On Monday, Oct. 30 from 3 to 5 p.m., Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust will host a special walk and talk with Passamaquoddy educator Sandra Bassett at Salt Bay Farm in Damariscotta. The program offers a sampling of experiences from the Wabanaki Living Skills and Culture program Coastal Rivers hosts for local schools every October.  

Bassett, along with Coastal Rivers Education Director Sarah Gladu, will share a Wabanaki story and lead a walk to visit the wigwams being built by local students. Along the way, the pair will point out examples of traditionally used wild plants. Bassett will also talk about her study of Wabanaki language, teaching some words in Passamaquoddy and demonstrating traditional singing and drumming.  

This program is free of charge, thanks to the support of Coastal Rivers members. Registration is required at coastalrivers.org/events.  

Available to area school groups every October at Coastal Rivers Salt Bay Farm, the Wabanaki Living Skills and Culture Program teaches about aspects of Wabanaki culture through hands-on experiences. The program is always taught in collaboration with Native American educators and is offered at no cost to AOS 93 schools. 

Sandra Bassett Peskotomuhkat resides in Southern Maine but is from Sipayik, the Pleasant Point Reservation near Eastport. She graduated from the University of Southern Maine in 2021 with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a minor in Wabanaki Language, a degree which she and her colleagues advocated to create. In 2022, she was the first to be awarded a Certificate in Wabanaki Languages.  

For more information, email info@coastalrivers.orgor visit coastalrivers.org.