Events - Hudson Museum, University of Maine

Events - Hudson Museum, The University of Maine

Day of the Dead

November 3 , 2008
Bangor Lounge, Memorial Union

The Hudson Museum celebrated the Day of the Dead, Los Dias de los Muertos, a Mexican holiday that honors departed family, friends, and ancestors. This holiday combines Precolumbian and post-Contact traditions and celebrates the continuation of life and the belief that death is not an end, but the beginning of a new stage of life. Students from the Universidad de los Americas in Puebla and Associate Dean of Students Angel Loredo discussed this tradition, its origins and how it is celebrated in Mexico.

The program also featured offrendas or altars. The altars were decorated in memory of departed individuals. The Hudson’s altar included sugar skulls, paper banners, Mexican pottery and folk art, fruit, and traditional foods, as well as calavera (political cartoons).

This event wassponsored by the Office of Student Affairs

and the Hudson Museum, Maine Center for the Arts.

2008 Annual Maine Indian Basketmakers Sale and Demonstration

December 13, 2008 from 9:00 to 4:00
The University of Maine, Orono Student Rec Center
Free and Open to the Public

This event features Maliseet, Micmac, Passamaquoddy and Penobscot Basketmakers who sell their hand-made, one of a kind, ash splint and sweet grass basketry. Work baskets, such as creels, pack and potato baskets and fancy baskets ranging from strawberry and blueberry shaped- baskets to curly bowls may be found along with quill jewelry, wood carvings and birchbark work. Traditional foods served up by the Penobscot Nation Boys and Girls Club (hull corn soup, fry bread, blueberry desserts), music, demonstrations of brown ash pounding and basket making as well as traditional drumming and dancing will also be presented.

Schedule of Events

9:00 a.m. Event opens to the public.

9:30 a.m. Welcome with Penobscot Chief Kirk Francis and traditional greeting songs with Watie Akins, Penobscot.

10:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Book signing with Kathleen Mundell author of North by Northeast: Wabanaki, Akwesasne Mohawk, and Tuscarora Traditional Arts.

10:00 a.m. Brown Ash Pounding and Work Basket Demonstration with Eldon Hanning, Micmac.

10:30 a.m. Birchbark Container Demonstration and Talk on Maple Sugaring with Barry Dana, Penobscot.

11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Traditional Foods, featuring hull corn soup, fry bread and blueberry desserts. Food sales benefit the Penobscot Nation Boys and Girls Club.

12:00 Traditional Penobscot songs with Kelly Demmons, Penobscot.

1:00 p.m. Storytelling with John Bear Mitchell, Penobscot.

1:30 p.m. Carving Demonstration with Eric Sappier and Joe “Hugga” Dana, Penobscots.

2:00 p.m. Fancy Basket Demonstration with Stewart Tomah, Passamaquoddy.

2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Burnurwurbskek Singers with drumming, singing and dancing.

4:00 p.m. Drawing for the Hudson Museum Friends Maine Indian Basket Raffle. This year’s basket is a traditional birchbark container by Barry Dana, former Chief of the Penobscots and Birchbark artist. Raffle tickets are $5 each.

Congratulations to the

2007 Hudson Museum Friends Basket Raffle Winner!

Katahdin Butterfly Basket by Fred Tomah

won by Virginia Mallett from Old Town, Maine

and The Winner of the Door Prize!

a Shopper by Donald and Mary Sanipass

won by Joan Kirk from Hampden, Maine

Chinese New Year

January 26 , 2009

For more information or to pre-register for these events and activities, please call 581-1901