Maine Memory Network

Birch bark box by Mali Agat, ca. 1770

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1770 Media: Birchbark

Purse with fabric woven by Mali Agat, ca. 1785

Contributed by: Maine Historical Society Date: circa 1785 Location: Bethel Media: Porcupine quills, hemp, wool, silver

Mali Agat (Molly Ockett) the famous Wabanaki "Doctress"
by Maine Historical Society

Pigwacket Molly Ockett, healing, and cultural ecological knowledge

Wabanaki Studies: Stewarding Natural Resources

Grade Level: 3-5 Content Area: Science & Engineering, Social Studies
This lesson plan will introduce elementary-grade students to the concepts and importance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) and Indigenous Knowledge (IK), taught and understood through oral history to generations of Wabanaki people. Students will engage in discussions about how humans can be stewards of the local ecosystem, and how non-Native Maine citizens can listen to, learn from, and amplify the voices of Wabanaki neighbors to assist in the future of a sustainable environment. Students will learn about Wabanaki artists, teachers, and leaders from the past and present to help contextualize the concepts and ideas in this lesson, and learn about how Wabanaki youth are carrying tradition forward into the future.