A collage of baskets with flower decorations on the covers.

Lydia & Emma Soctomah (Artist Profile)

November 4, 2025 Event, News, Uncategorized

Lydia and Emma Soctomah are Passamaquoddy weavers who represent the next generation of Wabanaki basketmakers.  The two sisters’ baskets draw inspiration from their grandmother, Molly Neptune Parker, and celebrate the cultural traditions of their community Motahkomikuk.  Their works feature flower top baskets and a family hallmark form that has been passed down for generations.  

Basketry was a major part of the family’s life, especially its matriarch Molly Neptune Parker, who passed the tradition on to her daughters and grandchildren.  Molly was a board member of the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance, which offered community workshops where young and old were taught how to weave and braid sweetgrass.  Emma and Lydia participated in these events as well as spending time learning from their grandmother and other family members, including Geo Neptune.

Gallery – Lydia & Emma Soctomah, Passamaquoddy Basketmakers

  • A basket woven in muted colors with delicate curls and a cluster of flowers at the center of the cover.
  • A detail shot of the cover of a basket with muted colors and a cluster of deep green flowers.
  • A basket with a cover. The basket is woven with purple and natural colors and includes intricate curls and patterns and a cluster of flowers at the center of the cover.
  • A top-down view of a basket woven in purple and natural colors with intricate curls and a cluster of flowers at the center of the cover.
  • A basket woven in natural wood with grass lashed at the rim and a cluster of flowers with a loop of grass braid at the center of the cover.

Upcoming 2025 Wabanaki Winter Market (Saturday, December 13, 2025):

Organized by the Hudson Museum, the Wabanaki Winter Market is New England’s largest holiday gathering of Wabanaki artists. The annual December event features award-winning Wabanaki weavers as well as new artists representing the next generation of artists.

The event is supported in part by a grant from Four Directions Development Corporation.

Location of the event: The Collins Center for the Arts (2 Flagstaff Road | Orono, Maine)

Date: Saturday, December 13, 2025 (from 9 am to 3 pm)

Contact: Gretchen Faulkner | Director, Hudson Museum (207.581.1904) For event updates, please visit: https://www.wabanakiwintermarket.org