Betsy Richards, new executive director and senior partner with Wabanaki Nations at the Abbe Museum: “My late mother, Betty Walkingstick, would often remind me that everything is a gift.” 

Interview by Lily Randall

When was your first time in Maine?  

I’ve been up in Maine a few times as a tourist, but my more interactive time was when I was [working] at the Ford Foundation and the Maine Indian Basketmakers Alliance was one of my grantees, so I came up to visit them and go to the basket fairs [in Bar Harbor].

Are you looking forward to reconnecting with the basket-weaving community?

Absolutely. You should see in my office that I’m sitting in right now, I collect baskets by contemporary Native weavers and am really proud of the incredible baskets I have by Wabanaki weavers such as Theresa Secord, Fred Tomah, and Mary and Donald Sanipass. Theresa Secord, Jennifer Neptune, and Jeremy Frey taught me how to make “basket start” bookmarks which I still have.