The Passamaquoddy (Maliseet-Passamaquoddy: Peskotomuhkati) are a Native American/First Nations people who live in northeastern North America. Their traditional homeland, Peskotomuhkatik, straddles the Canadian province of New Brunswick and the U.S. state of Maine in a region called Dawnland. They are one of the constituent nations of the Wabanaki Confederacy.
The Passamaquoddy Tribe in Maine is a federally-recognized tribe. The Passamaquoddy people in Canada have an organized government, but do not have official First Nations status.
The name "Passamaquoddy" is an anglicization of the Passamaquoddy word peskotomuhkati, the prenoun form (prenouns being a linguistic feature of Algonquian languages) of Peskotomuhkat (pestəmohkat), their endonym, or the name that they use for themselves. Peskotomuhkat literally means "pollock-spearer" or "those of the place where pollock are plentiful",[1] reflecting the importance of this fish in their culture.[2] Their method of fishing was spear-fishing, rather than angling or using nets. Passamaquoddy Bay is shared by both New Brunswick and Maine; its name was derived by the English settlers from the Passamaquoddy people.
History
A Passamaquoddy story scraped onto birch bark
The Passamaquoddy had an oral history supported with visual imagery, such as birchbark etching and petrographs prior to European contact. Among the Algonquian-speaking tribes of the loose Wabanaki Confederacy, they occupied coastal regions along the Bay of Fundy, Passamaquoddy Bay, and Gulf of Maine, and along the St. Croix River and its tributaries. They had seasonal patterns of settlement. In the winter, they dispersed and hunted inland. In the summer, they gathered more closely together on the coast and islands, and primarily harvested seafood, including marine mammals, mollusks, crustaceans, and fish.[3]
A mannequin representing a 16th-century Passamaquoddy man
Passamaquoddy have also lived on off-reservation trust lands in five Maine counties. These lands total almost four times the size of the reservations proper. They are located in northern and western Somerset County, northern Franklin County, northeastern Hancock County, western Washington County, and several locations in eastern and western Penobscot County. The total land area of these areas is 373.888 km2 (144.359 sq mi). As of the 2000 census, no residents were on these trust lands.
Location of Passamaquoddy off-reservation trust lands
The Passamaquoddy also live in Charlotte County, New Brunswick, Canada, where they have a chief and organized government. They maintain active land claims in Canada but do not have legal status there as a First Nation. Some Passamaquoddy continue to seek the return of territory now within present-day St. Andrews, New Brunswick, which they claim as Qonasqamkuk, a Passamaquoddy ancestral capital and burial ground.
Populations and languages
The total Passamaquoddy population is around 3,576 people. About 500 people, most if not all over the age of 50, speak the Malecite-Passamaquoddy language, shared (other than minor differences in dialect) with the neighboring and related Maliseet people. It belongs to the Algonquian branch of the Algic language family. The University of Maine published a comprehensive Passamaquoddy Dictionary in 2008. Another resource for the language is the online Passamaquoddy-Maliseet Language Portal, which includes many videos, subtitled in English and Passamaquoddy, of native speakers conversing in the language. Most of the people speak English as their first language.
While the Passamaquoddy population in Canada is much smaller than that in Maine, it has a formal structure and a chief, Hugh Akagi. Most of its people speak French and English. It is not recognized by the Canadian government as constituting a First Nation. In 2004, Chief Akagi was authorized to represent the Passamaquoddy at events marking the 400th anniversary of French settlement of St Croix Island (the first French effort at permanent settlement in the New World). This indicates that the government had acknowledged the tribe to some extent, and progress is being made in formal recognition.[5]
Special political status in Maine
The START energy planning workshop held at the Passamaquoddy Tribes of Indian Township and Pleasant Point in Maine
Tanner Hall and Simon Dumont at the winter X Games in 2008
The Passamaquoddy, along with the neighboring Penobscot, are given special political status in Maine. Both groups are allowed to send a nonvoting representative to the Maine House of Representatives. Although these representatives cannot vote, they may sponsor any legislation regarding American Indian affairs, and may co-sponsor any other legislation.
Wayne Newell, educator, singer, language preservationist, author, former tribal state representative, tribal council member, appointed to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education twice, recognized by the US Bureau of Indian Affairs as a National Treasure in Education
Donald Soctomah, former tribal state representative, tribal historic preservation officer
Madonna Soctomah, tribal council member, former state representative
Maps
Maps showing the approximate locations of areas occupied by members of the Wabanaki Confederacy (from north to south):
Passanaquoddy Tribe reacquires stolen land on Pine Island, Bangor Daily News 18 May 2021
References
Notes
^Erickson, Vincent O. 1978. "Maliseet-Passamaquoddy". In Northeast, ed. Bruce G. Trigger. Vol. 15 of Handbook of North American Indians, ed. William C. Sturtevant. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution, pg. 135. Cited in Campbell, Lyle (1997). American Indian Languages: The Historical Linguistics of Native America. Oxford: Oxford University Press, pg. 401.
^. Archived from the original on 2008-08-29. Retrieved 2008-08-31.
^"Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation, Washington County, Maine". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved July 20, 2012.
^Rudin, Ronald. Remembering and Forgetting in Acadie: A Historian's Journey through Public Memory (Toronto: University of Toronto Press. 2009).
^"DAVID MOSES BRIDGES – PASSAMAQUODDY BIRCHBARK ARTIST AND CANOE BUILDER". Retrieved Apr 27, 2020.
^"David Moses Bridges Scholarship – Maine Community Foundation". Retrieved Apr 27, 2020.
^"David Moses Bridges". First Peoples Fund. Retrieved Apr 27, 2020.
^"David Moses Bridges, Bar Harbor Resident Who Embraced Native American Traditions, And Nature, Fully". www.wbur.org. Retrieved Apr 27, 2020.
^"Native heritage source of strength for world-class athlete". Indian Country Today Media Network. 13 February 2009. Retrieved 8 April 2014.
^Daugherty, Owen (May 16, 2019). "Maine becomes first state to ban use of Native American mascots at public schools". The Hill. Retrieved August 26, 2019.
Sources
Indian Township Reservation and Passamaquoddy Trust Land, Maine United States Census Bureau
Further reading
Sockabasin, Allen J. 2007. An Upriver Passamaquoddy. Thomaston, Maine: Tilbury House
External links
Passamaquoddy Tribal Government Web Site (Pleasant Point)
Passamaquoddy Tribal Government Web Site (Indian Township)
Passamaquoddy-Maliseet Language Portal (includes dictionary and videos)
The Boston Globe Magazine, October 27, 1985 issue, article by Peter Anderson
Contribution to Passamaquoddy Folk-Lore, by J. Walter Fewkes, reprinted from the Journal of American Folk-Lore, October–December, 1890, from Project Gutenberg
Acadian Commemorative Website
"An Unlikely Handshake Alters the Course of Maine's History," Portland Press Herald, July 5, 2014.
March 03, 2023
passamaquoddy, other, uses, disambiguation, maliseet, peskotomuhkati, native, american, first, nations, people, live, northeastern, north, america, their, traditional, homeland, peskotomuhkatik, straddles, canadian, province, brunswick, state, maine, region, c. For other uses see Passamaquoddy disambiguation The Passamaquoddy Maliseet Passamaquoddy Peskotomuhkati are a Native American First Nations people who live in northeastern North America Their traditional homeland Peskotomuhkatik straddles the Canadian province of New Brunswick and the U S state of Maine in a region called Dawnland They are one of the constituent nations of the Wabanaki Confederacy PassamaquoddyPeskotomuhkatiPassamaquoddy men in a canoe 2016 Total population3 575 enrolled tribal membersSipayik 2 005Motahkomikuk 1 364Qonasqamkuk 206Regions with significant populationsUnited States Maine 3 369 0 3 Canada New Brunswick 206 0 03 LanguagesMaliseet Passamaquoddy EnglishReligionWabanaki mythology ChristianityRelated ethnic groupsAbenaki Maliseet Mi kmaq PenobscotThe Passamaquoddy Tribe in Maine is a federally recognized tribe The Passamaquoddy people in Canada have an organized government but do not have official First Nations status Contents 1 Etymology 2 History 3 Populations and languages 4 Special political status in Maine 5 Notable Passamaquoddy 6 Maps 7 See also 8 References 8 1 Notes 8 2 Sources 9 Further reading 10 External linksEtymology EditThe name Passamaquoddy is an anglicization of the Passamaquoddy word peskotomuhkati the prenoun form prenouns being a linguistic feature of Algonquian languages of Peskotomuhkat pestemohkat their endonym or the name that they use for themselves Peskotomuhkat literally means pollock spearer or those of the place where pollock are plentiful 1 reflecting the importance of this fish in their culture 2 Their method of fishing was spear fishing rather than angling or using nets Passamaquoddy Bay is shared by both New Brunswick and Maine its name was derived by the English settlers from the Passamaquoddy people History Edit A Passamaquoddy story scraped onto birch barkThe Passamaquoddy had an oral history supported with visual imagery such as birchbark etching and petrographs prior to European contact Among the Algonquian speaking tribes of the loose Wabanaki Confederacy they occupied coastal regions along the Bay of Fundy Passamaquoddy Bay and Gulf of Maine and along the St Croix River and its tributaries They had seasonal patterns of settlement In the winter they dispersed and hunted inland In the summer they gathered more closely together on the coast and islands and primarily harvested seafood including marine mammals mollusks crustaceans and fish 3 A mannequin representing a 16th century Passamaquoddy man Settlers of European descent repeatedly forced the Passamaquoddy off their original lands from the 1800s After the United States achieved independence from Great Britain the tribe was eventually officially limited to the current Indian Township Reservation at 45 15 57 N 67 36 43 W 45 26583 N 67 61194 W 45 26583 67 61194 in eastern Washington County Maine It has a land area of 37 45 square miles 97 0 km2 and a 2000 census resident population of 676 persons They also control the small Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation in eastern Washington County which has a land area of 0 5 square miles 1 3 km2 and a population of 749 per the 2010 census 4 Passamaquoddy have also lived on off reservation trust lands in five Maine counties These lands total almost four times the size of the reservations proper They are located in northern and western Somerset County northern Franklin County northeastern Hancock County western Washington County and several locations in eastern and western Penobscot County The total land area of these areas is 373 888 km2 144 359 sq mi As of the 2000 census no residents were on these trust lands Location of Passamaquoddy off reservation trust lands The Passamaquoddy also live in Charlotte County New Brunswick Canada where they have a chief and organized government They maintain active land claims in Canada but do not have legal status there as a First Nation Some Passamaquoddy continue to seek the return of territory now within present day St Andrews New Brunswick which they claim as Qonasqamkuk a Passamaquoddy ancestral capital and burial ground Populations and languages EditThe total Passamaquoddy population is around 3 576 people About 500 people most if not all over the age of 50 speak the Malecite Passamaquoddy language shared other than minor differences in dialect with the neighboring and related Maliseet people It belongs to the Algonquian branch of the Algic language family The University of Maine published a comprehensive Passamaquoddy Dictionary in 2008 Another resource for the language is the online Passamaquoddy Maliseet Language Portal which includes many videos subtitled in English and Passamaquoddy of native speakers conversing in the language Most of the people speak English as their first language While the Passamaquoddy population in Canada is much smaller than that in Maine it has a formal structure and a chief Hugh Akagi Most of its people speak French and English It is not recognized by the Canadian government as constituting a First Nation In 2004 Chief Akagi was authorized to represent the Passamaquoddy at events marking the 400th anniversary of French settlement of St Croix Island the first French effort at permanent settlement in the New World This indicates that the government had acknowledged the tribe to some extent and progress is being made in formal recognition 5 Special political status in Maine Edit The START energy planning workshop held at the Passamaquoddy Tribes of Indian Township and Pleasant Point in Maine Tanner Hall and Simon Dumont at the winter X Games in 2008 The Passamaquoddy along with the neighboring Penobscot are given special political status in Maine Both groups are allowed to send a nonvoting representative to the Maine House of Representatives Although these representatives cannot vote they may sponsor any legislation regarding American Indian affairs and may co sponsor any other legislation Notable Passamaquoddy EditDavid Moses Bridges Passamaquoddy 1962 2017 Sipayik birchbark artist and canoe maker 6 7 8 9 Simon Dumont freestyle skier 10 Tomah Joseph 1837 1914 governor guide and artist Francis Joseph Neptune former Sakom Molly Neptune Parker master basketmaker Geo Soctomah Neptune master basketmaker Rena Newell tribal member of the Maine House of Representatives 11 Wayne Newell educator singer language preservationist author former tribal state representative tribal council member appointed to the National Advisory Council on Indian Education twice recognized by the US Bureau of Indian Affairs as a National Treasure in Education Donald Soctomah former tribal state representative tribal historic preservation officer Madonna Soctomah tribal council member former state representativeMaps EditMaps showing the approximate locations of areas occupied by members of the Wabanaki Confederacy from north to south Miꞌkmaq Maliseet Passamaquoddy Eastern Abenaki Penobscot Kennebec Arosaguntacook Pigwacket Pequawket Western Abenaki Arsigantegok Missisquoi Cowasuck Sokoki PennacookSee also EditJoint Tribal Council of the Passamaquoddy Tribe v Morton 1st Cir 1975 Passanaquoddy Tribe reacquires stolen land on Pine Island Bangor Daily News 18 May 2021References EditNotes Edit Erickson Vincent O 1978 Maliseet Passamaquoddy In Northeast ed Bruce G Trigger Vol 15 of Handbook of North American Indians ed William C Sturtevant Washington D C Smithsonian Institution pg 135 Cited in Campbell Lyle 1997 American Indian Languages The Historical Linguistics of Native America Oxford Oxford University Press pg 401 Maliseet Passamaquoddy Dictionary Acadia National Park Wabanaki Ethnography U S National Park Service Archived from the original on 2008 08 29 Retrieved 2008 08 31 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics 2010 Demographic Profile Data DP 1 Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation Washington County Maine United States Census Bureau Retrieved July 20 2012 Rudin Ronald Remembering and Forgetting in Acadie A Historian s Journey through Public Memory Toronto University of Toronto Press 2009 DAVID MOSES BRIDGES PASSAMAQUODDY BIRCHBARK ARTIST AND CANOE BUILDER Retrieved Apr 27 2020 David Moses Bridges Scholarship Maine Community Foundation Retrieved Apr 27 2020 David Moses Bridges First Peoples Fund Retrieved Apr 27 2020 David Moses Bridges Bar Harbor Resident Who Embraced Native American Traditions And Nature Fully www wbur org Retrieved Apr 27 2020 Native heritage source of strength for world class athlete Indian Country Today Media Network 13 February 2009 Retrieved 8 April 2014 Daugherty Owen May 16 2019 Maine becomes first state to ban use of Native American mascots at public schools The Hill Retrieved August 26 2019 Sources Edit Indian Township Reservation and Passamaquoddy Trust Land Maine United States Census BureauFurther reading EditSockabasin Allen J 2007 An Upriver Passamaquoddy Thomaston Maine Tilbury HouseExternal links EditPassamaquoddy Tribal Government Web Site Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Tribal Government Web Site Indian Township Passamaquoddy Maliseet Language Portal includes dictionary and videos The Boston Globe Magazine October 27 1985 issue article by Peter Anderson Contribution to Passamaquoddy Folk Lore by J Walter Fewkes reprinted from the Journal of American Folk Lore October December 1890 from Project Gutenberg Passamaquoddy Origins Acadian Commemorative Website An Unlikely Handshake Alters the Course of Maine s History Portland Press Herald July 5 2014 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Passamaquoddy amp oldid 1141998831, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
