ssipsis

ssipsis (birth name Eugenia T. Thompson) (June 10, 1941 – October 27, 2015) was a Penobscot poet, social worker, visual artist, writer, editor and storyteller. Much of her work was focused on and inspired by the advancement of Indigenous people.

ssipsis
Image of SSipsis
Image of SSipsis
BornEugenia Theresa Thomas
(1941-06-10)June 10, 1941
Indian Island, Maine, US
DiedOctober 27, 2015(2015-10-27) (aged 74)
Indian Island, Maine, US
Occupation
  • Poet
  • social worker
  • artist
  • storyteller
  • editor
Alma materColby College

Life

ssipsis' mother, Dorothy Phillips, was Mohawk and her father, William Thomas, was Penobscot.[1] Her traditional name is Penobscot for "little bird".[2] She was raised by Eugenia Mary Thomas on Indian Island where she spent most of her life.[1] ssipsis earned a sociology degree at Colby College where she met her husband Kenneth C. Thompson. ssipsis and Kenneth had four children together.

ssipsis, a member of the Penobscot Nation, always fought for the rights of her people; most notably, she led a protest in 1970 in Old Town, Maine regarding a Penobscot treaty agreement.[3] ssipsis is also known for her birch-bark etchings[4] and for her work on the preservation of Penobscot art and culture.[5] Her art often reflected her dedication to tribal rights, including hemmed pieces to make political statements.[6] ssipsis was also the editor of the Maine Indian Newsletter, an independent publication that ran through the 1960s and 1970s and served the native peoples of Maine, along with other subscribed readers outside the local community. She typed each twenty page newsletter herself on a typewriter, often recirculating pertinent articles from local, state, and national newspapers, including many other American Indian periodicals.

Bibliography

Books
  • Molly Molasses and Me: A Collection of Living Adventures, Robin Hood Books, 1990[7]
  • Prayers, Poems, and Pathways, Robin Hood Books, 2007.[8]

Examples of art

References
  1. "ssipsis — Obituaries — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine". bangordailynews.com. October 30, 2015. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  2. "corvette.salemstate.edu:2095/chapter/1301114". corvette.salemstate.edu:2095. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  3. "Art and Theater: Luna/Ssipsis – The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram". pressherald.com. September 23, 2010. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  4. Senier, Siobhan, ed. (2014). "ssipsis". Dawnland Voices: An Anthology of Indigenous Writing from New England. University of Nebraska Press. pp. 233–238. ISBN 978-0-8032-5679-8. Project MUSE chapter 1301114.
  5. "Two local women revere nature | www.theirregular.com | The Irregular". theirregular.com. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  6. "In the Face of a National Myth | FUSE Magazine". fusemagazine.org. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
  7. Ssipsis (August 1, 1990). Molly Molasses and Me: A Collection of Living Adventures. Robin Hood Books. ISBN 1883957001.
  8. Ssipsis (September 11, 2017). Prayers, Poems, and Pathways. Robin Hood Books. ISBN 978-1883957070.
  9. "Art and Theater: Luna/Ssipsis – The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram". Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
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