Lewis Mitchell

Lewis Mitchell (c. 1847–1930), a Native American member of the Maine State Legislature in the late 1800s into the early 1900s, is known for his advocacy of the Passamaquoddy people and his work on a plethora of writings in the Passamaquoddy language, of which only some have been preserved. Although he was Passamaquoddy, he was widely versed in Wabanaki tradition, as Wabanaki was the overall surrounding language and more general culture of not just Maine, but the Canadian and New England area, home to several indigenous tribes during this time period (a decent amount of which still exist today, including the Passamaquoddy peoples, Mitchell's native tribe).

Political career As a tribal representative, he is most well-known for his 1887 speech delivered to the Maine State Legislature, that illuminated prior treaties guaranteeing Passamaquoddy land to the Passamaquoddy people, in order to provide a civil argument asking the government to recognize the Passamaquoddy right to hunt and fish, etc. on their own land (or rather, land that had been unlawfully sold).

Literary translations Naturally, when many original manuscripts were destroyed in a fire that happened at John Dyneley Prince's home in 1911, Prince asked Mitchell to recreate these documents from memory. John Dyneley Prince and Lewis Mitchell switch back and forth between their native languages, respectively. One chapter is written by Lewis in Passamaquoddy, the following reiterated by Prince in English.

An excerpt of Mitchell's translations

Verse translation|lang=pqm|I sit and I beat the drum. I summon the animals and even the storm winds obey my drum.

I sit and I beat the drum. Even the storms and thunders answer me when I drum; and indeed great Aplasemwesit stops, obeying my drum.

I sit and drum. Then Chebelakw comes and obeys my drum. At its sound, great Wuchowsen stops his wings and obeys the sound of my drum (when it sounds).

I sit and I beat my drum. Even the spirits under water come out and they obey my drum and the Chopper ceases chopping and obeys my drum.

I sit and beat my drum and great Apodumken comes out and he also obeys my drum.

The lightnings, thunders, stormwinds, storms, Atwusk nlges, Aplasemwesit, the water sprites and Chebelakw, all together, come to obey the sound of my drum. During hunting season, Mitchell would be hired to take hunting parties out to areas good for porpoise and seals. The canoes he used and built were made of white birch bark. According to a July 1881 edition of the Mount Desert Herald, Mitchell made the record of traveling 60 miles in a mere 12 hours around Mount Desert Island in Maine. Also, according to passersby in a tugboat, Mitchell was seen waving his arms in what looked like distress, only to be in need of a book of matches. This practice was known as the Canoe Club, and Passamaquoddy were known for their expertise in building and manning these traditionally constructed paddles and canoes. Not only was Mitchell revered in both pen and the courtroom, but he was a skilled and reverenced man in his community, known for his cultural skill and knowledge.