MANP Connects Summits Panelists
James Eric Francis Sr.
Penobscot Nation’s Director of Cultural and Historic Preservation and member of the Tekαkαpimək project Wabanaki Advisory Board and contributing artist
James Eric Francis Sr. is Penobscot Nation’s Director of Cultural and Historic Preservation, Tribal Historian, Chair of Penobscot Tribal Rights and Resource Protection Board, and a member of Tekαkαpimək Contact Station’s Wabanaki Advisory Board. As a historian, James studies the relationship between Maine Native Americans and the landscape. Prior to working at the Penobscot Nation, James worked for the Wabanaki Studies Commission helping implement the new Maine Native American Studies Law into Maine schools. James co-produced a film, Invisible, which examines racism experienced by Native Americans in Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. James is the Co-Chair of the Abbe Museum’s Board of Trustees, and Co-Director of Local Contexts, an initiative to support Native, First Nations, Aboriginal, and Indigenous communities in the management of their intellectual property and cultural heritage. James also serves on the UMaine’s Hudson Museum Advisory Board. James is a historical researcher, photographer, filmmaker, painter, and graphics artist.
Dr. Jane Anderson
Associate Professor at NYU, co-founder of Local Contexts and intellectual and cultural property consultant
Dr. Jane Anderson is Associate Professor of Anthropology and Museum Studies and a Global Fellow in the Engelberg Center for Innovation Law and Policy in the Law School at New York University. Jane has a Ph.D. in Law from the Law School at University of New South Wales in Australia. Their work is focused on the philosophical and practical problems for intellectual property law and the protection of Indigenous/traditional knowledge resources and cultural heritage in support of Indigenous knowledge and data sovereignty.
In 2023 Jane was awarded $2.5 million from the Mellon Foundation to support the sustainability and future of Local Contexts. Local Contexts is a non-profit organization founded in 2010 to support Indigenous communities to manage their intellectual and cultural property, cultural heritage, environmental data, and genetic resources within digital environments through the TK (Traditional Knowledge) & BC (Biocultural) Labels and Notices. In 2023 Jane released the new film: Awasəwehlαwə́lətinα wikəwαmok – They Returned Home (2023). This film is a collaboration with the Penobscot Nation and was filmed by cinematographer Andreas Burgess. Jane was recently awarded the prestigious international Guardians of Culture and Lifeways Award from the Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries and Museums (ATALM).
Erin Hutton
Elliotsville Foundation Creative Program Manager for the Tekαkαpimək project
Erin Hutton is a collaborator, art advisor, curator, and founder of Erin Hutton Projects. With over 25 years of experience in creative fields, she excels at designing and crafting collections for public spaces, private residences, corporate environments, and hotels. Known for her responsive approach, Erin is dedicated to fostering deep engagement through her projects. She is the Creative Programs Manager for Tekαkαpimək Contact Station at Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument and the art consultant for the newly renovated Jordan Hotel, Hotel Ursa, and The Brunswick Hotel. As co-founder of Studio 24b, she collaborates on custom design and fabrication projects with her partner, Matt Hutton.
Kasq (Natalie) Dana Lolar
Ph.D./ Master's graduate student in Anthropology at the University of Maine, member of the Tekαkαpimək project Wabanaki Advisory Board and contributing artist
Kasq (Natalie) Dana Lolar was raised in Motahkomikuk (Indian Township), Maine. She and her husband, Kiwenik (Kyle) Lolar, are parents to five exceptional children. She is a citizen of and has ancestorial ties to the Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes. She is an advocate for the preservation and revitalization of Indigenous culture. Professionally, Natalie has had the privilege of collaborating with many talented individuals in creating the Tekαkαpimək contact station. She also serves as a member of the Wabanaki Advisory Board and is a contributing artist. In her role, she fosters cultural understanding and promotes inclusive storytelling, she strives to ensure the accurate representation of Wabanaki history and experiences. She coined the term “Invisible Monument” to describe the unseen histories and background stories, as well as the various changes resulting from this project. Natalie, along with other members of this project are working to share the Invisible Monument stories to help create more tendrils of change. Currently, Natalie is a Ph.D/ Master’s graduate student in Anthropology at the University of Maine.
All Wabanaki Cultural Knowledge and Intellectual Property shared within this project is owned by the Wabanaki Nations– the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe, and Penobscot Nation.