Deep History and Continuing Presence

This paper discusses the collaborative process of opening the “People of the Dawnland” exhibition at Strawbery Banke Museum, a history museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The museum expanded on this exhibition to develop the multi-faceted Abenaki Heritage Initiative, incorporating oral histories, archives, and archaeological research. Abenaki collaborators demonstrate a participatory role in interpreting multiple lines of evidence and managing Indigenous heritage. During and following Portsmouth’s quadricentennial celebrations in 2023, we believe it is important to provide education around the Indigenous inhabitants of the region we know today as New Hampshire, and to offer resources to museum visitors and local residents.