Long before European ships appeared in Penobscot Bay, there were thriving cultures of indigenous peoples now known collectively as Wabanaki settled on the Blue Hill Peninsula and islands. Birch bark canoes paddled by skilled navigators were the vehicles that conveyed people and families, and allowed hunters to harvest fish, seals, and other marine mammals. These canoes also carried people through vast territories north and south along the ocean, and through networks of lakes and rivers, all connected by well-worn portage trails. Wabanaki also welcomed travelers from other indigenous nations into their territory, and Naskeag in Brooklin stands as an example of an important gathering place spanning thousands of years.
A lot has changed since colonization. Landscapes are vastly altered and riverways are frequently dammed. But the rivers and lakes will always be there. When thinking about these old canoe routes, a group started to wonder what it would be like to try to paddle them full circle once again. There was no recorded evidence of such a journey in hundreds of years. Thus, the Great Canoe Loop Journey of 2023 was born!
Join us as two of the paddlers, Ryan Kelly, Penobscot Nation, and Freddie Wilkinson, share the story of this epic sojourn from Indian Island in Old Town to Lake Ontario, paddling—among other waterways—the St. Lawrence River, portages up the Chaudierre and into the Moose River in Jackman, Moosehead Lake to the west branch of the Penobscot River, and full circle to Indian Island.
Use this link to register: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yZRgzb4JRZyQwR4EJZPwLg
Email megan@bluehillheritagetrust.org if you have any questions!
