# • REPORT OF THE AGENT

OF THE

# Passama~uoUUy**Tri~e** 

# of InUians,

l<'OR THE YEAR

## ~1884*-

AUGUSTA: 8PHAGCE & SON, PllINTERS TO THE :!TATE. 18R5.

### STATE OF MAINE.

IN COUNCIL, December30, 1884. Recel.ved and ordered that 500 copies be printed. Attest: ,JOSEPH O. 81\U'fH, Sec1·etary of State. 

# REPORT.

1'o tlze Honorable Governor and Council ofMaine:

I herewith present my report as Agent of the Passamaquoddy Tribe of Indians for theyear ending Xovember 30th, 1884.

The approprfations made for years 1883 and 1884 by the Legislature, were as follows, viz: For May dividends ..•................ 

### Novemher dividends

............. . bounty on crops...........•...... distressed poor .......•..•....... ploughing

....................... . salnry of Governor

............... . salary of Lieut. Governor

........ . wood ..•..•.................. · · · contingent purposes............... . educational purposes.............. salary of Priests

................. dressing for land

................. salary ofAgent

................. . contingent poor .................. agricultural purposes..•..•........

The expenditures were as follows, viz : For May dividends

................... November dividends.........•.... distressed and contingent poor..... . agricultural purposes.....•.•.....• bounty on crops.................. ploughing ..•.....•..••....•....• salaries of Governors

............. . $400 00 300 00 300 00 2,000 00

150 00 100 00

40 00 200 00 100 00 600 00 100 00 100 00 200 00 500 00 600 00 $5,690 00

$361 20

335 40 2,685 

### 55

513 00 164 85 136 50 100 00

### 4**PASSA~IAQUODDY** INDIANS. For salaries of Lieut. Governors

...... . -wood

........................... . contingent purposes.............. . educational purposes .............. salaries of Priests

............... . dressing for laud

................. . salary ofAgent

.................

RECEIPTS. $40 00 199 50 126 44 600 00 100 00 

### 138 73 200 00 $5,701 17

1883. Dec. 28,balance dueIndianson settlement, $11 17 1884. ],eby. 14, warrant on State Treasurer

...... 2,000 00 April 21, 

### " " 

## " 1,500 00 Aug. 12, 

## " 

# .. " 1,200 00 Sept. 12, 

### " 

### " " 990 00



## ---- $5,701 17 The population of the**tribe~** Nov. 1st, was ....540 The number of deaths during the year was twenty, of which fifteen were young children. The excessive mortality among the young is attributed to the prevalent use of pork, and the frequent cases of scrofula iu the tribe are probably largely due to the same causes. Porkis used to a greatextentas an article of food, and, :ts a consequence, many fall victims to ignorance of the most simple rules of diet on the part of their parents.
AGRICULTlTRAL. The crop for the year was as follows, viz : Potatoes

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • 1,650 bushels Oats....

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . 390 ''" Beans

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • ..•..... 92 

# .. Peas

............................ 42 

## " Wheat

................... · · · · · · · 40 

## " Turnips .....••, ................. 150 

### " Other vegetables

................. 50 

### " 2,414 AGENT'S REPORT. It will he seen that morn attention has been paid to farming this year than during the year previous, and I am in hopes that the next crop will show a sti11 greater increase. Being unable to keep**~my** stock on their**farrm~,** with two or three exceptions, the Indians are wholly dependent upon the State fortheirdressing, and the appropriation of one hundred dollars for dressing for land is quite insufficient for the attempt to make farmers of overfive hundred Indians, or one hundred and seventy-five families. The number of horses ownedin the tribe is six. Fivecows are supposed tofurnish all the milk used, and only one or two families keep hens, while but. few are too poor to own a dog.

EDUCATIONAL, The school at Pleasant Point numbers from ninety to one hundred pupils. This school is held for nine months of the year, while thatatPeterDana'sPoint, numberingthirtypupils, isin session but threemonths, from SeptembertillDecember. Thepupils attendquiteregularly, and show a steadily increasing degree of proficiency. Sister Clare is again at her post, and she and Sister Stanislaus areuntiringin their devotionto the effort ofeducating and elevating the tribe. At the election held in September, Lewy 1',rancis was elected Governor, and Pierpole Sebattis Lieut. Governor of Pleasant Point, for a term of two years. The first election of Representative to theLegislature havingresultedina tie vote, a new election was calledin October, by which Mitchell Lewy of Peter Dana's Point was chosen.

RECOMMENDATIONS. The Penobscot tribe of Indians have had appropriation"! from the State for the past year or more, of eight thousand four hundred and nine dollars ($8,409). They number aboutfour hundred andforty. Theyhave had the advantages of efficient schools for years, and are situated in a favorable location for remunerative labor. Quite a number of them, IPASSAMAQUODDY INDIANS.

am told, by their perseverance and frugality have become quite comfortable in their homes and surroundings. The Passamaquoddy tribe, with a population of five hundred and forty, are situated more remote from centres of business and labor, have not the advantages of education to such a degree,and,as a consequence, have notattained to such a state of thrift as have thePenobscots. The State appropriationin their favor the past year year was but five thousand six hundred and ninety dollars ($5,690). The islands in the St. Croixriver, originallygrantedto this tribe, were takenfrom them because of a priorgrantmade by :Massachusetts, and they have never received any compensa- · tion therefor, hut I cannot see why they should be given less aid than the Penobscots receive, simply because the latter were protected in their treaty rights, while the Passamaquoddys were deprived of theirs. Nor can I conceive why there should be any difference in the aidgiven the two tribes. Ifthelands belongingtothe Passamaquoddys weretakenfrom them by force, while those of the Penobscots were procured by purchase, it certainly should make no difference in the moral obligation of the State toward the Passamaquoddy tribe. The appropriationsmadefor the tribe,while quite sufficient for their wants many years ago, are inadequate for their present needs. Their means of subsistence have been in a measure cutoff. Gameandfish have become scarce, and they are not now allowed by lawto huntandfish duringthe season they most require those means of subsistence. During seasons ofdepression intrade,theirbusinessofbasketmaking and selling will not sustain them, and in many cases they mustsuffer. Theappropriationfor distressed poor,oftwentyfive hundred dollars ($2500.00) may, at first sight, appear sufficient, but when it is considered that fifteen hundred dollars ($1500.00) are expended in pensions to the widows, aged and infirm, who are whollyorpartiallyunabletoprovide for themselves, leaving but one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) 

### to be expended among five hundred and forty Indians, all of .t AGENT'S REPORT. them poor. for aid insickness, for food. wood, clothing, medicine, physicians' services, burial expenses, etc., etc., it will give us some idea of the insufficiency of the amount appropriated. The priests, who are really the only persons who have any degree of influence over them, in the faithful discharge of their duty, actuallyexpendmorethan their salaries in travelling expenses. Rev. Father O'Dowd, who has charge of the church at Pleasant Point, lives in Eastport, five miles away, and visits the Indians twice a week, regularly. 

### In his zeal for the welfare ofhis flock, he has paid out more than the amount ofhis salary for materials necessary for the comfort of the Sisters of Mercy, and used in the house occupied by them. Rev. Father Conlon, living at Calais, who has charge ofthe church at Peter Dana's Point, twenty-five miles distant, visits the Indians at some seasons ofthe year once a week, and it costs him more than the amount of his salary for travelling expenses alone. Besides this, he has repaired the house at that place at his own expense, in order to make it habitable for the Sisters while there teaching, at an expense of one hundred and twenty-five dollars, for which there has**~een** no appropriationmade. These facts furnish conclusive evidence of the need of increased appropriations, if the State wishes to deal justly with those who are giving their best efforts to improve the condition of the tribe. In view ofthese facts alluded to, I respectfully recommend the following appropriatioi1s : For May dividends..•..•..•........•• November dividends

.............. distressed and contingent poor..... . bounty on crops...•.............. ploughing..•.................... salary of Governor

.............. . salary of Lieut. Governor

........ . wood ..........•••.•............ centingent purposes ......•....••• $700 00 700 00 3,500 00

300 00 150 00 100 00

40 00 300 00 200 008 PASSAMAQUODDY INDIANS. For salaries of Priests.

. . . . . . . . . . . . •. $300 00 dressing for land.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 350 00 agricultural purposes . . . . . . . . . . . . 600 00 educational purposes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 900 00 salary ofAgent

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200 00 $8,340 00 It will be seen that the total appropriations recommended are less thanthe sum paid to the Penobscot Indianslast year, although the latter, as I have here stated, are considerably the smaller of the two tribes in number, and are much less needy. I have always supposed that the State desires to promote the welfare of the Indians, and this can be done only by such aid as will enable them to help themselves. That the pres.ent aid is notsufficient, can be clearly seen by a little reflection as to the number to be aided and the sums appropriated. The family ties among the Indians are now as strong as among the whites. A little incidentshowing this came under my observation only a few days since. I saw a poor Indian who had walked twenty-five miles after a coffin for his dead boy. He had lost a wife and child hardly six mouths previously. As he started on his return to his desolate home, the mercury ten degrees below zero and night coming on, with the silent reminder of his bereavement strapped to his sled, I thought that the efforts pnt forth to educate and civilize a people showing such devotion to their dead, could not be considered hopeless. Incidents ofsimilar nature occur frequently, tending to the same conclusion, and affording the best of reasons why our efforts should be continued and increased. Respectfully submitted. 

### C. H.**POI~TER,** 

### Agent Passamaquoddy Indians.
CALAIS, December 27th, 1884.