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Contributing Institution
Maine State Archives
Document Type
Text
Exact Creation Date
1-15-1821
Language
English
Recommended Citation
"Petition of Captain Deacon Sockbasin on behalf of the Passamaquoddy Tribe" (1821). Choosing Survival: Wabanaki Documents at the Maine State Archives. 3.
https://digitalmaine.com/acr_choosing_survival/3
Rights Statement
No Copyright - United States. URI: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/NoC-US/1.0/
The organization that has made the Item available believes that the Item is in the Public Domain under the laws of the United States, but a determination was not made as to its copyright status under the copyright laws of other countries. The Item may not be in the Public Domain under the laws of other countries. Please refer to the organization that has made the Item available for more information.
Description
Less than a year after Maine statehood, Captain Deacon Sockbasin, on behalf of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, petitioned the Maine Legislature. He recounted that since 1775, his people had been loyal to the United States, but the influx of American and British settlers since that time had dramatically transformed his homeland. In addition to the decline of fish in the rivers, game animals had become scarce. Sockbason wanted a law that limited settlers from hunting and trapping beaver, otter, and muskrats from April to May. He also asked for a tribal woodlot, a resident priest, and agricultural assistance to help his people survive in a tumultuous time. To substantiate his requests, Sockbasin ended the petition by reminding the state government that his people resisted the lure of New Brunswick’s offer of lands because of the tribe’s allegiance to the United States. The Maine Legislature addressed only a few of the Passamaquoddy requests. [Description Text by Micah A. Pawling, Ph.D]