The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-07-25
Id was burned to death.
Two Drowned at Augusta.
She was Accidentally Drowned.
TO THE PARENT STATE.
Passamaquoddy Indians Airing Their
Grievances in Massachusetts.

BOSTON, Mass, July 23.-Hon. James
A. McGeough of Boston is counsel in
Boston for the Passamaquoddy tribe of
Indians, which last Thursday presented
to the Governor and Council of Massa-
chusetts the following interesting petit
ton, which was referred to the attorney
general:
stTo the Governor and Council OF the
Commonwealth of Massachusetts,: Your
petitioners, being all male members OF
the Passamaquoddy tribe OF Indians, ov-
er 81 years of age, respectfully represent,
that we are, and have been since we can
remember. residents of the reservation
set apart for us under direction of the
General Court, and have in all respects
observed our treaty obligation to the col
onies and to the state of Massachusetts,.
We further represent that our ancestors
were not parties to the agreement OF
separation between Massachusetts and
Maine but evidently acquisced In 1T, in
the belief that Maine would carry out the
agreement made with Massachusetts in
the act of separation, which was to per-
form all the obligations of Massachu-
setts toward our tribes, wheth-
er the same should arise
from treaty or otherwise.
ssThese privileges included the free
right to hunt and fish at all seasons, and
for time Maine did observe the agree
ment. but in 1869, for the first time,
passed statute forbidding us to fish
and hunt at certain seasons of the year.
''This clearly was violation of their
agreement and great injustice to us,
for it took away, and still takes away,
our chief means of support for several
| L. L. cs3T,1o ndft VI
tribe has not been SO well treated as the
Penobscot tribe, nor has our tribe ever
released its rights as did the Penobscots,
as the documents show.
t'This, we claim, is unsatisfactory for
various reasons: First our tribal rela-
tions still continue; second, our tribal
relations are the same as they were be-
fore 1869, and at date of separation in
1920; third, we are and always have been
recognized by the Maine Legislature, and
so STYLED by it as the Passamaquoddy
tribe of Indians; fourth, our location and
manner of life is the same as when our
forefathers fought under Col Allen for
the Colonies in the struggle for indepen-
dence; fifth, the case is contrary to every
case reported in the booAs touching In
dian rights by treaty and is without a
parallel in its reasoning as to our status
in the world, for it neither recognizes us
tribe, nor comedies to us a citizenship,
or right to citizenship, while we claim
we are as much tribe as are the Chero-
KEGS or Sioux, and entitled under federal
law to the, same consideration.
ga case against two of our tribe is now
continued, awaiting sentence in the
Supreme Judicial Court of Maine, and
there is ample time to remove the case
on writ of error to the the Supreme
Court of the United States, where it may
be settled fairly and finally, as all mat
ters of treaty should be, in that court.
s'We therefore ask, in view of what we
consider our rights as the beneficiaries
Of the trust reposed in Maine by the
state you represent, that you empower
the attorney general of Massachusetts, to
take the necessary steps to remove to
and try the case in the Supreme Court
of the United States"