ffi6 *?te,W."*4* Joan Tomah Dana Ul" il ;:ffil;I #?'n: :?ii:'il:: fr:l! 16; County.ShewasbornatPeterDanaPointinl93T.Her and she was raised by her and woodcarver. Her mother died when she was six, frequently visited her mother,s mother, a talented basketmaker. As a child, she her to the decorative great-grand.mother at Pleasant Point, an artist who introduced beadworking techniques and designs of her ancestors. in childhood, she began Although Mrs. Dana's interest in beadwork was cultivated aunt' thirty years ago' The to study the art form seriously under the tutelage of an on a small beadworking elder woman taught her to make headbands and bracelets is best known for the elab- loom. While foai Dana is a prolific jewetry maker, she American motifs- She cre- orate cosnrmes which she sews and beads with Native designs' She also incorpo- ates her own pattems from traditional Passamaquoddy elements which have come to rates motifs from other tribal groups and decorative her in dreams. within her community, she has An active promoter and teacher of traditional arts and pow- *ua" ou", t*o hundred ceremonial costumes for weddings' graduations' Passamaquoddy wows. She has also demonstrated beadworking to countless practice of creating bead- schoorchildren. A number of years ago, Dana initiated a to use in graduation ed eagle feather holders for the children of her community ceremonles. of family and friends' Mrs. Dana pursues many interests within her close circle foods, and performing Native She enjoys hunting gafile, preparing traditional Active in the American dances t tUai"" and throughout the United States. stoles and vestments cathoric church, she sings in the choir and has made beaded and granddaughters for priests in Maine and in Canada. Several of her daughters proud to pass on a deeply-rooted share her love of beadworking, and Mrs. Dana is beadworking legacy to new generations of her people' attn^ t --tzr t e+ | Joan Dana Photo: Joan Dana teaching beadworking skills to her daughter, Brenda Dana Downing. Traditional arts are passed down from generation to generation. "l started beadwork thirty years ago, and I used to watch my Aunt Etizabeth Tomnhfrom Pleasant Point. She used to bead headbands all the time, and rnake bracelets. So I started to do that myself." Artifacts: 1. Dance moccastns 1990 Peter Dana Point, Me. Joan Dana Dana cut, sewed, and beaded these dance moccasions for her daughter to wear with her dance costume. The moccasins are made of ultra-suede- "I'm really proud of atl the stuff thnt I do because of the past history of rny ancestors 2. Eagle feather graduation gift 1991 Peter Dana Point, Me. Joan Dana Dana presents Passamaquoddy schoolchildren with beaded feathers at graduation time. The practice honors their achievements and teaches them ibout the sigificance of Eagle feathers in Passamaquoddy history. "The eagle feather was given to the chiefs or anybody who had done good deeds. They woul.d present the eagle feather to them if they had accomplished something." 3. Dance costume 1982 Peter Dana Point Joan Dana Dana made this costume for herself. She wears it when performing Passamaquoddy dances and at weddings, pow-wows, and other special tribal events. 7\ @ l'77 Uana P- 72 er lo "l appreciate all the costumes that I've seen. It's iust so exciting. So I wanled to do it myself." 4- Child's dance costume 1989 Peter Dana Point, Me. Joan Dana Dana made this costume for her granddaughter, Stacey, to wear on special occAfions. She has made over two hundred costumes for members of her tribg. Joan Dana Peter Dana Point Native American Beadvork/Ceremonial Costumes Personal Eistory '[hc .lrlan'frluah Dzrna rvas l)r-rrrt iii i9 j7 a'" Pctt:L Dattit Pt-rini. sccOnd chitd of lija SucabaSilt ltrtcl ijr't:rlir:ir,'l'r-rrnail. trlr's Dana \\ra:i:i{l:rriidll zlS al}tntutt1. lrt:r father said she could fit into a shoe box She was baptised immediatell' because her parents fearecl her death. She has turo sisters and five broLhers. Fredick was a rnecticine man ancl wooclcArver. Her greai,-grandfather, Joseph Tomah, made birch bark canoc's. N{rs. Dana's mother died rvhen *che tt'as six, ancl she was sent to live nrith her granclmother. Alice Sot:abasin. Later her' i'ather rernarried. (i\4rs. Dana's mother diecl socrn after giving birth, bttt t\'1rs Dana doesn't credit her tleath to chitdbirth.i Alice Socabasin was a basketmalier. Mrs Dana compietecl rhe filtlt grade and did not return to schogl, but stayed at lrorne to help her granclmother attencl to the children. Mrs. Dana livecl with her grandmother until she married in 1955. They rnade Joan and Sopiel Dana were marrierl at St. Anne's Catholic Church. their home at peLer l]ana Point where Mr. Dana worked as a ranger for the reservation. Together they hact ten chilclren--Andrew, Matthew, Martin, Nicky, Brenda. Regina, Louie anil Dale. Their other two daughters are deceased. Mrs. Dana has 3E grandchilclren and four great-grandchildren. Mosr of Mrs. Dana's lamily has remained in the area. Four of her sons paint ancl eiraw, and her twr:; tlaughters ancl son, lt{artin, are beadworkers- N{rs. She Dzrna work:crl for fivc ,v(-)arli ;1g 2 1:ook for thr.: sch0ril otl l.ilc- rL-sgr\,'ation. has also painted houses and has clone other orld jobs to help support her f a mily. NIrs. Dana spencis a great cleal tlf trme pursing other interests. She hunts (as cloes the resr of her tamily). cooks traditional Native American foods and travels to demonstrale Narive American tlances arrcl beaclworking. Slie sitlgs lrrith the choir for church serl'ices and orher special communit-v* events. Last \.,eelr. Mrs Dtrna atiencleci rhe Native American conference in Oklahoma. She macle a beadecl clress an,-l the raffle procecles firranced her rrip. This year the meeting u;ill be helcl in Orono. Maine. Mrs. Datla is finishing a beacled croui.n whrch will be rafflect. Shc is planning to purchase a teepee for her familv 'f hose attending the me'eting will observe the tradition of the sac|ed 'l-iii.. Iir'rt. :ia(]i'(.:d Iir'(.) t'(::1.]t'{.::t(ttlt:1 tiir:: g,r-;,;rl \i.,'ithirl: it rfiiil tf itftf Lhc: rJLtt'itiiutt r-lf lhe conferefice. 3't t 1" 6!CDEzr ,rnfI- arntvo :t\rr, e+'l e I Beadwort /Cere monial Costu me Construction \4rs. Dana srarted beaclworking over thirtv ):ears aBo. Her aunt, Elizabeth Tonah lronr Pleaisanl. Pirirtt. taught her to beacl fulrs l-)arra first $ratchcd her auni macle heacibanrls ttnd braceiets on a smirll kiom. Elizabeth Tomah is nriw in her 70's ancl stilI resides at pleasant point. Due to failing heatth, she seittom cloes anv Lreadurork lvirs. Dana's mother and grandmolher did some beadwork. but she creiiits her aunt as her teacher. a.s a child. I'lrs. Dana learnecl ro malie ceremonial clothing lrorn leather lor her dolls. Her Iathei-'s girlfriend, [,ena Brooks iwho n;as half h,'lalecite/half Passarnaquodd'*'), iaught ht:r Ic mai:.e Lhe minai.urre c:lothing. Mrs. Dana tlesigrrs her own patierns. She first clraws an outiine rif her tlesigrr crn a piece of paper, but tlien Joan finishes the beaded clesigrt [r'orn mernorv. Beacling c)n ceremoniaI costuniing is expensive. N'lrs. Dana wrlrl:s rin leather. clol.h and uli.rasuede. The lirst beaded costurnes she made were ck.r[h. Thev wore pr-rtirl.v and dicln't hold up well. She prelers leather or ultrsuede, ttut both materials are costly. The traclitional Passamaquoddy designs often ilisplayg{ floral motifs. iVlrs. Dana designs her own work. but has been influenced by the beadwork ol her ancestors. She does use a lot of Yellow, white, red. black--which represent north. south, east, wesi. fulrs. Dana c1oes make things to sel[. She setls more jewelrv than clothing because of the expense, but this exrra income helps to finance her beadwork and other pursuits. Mrs. Dana buys most o[ her leather from a Shop in Lebanon. and she either orclers her beacls from a mail order company or the nuns will bring her beads from their trips to Portland. She uses beading needles (size 5, 10, l?, 13 poundi and beading threarl. Several times N{rs. Dana has had dreams which have influenced her beadwt-rrk. In one paricular dream, a man shows her exarnples of beadwurk and wooclcarvings. She often credits these experiences in inlluencing her work. iluring the rvinter. lv{rs. Dana spends mosl ()l her time on her beadrvr.trk. L)uring Lhe summer mrrnths, her beadwork is limited tc the e\,'ening when the hr-xrsehold is quite. She predicted ihat she hacl made ot'er 200 c:ostLtme-c. Prior to tnciian [tav in Julv tafrer Juli, 4thi, Mrs. Dana, Regina and Brenrla speiicl nrimeroLls hourrs preparing costLrmes fur their lamily They t-:rttt olten be found sitting at rhe kitchen table tinishing costumes. Indian Darr is consiclered a reserrraLiun holiday. Foot races. tuB of war. hasliei mriking ctcnlesls, arm \\.rrestting, pie and watermelon eating crlntests, dancrng atid coslLtme competirions inrrolr;e man\,r members of the l)ana Iarnilv. l.asl \,ear, / ilu ffi \,lrs. Dana's grandclaughter. Stac.V, (costume will be in the exhibiIlwott tlte lirsr place awarci lor best rrosturne. The Dana famil-v clances tr.rgethet'cttt lndian Day. iv1rs. Dana [eels a great source of pricle \r,'hen her lantil-u* pet'lut ins tu5ethcr lv{rs.