Page 108 - CA 2019 Final(3)

A view of the gallery
Photo by Darel Gabriel Bridges

Remembering an artit and activit

David Moses Bridges, Passamaquoddy

by A lene Benham, with David’s mother, Hilda Soctomah Lewis

“Do you know what it feels like to see your Nation fight to be alive?” This question posed by David Moses Bridges spurred the
Passamaquoddy artist and environmental activist in his quest to preserve traditions handed down from his ancestors and to protect
their homeland at the Sipayik Reserve in Perry. He passed away in January, 2017, but is remembered as an accomplished craftsman,
teacher, and leader.

In some autobiographical notes, he recalled, “I was born in 1962 to a family of Passamaquoddy artists. From birth I was sur-
rounded by the language, artistry, and spirituality of my elders and community.” His grandmother and great-grandfather were highly
regarded craftspeople, so from an early age David was steeped in Passamaquoddy tradition. “The focus of family and community
in these difficult political times for the Passamaquoddy people solidified my deep respect for the ways of my ancestors and the value
of our ancestral homeland,” he wrote, and this beginning was to inspire much of his later work, both in traditional art and as an ad-
vocate for the tribe.
After high school, he worked at a summer camp introducing inner-city youth to nature and as a group home counselor. He spent
several years visiting indigenous communities across the USA and Canada, and when he returned home, he devoted his attention to
reviving Passamaquoddy art such as basket making, often using 100-year-old tools. Since childhood, he had dreamed of making a
traditional birch bark canoe, so he began studying history, boat building, and naval architecture, and working in the design and build-
ing of sail and fishing boats. continued on the next page
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