Dwayne Tomah Submitted photo
Dwayne Tomah, director and curator of the Sipayik Museum, is the next speaker in the the Skowhegan History House Museum’s Wabanaki Voices Speaker Series.
The talk is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 21, at Tewksbury Hall on Weston Avenue in Skowhegan.
Tomah will lead a discussion after showing the one-hour film, “The Doctrine of Discovery — Unmasking the Domination.” The Doctrine of Discovery refers to a principle in public international law under which, when a nation discovers land, it directly acquires rights on that land. The doctrine provided the basis for subsequent laws depriving indigenous peoples of their lands, according to a news release from the museum.
Tomah has been involved in repatriation and Land Back issues and will share historical truth regarding The Doctrine of Discovery from an Indigenous perspective. He is a Language Keeper and teacher of the Passamaquoddy language and culture. He is the youngest fluent speaker of the Passamaquoddy Tribe and has served on the Tribal Council.
His life has been dedicated to working on the language and culture preservation. Tomah has edited the Passamaquoddy dictionary and worked to help create the Apple ~ Passamaquoddy Language app.
He shares Native legends through song and dance. He has also worked with “Animal Planet” on a segment called Winged Creatures, highlighting the history of the Thunderbird.
Tomah is working with the Library of Congress on translating the Passamaquoddy Wax Cylinders. These recordings are the first recordings in the world of Native languages. They were recorded in 1890 by Jesse Walter Fewkes, who borrowed the device from the inventor Thomas Edison.
This event is free and also will be broadcast via Zoom. Masks are required for in-person attendance.
To register for the Zoom link, visit msad54.maineadulted.org. For more information, call 207-474-6632.
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