Organizations on Mount Desert Island and surrounding communities are coming together to celebrate and honor the sovereignty, resilience, and invaluable contributions of Indigenous people, and to facilitate learning, engagement, and allyship.

Started in 2021 as a small live performance to celebrate indigenous culture and music, this regional event has evolved into a multi-day experience offering opportunities for learning, engaging, and celebrating.

This year, INDIGENOUS 2023 celebrates the sovereignty of Wabanaki people, highlighting both the challenges and triumphs of recognition and respect with a number of inclusive experiences planned for early October. This collaborative effort is coordinated by Firefly The Hybrid, The Abbe Museum, College of the Atlantic, Healthy Acadia, The Jackson Laboratory, Friends of Acadia, and The Criterion Theatre. For more information, please visit: www.fireflythehybrid.com/indigenous-2023 .

On Sunday, October 1, 2023, from 1 to 5 p.m., join nationally-recognized facilitator Elizabeth Neptune for “Strengthening Relationships with Cultural Competency: Increasing Understanding of the Passamaquoddy Tribe.” This in-person only event will take place at Gates Community Center, College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden St, Bar Harbor, Maine – Pesumkuk, Wabanaki Territory.

On Wednesday, October 4, join Elizabeth Neptune from noon to 1:30 p.m. for “Cultural Humility: Coffee Time,” which will offer a uniquely-tailored look into cultural humility from an indigenous perspective. This event will be open to all people via Zoom, and will have an in-person option for employees of The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor. The Zoom link for public participation is: https://jacksonlab.zoom.us/j/86396921475?pwd=RTVNdGlEZHhmZU5EWWZkdnRDVzZKUT09&from=addon.

On Friday, October 6, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., join Donna Decontie-Brown for “Our Bodies Carry our Personal Stories and the Stories of Our Ancestors: Reconciling the Harmful Effects of Historical Trauma While Focusing on our Individual Healing Journeys with Donna Decontie-Brown.” This in-person-only event will be held at Gates Community Center, College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden St, Bar Harbor, Maine – Pesumkuk, Wabanaki Territory.

On Saturday, October 7, the community is invited to spend a special evening with Firefly the Hybrid and Family for a live performance to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day and Everyday, at The Criterion Theatre in Bar Harbor, Maine – Pesumkuk, Wabanaki Territory. Doors open at 7:00 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Akwunnu – All Are Welcome.

RSVP is strongly encouraged, though not required, for these free events. To register for one or more of the INDIGENOUS 2023 experiences, visit https://forms.gle/5d9hdpiHSDvRcNdD6. All events are offered free of charge, and donations are greatly appreciated to make this work possible. To donate online go to bit.ly/indigenous2023.

On Monday, October 9, Indigenous Peoples’ Day, Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine – Pesumkuk, Wabanaki Territory, will offer free admission from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Explore some of the most important collections of Wabanaki cultural material and art in the world at this Native-led Smithsonian Affiliated museum in the heart of Bar Harbor, Maine at Pesumkuk in Wabanaki Territory. The Abbe Museum has developed a Wabanaki Allies Guide, focused on Sovereignty, to help attendees go deeper in the understanding and activation in support of the Wabanaki Nations. To explore this excellent source of information and pathways for action, visit www.abbemuseum.org/2023-allies-guide.

Additional Coverage:

Multiple events planned in celebration of Indigenous Peoples’ Day – via Bangor Daily News