By Shaun Haskins and Newell Lewey
The seed that would eventually become Cobscook Institute was planted in 1999 as an exploration among people from three nations–Passamaquoddy, North American, and Canadian. The three waves on our logo represent those three peoples. When we look at the logo, we see those people in conversation and connection, and the spreading of the waves reflects their strength in working together.
At that time, one of the important questions we asked was: “What would improve life in this rural region?”
In the more than two decades during which the seed of our answer to that question has sprouted and grown, Cobscook Institute has created an exceptional public high school option, a range of intensive summer outdoor experiences, research projects and services to improve education across our region, and a dynamic hub of community learning, creation and connection.
But we have thrived in our work by continually looking at the future to see and understand how we can make life even better. Employees, community members and the board of directors all collaborate and discuss new ideas. This is a continuing focus of Cobscook Institute, and it is why we are creating a new position at Cobscook Institute.
This position would oversee our organization’s ties and culture to the Passamaquoddy people. This new position would have direct contact with the tribal citizens and together they could create cultural events, sponsor artisans, drumming events, language learning and other cultural teachings.
This role at Cobscook Institute is much needed and will create a stronger connection between Cobscook Institute and the Passamaquoddy. This connection is a 24-year-old founding idea. Though Cobscook Institute has worked with members of the Passamaquoddy community and has had many successful programs and collaborations, this new position is part of an effort to make more consistent improvements to the programming with a focus on Passamaquoddy culture, language, and history.
It is a new chapter in the history of Passamaquoddy people giving identity, shape, and direction to Cobscook Institute. Through the years, Passamaquoddy people have created and shaped education offerings, served as leaders of community action, and offered outreach and mentorship, but we recognize the limits of Cobscook’s current role in serving as a community resource for Passamaquoddy people. Giving this new position a name, and building a foundation for it to become part of a legacy for the future, is a step to grow, once again, into being a multicultural space, which Cobscook’s founders - Euro-Americans, Canadians, and Passamaquoddy - affirmed was essential for the health and well-being for all in our region.
The need for this role is great and it is at the forefront of Cobscook Institute’s mission and vision of the future. It’s an opportunity to expand on current programming in the classroom, at the Center, and in the natural environment that is also our home. This in turn will bring our communities more closely together and allow for more understanding of all our cultures.
In the spirit of that goal, members of the current Cobscook Institute staff and supporters are organizing public sessions this fall to meet with citizens of the Passamaquoddy nation and other interested community members to hear the community’s shared wisdom about the greatest need for this position and this work so that we can make the addition to our staff this winter–knowing that even this is only one step in a process of years.
To share your thoughts, learn more,
or get involved, please contact:
Shaun Haskins: shaun@cobscookinstitute.org
Newell Lewey: newell.lewey@gmail.com
Daphne Loring: daphne@cobscookinstitute.org