Lapomosine, the Passamaquoddy word meaning, “Let’s look at ourselves”, is the title of the workshop employing the principles of Community Self-documentation coupled with smartphone + cloud technology aimed at catalyzing language and cultural revitalization.
Values
Help each other | Respect | Love | Sharing | Honesty | Humor | Language/Culture | Humility | Unity | Openness/Trust | Oral Traditions | Healing | Respect & connection to water and land | Empathy | Patience | Sense of duty | Caring and Kindness | Fairness | Consideration | Understanding | Listening | Appreciation | Going full circle |
Contact
Dwayne Tomah | (207) 214-8374 | dwaynetomah@gmail.com
Dolly Apt | (207) 853-6132 | dollyapt@hotmail.com
Brianna Smith | (207) 904-9876 | sipsography@gmail.com
Lynn Mitchell | (207) 214-4943 | mrslynn.mitchell@gmail.com
Plansowes Dana | (207) 214-9435 | plansowes.dana@gmail.com
________
Daniel Quintanilla | (636) 236-6930 | quintanilla.daniel@gmail.com
Ben Levine | (207) 975-3430 | ben@speakingplace.org
Julia Schulz | (207) 975-6017 | julia@speakingplace.org
Workshop 1
October 29-30, 9am-4pm, Waponahki Museum, Sipayik
Recap - And we’re off to a great start! Workshop 1 was an opportunity for students and trainers to meet in-person for the first time. Students were introduced to the principles of Community Self-documentation and a path was laid down looking ahead at future in-person and remote workshops which will take place in Calais at the offices of Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness.
Assignment 1 - In the time period between Workshops 1 and 2, students will be planning and executing the first assignment documenting a scene of their choosing with family or close friends. The scene should align with the values chosen by the group at the onset of the workshop. Any student who doesn’t feel comfortable facilitating a film recording all on their own fully in Passamaquoddy is encouraged to link up with another workshop student or any other fluent speakers from their network to complete the assignment.
After your film shoot, if you have access to a fast Wifi signal, please upload all your raw footage to the following link before Workshop 2 for the trainers to review.
Assignment 1 - Student Footage
Please reach out to Daniel with any questions.
Workshop 2
Saturday, December 3, 2022, 9:30am-4:30pm, 91 Washington Street, Calais ME
Recap - Thank you students for bringing your energy and passion to Lapomosine Workshop 2 on a rainy Saturday in Calais. A special thank you to Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness for allowing us to use their office space. As a group, we viewed each student’s footage from Assignment 1 and provided feedback. The themes of the videos included: The Land Claims Settlement, a story about a fly, the role of the church in Sipayik, a social gathering organized by Wabanaki Public Health & Wellness. A highlight for me personally was getting the opportunity to see Weckuwapasihtit (Those Yet to Come) by Brianna Smith and Geo Neptune (See the link below). Such a wonderfull film!
In-class, we all participated in an exercise in which each student had the opportunity to film and also be filmed. The goal was to help us imagine what film participants feel when agreeing to appear in front of our cameras.
Assignment 2 - Choose a partner from class and conduct interviews with each other, the length of the video should be between 5 and 10 minutes. The interviews can be done in Passamaquoddy or English, whichever you prefer. The questions we aim to have each student answer are the following:
How would you describe the Lapomosine Workshop to a stranger?
Why is community self-documentation of the Passamaquoddy language and culture important to you?
How would you best describe your fluency (or comprehension) of the Passamaquoddy language?
What are your hopes for the future of the Passamaquoddy language and culture?
Please note that we’ve added a second camera kit to the project thanks to Maine Media Workshops+College.
Camera Kit #1 has been assigned to Dwayne, Lynn and Randi. Camera Kit #2 has been assigned to Brianna, Dolly and Plansowes. Please coordinate amongst yourselves for access to the equipment in order to complete Assignment 2.
A film by Brianna Smith and Geo Neptune
Overview of Workshop 2
Workshop 3
Sunday, February 12, 2023, 9:30am-4:30pm, 91 Washington Street, Calais ME
Recap - That is a wrap on Workshop #3 which means that we are halfway through the Lapomosine Workshop. Congrats to the students for all their hard work and dedication. Below is an overview of the activities during Workshop #3.
Practiced building the iPhone filmmaker kits multiple times
Reviewed Assignment 2 footage (interviews) and did a noticing exercise.
Introduction to editing: Students filmed and edited a short video utilizing moving images, audio, voice over, stills, and text.
Brainstormed ideas as a group for Assignment 3. In this project, each student will be filming a process video.
As a group, we discussed the idea of having a community screening of student work at the end of the Lapomosine Workshop
Assignment 3 - Each student will record and edit a 10min video that focuses on a process. The process should have a clearly delineated order (step 1, 2, 3) and should strive to be in Passamaquoddy as much as possible.
Themes chosen by students (including dates)
Lynn Mitchell - Sweetgrass Braiding with Peter Neptune (his house) on February 22nd or 23rd.
Plansowes Dana - Amucalu (Storytelling) with Dolly Apt (her house) on February 25th or 26th.
Dolly Apt - Making a Dream Catcher with grandson Siwehs (Dolly’s house) on February 21st or 24th.
Brianna Smith - Tumahsis with Dolly Apt (Dolly’s house) on February 25th or 26th.
Video produced and edited on a smartphone by Lynn Mitchell.
Workshop 4
Sunday, March 12th, 2023, 9:30am-4:30pm, at the Waponahki Museum in Sipayik
Recap - Workshop 4 saw us return back to the Waponahki Museum where we met for the first time in 2022. Students reviewed the community values list and added new ones as well. They practiced assembling and disassembling the iPhone kits. As a group we reviewed the footage and edits for Assignment 3 and had a noticing exercise.
Daniel listed out general English film terms on a white board and encouraged the students to come up with Passamaquoddy words that best described those terms.
We watched the 2009 video, El Trompo de Rogelio, which takes place in the community of Totontepec, Oaxaca. A video produced by Ben and Julia for SpeakingPlace. Students were encouraged to view other example videos of community-self documentation, such as:
Students practiced editing on their smartphones using the raw footage from their Assignment 3 projects.
Assignment 4 - Students will identify an upcoming public or community event and film it employing the principles covered so far in the workshop.
Dolly - March 14 - Storytelling with Dwayne Tomah
Dwayne - April 8 - Spring Social
Plansowes - To be determined
Brianna - To be determined
Lynn - To be determined
Student film projects
Dolly teaches her grandson, Siwehs, how to make a dreamcatcher. A film by Dolly Apt and Plansowes Dana.
A portrait of basket-maker Peter Neptune. A film by Lynn Michell
Amucalu story featuring Dolly Apt. A film by Plansowes Dana
Making Tumahsis or fried bread with Dolly Apt. A film by Brianna Smith.
Making maple syrup. A film by Dwayne Tomah.
Workshop 5
Sunday, April 16th, 2023, 9:30am-4:30pm, 91 Washington Street, Calais ME
Recap - As a group, we updated the list of shared community values. We viewed an excerpt from Daniel’s film titled Two Stories of Spinalonga and used it as a vehicle to talk about creative uses of supporting footage. The class reviewed the Assignment 4 video projects and we followed it with noticing exercises. We brainstormed themes/topics for the upcoming Assignment 5.
Themes / Topics
Little People (Lynn Mitchell)
Are there three kinds of little people?
Talk to elders such as D. Stanley, Ursula, Auntie Gracie
Creation story, indian beads, beach, waves, islands, big head, archival, petroglyphs, birch bark
Update: Contact with Clara Polchies, Dolly, Bernice
History of Pine Island (Brianna Smith)
What happened on Pine Island? Who was sent there? Was it voluntary or forced relocation? Were there any kids involved? How did you first hear about Pine Island?
Offerings, ceremony, water, loons,
Talk to Darryl Newell, Donald Soctomah
Update: Alt ideas?
Alewives / Planting Gardens (Plansowes Dana)
What is our relationship to Alewives? Why is there a season dedicated to Alewives? Why are seasons linked to activities such as Blueberries, Wreaths, Alewives?
Plansowes could record a voice over in Passamaquoddy.
Fish below or over dam, counter of fish, eagles, fishing bait, fish as a food, traditional use of Alewives in gardens as fertilizer, drumming next to water edge, point of view of fish underwater.
Skicin (Dwayne Tomah)
Why do we use the word “Indian”?
“Indian” Township is not who we are or where we live. The name is Motahkomikuk.
What does Skicin mean? Surface dweller or land dweller
How do you feel when somebody introduces you as “Indian”?
Our relationship with our mother, the seasons, the alewives, it’s all connected and based on the language. The area has always been traveled. Every bend of the river has a name.
Talk to Tribal Chief, Lieutenant Chief, Council Member, Tribal Historian
Traditional hunt, picking medicine, fishing
Signs or placards that have the word “Indian”, such as “Indian Health Services, Indian Township, and many many others.
Update: Signs to capture: Maine Indian Education, Health Centers, Indian Island, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Act
Update: To do’s - Mascot issue and school board, in front of elders, land dweller footage, signs that have the word “Indian”.
My Language (Dolly Apt)
What is my relationship to Passamaquoddy? Why is language important to me?
We love our language. It was taken away from us. We want it back.
I missed some of it growing up, came back to it later in life and am now catching up. There are things I forget, and will get help from others.
People who aided me in my language journey: David Francis, Rita Altvater, J. Paul, Gracie Paul, Maxine Tomah
People/families have different language patterns.
I would go to the top of the hill, capture video of where I used to live. My home. When I was small, everybody spoke the language. It was an idyllic world. Plucked away.
In the time that I spent out there, I ended up learning English. There was nobody else to talk to. Nobody to confide in. When I started first grade, I went to St. Anne School. I was the lucky one who learned to read and write in English, because everyone else who started didn’t know any language. Gracie ended up being in my grade, when the instructions were given by the nuns, I’d relay it in Passamaquoddy. One student folded his arms, looked forward and refused to learn English. Today he knows English, but he doesn’t know how to read/write. I can go film with my aunt, she recalls my childhood. Taking a ride to the farm. The farmhouse is gone. Just that area. Contrast between farm and reservation.
Assignment 5 - Final assignment and likely the video that students will share during the community screening.
Each student will produce a 10-15min short film that emphasizes/highlights the use of the Passamaquoddy language. Students will direct their own films (we’ll have a total of 5 films) and can choose to go at it alone or be assisted by a partner. The film should feature new participants who haven’t appeared in any of the previous video assignments. The theme should have some kind of an activity component to it. Students will edit their films and present them for the class during Workshop 6 in order to receive feedback. These films will be featured during a community screening followed by a student moderated conversation with the audience.
Workshop 6 (Final)
Date: Sunday, May 21, 2023 | Location: 91 Washington Street, Calais ME
