Fourth and Fifth graders from Wiscasset Elementary School had the exciting opportunity
to host Dwayne Tomah of the Passamaquoddy Tribe last Wednesday, November 15th. Mr.
Tomah talked to the students about the history and modern-day lives of Maine’s indigenous
populations. Students played authentic drums made of animal hide and explored Native
American artifacts. The crowd was especially excited by the chance to listen to the original first
phonograph recording of native dialogue in Maine.
Dwayne Tomah is a teacher of Passamaquoddy language and culture. He is a Language
Keeper and the youngest fluent speaker of the Passamaquoddy tribe. His life has been
dedicated to working on language and culture preservation of indigenous people. WES is
incredibly grateful for such a meaningful experience, and the students & staff look forward to
more experiences like this in the future.
Photo 1: Nova Sherman, Trinity Nelson, Alice Puterbaugh, Amesley Franssen, and Shelby
Suplinskas sit in the front row practicing their animal hide drums, led by Dwayne Tomah.