Maine Ecology

“Glooskap came first of all into this country…into the land of the Wabanaki, next to sunrise. There were no Indians here then… and in this way, he made man: He took his bow and arrows and shot at trees, the basket-trees, the Ash. Then Indians came out of the bark of the Ash-trees.”

– Molly Sepsis, Passamaquoddy in Charles G. Leland, Algonquin Legends (1884).

Natural Material Traditions

Image of a paper birch tree trunk with leaves in the background.

Paper Birch

Detail image of tree bark with deep crevices.

Brown Ash

Image of a field of grass with floppy seed stalks.

Sweetgrass

Online Exhibits

Tree and Tradition

Explore the continued evolution of this ancient artform with this collaboration between the Museum and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance and featured collections from private and institutional lenders as well as UMaine research from the Forest Ecosystem Science Department.

Transcending Traditions

Transcending Traditions features five contemporary Maine Indian basketmakers who represent the next generation.

Snowshoes: A Gift from Gluskabe

For Native Peoples of the sub-Arctic, snowshoeing was not a winter recreational sport. The ability to make and use snowshoes was a life skill essential to survival.

Brilliantly Beaded: Northeastern Native American Beadwork

Brilliantly Beaded celebrates the rich beadworking traditions of Native peoples of the Northeast.

Maine’s Threatened Shell Middens: Losing a Link to Understanding Our Past

Approximately 2,000 of these features are located along Maine’s mainland and island coast. Today they are threatened by development, erosion, and looting.

Maine’s Paper Birch
Online Exhibit

Paper birch is an important tree for both ecosystems and people throughout Maine. Today, paper birch trees are threatened by deforestation, insects and diseases, and climate change.