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UNIVERSITY OF MAINE AT MACHIAS
For Immediate Release
PASSAMAQUODDY HISTORIAN DONALD
SOCTOMAH MACHIAS, Maine − Donald Soctomah, respected historian of the Passamaquoddy Tribe and former Maine state legislator, will deliver the keynote address during the 95th Commencement of the University of Maine at Machias, during ceremonies on Saturday, May 13. Soctomah will be also be awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters by the University. “Donald Soctomah has numerous connections with the University of Maine at Machias, its faculty and students, and his support has been essential for some of the work done by our history, English, and interdisciplinary fine arts programs,” said University President Dr. Cynthia Huggins. “We are proud to publicly recognize Donald, not only for his involvement with the University, but for his truly incredible work chronicling the history of the Passamaquoddy people and ensuring that its language and culture are preserved for future generations.” “The University considers it a great honor to have Donald as its commencement speaker, and to present him with an honorary degree,” said Huggins. Soctomah currently serves as the Passamaquoddy Tribal Historic Preservation Officer, a position he has held since 2003, where he has spearheaded efforts to document the tribe’s history and traditions, and has worked to keep Passamaquoddy culture and language alive among the tribe’s younger generations. He has authored three books of Passamaquoddy history, Passamaquoddy at the turn of the Century: 1890-1920; Tribal life and times in Maine and New Brunswick; and Hard Times at Passamaquoddy, 1921-1950. He is currently working on his fourth book, a history of the Passamaquoddy from 1850 to 1890. As an oral historian, Soctomah has pioneered work that has resulted in the first compilation of Passamaquoddy traditional tribal music on compact disc, and he has worked with filmmakers from the Discovery Channel, Maine Public Broadcasting Network, and the Animal Planet Network. In addition, he has contributed to a newly released children’s book, Meeting the French and Passamaquoddy. In 2004, Soctomah produced an interactive learning CD for the tribe’s school children titled “Landscapes, Legends & Language of the Passamaquoddy People.” This work was the culmination of many interviews with Passamaquoddy elders that mapped the historic range and movements of the tribe, highlights places of significance in tribal history, and entertains with stories about tribal customs and experiences. Soctomah served as the Passamaquoddy tribe’s representative to the 119th and 120th Maine Legislatures from 1999 to 2002, and served on the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee. Among his accomplishments were arranging to have native American portraits hung in the State House in Augusta, leading the effort to have the offensive word “squaw” removed from Maine place names, campaigning for increased protection for archaeological sites, and helping broker an agreement with a paper company that returned sacred burial ground to the Passamaquoddies. Educated at Michigan State University, the State University of New York, and the University of Maine in Orono, Soctomah has held seats on the boards of directors for numerous organizations including the Wabanaki Studies program at the University of Maine, the Downeast Heritage Museum in Eastport, the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor, the Maine Rural Development Council, the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, and the St. Croix International Waterways Commission. Soctomah is the great-grandson of Sopiel Selmore, who was the Passamaquoddy tribe’s Oral History Keeper during the early 20th century. -U-M-M- The University of Maine at Machias, located on the rugged coast of Downeast Maine, is one of seven campuses in the University of Maine System. With a total enrollment of approximately 1,150 students, UM-Machias offers degree programs in 12 fields of study, a faculty-student ratio of 15:1, and an academic environment that emphasizes learning experiences both in the classroom and in the community. In 2006, UM-Machias was ranked fourth by U.S. News & World Report among public comprehensive colleges in the north region. |
Copyright © 2003
Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point
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