Abbe Museum Announces Full Panel Lineup and Performers for Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas
Four panels and two days of live performance bring Indigenous voices to Bar Harbor this July
BAR HARBOR — The Abbe Museum has announced the complete panel programming and featured performers for the 2026 Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas taking place July 11-12, 2026, on the campus of the College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor, Maine. The festival is free and open to the public.
The Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas brings together Wabanaki and other Northeastern Native artists, thought leaders, and culture bearers to showcase creative excellence and share Indigenous perspectives on the issues shaping our world today. It has been selected as New England’s sole collaborator in the Smithsonian’s Of the People: Festival of Festivals national cohort and one of only a handful of Indigenous-led partner celebrations. As the U.S. marks 250 years, Dawnland centers the voices, cultures, and arts of peoples who have shaped this land for millennia.
“We’re delighted to see the reach and impact of the Dawnland Festival continue to grow,” said Betsy Richards, Executive Director of the Abbe Museum. “In collaboration with the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, this gathering amplifies leading Wabanaki and Northeastern voices on environmental stewardship, freedom of expression, photography, and veterans’ experiences—while celebrating the extraordinary talent of Native artists and performers.”
2026 Panel Programming
Water is Life
Saturday, July 11 | 2:30-3:20 p.m.
For Wabanaki peoples, water is not simply a resource but a sacred, living relative essential to cultural, spiritual, environmental, and physical well-being. This panel explores the deep connections between people and waterways, including cultural teachings, legal struggles, and environmental responsibilities, while highlighting how the health of these waters shapes the well-being of all.
Moderated by Jennifer Neptune (Penobscot), and featuring Samuel St. John (Maliseet), Chris Johnsen Soctomah (Passamaquoddy)
Native Freedom of Expression
Saturday, July 11 | 4:00-4:50 p.m.
As debates around freedom of expression evolve across the United States, this panel examines these issues through a Native lens. Panelists will explore how Indigenous communities navigate and respond to challenges with resilience and creativity, while also addressing the historical and ongoing legal barriers that have shaped Native peoples’ access to First Amendment rights.
Moderated by Esther Lobrado (North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians), and featuring Daniel French (Mohawk), Mikhu Paul (Maliseet)
Native Photography as Self-Determination
Sunday, July 12 | 11:00-11:50 a.m.
In conjunction with the Abbe Museum’s exhibition Holding the Light: Contemporary Wabanaki Photography, this panel brings together Native photographers to reflect on reclaiming the medium from its colonial past. Artists will share how their work challenges stereotypes, reclaims representation, and helps shape new narratives and Native futures.
Moderated by Jeremy Dennis (Shinnecock), and featuring Maya Attean (Penobscot/Passamaquoddy), Nolan Altvater (Passamaquoddy)
Honoring 250 Years of Wabanaki Veterans
Sunday, July 12 | 2:30-3:20 p.m.
Wabanaki warriors allied with American colonists in 1775, launching a tradition of service that has continued through every U.S. conflict. That same year, the new nation signed its first treaty—the Watertown Treaty—with the Wabanaki Tribes. This panel reflects on that legacy alongside the realities of denied rights and sovereignty, offering perspectives on service, sacrifice, and the responsibilities carried forward as the nation marks its 250th anniversary.
Moderated by Donald Soctomah (Passamaquoddy), and featuring Donna Loring (Penobscot), Darren Ripley (Passamaquoddy), Shane Hill (Mi’kmaq)
2026 Performances and Programming
Alongside the panels and 50+ artist Northeastern Native arts market, the 2026 Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas will also present a dynamic, two-day program of live performances and events.
Saturday highlights include a book signing by MacArthur “Genius” Award–winning Passamaquoddy master basket maker Jeremy Frey and a featured performance by Mohawk recording artist Daniel French, co-founder of Las Cafeteras, whose blend of hip hop, L.A. Latin, and Indigenous futures music draws on his Native and Mexican roots to build bridges even the most divided nation can dance on. Additional performances include Tania Morey (Maliseet) and Burnurwubskek Drum (Penobscot), and Smithsonian Folklife Festival alums Mohawk women’s singing group Kontiwennenhá:wi.
Sunday’s lineup features a mainstage performance by Mi’kmaq storyteller, artist, and historian Jennifer Pictou, brought to life with large-scale puppetry by Nance Parker. The day also includes presentations by Passamaquoddy storyteller and artist Geo Neptune and music from Nipmuc flutist Hawk Henries.
Additional marketplace and performer announcements will be posted to @abbemuseum on social media and at www.DawnlandFestival.org.
The Dawnland Festival of Arts & Ideas is free and open to the public. The festival takes place July 11-12, 2-26, on the campus of the College of the Atlantic, 105 Eden Street, Bar Harbor, Maine. Registration is available at: www.DawnlandFestival.org.
This project received funding from the Smithsonian’s “Our Shared Future: 250,” a Smithsonian-wide initiative supported by private philanthropy and created to commemorate the nation’s 250th anniversary and advance the Smithsonian vision for the next 250 years.
Other major funders include: Henry Luce Foundation, Elmina B. Sewall Foundation, Open Meadows Foundation, Terra Foundation for American Art, Onion Foundation, New England Foundation for the Arts, and Dawnland LLC.
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About the Abbe Museum
The Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, Maine, is dedicated to advancing understanding of Wabanaki Nations’ heritage, living cultures, and homelands. Guided by a Wabanaki-majority Board of Trustees, the Museum centers Indigenous voices in its exhibitions and programs. Founded in 1928, the Abbe now includes a year-round downtown location and a historic site in Acadia National Park. Learn more at abbemuseum.org.
About the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
The Smithsonian Folklife Festival, inaugurated in 1967, honors contemporary living cultural traditions and celebrates those who practice and sustain them. Produced annually by the Smithsonian’s Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, the festival has featured participants from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Sabrina Lynn Motley is the director of the Folklife Festival, and Clifford Murphy is the director of the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage. FMI and press release.