LITTLETON, Maine — The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians’ 45th Annual Metaksonekiyak Community Days celebration drew more than 650 over the weekend, despite torrential storms all day Saturday.
The two-day event, on the tribal lands located on 88 Bell Road in Littleton, continued as planned with traditional ceremonies, stories, dancing, drumming, games, food and community meals, although the weather pushed Saturday evening events like the drumming and dance competitions to Sunday afternoon.
“Despite the rain, we still had 30 vendors,” said Joe Cyr, communications director.
The annual celebration, Metaksonekiyak Community Days, honors the long and storied history of the region’s native people. “Metaksonekiyak” means “people of the Meduxnekeag River.” The area of the river near their tribal lands was a nexus for canoe travelers, known as “the place of worn moccasins” because there are so many jagged rocks at that point in the river.
The Saturday evening free community supper, complete with tribal foods such as trout, salmon, hull corn soup and fiddleheads, fed 400 people, Cyr said
Sunday began with a free community breakfast that fed about 150 and by the afternoon, a few sun rays broke through the overcast, making a near-perfect weather day.
Following the traditional grand entry, melodic drumming, singing and the gentle clinking of jingle dancers rose through the sage and sweet grass scented air. As the day’s festivities continued, there was the packed Bingo tent, drumming under the band’s new 40 by 80 foot tent and dancing competitions that took place in a grassy area. They included women’s traditional, women’s jingle and women’s fancy.
Alan St. Jean was pounding a brown ash log and Chris Phillips was splitting the ash layer by layer in preparation for basket making. Phillips said the wood is best split when it is green.
St. Jean and Phillips bring classes to their tribal court, domestic violence program, the prison and community young people.
“It’s a way to bring us back to our roots,” Phillips said on Sunday.
