The return of Indigenous land is also supporting Wabanaki art

$25,000 grant fuels Passamaquoddy cultural revival in Motahkomikuk

Motahkomikuk, Maine – At the narrow stretch between Big and Long lakes, a young Passamaquoddy man, Matthew Dana II, pulls a sweet‑flag root—known in the tribe’s language as kiwhosuwasq—from the bog and slices it open. The fragrant, earthy scent is a reminder of the plant’s traditional use as medicine for colds and indigestion, a skill Dana inherited from his late uncle and now passes on to youth.

Dana’s work has taken on a new dimension after receiving a $25,000 grant from the Wolankeyutomone Kisi Apaciyewik Fund. The fund, whose name means “let us take good care of what has been returned,” is a joint venture of the Wabanaki Commission on Land and Stewardship and First Light, a coalition of non‑native allies. Its purpose is to support Wabanaki self‑determination projects, ranging from food sovereignty to cultural tourism and trail building.

“We’re integrating a trust‑based philanthropy approach,” Frances Soctomah, the fund’s manager, told Maine News Now. “The grants are unrestricted so communities can respond to their own priorities.”

In the first two years the fund has awarded 32 grants totaling $1.35 million across all five Wabanaki communities in Maine: the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Mi’kmaq Nation, the Passamaquoddy at Motahkomikuk and Sipayik, and the Penobscot Nation. The money has gone toward projects that keep traditional knowledge alive and help tribes secure resources after land returns.

The Penobscot Nation recently regained 11,000 acres of land, and the Mi’kmaq Nation’s holdings nearly doubled when the tribe acquired 3,400 acres in June. These acquisitions are part of a larger plan to return 50,000 acres to tribal governments.

The Wolankeyutomone fund was seeded with contributions from a mix of conservation groups, state foundations and private donors. Early supporters include the Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, the Onion Foundation and the Quimby Foundation. The goal is to build a multi‑million‑dollar endowment that will continue to support Wabanaki initiatives for years to come.

Projects that bring tradition to life

Matthew Dana used his grant to buy a small skiff and a boat‑building space, enabling him to teach Passamaquoddy youth how to harvest muskrat root, weave baskets, and construct birch‑bark canoes. “It’s about fulfilling a responsibility,” Dana said. “The generations coming after us need to know how to preserve these traditions.”

The grant also helped Donald Soctomah, Passamaquoddy Tribal Historic Preservation Officer and father of fund manager Frances, hire an artist to lead workshops in porcupine quill art. In the same year, the funding supported community days that celebrated Passamaquoddy culture with drumming, dancing and a slate of native vendors, as well as paying portage drivers for an ancestral canoe journey along the St. Croix River.

Alisia Morin, a 34‑year‑old mother from Texas, attended the quill‑work workshops organized by Soctomah. She explained that she was “drawn to the beauty of quill work” and wanted to expose her children to the craft. “I grew up in Texas and wasn’t exposed to traditional Passamaquoddy art as a kid,” she said. “Now, raising my own kids on my ancestral homelands, it’s important that they have more exposure than I did.”

During the community days, Morin and her six‑year‑old daughter, Eliana McGinley, collected porcupine quills from a road‑kill carcass to make earrings and a medallion. Hudson McGinley, 22 months old, proudly wore the medallion he had helped craft.

Another grantee, 49‑year‑old Eric Otter Bacon, used the grant money to remodel a garage into a canoe‑building and birch‑bark art studio. He also rented gear for public paddling events in the region, following community requests. Bacon said, “I’m trying to plant the seed.” He has been involved with birch‑bark canoes since he was four years old and now mentors younger paddlers, including a 14‑year‑old who recently joined his crew.

A broader picture of cultural revitalization

The Wolankeyutomone fund’s flexible grants differ from more traditional philanthropy, which often comes with restrictive conditions. Soctomah noted that in one instance a funder wanted to support a basket‑making program but at the last minute declared sharp axes off‑limits. “The funds are meant to fill gaps where other programs might be constrained,” she said.

The Passamaquoddy community’s cultural heritage museum, co‑managed by Donald Soctomah, also benefited from the grant. The museum displays stone tools, a Revolutionary War cannon gifted to the tribe in 1820, baskets, and a drum once used by the Passamaquoddy Brass Band that toured with Buffalo Bill. “These things just have a way of coming home,” Donald said.

Matthew Dana’s own organization, Mecimi‑te Nihtawehtunen—“we have always remembered”—has also received additional support from Maine nonprofits to continue teaching traditional hunting, basket weaving and plant‑harvesting skills to youth.

Looking ahead

The Wolankeyutomone Kisi Apaciyewik Fund is in the process of expanding its endowment, with the goal of ensuring long‑term support for projects that sustain Wabanaki culture and land stewardship. With the 32 grants already distributed, the fund’s next phase will focus on scaling successful projects and encouraging collaboration across the five Wabanaki communities.

As Passamaquoddy elders, youth, and community leaders gather at Motahkomikuk, the scent of sweet‑flag root and the rhythmic sound of canoes on water underscore a living tradition that is being carefully cultivated and shared for future generations.