Colton Butler, 8th grade student, and his mother, Heather Butler, 5th grade teacher and team lead, both from Camden-Rockport Middle School (CRMS), gave a talk on the Camden-Rockport Wabanaki Sign Project at the September 19 meeting of Lady Knox Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution.

The project began when Colton was in his mother’s 5th grade class. Each spring, every CRMS 5th grader does a comprehensive project on a Wabanaki topic of their choosing. Together with Matteo Jaques, Colton had an idea that was sparked after seeing Wabanaki language signs at the University of Maine and wondering why the Wabanaki were underrepresented on signage in other areas that had a strong Wabanaki history.

The idea began as a way to bring some language signs to this area but quickly evolved into a community sign project telling the story of area Wabanki history. Several years of research, hard work, and collaboration with senior members of the Wabanaki Nation, the Camden Select Board, and the Camden Public Library resulted in the unveiling of two signs last June, one outside at Harbor Park and the other inside the Camden Public Library. Currently, the boys are working on signs for other areas of Knox County.

Laurel Kennedy, a nine-year-old 4th grader from Pennsylvania with connections to Maine, also spoke to the Chapter at the meeting on Saturday. Laurel is the current State Children of the American Revolution (C.A.R.) President as well as the Chaplain of Maine’s Reverend John Fairfield Chapter. Laurel presented a program on her State Project supporting Make-a-Wish. Lady Knox annually supports the C.A.R. State Project. Taryn Kennedy, State C.A.R. Senior President and Laurel’s mother, also attended the meeting as a guest, as did Colton Butler’s father, Patrick.

The DAR is a non-profit, non-political women’s service organization dedicated to patriotism, historic preservation, and education. As part of the mission, Regent, Mary Kay Felton, believes in the importance of fostering the next generation of service minded historians. Therefore she seeks out opportunities for young people to attend meetings as speakers, sharing their knowledge of history, their history projects, and their service projects. For information about joining the DAR, please contact Chapter Registrar, Joanne Richards, at joanneleerichards@gmail.com