Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-05-12
PASSAMAQUODDY
INDIANS BRINGING
UP ABANDONED CHILD

For the first time in the history of
the Passamaquoddy tribe of Indians at
Pleasant Point Reservation on banks
of the border river, st. Croix, near
PASSPORT. the Maine frontier city,
white baby is being brought up as d
member of the tribe having been aban-
doned by her parents five years ago,
and in the meantime nothing has been
heard from them and no money sent
TO the adopted mother for the support
of this unfortunate girl.
On April 10, 1911, lone Canadian
boa tman, whose name is not yet
known to the Indians, as a fictitious
name at the time was given, came to
the Indian village early in the evening
in Q small gasolene boat and made a
call at some Of the neighboring homes
of the tribe where he stated he wished
to leave a baby girl for short time
until called for and was willing to pay
its board. He finally reached the
home of Mrs. Alice w. Mitchell, widow
of the late Peter Mitchell, a veteran of
the Civil War; who died about 20
years ago. MIS-. Mitchell Is an lnleln-
gent French woman who came to the
Indian settlement from Aroostook
county and married the soldier Indian
and raised family, and has a number
Of grandchildren at the settlement,
and lives with her daughter and chill
dren in a two-story house near the
cemetery, the last house before leaving
the village.
1t was here that the Canadian boat
man-who gave his name as johnson
and said he was not the father of the
child-called and stated his desire, and
after some explanation about the
mother having died when giving birth
to the baby, he induced Mrs. Mitchell
to accept the baby for a time, as he
was willing to pay the board asked,
and when arrangements were made
he returned to the gasolene boat and
brought back the infant
1t was wrapped in an old raincoat
had no stockings or bonnet, and wore
a cheap dress with no marks for later
identification, and when Mrs Mitchell
looked at the infant, so she stated to
the News correspondent who called at
her house recently with Governor
Stanislau Dana of the tribe, that IT
looked almost black with the cold. and
she concluded that it was not over
i've days old at that time, and she was
reluctant to take possession of tile
founding as she feared it might die in
the night.
The little white girl gained strength
and developed into a healthy and in.
telligent child with no traces of IN
dlan customs, but she is very quiet
and rarely speaks to strangers; and
during the visit of the CORRESPONDENT
did not utter one word in the Indian
or English language. Little Stella I'M
derstands both languages, likes to
have the papers and books read to
her and is devoted to her adopted
mother, and seems to be as happy as
any of the Indian children in the home
where she is being cared for With
an intelligent face, large blue ewes.
a well-proportioned head and body for
a child of her age, she should be well
coined by her rightful mother, whom
she has never met, nor heard from.
and it now looks as if the abandoned
white child would have to grow up
among the Indians, and no doubt later
will marry an Indian and grow up
with the tribe-but time will tell. for
She Is young yet and does not know
she Is white
Mrs Mitchell states that she has on
~ received in these five years SIS for
the support of her adopted child, and