AUGUSTA, Maine - An acclaimed Passamaquoddy canoe builder remembered for his traditional art and activism has passed away.
David Moses Bridges died on Jan. 20 of cancer after what loved ones called a courageous battle with an aggressive form of sinus cancer.
Bridges was an award-winning basketmaker and over the last several decades gained international recognition for the boats he made from birch bark and spruce roots. He focused on the canoe hull form that was developed by the Wabanaki.
He was a trustee of Abbee Museum and an environmentalist who fought for Native American water rights.
Bridges's art and efforts to teach other young native craftsman was the subject of the recent documentary "Rhythms of the Heart'' by a Maine director.