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This event will explore how museums can serve as critical spaces for truth-telling, cultural continuity, and Indigenous sovereignty in an era where historical erasure and political backlash threaten to silence marginalized voices. Wabanaki speakers will discuss how museums can shift from colonial institutions to living sites of collaboration, accountability, and cultural futurism. How do we ensure that Wabanaki perspectives shape the narratives—not as artifacts of the past, but as powerful voices in the present and future?

Free and open to the public

Speakers:

Jennifer Neptune (Penobscot Nation) is the Director of the Penobscot Nation Museum on Indian Island, Maine, dedicated to preserving and sharing the rich cultural heritage of the Penobscot Indian Nation and the Wabanaki people. She is also a master basketmaker, beadworker, and Maine guide, who recently served as the exhibit writer for the Tekαkαpimək Contact Station at the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument. The recipient of many national awards and grants for her basketmaking, she has worked to preserve and adapt traditions of ash and sweetgrass basketry and to mentor other artists. She holds a degree in anthropology from the University of Maine.

Betsy Richards (Cherokee Nation) is the Executive Director of the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine, dedicated to illuminating and advancing greater understanding and support for Wabanaki Nations’ heritage, living cultures, and homelands. She has over 25 years of experience in the arts, museums, philanthropy, and social impact including roles at the Ford Foundation, the Mashantucket Pequot Museum, and The Opportunity Agenda. She is also Board Chair of the Native Arts & Cultures Foundation, a Commissioner for the U.S. Interior Department’s Indian Arts & Crafts Board, and serves on the Maine Arts Commission. Betsy holds degrees from NYU and Yale University.