Lukens to deliver 2022 Maine Heritage Lecture
The University of Maine’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences will present the 2022 Maine Heritage Lecture on Oct. 13 at 3 p.m. The event takes place at the Bodwell Lounge at the Collins Center for the Arts (CCA), with a reception to follow at 4 p.m. at the CCA’s Hudson Museum.
This year’s lecture, “Gluskabe in the 21st Century: How Newell Lyon’s Stories Carry the Penobscot Language,” will be delivered by Margo Lukens, professor of English.
Lukens will tell the story of the theatrical collaboration with Penobscot language carrier Carol Dana that resulted in the publication of the first bilingual volume of Penobscot stories, “Still They Remember Me.” The book was co-authored by Lukens, Dana and University of Southern Maine adjunct assistant professor of linguistics Conor Quinn, and published by University of Massachusetts Press.
The stories — traditional tales about the culture hero Gluskabe — are intended to invite Penobscot language learning while also exploring the deeper meaning behind Gluskabe’s heroic endeavors. They teach readers and listeners about how the land was transformed and balanced to create sustainable life for humans while also illustrating how to live well in this place, a foundational tenet of Penobscot morality.
Ultimately, Lukens hopes to inspire listeners to work in ways that improve the conditions for justice in Maine’s relationship with Wabanaki people and communities.
The Maine Heritage Lecture is sponsored by the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Kelly Gilks, 581.1954; kelly.gilks@maine.edu.