Hartman Deetz and Annawon Weeden Build Mishoon as New Bedford Hosts First Annual Powwow

Smoke rose from a white pine log along the New Bedford waterfront in October as Mashpee Wampanoag Tribal citizens Hartman Deetz and Annawon Weeden worked to build a mishoonat the Community Boating Center. Their work was part of a week of cultural activities surrounding the city's inaugural New Bedford Powwow on October 24.

Beginning October 19, Hartman and Annawon used a method our people have practiced for generations: carefully burning the inside of a log and scraping away the charred wood, little by little, until a canoe takes shape. The white pine log measured about 20 feet long and weighed roughly four tons when it arrived. The fire needed constant attention, while water helped protect the outside of the wood from cracking during the burn.

Community members and visitors were invited to watch the work, ask questions and hear stories while the mishoon took shape. Our waterways have long connected Wampanoag communities, and seeing this knowledge practiced on the New Bedford waterfront was a reminder that these traditions are still very much alive. The project also gave young people an opportunity to see the work and care that go into making a mishoon.

Powwow photos courtesy of Trish Keliinui, whose collection deserves to be published as a book.

The week also brought the inaugural New Bedford Powwow to Fort Taber Park on Saturday, October 24. Hartman and Kuwah Deetz were named head dancers, Iron River was host drum, and the Yootay Singers were invited drum. The gathering brought singing, dancing, Native vendors and community together. Organizer Isidro Thomas hopes the powwow will become an annual tradition in New Bedford.

The Community Boating Center hopes to keep the mishoon in its fleet once completed so young people can continue learning from it on the water. Between the fire at the boating center and the drum at Fort Taber, the week was a meaningful example of our people carrying knowledge forward and sharing it with the next generation. We are proud to see Hartman and Annawon doing this work here in our homelands.