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I saw an advertisement for a Native American gathering and craft show last week, so we headed north to Orono.

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Passing through Bangor we saw Paul Bunyan.

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And some lovely churches.

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On the way to our University of Maine destination.

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Which, with its giant blue M, was hard to miss .

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The Collins Center for the Arts was the venue and never having attended this yearly event, I wasn’t sure what to expect.

The Wabanaki Confederacy (Waponahki) — translated as “People of the First Light” or “Dawnland” — currently comprises five principal nations: the Mi’kmaq, Maliseet, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, and Abenaki.

There were some fabulous crafts on sale made by various artists but instead of the arena like setting I was expecting, they were set up in a curved hallway which made navigation a problem.

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Jewelry, textiles, root clubs, beading, woodworking, and birch bark items were all on display … but honestly? It was all about the baskets.

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Fabulously intricate pieces of art which went for extremely high prices. I would have photographed more, but almost every table prohibited it.

I really wanted to come home with one, but after picking up a tiny little jewel that fit in the palm of my hand and seeing the $600 price tag… I didn’t.

I also fell in love with an amazing root club carved with a bear head that would have been perfect for the Man Cave/Barn Mahal… but again, with an almost $600 price tag, I came home without that as well.

After oohing and ahhing over the crafts, we looked up.

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And realized there was something interesting on the second floor.

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Aside from the giant bronze and copper fire.

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As we climbed past the totem pole…

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We discovered there was an entire museum upstairs.

To be continued…

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