John Daigle and Darren Ranco Secure NSRC Indigenous Forest Knowledge Fund Award
The Northeastern States Research Cooperative (NSRC) has awarded nearly $500K to PI John Daigle and Co-PI Darren Ranco in support of their project Sustaining basketmaking in Waponahkik through increased accessibility, processing, and storage opportunities. Daigle is a professor of forest recreation management at UMaine and leader of the Ash Protection Collaboration Across Waponahkik (APCAW) Lab. Ranco is a professor of anthropology and director of Native American Programs at UMaine. Both are Mitchell Center faculty fellows. Daigle and Ranco will lead the project, along with collaborators from the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation, Mi’kmaq Nation, Wabanaki Nation, and St. Regis Mohawk Tribe.
With the onset of emerald ash borer (EAB) in forests where Wabanaki basketmakers harvest, the project goal is to advance basketmaker stewardship of remaining healthy ash and develop technologies that support the processing and storage of ash splints before widespread mortality. Ultimately, this will sustain the material supply for Wabanaki basketry. This project takes a community-driven approach that prioritizes participation of Wabanaki ash harvesters.