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In 1798, despite generations of antagonism towards Catholics, Massachusetts appropriated state funds for a Catholic priest to serve the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy people in the District of Maine. The priest's subsequent twenty years of service has generally been seen as the state finally giving in to persistent Native American demands. But why would Massachusetts suddenly agree to a request it had consistently rejected? Seen in its broader borderlands context, the move is more understandable. Massachusetts was anxious about its frontier, and was already invested in a partnership with a Congregational missionary society to reach out to families along the border. When these Congregationalists reported no luck with Maine's Catholic Natives, the British in New Brunswick tried to win the communities to their side by stationing a paid priest just over the border. For Massachusetts, hiring a priest was a chance both to counter the British and to build on a pre-existing faith-based strategy designed to connect borderland people to Boston. Thus--thanks to a lingering border rivalry and the determination of the Wabanaki people to maintain their Catholic faith--Massachusetts for two decades subsidized the growth and development of the Catholic Church in the northeast. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay juxtaposes two stories of Indigenous-settler "first contact" in the twenty-first century. One describes an event of community-based research in coastal Maine in summer 2000; the other describes an event of community-based confrontation at the Serpent Mound earthworks site in Ohio on the winter solstice 2020. The stories overlap and intersect in surprising ways, and they prompt unresolved questions about the function of "American" literary criticism at the present time: What actually happens when Indigenous voices enter the structures of the settler academy? Who benefits, and whose interests are ultimately served? Within current conventions, is it possible to center Indigenous knowledges and research agendas, to address the pressing concerns of Indigenous communities? And what does it mean to pursue scholarship ostensibly focused on aspects of Indigenous cultures within social and political contexts that continue to allow or even to promote the settler erasure of Indigenous claims—not only to distant or recent histories but to ongoing presence? Is it enough for academic institutions to assume a neutral stance on such issues? Or are "Americanist" scholars obligated to pursue more rigorous forms of disrupting settler business as usual? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the nineteenth century the Penobscot and Passamaquoddy Indian nations preserved considerable mobility across their traditional homeland. This case study uses petitions and other primary sources to show that many Native families maintained connections to places that their ancestors once inhabited. While the Penobscot reservation consisted of the river islands above the head of tide, families continued to return to Penobscot Bay to harvest marine resources. Other kin groups revisited old sites on the Kennebec River. Non-Native town officials wanted to send the Indians home but were blind to the fact that the Wabanaki peoples already understood themselves to be home. For the Passamaquoddy at Pleasant Point (Sipayik), resources such as birch bark and firewood were scarce, prompting them to harvest wood on private property for survival. Tension between private property and traditional homeland remained unresolved as Wabanaki peoples persevered in their partially colonized homeland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since their initial development in the nineteenth century, recording technologies have presented a unique opportunity for documenting sonic expressions of cultural and historical significance. A variety of preservation challenges, however, have combined to threaten the long-term availability of many of these valuable resources. The passing of the National Recording Preservation Act of 2000 (Public Law No. 106-474) helped to draw significant attention to these challenges, while inspiring a number of publications and projects that have begun to articulate constructive opportunities for a path forward. A consistent theme among these works is the benefit of coordination at the national level for accomplishing broad-scale audio preservation. This article describes several such coordinated efforts, with a focus on the recent initiatives from the Internet Archive to build a shared music library. While substantial challenges remain, coordinated efforts such as these create the potential for increasing the efficiency of audio digitization efforts by decreasing the duplication of work that is undoubtedly occurring at present at the national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the author's experience of being a Passamaquoddy Indian researcher who conducted dissertation research on the ideas that Passamaquoddy people have on health and decision making, and the ways that these ideas can be applied in contemporary decision making in tribal health. A discussion of four central themes that emerged from the author's research is presented. Difficulties that the author had in attempting to understand the Passamaquoddy language and its teachings while conducting his research are discussed. The benefits that can come from having Indigenous scholars conduct research on Indian life are examined.

River herring are recognized as a keystone species, and efforts for restoration of their habitats have been advanced across New England. The Passamaquoddy, a native tribe with close ties to river herring, refers to the species as "the fish that feeds all" because of its importance in the food web. These small diadromous fish are also food sources for humans, and are used as bait for other fisheries. One of the biggest threats to river herring survival is dammed rivers, which prevents river herring from reaching their spawning grounds. A new effort seeks to bring together researchers, state and federal managers, and community members with an invested interest in river herring restoration, with the stated goal of improving communication among the parties. Researchers use new technologies such as eDNA to determine the presence of river herring through water samples; many towns collect data through fish counts and scale sampling; and managers use available data to ensure compliance with management goals. A recent meeting affirmed communication gaps, and revealed that among research organizations, there is a lack of transparency regarding research projects and limited access to data or information. It was also evident that citizen participation is an important aspect of river herring restoration and that integration of local knowledge and research capacity into programs would improve outcomes. Community input into the design of research projects could help address local interests and concerns. Participants from all groups agreed a collaborative approach would improve restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes the creation of a system of care in children's mental health by the Passamaquoddy Tribe located in Princeton, Maine. The history of this Native American community; the impact of oppression, historical trauma, and contemporary economic, health, and educational inequities on child and family health well-being; and the barriers to providing culturally competent child mental health services are reviewed. Descriptions of the key components and core concepts of the system of care are presented along with case examples highlighting the array of services. Finally, implications for practice in the creation of culturally competent systems of care within Native American communities are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bioaccumulation of trace metals in plant tissues can present a health risk to wildlife, and potentially to humans. The Passamaquoddy tribe in Maine was concerned about health risks of cadmium (Cd) because of a health advisory for moose liver and kidney consumption due to high Cd levels. This study found relatively low to moderate concentrations of Cd, nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) concentrations in four common terrestrial moose browse species, associated forest soils, and two species of aquatic vegetation on Passamaquoddy tribal land in eastern Maine. Terrestrial plant tissue concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 1.97, 0.65 to 7.08, 0.29 to 2.0, and 42 to 431 mg kg−1 for Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn, respectively. Deciduous species, particularly aspen and birch, may be a more significant source of Cd and Zn to wildlife compared to coniferous or aquatic species. Aquatic plant tissue concentrations ranged from 0.11 to 0.14, 0.46 to 1.01, 0.8 to 0.9, and 22 to 41 mg kg−1 for Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn, respectively. Total O horizon concentration means for coniferous and deciduous were 0.50 and 1.00, 4.27 and 4.11, 55 and 21, and 55 and 167 mg kg−1 for Cd, Ni, Pb and Zn, respectively. The study provides baseline vegetation and soil trace metal concentrations for a remote region in Maine impacted by non-point sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act signed by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter in 1980. The two tribes involved in the dispute over 12 million acres of land in Maine were the Passamaquoddies and the Penobscots. As a result of the Act, the tribes were granted federal recognition and $81.5 million to purchase land. This event signifies a first major success by Native Americans in their effort to reclaim land.

Objectives: This empirical study explored the efficacy of using Reiki treatment to improve memory and behavior deficiencies in patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer's disease. Reiki is an ancient hands-on healing technique reputedly developed in Tibet 2500 years ago. Design: This study was a quasi-experimental study comparing pre- and post-test scores of the Annotated Mini-Mental State Examination (AMMSE) and Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist (RMBPC) after four weekly treatments of Reiki to a control group. Settings/location: The participants were treated at a facility provided by the Pleasant Point Health Center on the Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation. Subjects: The sample included 24 participants scoring between 20 and 24 on the AMMSE. Demographic characteristics of the sample included an age range from 60 to 80, with 67% female, 46% American Indian, and the remainder white. Interventions: Twelve participants were exposed to 4 weeks of weekly treatments of Reiki from two Reiki Master-level practitioners; 12 participants served as controls and received no treatment. Outcome measures: The two groups were compared on pre- and post-treatment scores on the AMMSE and the Revised Memory and Behavior Problems Checklist (RMBPC). Results: Results indicated statistically significant increases in mental functioning (as demonstrated by improved scores of the AMMSE) and memory and behavior problems (as measured by the RMBPC) after Reiki treatment. This research adds to a very sparse database from empirical studies on Reiki results. Conclusion: The results indicate that Reiki treatments show promise for improving certain behavior and memory problems in patients with mild cognitive impairment or mild Alzheimer's disease. Caregivers can administer Reiki at little or no cost, resulting in significant societal value by potentially reducing the needs for medication and hospitalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]