CAMDEN — Camden Rockport Middle School (CRMS) has installed new Wabanaki language and historical signage at the Camden Public Library and Camden Harbor. The public will be able to see the two signs at Harbor Park and at the Camden Public Library after June 15.

The Unveiling Event will be held Monday, June 15, 2026, at 11:30 a.m., at Camden Public Library and Camden Harbor. Participants include the CRMS 5th Grade, Wabanaki drummers, and Town officials. Rain Date: Tuesday, June 16, 2026.

According to a CRMS news release, this event represents the culmination of a two-year Project Based Learning (PBL) initiative led by students to honor the original stewards of the land. 

The project originated in 2024 when then-fifth-grade students Colton and Mateo questioned the lack of Wabanaki signage in the Camden area. After conducting extensive research and presenting their proposal to the Town Manager and Board of Selectmen, the project received unanimous approval and municipal funding. The Camden Public Library also provided funding to support the signs and the research behind them. 

A Collaborative Effort in Preservation 

To ensure historical and linguistic accuracy, students collaborated with Wabanaki experts, including James Eric Francis Sr., the director of Cultural and Historic Preservation and Tribal Historian for the Penobscot Nation, and Gabe Paul, a Penobscot linguist. Mr. Francis served as the lead researcher and designer for the signage, while Mr. Paul provided critical translation work. 

CRMS students will participate in an unveiling of the signage, featuring a performance by a group of four Wabanaki drummers, including Gabe Paul, John Neptune, Apemesim Galipeau, and Damon Galipeau. Attendees will include the CRMS fifth-grade class, school administration, members of the Library Board of Trustees, and the Camden Board of Selectmen. 

Related Student and Staff Initiatives

The signage project is part of a broader commitment at CRMS to integrate Wabanaki studies across the curriculum: 

● Aldermere Farm Collaboration: Fifth-grade students recently completed a "Journey Through the Dawnland" project at Aldermere Farm, exploring Indigenous connections to the land through art and poetry. This work was recently featured in a statewide educational travel log. 

● Guest Artist Series: Earlier this year, James Eric Francis Sr. visited CRMS art classes as a guest historian and artist, sharing his research findings and design process with students. 

● Wabanaki Walk-Through Museum: On June 1 and 2, students hosted a "Wabanaki Walk-Through Museum" at CRMS to showcase their semester-long research and projects.

Facilitating many of these efforts is 5th Grade ELA & SS teacher Heather Butler. She was recently honored as Wabanaki Studies Education's Spring Leader in Wabanaki Studies Education and the 2026 Maine Council for English Language Arts (MCELA) Teacher of Excellence winner, recognizing her innovative work, including deepening her understanding and incorporation of Wabanaki studies into the curriculum. Her commitment to Wabanaki education includes co-developing the Wabanaki Studies curriculum for the Maine Department of Education (DOE), designing the Indigenous Museum Project for 5th graders, and coordinating the Aldermere Farm place-based project, the latter two of which are featured in the "Journey Through the Dawnland" statewide educational travel log. 

Journey Through the Dawnland

The "Journey Through the Dawnland" is an annual Wabanaki homelands scavenger hunt and educational travel log designed to help learners of all ages explore and celebrate Wabanaki culture, ecology, and history across Maine. Participants use a physical booklet or printed travel log to collect stamps at participating sites, answer questions, and win prizes. Linked HERE. 

Camden Rockport Middle School

Camden Rockport Middle School has approximately 350 students, grades 5-8. Its curriculum emphasizes interdisciplinary, community-based, project-based learning, as well as outdoor and experiential learning.