Dedication & Acknowledgements

Dedication

I dedicate this master’s project to my husband, Edward. Ever since we met five years ago, I have been a student. I could not have completed this project without your love, support, romantic bouquets, and the interesting cooking habits you put into action on the nights I had homework (apparently, hotdog pizza is a thing). You make me laugh when I want to cry. You never doubted me.

I would also like to thank my children, Sarah, Meghan, Connor, and Peter. You are my reason for wanting to be the best person I can be because you all deserve the best. I have dragged the four of you all around Maine, exploring abandoned houses, living in new towns, fixing up dilapidated old farmhouses, and in search of the perfect beach. You guys are my troopers, and I love you all to the moon and back.

I also want to thank my sister Sarah, for being the most freaking incredible, powerful, and talented environmental land lawyer in Maine. Thanks for making Maine and the planet a better place every day and for being the left-side brain to my right.

Finally, I want to thank Cyrus, the boy: you are the only dog who could replace our dear Scout, who was bright, well-behaved, calm, sweet, and kind. Even though your personality is so different, you have reminded me that I really can create amongst chaos!

Acknowledgments

As I am writing about a sense of place in Maine, and as a student at the University of Maine, I would like to recognize the Indigenous Peoples of Maine, the Wabanaki Confederacy. Learning about the Wabanaki and their history has enriched me as a person and given me a new perspective on the meaning of a sense of place. I hope that others take some time to listen to their stories as you discover Maine.

The University of Maine recognizes that it is located on Marsh Island in the homeland of the Penobscot Nation, where issues of water and territorial rights, and encroachment upon sacred sites, are ongoing. Penobscot homeland is connected to the other Wabanaki Tribal Nations — the Passamaquoddy, Maliseet, and Micmac — through kinship, alliances, and diplomacy. The university also recognizes that the Penobscot Nation and the other Wabanaki Tribal Nations are distinct, sovereign, legal, and political entities with their own powers of self-governance and self-determination.

I would also like to acknowledge my Advisory Committee:

Dr. Kreg Ettenger, Associate Professor of Anthropology, and Advisor, for challenging me to the bitter end to aim higher. You set expectations that help me achieve more than I ever thought possible but with such a casual facade.

Jennifer Pickard, Instructor, MES & WGS Programs and Department of History, provided me with the best interdisciplinary sense of place in Maine. Her tenacious powers of questioning modeled how a teacher should engage students in the material. And extra thanks for helping me in the 9th hour.

Dr. Constant Albertson, Associate Professor of Art and Art Education, thank you for providing me the opportunity to utilize my artistic talents and accentuate the need for students to engage in community outreach opportunities. Your course was an inspiration.