With Waban-Aki: People from Where the Sun Rises, Obomsawin has come full circle, returning to the village where she was raised to craft an illumination and lyric account of her own people.
The tradition of craftsmanship is woven deeply into Abenaki culture. Odanak’s basket makers were famous in early 20th century, successfully marketing their wares throughout New England and eastern Canada, and building a prosperous community along the banks of the St. Francis River in southern Quebec.
With Odanak as her home base, Obomsawin embarks on a series of encounters with fellow Abenaki. The journey will take her deep into the complex history and contemporary reality of her people, who once occupied much of present-day New England, the Maritimes and south-eastern Quebec.