About the Film

The Wabanaki

The Wabanaki People are known as the “People of the Dawnland.”

They are an indigenous First Nations people from five nations: The Abenaki, the Maliseet – whose traditional name is Wolastoqiyik,  the Mi’kmaq, the Passamaquoddy, and the Penobscot. Their heritage and their lands are within the area that is today know as Maine, New Hampshire and the Canadian Maritimes (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton Island, Prince Edward Island and some of Quebec.) They are descendants of people who inhabited these lands since before recorded history. Wabanaki have closely related Algonquian languages, traditions, social organization, and migration patterns, which unite the Wabanaki across their homelands. This documentary film takes place across their lands. We the “Voices from the Barrens” film family extend our respect and gratitude to the Wabanaki people for sharing their recollections, traditions and way of life.

Passamaquoddy Elder at Ancestral Canoe Journey, Motahkomikuk to Sipayk.

Additional Research & Information: