The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-02-25
CAPT. SAPIEL SELMORE.
Leading Sycamore of the Maine Indi-
ans and His Ancestry.

Bear Hard Upon Them.-The Basket
Trade
The election of Capt. Sopiel Selusore,
the tribal chief of the Passamaquoddles,
to mem bership in the Maine Branch of
the Society of the Sons of the American
Revolution, at the annual meeting, was
an event so far out of the usual order as
| to excite considerable debate. Captain
Sopiel IS one of the few living sons of
fathers who figured in the scenes of the
Revolution. Captain Salmore Soctomah,
who in 1860 was living at Pleasant Point
at the great age of a hundred and three
years, was one of band of fifty Indians
who captured an armed British schooner
in Passamaquoddy Bay during the Revo-
luton and delivered her to Col. John
Allen. the American commander. He
was also engaged in scouting duty dur
Ing both the Revolutionary and 1912
| wars. In presenting Capt. Soplels name
| to the Sons of the American Revolution,
Hon. M. F. King, gave sketch of him
and of the general condition of the
Indians in Maine.
Capt. Sopiel Selmore is son of Capt.
| Selmore Soctomah. 1t is the custom
with but few exceptions among these In
dians for sons to take the Christian name
of their fathers as their own surnames,
and are usually called by the Christian
| name. For instance, our friends father
| was Capt. Selmore, he is Capt. Sopiel,
and his sons are known by their Chris
tian names, taking his Christian name
for their. surnames Capt. Sopiel, al
though more than so years old, shows
few marks Of his great age. He is above
the usual height and moves among his
people veritable patriarch. He leads
in their tribal dances, which may be
manifestations OF joy or sorrow, wor-
hip or any other influence that possess
the tribe at the time. He keeps time
with rattle made of small horn, in
which are confined few shot, giving
expression to his feelings at times with
his voice, in which the dancers join as the
| spirit moves. Their dances are indie
cribable by me, but they have a strange
influence upon the locker on. His in
! fiuence is-exercised with great dignity,
and while perhaps it is not SO all power
full as that Of their priest think should
there be conflict of opinion between
them that the veneration and pride in
their ancient tribal chief would over
come their religious dread. The great
grandfather of Capt. Sopiel was one OF
| the few survivors of the massacre at
Norridgewock. Capt. Sopiel has been
twice married, and has now living three
daughters and one son. Another one
was killed July 4, 1888, by Stanislaw
Francis in a fit of jealousy. Stanislaw
escaped to Canada, where he died the
following year, the Indians say of broken
heart, from remorse for his crime and
distress for his family. Not much effort
was made to arrest the murderer, for
the sympathy of the ribe was with him,
and the dishonored wife was obliged to
| leave the tribe, and is now with some OF
the New Brunswick tribe
In times of war our government has
received valuable aid from these tribes.
Gov. Francis Joseph Neptune and his
Indians are especially mentioned by Col.
| John Allen and for his services was pen
stoned. He died in 1884 aged nearly 10C
years. The venerable chief whom we
have this day elected a mem Der OF oul
society was with him. 1t has been my
good fortune to meet him on several oc-
casions, twice at his home at Pleasant
Point. FL am strongly impressed with the
actual dignity of this old man.. He is not
the political governor, but is known as
| the captain, which Office he holds fol
| life. When the Indians are named as a
| topic of conversation we are accustomed
to expect that reference is made to the
| large tribes of the West, as those within
our own borders are considered as mere
remnants of former greatness, and as
fast dying out. They attract little atten-
| tion from any save those whose business
| brings them into some relation with
them. Very little is or can be known of
their history or numbers prior to the
European settlements of the country, for
lutte reliance can be placed upon their
| own tradition. 1t is an axiom that 1.-TWO
truths to one lie is pretty good for an
Indian" An entertaining little volume
was printed in 1898 by Joseph Nicolar,
an intelligent Indian of the Penobscot
tribe, under the title of "The Life and
Tradition of the Red Men," in which be
says that in his own way he has given
the full amount of all the traditions as
he has gathered them after forty years
of search and study; and that he is salts
i fed that no more can be found, as the
| old traditional story tellers have all
/ gone to the happy hunting grounds.
| The Indians in this State are divided
! into two tribes-the Passamaouoddies.
i who have two villages, one at Pleasant
| Point in the town of Perry, another al
| Peter Dana's Point on the lake neal
| Princeton; and the Penobscots, whose
/ principal settlement is on an island al
/ OIdtown. 1t does not appear that they
are dying out, for the census of 1876
| gives the nun Der in the Passamaquoddy
tribe at 379 and the Penobscot 277. Few
annual reports of the Indian Agents