A Member of the University of Maine System

Message From The Director &
A Welcome To Lisa Neuman

Dr. Maureen E. Smith (Oneida) Director of Native American Studies
Assistant Professor of History
University of Maine, Orono
E-mail: Maureen.e.smith@umit.maine.edu

Welcome to the first Native American Studies Newsletter, "Turtle Talk".
Since coming to Maine as founding Director of Native American Studies,
I have been very busy and academically stimulated. I have found the endeavor
to be both challenging and productive. I reflect upon my time here with pride
at all we have been able to accomplish. I have been blessed with great colleagues,
incredible students, supportive administrations, and a welcoming community.

The name of the newsletter reflects both our logo and our philosophy.
We have chosen the turtle with a map of the State of Maine, surrounded
by double-curve designs and a rising sun, to represent our program.
The turtle, designed by James Eric Francis, a member of the Penobscot
Nation and a graduate of our program, reflects the strength and purposefulness
of the turtle, as well as the centrality of the Wabanaki tribes of Maine. Additionally,
most Native nations throughout the United States and Canada refer
to the land that we now call North America as Turtle Island. So it is we
hope that our program reflects the attributes of the turtle, the focus on the
Wabanaki tribes, and the relationship to American Indian tribes throughout the continent.

Dr. Lisa K. Neuman
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Native American Studies
University of Maine, Orono 2003-present
E-mail: lisa.neuman@umit.maine.edu

Having joined the faculty of U Maine in the fall of 2003, I have
enjoyed the opportunity to teach students in both the Anthropology
and Native American Studies programs.

I grew up in Kansas City, Missouri, the only child of a couple of transplanted
academics (one from Ohio and the other from California). I spent many
childhood summers living away from home with my maternal
grandparents in California. My grandfather was a recent migrant to California,
an urban Indian whose family had ties both to the displaced tribes of the former
"Indian Territory" (today known as the state of Oklahoma) and to the European
American people who eventually settled there. The complexity of my own family's
history inspired my interest in Native American studies.

I earned my Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology and Graduate Certificate in
Women's Studies from Duke University in 2002. I also hold an M.A. in
Cultural Anthropology (2000) from Duke University and a B.A. in Anthropology (1989)
from Pomona College in Claremont, CA.

My research and teaching interests include the politics of Indian identity,
issues of tribal sovereignty, the history of American Indian education,
theories of cultural creativity and revitalization, and gender studies.
My dissertation, entitled "Recapturing Culture: American Indian
Identities at Bacone College, 1927-1955," examined the history
of a college for American Indians in Muskogee, Oklahoma and
the effects that attending this school had on the Indian identities
of its former students. Here in Maine, I have begun new research
that examines the relationship between the politics of Indian i
dentity and tribal sovereignty. With the assistance of grad student Katie
Frederick, I am studying the history of various Wabanaki economic enterprises
(from the success of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance to the defeat of the 2
003 casino referendum) and the cultural beliefs, community expectations,
and images of Indians that encourage or limit their public support in Maine.

Typical courses that I teach include: Introduction to Native American Studies,
Sex and Gender in Anthropology, Anthropological Theory, Ethnography
Through Film, and North American Indian Ethnology.

Come visit me at 327c Aubert in the new offices of the Native American Studies Program.

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Overview Of Native American Studies Program

The Native American Studies Program at the University of Maine is committed
to the study of the cultures, values, history, and contemporary life of the aboriginal
peoples and nations of North America. With an emphasis on the Wabanaki tribes of
Maine, the program offers opportunities for students and the public to learn about
them, as well as other tribal groups within the United States and Canada. Students
will enhance their knowledge and understanding of the complex issues facing
American Indian communities through courses from various disciplines and
interactions with Native American experts, elders and scholars.
The Native American Studies Program administers a minor in Native American Studies.

Native American Studies, as a minor, requires 18 credits to complete with
three required courses. Also approved as a concentration in the College
of Education with a requirement of 24 credits, courses are also offered through
Anthropology, English and History at this time. We have cross-listed courses
with the English, History, Social Work, Theatre and Women's Studies Departments.
Native American Studies currently has 28 students who have listed
Native American Studies as their minor. We have had 5
students who have graduated with the minor or as a concentration.
The aim of the program is to teach students, through a Native perspective ,
to understand Native people, their traditions, and their right to self determination.
} The program is designed around the belief that such explorations are the cornerstones
of Native American Studies as an academic discipline, giving voice and credibility to the
Native perspective, worldview, and life experiences

The program offers a curriculum which focuses on understanding how differing value
systems function, appreciating the aesthetic qualities in Native American culture, and
comprehending the historical aspects of Native America, including the critical issues
of sovereignty and treaty rights. The presence of the Wabanaki Tribes within the State
of Maine (Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot) provides a tie to the history,
language, and vital culture unique to this state and is a major focus of the program.
The program maintains high academic standards through the traditional pedagogy of
Native communities, as well as Western-based academic standards.
It focuses on the connection between the University of Maine and Maine's
Native communities to ensure accuracy, authenticity, and credibility in course offerings.
It also seeks to strengthen the connections between Native and non-Native people allowing
respectful discussion of issues of significance.

Native American Studies offered its first official course, NAS 101: Introduction to Native
American Studies in the spring, 1998 and became a minor in spring, 2000. Since that time,
NAS 101 has been offered up to three times a year and fills each time it is offered.
Thus we have provided instruction to approximately 500 students on current issues pertaining
to American Indians since our inception.

Although Native American Studies is an undergraduate minor, there have been a number of
students in graduate programs at the University of Maine who have focused their research
on American Indians and thus, engaged the program in their work.
To this end, faculty from Native American Studies have served on six
masters thesis and eight doctoral thesis since it's founding. The program
is beginning efforts to develop graduate courses to meet this increasing demand.

Native American Studies is also a program. As such it is charged with outreach
primarily to the non-Native community both on and off campus. The primary
focus of this outreach has been to educate the larger community about issues
pertaining to American Indians in general, with a specific focus on
Wabanaki Native peoples of Maine. To that end, the faculty of Native
American Studies present guest lectures in many classes at the University
and other educational institutions, provide advice to K-12 teachers
about American Indians, and serve to inform groups, such as the rotary,
scout troops, PTO's, etc. about issues affecting Native peoples.

As a program, Native American Studies has brought a number of well-established,
renowned Native scholars to campus to provide their expertise on Native issues
to the University community. In spring, 2001, we sponsored a two-day
symposium on research ethics in Native communities, a forum that brought
together Native scholars, scholars in the field of Native studies, Wabanaki
community members and University of Maine faculty
to explore this timely and important issue.

While Native American Studies primarily provides outreach to non-Native
communities, for five years as primary investigator, in partnership with the
Wabanaki Center, Native Studies had a grant through NASA's MUSPIN
program. Receiving $50,000 a year for four years, Successfully
Walking in Two Worlds Program Grant Program was designed to increase
the number of Native students who were successful in the science and math areas.
Ultimately, the program worked to develop and encourage Native people from Maine
to prepare them to join NASA thereby meeting its goal to increase the diversity of their workforce.

Native American Studies has taken the lead on the implementation of Maine Public Law, LD 291:
An Act to require the teaching of Maine Native American History and Culture in all Maine
K-12 schools. Native Studies has offered a summer institute for the past two years for pre-service
and in-service teachers, with plans for a third one this summer. We are in the process of developing
a web page for educators and refining curriculum, as well as serving as a resource center for the law.

Native American Studies has begun work with the Fogler Library to develop a Northeast
Tribal Research Center in connection with the Library's Special Collections.
The goal of the center will be to serve as a central research facility to assist scholars,
as well as community members, in the study of the history and culture of the Wabanaki tribes of Maine.
The center would serve as a primary repository for papers pertaining to the tribes,
as well as centralizing materials from throughout the state and the country.
This center is planned to encourage the scholarly investigation of tribes indigenous to
Maine, with a secondary focus on tribes from throughout the Northeast. Native American
Studies and Fogler Library will fill a critical research need in providing
this opportunity for scholars throughout the United States.

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Native American Studies Open House October 7, 2004

Photo on left is the                           
Native American Studies Logo
painted on one of the walls in the department.

Photo in the middle is Reuben "Butch" Phillips, Penobscot elder
Bob White Director of Continuing & Distance Education,
as well as Dean of the Division of Life Long Learning.

Photo on the right shows
several of our guests visiting and enjoying some of
the refreshments that were served.

                                                                                                                                       
       Board displaying NAS,
tribal, and guest speaker information.                          Welcome back Gail Dana,                                           Dean Anne Leffler, CLAS,                                   Sukulis Drum Group
                                                                                               Director of the Wabanaki Center                      with Interim Provost, Dr. John Mahon                       from Indian Island

Native American Studies held an open house on October 7th 2004. This was
an opportunity for students and faculty to become familiar with the program and its new location in Aubert Hall, Suite 327.

The open house started out with a blessing and smudging by a Penobscot elder,
Reuben "Butch" Phillips. We were also privileged to have the all girls' drum group, Sukulis, from Indian Island,
perform a couple of their songs. Dave Sanger, Professor of Anthropology and Quaternary Studies here at the University,
gave the standing room only audience the overview of how Native American Studies and the Wabanaki Center began.

After the opening program, the students and faculty were able to walk around the department and get an understanding
of what we have to offer. We would like to thank all the faculty and students who attended the open house and if we
can ever be of any assistance, please let us know. We invite everyone to come and visit our facilities.

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Featured Native American Studies Cooperating Faculty and Staff

Dr. Jacques Ferland
Associate Professor of History
E-mail: jacques_ferland@umit.maine.edu
Ph.D., McGill University, Montreal, Canada 1986
Department of History, University of Maine (1985-present)

Professor Ferland began teaching the course Amerindians of the Northeast: A History (HTY 481),
as a special topics course, in 1988. In addition to having played an active role in the initial development
of the Native Studies program at the University of Maine, in 1993-1996, Dr. Ferland also substantially increased the
Native American content of two older history courses, Colonial Canada (HTY 459) and
Canadian Historiography (HTY 520). In more recent years, he has offered a senior seminar
and a graduate seminar on Native Americans during the American Revolution.

As a researcher, Jacques Ferland has devoted his attention to labor, ethnicity and gender,
including women's history in the textiles industry as well as rural leather tanning communities
in the Northeast. He has published some of this work in Labour/Le travail, the
Canadian Historical Review, and the American Review of Canadian Studies.
Over the last seven to eight years, however, Jacques Ferland has also written and
presented several conference papers pertaining to Penobscot history in nineteenth-century Maine. These papers include:

"Depopulation and Tribal Affiliation within the Penobscot Nation of Maine, at the
turn of the twentieth-century."(Portland, Oregon and University of Maine, Fall 2003)

"Removal Practices against the Maine Penobscot Indians." (East Lansing, Michigan, Fall 2002)

"Tuester Ranco: <Poor White Man> among the Penobscot Indians."
(San Antonio, Texas, and University of Maine, Fall 2001)

"Mattanawcook Islanders and the Meaning of Family among the Penobscots, 1816-1849,"
(Livermore Falls, Maine, June 1997)

Margo Lukens
Title: Associate Professor and Chair, Department of English

Education: MA & PhD in English, University of Colorado, 1986 & 1991
BA in English, Harvard University, 1977

Research: Native American & First Nations plays & playwrights; 19th- & 20th-century
Wabanaki literary and storytelling history; late 19th- & early 20th-century Native American women writers

Courses taught:
ENG 442 Native American Literature (survey)
ENG 542 Topics in Multicultural American Literature (such as "Reading Plays by Native
American and First Nations Playwrights," "Stage Left: Playwrights from the Margins--works
by Native American, First Nations, French-Candian, Franco-American, African American and Africadian playwrights,"
"Native American Writing: Intersections of Orality and Literacy")
American Indian Novels
Native American Women Writers and Storytellers

Tanya Francis

I am the student assistant for Native American Studies. I assist with any office work and
work with the development of the curriculum for LD291.I am a fifth year senior, majoring
in psychology and minoring in Native American Studies.I am a Native American from the
Mohawk tribe in Kahnawake, Canada.

Julie Nowell
2002, A.S. Computer Information Systems

I am the Administrative Assistant for the Native American Studies office.
I am presently working on my B.A. in Business Administration at UCB.I was honored by the
Wabanaki Studies Commission to develop the LD 291 web site for teachers in Maine.
LD 291 is a law that was passed to implement Maine Native History in Maine schools grades K-12.
You can view this web site @ (www.umaine.edu/ld291).

I also developed the new web site for Native American Studies
(http://www.umaine.edu/americannativeindianstudies/).

Katherine Frederick
2003, B.A. Anthropology

I am a recent graduate of Arizona State University where
I studied Anthropology with a strong interest in Archaeology.
I am a first year graduate student and I am enrolled in a Masters program with the Climate Change Institute.

I am also working as a research assistant with joint appointment in both the
Climate Change Institute and Native Studies. Currently, I am helping my advisor,
Lisa Neuman, on a research project. This project broadly examines Wabanaki economic development.

My interests' focus on making Archaeology more meaningful to the public
particularly those people who may benefit from the research. In addition,
I am interested in the unique status of Maine Tribes and environmental issues that play a role in these cultures.

Page 5

Native American Facts and Alumni

Did You Know………………

More than 4 million people claimed American Indian or Alaska Native identity (either alone
or in combination with some other ethnic or racial group) on the 2000 U.S. Census. 2.4 million people
claimed to be American Indians or Alaska Natives alone.

Congress passed a law in 1871 prohibiting the further signing of treaties with Indian nations because
the House of Representatives wanted to be included in the legislation of Indian affairs. Prior to 1871,
the Constitution gave the President, with the approval of 2/3 of the Senate,
the right to contract treaties with Indian nations.

Charles Curtis was the first Native American vice-president of the United States from 1929 to 1933
under President Herbert Hoover. He was a member of the Kaw tribe of Kansas.

Pre-Colombian American Indian astronomers used a sophisticated system of astronomy,
which could calculate celestial events such as solar eclipses. They also created calendar systems,
complete with corrections that were based on detailed observations of the sun and moon.
Indigenous astronomers were so accurate at observing the movements of the stars and planets
" that by the fifth century B.C. those in Mesoamerican had calculated a year's length
so accurately that it was only 19 minutes off.

American Indians of North, Meso-, and South America were the first to
cultivate seventy-five percent of the many varieties of food grown in the world today.

James Eric Francis

Penobscot Nation Tribal Historian
B.A. in History, August 2003

I grew up on the Penobscot Reservation on Indian Island. Being brought up in a
family whose roots are very culturally rich made me realize how important it was for me
to become more educated about my people, the Penobscot.

I earned my B.A. in 2003, majoring in history with a concentration on Maine history.
I took that a step further to a specific interest in Maine Native American history.
This was incorporated into my studies together with a minor in Native American Studies.

While doing my undergraduate studies, I worked for the Wabanaki Center, the student
center for Native American Programs, as a program coordinator.
I organized the Fiddlehead 5K, a run to sponsor Indian Education,
and also brought Native American students from surrounding areas to
campus during their winter break and our spring break to experience what the
University of Maine had to offer. I was a member of the Passamaquoddy Players
Theater Group. I also worked for the Wabanaki Studies
Commission in helping to implement the new law, LD291.

I am also an artist and a photographer. As an artist, I try to incorporate my native
culture and history into my work. I have designed the logos for Native American Studies,
American Indians at the University of Maine, the Wabanaki Studies Commission,
and I did the posters for the Sherman Alexie event. The design of the NAS logo is
a turtle with the state of Maine on it. The turtle represents Turtle Island, the Native
American view of mother earth. The State of Maine, divided into four colors
depicting the four directions, represents the state where the Wabanaki communities reside.
There are five feathers hanging off the state, which represent the five Wabanaki communities.
The shell has four double curves on it, one representing each tribe. The rising sun at the
bottom of the turtle shell symbolizes the meaning of the word
Wabanaki, the people of the land of the dawn.

Studying Native American Studies helped me get a broader picture
of Native American issues beyond my own tribe. I feel educational
outreach is extremely important to build the knowledge in others
about who the Penobscot and Wabanakis are. This was evident in my position
on the Wabanaki Studies Commission, as well as my current position as Penobscot
Nation Tribal Historian. I also produced and co-wrote the movie, Invisible, with Gunnar
Hansen and David Westphal. The movie takes a look at the impact of residential schools
on native people and discrimination here in Maine. This movie is very moving and copies can
be obtained by calling me at my office, Penobscot Nation Historic and Cultural Preservation
Department at 827-4168. I served as chair of the Penobscot Nation Historic and Cultural
Preservation Committee. Today, I am currently working on building a cultural center for
Penobscot Nation and also working on developing culturally
appropriate resources to help implement LD291 in schools.

Page 6

Featured Biography

Dr. David Sanger
Professor of Anthropology and Quaternary Studies
University of Maine, Orono 1971-present
E-mail: sanger@maine.edu

Dr. David Sanger is about to retire from the University of Maine, after having served
the university for more than 33 years. An expert on the archaeology of Native North America,
Dave (as his friends and colleagues often call him) has been an important figure
in the establishment and promotion of Native American programs at the University of Maine.

Dave received his formal education at the University of New Brunswick (B.A. 1959)
and the University of British Columbia (M.A. 1962). His doctoral work was completed
at the University of Washington (Ph.D. 1967). Dave's major research interests include
the prehistory of both the Northwestern and the Northeastern United States and Canada,
prehistoric adaptations to maritime environments,
lithic (stone) technologies, and paleo-environmental archaeology.

Before coming to the University of Maine, Dave served for five years as the Head of the
Eastern Canada Section in the Archaeology Division of the Canadian National Museum in
Ottawa. Since arriving at the University in 1971, Dave has held a variety of positions.
In addition to his teaching, Dave served two terms as Chair of the Department of
Anthropology (1979-1983 and 1995-1998) and took on the role of
Interim Associate Dean in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences during 1983.

As a faculty member in the Department of Anthropology and the Quaternary Studies program,
Dave regularly has taught a variety of courses, including Introduction to World Archaeology,
North American Indian Ethnology, North American Prehistory,
and Lab Techniques in Prehistoric Archaeology.

The author of more than 80 published books and articles from a career spanning more than 40 years;
Dave is largely considered to be one of the foremost experts on microblade technology and prehistoric
archaeology in North America. According to his colleague and academic successor,
Dr. Brian Robinson, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at UM,
even Dave's earliest published work continues to be cited today in the archaeological literature.
This is due, in large measure, to the breadth of Dave's scholarship, which ranges from theoretical
models of prehistoric coastal population movement to models that theorize the connections
between the disposal of animal bones and Native American ritual beliefs. Moreover,
Dave has been the principal investigator on a number of important archaeological sites,
and he has helped to train Native American researchers to conduct archaeological
work in cultural resource management (CRM). That more than 300 students have
received direct archaeological field training under Dr. Sanger is an indicator of the
influence he has had in the production of new generations of scholars. Dave feels
" that his contribution in this area extends beyond the purely academic, stating that
"these students make citizens who are more attuned to North America's aborigina
l population and their accomplishments in the pre-European era."

Working with Ted Mitchell, Dave has been a very important figure in the establishment
of Native American programs at the University of Maine. He has worked with both the
Wabanaki Center and the Native American Studies program
to help enhance the presence of Native American studies on campus.

Page 7

LD 291: A law requiring Maine K-12 schools to incorporate
Maine Native American History and Culture into their curriculum

Maine Teachers K-12 Informational Web Site
www.umaine.edu/ld291

"With education will come understanding, and with understanding will come respect…
" so said Donna Loring, the Penobscot Indian Representative to the Maine State Legislature
as she described her rationale for introducing LD 291. LD 291 was passed by the
120th Maine Legislature and signed into law as Public Law, Chapter 403 in June 2001.
It requires Maine schools to teach about Maine Native American studies beginning
in school year 2004-2005 (State of Maine, House of Representatives, 120th Legislature).
A required component of Maine studies is Maine
Native American studies addressing: a) Maine tribal governments, b)
Maine Native American cultural systems and experiencesof Maine
tribal people throughout history, c)Maine Native American territories, and d)
Maine Native American economic systems.

To help prepare for implementation, LD 291 created a 15 member Wabanaki Studies Commission.
The members of the Wabanaki Studies Commission are: Chairperson Maureen Smith, Ph.D. (Oneida)
(University of Maine System) Barney Bérubé, Ph.D. (Department of Education) Roland Caron (Superintendent),
Sue Desiderio (Maliseet), Mark Altavater (Passaamquoddy/Sipayik), Mary K.
Griffith (Middle School Teacher), Mark Halstead (High School Teacher), Bernard Jerome
(Micmac), John Mitchell (Penobscot), Wayne Newell (Passamaquoddy), Christine Petersen
(Elementary School Teacher), William Phillips, Jr., Chief (Micmac), Judy Pusey, (Curriculum Coordinator),
Brian Reynolds (Maliseet), and Rebecca Sockbeson (Penobscot).

Meeting approximately monthly since October, 2001, the Wabanaki Studies Commission has identified
areas of study that should be covered in grades K-12; reviewed existing materials and resources about the
Wabanaki that could be used in the classroom; and made connections with museums and other
community resources that can support teachers. During the spring of 2004,
the Commission worked with the Department of Education's Connie Manter to develop Essential
Questions and Essential Understandings to
guide educators in the development of culturally appropriate curriculum.

The Wabanaki Studies Commission and the Native Studies Program at the University of Maine held two
Wabanaki Studies Summer Institutes for preservice and in-service teachers during the summers of
2003 and 2004. Over 70 educators from all grade levels and from throughout the State attended.
Wabanaki scholars and Wabanaki community members taught the teachers. In the latest institute
, participants utilized the Essential Questions and Essential Understandings to develop
units of learning as examples of utilizing the materials, as well as aligning them with the
Maine Learning Results. In this time of No Child Left Behind legislation,
it is critical that all curriculum materialstie in with
assessments and we believe that Wabanaki Studies is no exception.

We encourage all educators to visit our web site (still under construction) http://www.umaine.edu/ld291.
This site provides information about the law, resources to be utilized by educators, the Essential Questions
and Essential Understandings, and the model lessons developed by participants at the summer institute.

For the future, we hope to offer two one-day teacher workshops in the spring.
This spring, Native American Studies will again offer NAS 102: Introduction to Wabanaki Culture, History,
and Contemporary Issues at the University of Maine available to students throughout the State through ITV.
This course will assist educators in developing background knowledge to enable them to prepare to
teach in compliance with LD 291. In the summer, a course NAS 401: American Indian Education and
Wabanaki Culture will be offered from July 5 through August 19th and will also be available on ITV.
In addition, we will offer NAS 102: Introduction to Wabanaki Culture, History and Contemporary Issues
as an on-line course in the summer as well.

For more information or questions, please contact Tanya Francis,
Student Worker, Universityof Maine, Native American Studies,
327 Aubert Hall, Orono, ME. 04469, 207-581-4454 or email Tanya.francis@umit.maine.edu.

Page 8

Native American Studies Courses and Upcoming Events