The White pine association has decided that, in concordance with initiatives elsewhere in the Abenaki Alliance to follow more closely the old ways. Therefore, this summer we are planning on converting our former “Office” into a longhouse, so that ceremony and community is ascendant over the mundane paperwork that requires an office setup. This does not mean that the work necessary to gain and administer grants and plan for cultural events will not take place there, just that the format will change.
However, to accomplish this we intend to be “off the grid” and entirely self sufficient, just like the longhouses of our Iroquois allies.
This requires that we purchase a generator to provide reliable power for lights and a laptop computer We will also need a wood stove (perhaps two) for heat — another option would be propane heat. We are going to fund raise for these two items to make the White Pine Association longhouse a reality. Any help or donations would be appreciated.
Professor Fred Wiseman has offered to provide interns next fall semester to help paint and decorate the longhouse, for one or two “work weekends” in September or early October and so we hope to have the project finished by harvest supper time. His students will also manufacture Abenaki-culture appropriate decorative accessories for the longhouse.