The talk will be held virtually via Zoom and in-person at 107 Norman Smith Hall, UMaine, Orono.
- Virtual attendance: Complete the registration form for Zoom connection information
Moderator: Darren Ranco, Chair of Native American Programs; Professor, Anthropology and Mitchell Center, UMaine
Panelists:
- Jennifer Neptune, Penobscot Nation
- James Francis, Director of Cultural and Historic Preservation, Penobscot Nation
- Gabe Frey, Passamaquoddy
- Erin Hutton, Erin Hutton Projects
Tekαkαpimək Contact Station is a stunning 7,900 square-foot building and 23-acre site atop Lookout Mountain created to welcome the global public to Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. The monument is located within the present and traditional homeland of the Penobscot Nation. The land and waters hold special significance to the Penobscot Nation and is inextricably linked with Penobscot culture, ceremonies, oral traditions, language, history, and Indigenous stewardship which continues the respectful relationship with the land and waterways that has gone back more than 11,000 years. Katahdin is a culturally significant place to the Wabanaki people where connecting watersheds provide important travel routes for Wabanaki people of Maine, comprised of Maliseet, Mi’kmaq, Passamaquoddy, and Penobscot Nations.
Tekαkαpimək is a Penobscot language word for “as far as one can see”, pronounced deh gah-gah bee mook. Architectural, landscape and exhibition designs for Tekαkαpimək resulted from a process between Elliotsville Foundation, representatives of the Wabanaki Nations, Saunders Architecture, Reed Hilderbrand Landscape Architecture, WeShouldDoItAll, Tuhura Communications, Erin Hutton Projects, and the National Park Service. The design process began in 2019 and construction was completed in 2024, with regular public hours to be announced after National Park Service assumes ownership and operations for the 2025 visitation season.
Tekαkαpimək’s waysides and exhibits orient visitors to the monument, inspiring them to experience Katahdin Woods and Waters from its peaks, trails, and rivers to its ever-changing foliage, brilliant night sky, and abundant wildlife. Interpretation is through a Wabanaki lens in a contemporary context, honoring the past and showing vibrant communities moving sustainably into the future. All Wabanaki Cultural Knowledge and Intellectual Property shared within this project is owned by the Wabanaki Nations – the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, and Penobscot Nation.
Information on the Tekαkαpimək Contact Station provided by Friends of Katahdin Woods & Waters
