Downeast Times Profile
No one talks too much about oral history anymore, not in this golden
age of technology and telecommunications. Today, those
communications are more likely to be between computers than people.
But up until this “golden age,” whole races of people only survived
with their unique identity in tact because of oral history. Among
those people are the Passamaquoddy Tribe.
What exactly is oral history? The OHS (Oral History Society) says it
is the recording of people’s memories. Further, it is the recording
of their experiences, their language, their songs, poems, legends,
rituals, and almost anything else having to do with their culture.
These days, besides written material, both audio and visual
recordings are made to codify and chronicle the story of a people.
This material is then passed down from generation to generation
helping to endow each one with a sense of its heritage.
The tribes traditionally considered this process so important, there
was often an assigned role of Oral History Keeper. In the early part
of the 20th century, the person who held that position for the
Passamaquoddy people was Sopiel Selmore. Today, it is his great
grandson, Donald Soctomah, who is upholding and strengthening that
same vital tradition.
Most of us in this region know Donald Soctomah as the tribe’s
Legislative Representative to the Maine Legislature from 1999 to
2002. It was the fervor he felt for historic preservation (perhaps
inherited from his great grandfather), that drove him to see to it
that Native portraits now hang in the State House in Augusta where
there were none before. The protection of key archeological sites,
Native graves, and natural resources were just some of the
accomplishments of his political career. Today, the work goes on...
Resource and forest issues are a natural for Soctomah–his education
at Michigan State, The State University of New York, and the
University of Maine was primarily in silviculture and forest
management. Silviculture is defined as, “the science, art and
practice of caring for forests with respect to human objectives.”
For Soctomah, this has involved not only a seat in the Legislature,
but he has brought his concerns to his seat on the Board of
Directors for Wabanaki Studies at the University of Maine in Orono
(UMO). Add to that a seat on the Board of Directors for the Downeast
Heritage Center, another for the Abbe Museum, another on the Maine
Rural Development Council, another on the Commission for
Environmental Cooperation, Gulf of Maine,
yet another on the St. Croix International Waterways Commission,
and the list goes on.
These days, Donald Soctomah is a moving target. The office
he now holds, Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, is a
time-honored post he recreated for the tribe in 2003. His work here
is so comprehensive as to defy any precise definition. The results,
however, are there for all to see. These efforts range from being
tribal consultant to filmmakers (he has consulted for the Discovery
Channel, Maine PBS, and the Animal Planet Network), to grant
writing, to authoring volumes of history of the Passamaquoddy Tribe.
The first in this series came out in 2002. It was entitled,
“Passamaquoddy at the Turn of the Century.” It features, in addition
to well-researched, written history, an extensive pictorial history
of that period. The second, “Hard Times at Passamaquoddy” came out
in 2003. It too is rich in photographs.
A new children’s book called, “Meeting the French and Passamaquoddy”
has also been released with Soctomah’s contributions.
In 2003, work was completed by two scientists, Professors Ray P.
Gerber of St. Joseph’s College and Mark H. Hedden from University of
Maine at Farmington, on a film documentary called, “Song of the
Drum.” It is about Maine’s petroglyphs–the ancient drawings and
symbolic engravings in stone by Maine’s Native peoples. Throughout
the project, Donald Soctomah served as guide, liaison, and
contributor. The piece debuted on public television in the fall of
Also under his guidance, the first compilation of Passamaquoddy
traditional tribal music on CD was released in the spring of 2004
under the title, “Songs of the Passamaquoddy.” In it, Native artists
make old music new again, some of it dating back to before any
A groundbreaking project which will serve school children for
generations, is Soctomah’s interactive learning CD, “Landscapes,
Legends & Language of the Passamaquoddy People,” released last year.
In it, maps including the historic range and movements of the tribe
are highlighted with their historic place names, many of them known
only to older tribal members. In the research phase, Soctomah
interviewed many of the Passamaquoddy elders, mining their memories
for clues to these key locations. Along with those memories came the
stories that will enrich the learning experience for children and
One of the most comprehensive, ambitious tasks he has undertaken so
far, is the collection of tribal tapes, some of them dating to the
1890’s, for enhancement and preservation. The first 40 hrs of this
oral history, with the help of grant money from Maine State
Archives, has just been completed.
What’s ahead for this man of many missions? “My work is diversified,
going off in many directions at once. We will continue to record our
tribal songs in the Native language. We will be discovering more
tapes to enhance for the use of the tribe. We will be completing our
cultural study of the archeological site at Meddybemps. My work on
Volume III of our history is already underway. It will cover the
period from 1850-1890. This year, we will have a building for our
new tribal museum. We will fund this and other projects through
sales of books and CD’s, grant money, and donations. My overall goal
is promote our culture and our language. I feel that my time to do
this is now.”
Donald Soctomah is living up to, and probably beyond the standard
set by his great grandfather, Sopiel Selmore. With his tireless
contributions to tribal culture and preservation, it is safe to say
its oral history is assured.
(Downeast Times March 8, 2005; Randy Spencer)