This illustrated lecture uses the recent removal of the Gomez Memorial in Bangor, Maine, and four works of art created from 1835 to 2020 to reconsider how we understand colonialism in the lower Penobscot river and bay as well as the experiences of Penobscot people and their nation. Contemporary Wabanaki vitality has profound implications for how we should understand colonialism and this region in the past, present, and future. Our shared landscape is inscribed with memories about the past (from place names to monuments and more) that provide a rich point of entry to better understand ourselves and our history.

Liam Riordan is the Bird & Bird Professor in the Department of History and joined the UMaine faculty in 1997. He is the chair of Bangor’s Historic Preservation Commission and a Board member of the Great Pond Mountain Conservation Trust in Orland. He is the past Director of the McGillicuddy Humanities Center and a past Board member of the Maine Humanities Council.

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