Silver Penobscot Crown

The Silver Penobscot Crown symbolizes political diplomacy between Native Americans and Europeans. Hatbands or crowns were only given to tribal leaders, along with lace-trimmed European military jackets and ruffled shirts. Holes within the crown were made for feathers to be stitched into the hat for stability.

The Penobscot's name for themselves, Pαnawάhpskewi, means "the people of where the white rocks extend out." The phrase originally applied to their region along the Penobscot River, which flows from Katahdin, the Greatest Mountain, their sacred peak to the north, across the state to Penobscot Bay. They moved seasonally down this river, first to the beach for seafood and then back inland for hunting bears, moose, and deer, depending on the weather. Their original domain included parts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in Canada, in addition to Maine. It is believed that they had lived in their region for at least 11,000 years before the arrival of travelers and colonists. They were hunters and gatherers who lived in wigwams coated with birch tree bark. The men fished in rivers and the ocean and hunted caribou, beavers, otters, moose, bears, and birds. The women collected maple tree sap, berries, nuts, roots, and bird eggs. Near their settlements, they also engaged in some minor agriculture, mainly growing maize.

The Portuguese official for Spain, Estêvo Gomes, visited there in 1524, making him the first European known to have done so. In 1605, French adventurer Samuel de Champlain pursued him in search of the legendary city of Norumbega, which was supposedly located near modern-day Bangor, Maine. During the fur trade, more people started to connect with the Penobscot, who were eager to exchange pelts for European items like weapons, metal axes, and copper or iron cookware. At some point, French missionary priests made their home among the Penobscot, and the tribe began to embrace Christian beliefs.

If you want to see this artifact for yourself, come by our museum in Bentonville!

Works Cited

“Penobscot Tribe – Legends of America.” Penobscot Tribe – Legends of America, www.legendsofamerica.com/penobscot-tribe.

Credit to Olivia Lee