ssipsis
ssipsis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eugenia Theresa Thomas June 10, 1941 Indian Island, Maine, US |
| Died | October 27, 2015 (aged 74) Indian Island, Maine, US |
| Occupation | Poet, social worker, artist, storyteller, editor |
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.
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
- ^ a b "ssipsis — Obituaries — Bangor Daily News — BDN Maine". bangordailynews.com. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
- ^ "corvette.salemstate.edu:2095/chapter/1301114". corvette.salemstate.edu:2095. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
- ^ "Art and Theater: Luna/Ssipsis – The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram". pressherald.com. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
- ^ "Project MUSE – Dawnland Voices". muse.jhu.edu. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
- ^ "Two local women revere nature | www.theirregular.com | The Irregular". theirregular.com. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
- ^ "In the Face of a National Myth | FUSE Magazine". fusemagazine.org. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
- ^ Ssipsis (August 1, 1990). "Molly Molasses and Me: A Collection of Living Adventures". Robin Hood Books. Retrieved September 11, 2017 – via Amazon.
- ^ Ssipsis (September 11, 2017). "Prayers, Poems, and Pathways". Robin Hood Books. Retrieved September 11, 2017 – via Amazon.
- ^ "Art and Theater: Luna/Ssipsis – The Portland Press Herald / Maine Sunday Telegram". Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved July 13, 2016.
External links
- 1941 births
- Native American novelists
- Native American poets
- Postmodern writers
- Penobscot people
- 20th-century American novelists
- 21st-century American novelists
- Native American short story writers
- 20th-century American poets
- 21st-century American poets
- American women novelists
- American women poets
- American women short story writers
- 2015 deaths
- 20th-century American short story writers
- 21st-century American short story writers
- 20th-century American women writers
- 21st-century American women writers
- Native American women writers