Traditional Passamaquoddy Medicine with Fredda Paul

2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.  Burnurwurbskek Singers with drumming, singing and dancing

4:00 p.m.  Drawing for the Hudson Museum Friends Maine Indian Basket Raffle.  This year’s basket by National Heritage Fellow Award winner, Clara Keezer.  Raffle tickets are $5 each.