Who Came Before?

There has been a long debate about the exact group identity of the people that de Champlain met at the mouth of the Saco River in 1605.

With history often focused on the settlement of this land by Europeans, we lack clear documentation of the Indigenous Peoples who called the Saco River home.

Today, we recognize the early and long-standing people of what we now call Maine as the Wabanaki — People of the Dawnland.

We encourage you to seek out the stories, histories, and modern experiences of the Wabanaki in their own words.