nibezun

In 2016, an 85-acre property was listed for sale in Passadumkeag, Maine. The land – a traditional meeting ground and harvesting place for red ochre by the Wabanaki and their ancestors, the Red Paint People – is the last access point to Olamon Island, the original residential village of the Penobscot Nation and essential to traditional activities such as gathering medicines, fasting, and ceremony. Nibezun was formed when a small group of tribal members and allies came together to purchase this sacred land, protecting it for the healing of all people and the next seven generations.

Nibezun celebrates culture as medicine, provides an inclusive space for healing, and promotes sustainability for all people and future generations. “Nibezun” means medicine in the Penobscot language. The root word “nibi” – or water – is our first medicine. Together we plant the Seven Seeds of Healing (Mind, Body, Spirit, Social Connection, Culture, Language, and Earth) through the healthy lifeways of the Wabanaki. At Nibezun, we water the seeds for the future through culture, connection, and community.

Nibezun offers a wide variety of programs which include Ceremony, Peacemaking, Sustainable Lifeways, Food Sovereignty, Wabanaki Arts, Wabanaki Languages, and Wellness. Nibezun is a healing place that also offers gathering space for community to gather for ceremonies, retreats, and community workshops.