Maine Memory Network

Jennifer Sapiel Neptune, a member of the Penobscot Indian Nation and renowned basketmaker, taught herself to bead after studying designs on historic Wabanaki artwork in museum collections that inspired her artwork.

Historic pieces often include three leaf botanical references, which were intended for healing. The plant on this bag depicts a water lily.

Neptune talked about her inspirations, saying, “Sometimes I imagine these old beadworkers’ spirits hovering around while I work, guiding my hands and whispering, ‘do it this way,’ and ‘put that design over there.’ A lot of our traditions have slipped away or have totally been lost. But I really believe that it’s all still out there for us–if we just ask respectfully and then know how to listen.”