MAINE, Maine — While many schools and businesses are closed on Monday, there are a number of events happening across the state to celebrate Indigenous Peoples' Day.
The Children's Museum + Theatre of Maine will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday. The "Atkuhkakonol: Wabanaki Storytelling Through Art and Traditions" exhibit will highlight indigenous culture and traditions that have been present for more than 12,000 years, according to the museum.
Visitors will also be able to listen to the Burnurwubskek Singers from Penobscot Nation, who will drum and share songs with the crowd.
You can reserve museum tickets here.
The Portland Museum of Art will offer free admission for all visitors from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday. You'll also have the chance to meet Wabanaki artists, create a dream catcher, catch a screening of the movie "Sugarcane," and explore other Wabanaki exhibits. You can find more information here.
The Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor will also have free admission on Monday. The mission of the museum is to "illuminate and advance greater understanding of and support for Wabanaki Nations' heritage, living cultures, and homelands," according to its website.
Along with the exhibits on display, the museum is offering a number of events and workshops related to Indigenous Peoples' Day.
In Orono, The University of Maine, Wabanaki Alliance, and the Wilson Center will host a potluck celebration from 12 to 1:30 p.m..
Maine is one of 17 states that observes Indigenous Peoples' Day and has done so since 2019, when Gov. Janet Mills signed a law that replaced Columbus Day with Indigenous Peoples' Day.
“Today, we honor the first stewards of the extraordinary place we now call Maine. For thousands of years, the Wabanaki Nations – the People of the Dawnland – have shaped the character, culture, and identity of the home we share. On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, I ask all Maine people to join me in recommitting to building a shared future with Maine’s Tribal Nations that is rooted in mutual trust, respect, and collaboration," Mills said in a statement.