---

 

 

 

 

 

 

άkemka

 

 

 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

čamákʷwisak

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

pkahlákənikan

 

   

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 wikəpí-mə̀note

 

    

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 alikəpesάwakanal

 

     

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 apitsə́nαkan

 

      

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

  mahksənak

 

       

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 skámonaskəwi-

amskʷəčékkαnak

 

   

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 áhαlαn

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 mosohkʷésoti

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 wάpαpi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

kihkə́skʷebi naka

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

amíkənakʷe 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The lunar year consists of 354 days. On average the first moon, or old moon, of the Penobscot calendar began on December 21st, but it could begin anywhere from December 5th to December 30. Every third year Penobscots added a 13th moon, the "inserted moon". Further adjustment was needed two or three times per century, when the 13th moon was inserted in a second year instead of a third year.

 

Learn the names of the Penobscot moons

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learn the days of the week in Penobscot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Learn how to say the calendar phrases

 

These drum, which are hanging in the Penobscot Nation Council Chamber, are the result of the New Moon Drum Project. Funded by NEFA (New England Foundation for the Arts) the project sought to have a Penobscot tribal member, Dominic Polchies, teach drum making techniques. He and his apprentice, Doming Caparaz, created 13 thirteen-sided drums. Each of these drums were then painted with an image that represented an interpretation of that moon. These images were painted by James Eric Francis Sr. and his inspiration was drawn on the natural world during that moon.  The drums were introduced to the community by “New Moon” socials, which lasted the entire scope of the project. When finished the drums where gifted to our leadership and hung in the shape of a double curve in the Council Chambers.

 

---

 

 

 

 

kčí-kisohs

"old Moon"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

αkəlo-ssaməwhsit-kisohs

"moon that provides a little food grudgingly"

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

takʷaskʷayí-kisohs

"moon of crusts of ice on the snow"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

penαtαməwí-kisohs

"moon of laying eggs of owls and eagles"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

αməssəwí-kisohs

"moon of smelts"

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

kkihkayí-kisohs

"moon of planting and sowing"

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

nohkkahikaní-kisohs

"grubbing hoe moon for harrowing soil"

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

ačihtayi-kisohs

"moon of ripening berries and corn"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

wikkehsəwí-kisohs

"moon of white chub, whey they complete stone houses in shallow water"

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

mačewatohkí-kisohs

"moon of rutting moose and caribou"

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

takʷαkəwí-kisohs

"moon of autumn"

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

asəpáskʷačess-kisohs

"moon when ice forms on the margins of lakes"

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

---