Wabanaki Educational Poster Set…

a little background on the posters…

‘‘For the past three years, Maine Audubon has partnered with, and supported Portland Public Schools’ project to develop new  K-12 Wabanaki Studies curriculum modules centered on Wabanaki traditional knowledge and river ecologies. This initiative is the first of its kind in a Maine public school district. Wabanaki advisors and experts like Mihku Paul, Wolastoqey artist, permaculture practitioner, and community leader in Portland, worked with teachers and district leaders to develop grade-specific content and lesson plans directly incorporating Wabanaki language, life ways, and traditional knowledge (TK).

Mihku and independent illustrator Isabella-Zoe Ciolfi created a set of four posters for the grade school units, merging relevant Wab Studies content with cultural values of respect, relationship, reciprocity, and responsibility, along with teaching guides. Each poster illustrates one of these four cultural values in relation to natural systems and ecologies. These will be displayed on the walls in every Portland classroom. Thanks to Mihku, Isabella-Zoe, and funding from U.S. Fish & Wildlife, laminated sets of these posters have also been shared with Maine’s five Wabanaki communities. This is the Reciprocity Principle in action and strengthens community bridge-building between public institutions’’