Chris Newell

The Center for Maine Contemporary Art invites the public to its 2021 Distinguished Lecture presented by Chris Newell, executive director of the Abbe Museum & Senior Partner to the Wabanaki Nations, from 5 to 7 p.m. Sept. 10.

An educator helping lead the charge in decolonizing museum practice, Newell will speak on the need for reconnecting Indigenous knowledge to historic conservation and collection spaces, including museums and National Parks. In 2021, conservation is quickly catching up to the fact that divorcing Indigenous intellectual and cultural property, knowledge and context from collections they govern has created a huge void of knowledge about the collections themselves.

Newell is a multi-award-winning museum professional born and raised in Motahkmikuhk (Indian Township) and a proud citizen of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township. He serves on the board of trustees for the New England Museum Association, Tides Institute and is a current member of the Maine Arts Commission. Newell is a longtime singer with the acclaimed Mystic River singers, based out of Connecticut, and has traveled the U.S. and Canada participating in cultural celebrations, pow wows, and live stage performances. A co-founder of educational consultancy Akomawt Educational Initiative, he works with schools, universities, museums and all areas of education to incorporate Native perspectives in a culturally competent manner.

Newell’s lecture will explore key questions, such as, what lies at the crossroads of science, culture, history and art? And how can it benefit us all?

“Since its inception in the 19th century, the conservation movement in America created collecting institutions, including museums and land conservation spaces like National Parks,” says Newell. “For Native peoples in this country, these spaces are often devoid of Indigenous knowledge. The result is skewed, controversial, and sometimes misleading information about America’s history.  Counteracting this longtime phenomenon involves the decolonization and re-Indigenization of Native information, objects, arts and cultures.”

The lecture will be held in CMCA’s Main Gallery, 21 Winter St., Rockland. Tickets are $20 for CMCA members, $25 for nonmembers, and are available for purchase online at the events page at cmcanow.org. Capacity is limited to 80 seats, and a reception will immediately follow the lecture.