Welcome, George!
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| George Neptune at the Native American Festival & Basketmakers Market |
My name is George Neptune, and I am from Indian Township, Maine. Though I’ve only been the Museum Educator for less than a month, my relationship with the Abbe Museum and the town of Bar Harbor goes back into my childhood. As a Passamaquoddy Basketmaker, I have been traveling to MDI for the Native American Festival at the College of the Atlantic for as long as I can remember. I began weaving baskets with my Grandmother, Molly Neptune Parker, when I was just four years old.
I graduated from Gould Academy in Bethel, Maine in 2006, and then graduated from Dartmouth College in 2010 with a degree in Theater. Throughout my time at Dartmouth, I traveled to Barcelona, Spain to study at the University of Barcelona, as well as to London, England to study at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.
In the summers of 2007 and 2009, I worked for the National Park Service as an Interpretive Ranger at Saint Croix Island International Historic Site—the site of the first attempted permanent settlement in Northern North America. There I put my theatrical training and basketmaking knowledge to the test when I developed an interpretive program about Passamaquoddy Basketry.
Immediately after College, I began to work for the Indian Township After School Program, teaching traditional crafts as well as performance arts. I also worked for Maine Indian Education as the High School Liaison, serving as a resource for Native American students attending non-Native schools. In 2011, I was hired as the Unit Director and Mentor Program Coordinator of the Passamaquoddy Boys and Girls Club.
While my position at the Abbe is my debut to the behind-the-scenes world of museums, I am truly excited to have the opportunity to help educate the general public about Wabanaki culture and history, as well as other contemporary issues that continue to saturate many parts of Indian Country. Having experience in many different fields gives me lots of insight and a different perspective on educational programming, so I try to make things educational, interesting, and (perhaps most importantly) FUN! I have a wild imagination and crazy ideas, so get ready Bar Harbor, ‘cause I’m here to stay!
