Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians

The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians of Maine (Malecite-Passamaquoddy: Metaksonekiyak Wolastoqewiyik)[2] is a federally recognized tribe of Maliseet, whose land is along the Meduxnekeag River in Maine.[3] They are headquartered in Littleton, Maine, located in Aroostook County.

Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians
Metaksonekiyak Wolastoqewiyik
Maliseet Indian Wooden Hut Interior,
watercolor by Robert Petley, c. 1850
Total population
869[1]
Regions with significant populations
 United States ( Maine)
Languages
English, Malecite-Passamaquoddy
Religion
traditional tribal religion, Christianity
Related ethnic groups
other Maliseet people
Location of Houlton Maliseet reservation

This tribe is related to the larger Maliseet First Nations of New Brunswick, Canada.[4] The Maliseet have traditionally occupied areas of the Saint John River valley, including its tributary, the Meduxnekeag River. When Great Britain and the United States established a boundary through this area under the Jay Treaty of 1794, the Maliseet were given the right to freely cross the border with Canada, as it was within their ancestral territory.[4] The Houlton Band of Maliseet was invited to take a nonvoting seat in the Maine Legislature, starting with the 126th Legislature in 2013.

They belonged to the Algonquian languages family. The people now use English as their first language. They constitute nearly 6% of the population of Houlton.

Economic development

The Houlton Maliseet farm potatoes, barley, and clover on tribal lands. They also own a roller skating rink (Rollerama).[1]

Watershed restoration

The tribe is working to restore the watershed of the Meduxnekeag River, which was damaged by logging drives, and bring back the native Atlantic salmon. The restoration aims to slow the flow of the river and cool its overheated waters, both of which are increasing with climate change in Maine. The river lacks the structure and complexity that it used to have that allowed salmon and other fish to live in the river.[5]

Notes
  1. "Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians." Archived 2 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine Region 1: EPA New England. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
  2. Passamaquoddy-Maliseet Language Portal - "Metaksonekiyak: on or along Meduxnekeag River (Maine and New Brunswick); in the territory of the Houlton Band of Maliseets
  3. Pritzker 428
  4. Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Official Website, accessed 24 November 2013
  5. Carpenter, Murray (20 September 2022). "A tribe is restoring a northern Maine river so that it'll be cooler and more hospitable to salmon". Maine Public. Retrieved 30 May 2023.

References
  • Pritzker, Barry M. A Native American Encyclopedia: History, Culture, and Peoples. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2000. ISBN 978-0-19-513877-1
  • Abler, Thomas S. (1 November 1990). "Micmacs and Gypsies: Occupation of the Peripatetic Niche". Algonquian Papers - Archive. 21. S2CID 55920701.
  • The term gypsy has been retired because it is a slang word or a slur used by colonizers to describe romani abenaki or micmac people [1]
  • Aroostook Band of Micmac Defunct tribal bands US and Canada games over status and "land claims" Gypsys romani union
  • [2] Defunt m'ikmaq American truckhouse corp boys and girls club industrial schools title 7 Indian education / school consolidations unified school districts abuse cases and boy scouts of America lawsuits
  1. "Avgo rig - International Romani Union".
  2. "Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement Act 8-9-2019". www.sunlightmediacollective.org. Archived from the original on 23 October 2019.
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