July 21 – 26

2021 ITINERARY
Wednesday – Monday, July 21 -26
15th Annual THOREAU WABANAKI TRAIL FESTIVAL
The Center for Moosehead History
NOTE: NEW signs on building read: Moosehead Cultural Heritage Center
6 Lakeview Street, East Cove
Greenville, Maine
and
on Sugar Island, Penobscot River
in collaboration with the Penobscot Nation
Indian Island, Maine

COST: $5 per adult per program, except for the Cultural Immersion Canoe Trip, as indicated in the schedule

WEDNESDAY, JULY 21
6:30 pm, The Center Moosehead History, 6 Lakeview St., Greenville
ALL ABOUT MOOSE with Lee Kantar, Maine Moose Expert,
Recipient of National Award for Groundbreaking Moose Study

A great concern these days has been about the health and well-being of our number one great mammal, the largest population in the states outside of Alaska. Everyone wants to see a moose! Come hear about how the moose are faring, the fall hunt, and the life of moose in the north Maine woods. Outdoorsman and Greenville native Eric Ward will demonstrate the art of calling in a moose.

THURSDAY, JULY 22
9:30 am, Greenville Consolidated School soccer field, 130 Pritham Avenue, Greenville
SOLAR SYSTEM MODELING with John Meader, Astronomer
Director of Northern Stars Planetarium,
a family friendly interactive outdoor program

Free morning program for children

6:30 pm, The Center Moosehead History, 6 Lakeview St., Greenville
PENOBSCOT SENSE OF PLACE with James E. Francis, Penobscot Tribal Historian,
Director of the Penobscot Nation’s Cultural & Historic Preservation Department

Come find out first-hand about the legend of Mt. Kineo, and how moose are part of a creation story. Mr. Francis traces the origin of Native geographic place names in Maine, including throughout the Moosehead Lake Region, their meaning in Penobscot lore and legend, and home ties to these woods and ancient waterways. A dynamic speaker, at once funny and informative, he also brings to light Thoreau’s life-long relationship to Indian culture, now universally quoted in today’s general public. 

10 pm – midnight, Lily Bay State Park ** Pre-Registration Required **
Call 207-695-2909 or email: mooseheadhistory@myfairpoint.net
NIGHT SKY STAR TOUR with John Meader, Astronomer
Director of Northern Stars Planetarium

“Night Sky Tour” is a magical dark-time look at the Milky Way, constellations, and star identification, led by Mr. Meader at Lily Bay State Park, from 10 pm-midnight. Participants must pre-register for this. The wonder of Moosehead’s darkness, lit only by star-strewn trails across the sky, is rare in many places in the U.S. now and one of the most celebrated phenomena in the region today. Come see why!

FRIDAY, JULY 23
9:30 am, Greenville’s Natural Resource Education Center Trail, meet at
Moosehead Visitors Center, 480 Moosehead Lake Rd., Greenville
NATURE WALK with Alexandra Conover Bennett, Expert Naturalist

Ms. Bennett will identify what we see on the woodland ground, leading in her expert knowledge of northern Maine’s plants and animals, as did Penobscot guides to Thoreau during his trips.

4:30 pm, The Center for Moosehead History, 6 Lakeview St., Greenville
UNGAVA TREK with Alexandra Conover Bennett,
hear her extraordinary adventure of living the wilderness dream

Alexandra provides the remarkable story of an extraordinary winter journey she took through the wilderness of the northwestern territory of Canada near Labrador, the hardships, friendships, and raw beauty she found there. 

 SATURDAY – MONDAY, JULY 24-26, Penobscot River
THE LAST LEG OF THOREAU’S CANOE TRIP MADE WITH GUIDE JOE POLIS
Canoe/Camp/Cultural Immersion with Penobscot Nation Guides,
on the Penobscot River
by special arrangement, for immediate details
call Moosehead Historical Society, 207-695-2909 or email: mooseheadhistory@myfairpoint.net. PRE-REGISTRATION is required.

This is a two-and-a-half day total cultural immersion trip with guides/historians from the Penobscot Nation, embracing the spirit of the Thoreau Wabanaki Trail Festival.
Cost: $300/person

Saturday, July 24
Participants meet at the Indian Island Boat Launch by 8 am. Introductions made, gear and people load-in to travel to launch site. Introduction to canoes, paddling strokes, then team up to paddle to Sugar Island.

Lunch, set-up camp, introduction to cultural activities that may include: basket making, flintknapping, plant walk, wood carving, nature walk to wigwams, cultural & historic presentations.

Dinner, night campfire & talking circles, drumming & singing.

Sunday, July 25
Cultural activities throughout the day, some time to enjoy the island on your own, swim, paddle a birch bark canoe. Participants may bring back their own basket, carving or tool made in the Penobscot tradition.

Night campfire, talking circle, Penobscot drumming & singing.

Monday, July 26
After breakfast, pack and load out gear.
Canoe from Sugar Island to Indian Island; depending on time of day, lunch will be provided either on the river or on Indian Island.
Visit the Penobscot Nation Museum.
Say Good-byes and Depart

Suggested Pre-Trip Reading
The Maine Woods – Henry David Thoreau
The Wildest Country – J. Parker Huber
Penobscot Man – Frank Speck

The Thoreau Wabanaki Trail Festival promotes the understanding, appreciation, and stewardship of Maine’s unique cultural heritage and natural resources, made famous here in the Moosehead Lake Region.

We celebrate naturalist writer Henry David Thoreau’s three trips into the Maine Woods and the culture and heritage of the Wabanaki people. Penobscot Nation Chief Joseph Attean and guide Joseph Polis guided two of the three Thoreau trips, launched from Moosehead Lake.

The Wabanaki trails were traditional Native American canoe routes on the Kennebec, Penobscot, and Allagash rivers. Moosehead Lake links two ancient Native carries, to the West Branch of the Penobscot and Allagash rivers, and to the Penobscot’s North Branch and the St. John River. The cliffs of Mt. Kineo, an important summering and tool-making place to the Wabanaki people, rises from the depths of Moosehead Lake.

NOTE: All programs take place at The Center for Moosehead History, unless otherwise indicated.

NOTE: Program admission is $5 per adult, except for the Penobscot trip, as indicated above.

For information, call the Moosehead Historical Society & Museums
207-695-2909; email: mooseheadhistory@myfairpoint.net.

The 15th Annual Thoreau Wabanaki Trail Festival is made in partnership with
Maine Woods Forever, the Penobscot Nation Cultural and Historic Preservation Dept., Greenville’s Natural Resource Education Center, Lily Bay State Park, the Department of Inland Fisheries & Wildlife, and Greenville Consolidated School.

.    THE MOOSEHEAD HISTORICAL SOCIETY & MUSEUMS    .
Our Mission: to devote our resources to the discovery, identification, collection, preservation and interpretation of materials that document the history of the Moosehead Lake Region watershed and its people, past and present.  We seek to collect and record items of significance and to acquire and hold by purchase, gift, devise, bequest, grant or otherwise, real and personal property necessary or advantageous for the realization of the foregoing purposes.

The Moosehead Historical Society
is a registered 501C3 non-profit organization, No. 23 7138146.
Call: 207-695-2909 or Email: mooseheadhistory@myfairpoint.net