John Bear Mitchell
John Bear Mitchell is a citizen of the Penobscot Nation from Indian Island in Maine. Currently, he serves as the Native American Waiver Coordinator, and Wabanaki Center Outreach and Student Development Coordinator for the University of Maine System Office. He additionally is a lecturer of Wabanaki Studies and Multicultural Studies at the University of Maine.
John has a deep history and experience with performance and storytelling. Working in Maine and as part of the Native American Storytellers of New England, John has presented traditional and contemporary Native American stories and songs to countless people. His singing and storytelling can be heard in many Maine PBS, tribal-sponsored awareness videos, independent film, HBO Lionsgate TV, and many documentaries with topics on Maine’s Native People.