Jesse Bruchac

Jesse Bruchac is a citizen of the Nulhegan Coosuk Band of the Abenaki Nation. Jesse learned the language directly from the last generation of First Language speakers and has taught the language for over 30 years. Jesse is the director of Middlebury College Language School of Abenaki. He is also an adjunct professor at the University of Southern Maine and an instructor and language specialist at the Ndakinna Education Center. A prolific songwriter, Jesse has released six albums and over 60 songs. Use of his original music has been a primary driver of thriving community-based language reclamation. He has shared the stage with Joanne Shenandoah, Bill Miller, and Kevin Locke; performed at Woodstock ’94; and, as a member of the Dawnland Singers, opened for The Grateful Dead and Bob Dylan. Jesse has also worked extensively in television, film, and radio as a language coach and has scored original music for National Geographic, Carnival Films, Discovery Channel, The Science Channel, Fox Entertainment Group, AMC, PBS, and BBC Radio 3.