Wabanaki Studies - Resources | Department of Education

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Our resources are dynamic and changing as we learn and grow together. We invite everyone to keep an eye on this space as we expand our resources, and we encourage you to keep learning, as well as to send us lessons or units you'd like to share with others. Woliwoni!

We honor the Indigenous voices and representation, especially in regard to teaching Wabanaki studies. Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) cannot utilize Maine DOE's materials on Wabanaki studies because doing so contradicts the traditional and decolonized principles we seek to uplift and perpetuates a cycle of exclusion. These materials were created through extensive collaboration between educators and Wabanaki knowledge-sharers, and they are rooted in the cultural and historical contexts of Wabanaki. Their significance cannot be fully understood or conveyed by AI, which lacks the lived experiences and cultural perspectives that are vital to these narratives. To ensure equitable access to Wabanaki studies education for all schools, these materials can be copied and distributed in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, in educational spaces only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator(s).

Backpack Project

The Backpack Project gathers the most requested Wabanaki Studies resources into one place — repositories, curriculum guides, microcourses, and frameworks to support meaningful, sustained integration of Wabanaki Studies across K-12.

Wabanaki Studies Indigenous Literature Kit

A central repository for educators, providing curated resources, guides, and tools to support the integration of Indigenous literature into classroom instruction. The content is organized into several key areas:

Literary Collections & Bibliography: book guides, book lists, comprehensive bibliographies, and pricing information for book kits.
Discussion & Engagement Tools: resources for facilitating circle discussions, professional presentations on Indigenous reading, and bookstore connections.
Instructional Guides & Pedagogical Resources.

Wabanaki Studies Indigenous Literature Kit

Wabanaki Studies Curriculum & Resources

Structured into two main categories:

Educator Guides: targeted pedagogical support across levels — grade-level specific (Pre-K through Grade 4); subject-specific guides for Literacy (PK-12), Art (PK-12), Music (K-12), and Geography (9-12), plus specialized topics such as Water Stewardship, Civics & Government, Financial Self-Determination, and Wabanaki Languages; thematic guides for broader topics like "Medicine and Moons," "Moose," "Getting Outdoors," "Ash," "Nature," "Birch," and a Shell Mound guide; and a High School Survey Course guide.
Resources: direct materials for classroom use, organized by content area — Science, Social Studies, Literacy, STEAM, Numeracy, Art, Language, and general Geography.

Includes a link to the DOE Wabanaki Studies Curriculum Standards spreadsheet for alignment reference.

Wabanaki Studies Curriculum & Resources
Wabanaki Studies Curriculum Standards

Wabanaki Studies Microcourses

Six online microcourses are available free to all educators in what is now called Maine. Educators begin with the Wabanaki Studies: Essential Topics for Teaching & Learning microcourse on EnGiNE, then choose from five others. Each takes around 8-10 hours of self-paced learning to complete.

Wabanaki Worldview: Understanding the Importance and Implications of Relationships
Empowering Wabanaki Studies Educators at All Levels
History of Dawnland, Part 1
History of Dawnland, Part 2
Teaching Climate Education Across Wabanaki Homelands

Wabanaki Studies Microcourse Options

Wabanaki Studies Framework

A comprehensive, living resource to help educators meaningfully integrate Wabanaki Studies into K-12 curriculum. It aims to move schools beyond superficial or tokenistic efforts toward deep, structural integration that honors Wabanaki Nations as sovereign peoples. Key components:

Essential Understandings
Curriculum Mapping
Instructional Best Practices

The Framework is a starting point for districts to create their own locally tailored plans, emphasizing that because Wabanaki perspectives are diverse, there is no single "right" way to teach this material — only a need for continued learning and respectful engagement.

Wabanaki Studies Framework

What's Next

A quick-reference guide for educators to navigate Wabanaki Studies resources at the Maine DOE, offering a concise overview of the most highly requested resources.

What's Next

Wabanaki Studies at the Maine DOE

The Maine Department of Education Wabanaki Studies website. This material represents a continuing collaborative effort between the Wabanaki Nations, Indigenous and non-Indigenous educators, districts, and other organizations. Resources included here are not comprehensive or definitive, but rather represent high-quality materials that are widely available.

Visit the Wabanaki Studies website