"The “Skowhegan Indian” is a very tall wooden sculpture made by Bernard Langlais (1921-1977), a painter and sculptor from Old Town. It was commissioned by the Skowhegan Tourist Hospitality Association in 1966 and, as the sign says, was “dedicated to the Maine Indians, the first people to use these lands in peaceful ways.” It was erected in 1969 in observance of Maine’s 150th anniversary and is a popular stop on the Langlais Art Trail. Supposedly, it is the tallest such structure in the world," the Meander Maine says.

"The sculpture is 62 feet high, sits on a 20 foot base, and weighs in at 24,000 pounds. The sculpture is of an Abenaki fisherman, holding a spear in his left hand and a fish trap (a “weir”) in his right. It is made mostly of white pine and its strength comes from two steel I-beams anchored in the concrete base that extend up inside the sculpture to the sculpture’s shoulders. The wooden exterior effectively hangs off the steel structure.

"It is easy to drive by the Cumberland Farms in Skowhegan and just see a tall, skinny wooden Indian behind a Cumberland Farms. It probably reminds Mainers of other large roadside attractions like the Paul Bunyan in Bangor or the BFI in Freeport. But the Skowhegan sculpture is a commisioned work of art created to honor the Abenaki who lived in that area before the British and French moved in."

"The wooden “Skowhegan Indian” sculpture, located in the municipal parking lot off Madison Avenue and High Street, was commissioned by the Skowhegan Tourist Hospitality Association in 1966, and as Langlais intended, was “dedicated to the Maine Indians, the first people to use these lands in peaceful ways.” It was erected in 1969 in observance of Maine’s 150th anniversary and is a popular stop on the Maine Langlais Art Trail. It was later gifted to the Skowhegan Chamber of Commerce," the Skowhegan Regional Chamber of Commerce says.

"The sculpture, 62 feet high, sitting on a 20-foot base, and weighing in at 24,000 pounds, is of a Wabanaki fisherman holding a spear in his left hand and a “weir” (fish trap) in his right. It is made mostly of white pine and its strength comes from two steel I-beams anchored in the concrete base that extends up inside the sculpture to the sculpture’s shoulders. The wooden exterior effectively hangs off the steel structure. It is the tallest sculpture of its kind in the world, and of his many pieces, this is one of the few that still remains where he put it, which is very important to art investors, foundations, and art historians.

"By 2004, 35 years of Northern Maine weather had taken a toll on the sculpture. An engineering study was completed and some emergency preservation work was executed. But the structure was still in danger. In 2010, funds were raised, and a larger restoration project was undertaken. Stephen Dionne, a builder, woodworker, and restorer from Skowhegan, was hired to oversee the project. The goal was to stabilize the sculpture and leave as much of the original piece alone. But significant rot, rust, and insect damage was discovered and ultimately, major surgery was required. The sculpture was rededicated in September, 2014 after a 4 year restoration project."

"The Indian is record holder, and people like seeing records. Much like a top-ten list, people like seeing the best or to say
they have seen the biggest ‘this’ or the largest ‘that’. Well the Skowhegan Indian is the largest statue of a wooden Indian
sculpture in the world," the Skowhegan.com says.

"The Indian is an important piece of art, and fans of the artwork created by Bernard Langlais will come and see it. Langlais was a
brilliant wood worker who lived in Cushing, Maine and who was commissioned to build the Indian in 1966. It took three years
to complete and he placed it where it is today in June of 1969. His placing of the piece in the location that it currently resides at, is another major piece to why the Indian is located where it is. Of his many pieces this is one of the few that still remains where he put it, which is very important to art investors, foundations and art historians.

"The Indian is historic, and it speaks as much about our past as  is does about our present. The statue was originally commissioned for as part of Maine’s 150th celebration o  statehood. The statue was dedicated to the Maine Indians who
resided in this region and who were “the first people to use these lands in peaceful ways”.

"Settled in 1773 and traversed by Benedict Arnold in 1775, Skowhegan today continues to be a crossroads as well as a county seat and the gateway to the Maine woods. Skowhegan is nationally known as the home of Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman to serve in both houses of the U.S. Congress. Skowhegan is also the home of the Skowhegan State Fair, the nation’s oldest consecutively running agricultural fair," the Sommerset Snow Fest says.

"Downtown Skowhegan is watched over by the world’s tallest Native American, a 62-foot wooden sculpture crafted by renowned Maine artist Bernard Langlais and “dedicated to the Maine Indians, the first people to use these lands in peaceful ways.” A destination on the Langlais Art Trail, Skowhegan hosts 21 smaller Langlais artworks as well.

"In recent years the town has become an agricultural food hub. It’s home to a year-round farmers’ market, organic grain purveyor Maine Grains, the annual Kneading Conference and Artisan Bread Fair, two craft breweries, one of New England’s best orchards, numerous farms, a CSA, and restaurants that serve local harvest. Skowhegan is also the seat of Somerset County—the nation’s leading maple syrup producer."

"If you Google the words “Skowhegan Indian” the first thing that hits your screen is “The Skowhegan Indian Restoration Project, Mainstreet”,  the  Skowhegan Indian says.



"The 60 foot tall, tallest Indian Statue in the world, taller than the one on Route 1 in Freeport (the BFI), made by Bernard Langlais in 1969 stands in the central parking lot, behind the Chamber of Commerce, near the optometrist, in a hot Geocaching zone in Skowhegan, Maine with a right arm missing, missing his fishing weir, a rotten foot but still lovingly providing a home to the squirrels.

"After having missed his appendages for years and after a struggle the Skowhegan Indian Restoration Committee with the Skowhegan Town Chamber of Commerce, Mainstreet and other organisations have finally raised funds for the restoration of the Skowhegan Indian. The restoration has begun in this summer of 2014 and will be unveiled in time for the Bernard Langlais retrospective."

"With a name derived from the Abenaki tribal word for “a place to watch” (for fish), Skowhegan, Maine, (population 8,800), is a town full of history nestled on the Kennebec River. The Abenaki lived in the area from spring until fall, and the abundance of salmon and other species around the Skowhegan Falls (now replaced with a dam) gave the place its name," the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation says.

"The town’s economy was originally farm-based, but later the town grew into a major manufacturing community, once connected to the railway system. At its peak, the town supported three woolen mills and five shoe manufacturers, as well as numerous other mills placed on Skowhegan Island. New Balance still has a plant in the town, as well as a factory outlet store. Indeed, some of the original mill and factory buildings, even some dating to the 1800s, are still in use today. The Kennebec River provided power for many of these mills.

"Skowhegan holds the longest continuously-running annual state fair in the U.S., which has been held every year since 1819. Other events include a farmer’s market, an outdoor expo, and the recently begun “Last Rose of Summer Day,” in honor of Skowhegan-born Margaret Chase Smith, the first woman to be elected to both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate."

"The Indian Project: Rebuilding History was shot in Skowhegan, a small town located in the state of Maine, USA. The original town's name was Milburn, but in the 19th century it was changed to what it was considered to be its former Abenaki, Native American name. New England, the region in which Skowhegan is located, was the site of some of the worse Native American genocides in the continent and the town has no remaining Native American population or cultural influence," the Yoshua Okon says.

"During the 1960's, the town's Chamber of Commerce decided to erect an 80 feet tall Native American wooden sculpture, which they refer to as "The tallest Indian in the World". In the summer of 2014, the Chamber of Commerce was conducting a restoration of the sculpture.

"Taking advantage of this occasion, Okón invited the members of the committee in charge of the restoration to conduct a program/performance at their local TV station. The committee members were asked to talk about the history of the statute, about the town's adoption of a Native American identity, as well as to perform a "Native American Trance Ceremony" based on their own notions of what that constitutes."

"The tallest Indian in the world is a creation of Bernard Langlais, a renowned local sculptor. It was erected in 1969 to mark the 150th Anniversary of the State of Maine in 1969. Carved out of pine, the Indian clutches a fish trap and is 62 feet high, standing on a 20-foot base," The Crazy Tourist says.

"The inscription pays tribute to the Abenaki Indians. Unfortunately, the Maine climate has not been kind to the monument, which deteriorated badly until a restoration project in 2014 restored it to its former glory."

Photos: World's Tallest Statue of a Native American, world record in Skowhegan, Maine
(1) The Distracted Wanderer

(2,3) Meander Maine

(4) The Portland Press Herald

(5) 92 Moose

(6) Just a Little Further

(7) Q106.5

(8) News Center Maine

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