Indigenous Teaching and Learning

Since our founding, Passamaquoddy people have guided our organization and helped us to become the community resource that we are today. In 2025, the Indigenous Teaching and Learning Program was officially launched with the primary goal of supporting and strengthening Indigenous ways of knowing and being within educational and community contexts–at Cobscook Institute, within our communities, throughout our region, and across the globe.

Under the direction of our Indigenous Advisory Circle, Indigenous Teaching and Learning at the Cobscook Institute means working closely with Indigenous communities, staff, and students to create learning environments that honor Indigenous perspectives.

Programs

STORYTELLING

Like many of the cultures indigenous to Turtle Island, Wabanaki people used storytelling as a way to pass down information on history, science, healing, and other lifeways to the next generation. While each story is meant to contain certain elements of information, each storyteller also brings their own unique perspective to the telling, making the storytelling tradition a fluid and living one–constantly adapting to the current time, versus being frozen in history as something “written in stone.” 

From the creation of the Earth to the evolution of the animals and landscape, Wabanaki stories provide a unique look into history in the Dawnland that can only be provided by people that have lived here for thousands of generations. Storytelling programs are great ways for students of all ages to learn about the history of the Dawnland from a Wabanaki perspective, and create a link in their minds between the land they call home, the stories that were born from it, and their Wabanaki relatives that have kept these stories alive.

MEDICINE WALKS

Medicine Walk programs are outdoor, interactive learning experiences that focus on using traditional herbal medicine teachings as a touchstone for learning about other aspects of Wabanaki culture, including history, language, and cultural practices. Whether based on Cobscook’s campus or at your own school or local park, Medicine Walk programs connect students to the Earth while teaching them about the original stewards of the Dawnland. In addition to medicine teachings, medicine walks include traditional storytelling, history sharing, and translations of Passamaquoddy place, plant, and animal names.

CLAY CARVING

This hands-on, interactive experience combines Indigenous storytelling and ceramics to create a program that delivers traditional Wabanaki knowledge while encouraging self-expression through a creative outlet. Traditional clay carving methods will be demonstrated while a traditional Wabanaki story is told, with students using the same carving methods in real time to create their own ceramic ornament.

ANIMAL TRACKING

Animal tracking was and is a valuable skill to have–whether using it to find food, water, or medicine, we can learn a lot from the footprints that our animal relatives leave behind. This educational workshop teaches students how to find and identify animal tracks in the wild, how to follow a trail, and teaches about Wabanaki hunting and food traditions. For those interested in improving their track identification skills, this activity is highly recommended for the Winter season. For those more interested in improving their stalking skills, book this program in the summer.

FIRESTARTING

Fire starting was once considered a crucial skill for all people to know. Today, this skill is less needed due to modern technology and lifestyles; however, knowing how to properly start a fire without using a lighter or matches can easily save your life in an emergency. In this workshop, students will learn not only how to use a flint and steel, but also learn how to construct and start a fire with a bowdrill.