Examine individual changes

''''Lewis Mitchell''' (1847&ndash;1930), a [[Native Americans in the United States|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.<ref name=professor>{{cite book|last1=Senier|first1=Siobhan|title=Dawnland Voices An Anthology of Indigenous Writing from New England|date=2014|publisher=Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska|location=United States|page=170}}</ref> Although he was Passamaquoddy, he was widely versed in [[Wabanaki Confederacy|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 [http://abbemuseum.org/research/wabanaki/timeline/mitchell-speech.html 1887 speech]<ref name="wabanaki timeline">{{cite web|last1=Mitchell|first1=Lewis|title=Speech by Lewis Mitchell Before the 63rd Mainse State Legislature, 1887|url=http://abbemuseum.org/research/wabanaki/timeline/mitchell-speech.html|website=Abbe Museum}}</ref> 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).<ref name=professor /> According to some, Mitchell is the first tribal member to have written in the Passamaquoddy language.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Senier|first1=Siobhan|title=Dawnland Voices|date=2014|publisher=University of Nebraska Press|location=Lincoln and London|isbn=978-0-8032-4686-7|page=170|edition=1st}}</ref> ==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.<ref name="brian swann" /> Not only did Prince and Mitchell share a community, but Mitchell was a known consultant for Prince.<ref name="brian swann" /> Earlier in Mitchell's life, he had served as consultant for [[Charles Leland]], particularly on his text The Algonquin Legends of New England, published in 1884.<ref name="brian swann" /> Mitchell relied heavily on this text in order to reproduce the old Wabanki tales, exploits and adventures of Koluskap; the majority of Mitchell's recreation is said to be merely a translation of Leland's work from English into Passamaquoddy. These translations unfortunately contained a significant bias on the part of Leland. He believed that the Wabanaki people were connected culturally, and historically to the Norse. Many of his translations were skewed to align with this theory.<ref name="brian swann" /> It is also said that Mitchell is the first to have ever written, or at least to have kept written documentation in Passamaquoddy (using his own spelling and language system).<ref name="brian swann">{{cite book|last1=Swann|first1=Brian|title=Algonquian Spirit Contemporary Translations of the Algonquian Literatures of North America|date=2005|publisher=Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska|location=United States|page=100}}</ref> 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.<ref name=archives>{{cite book|last1=Prince|first1=John Dyneley|title=Passamaquoddy Texts|publisher=American Ethnological Society|location=New York|edition=Volume X|url=https://archive.org/stream/passamaquoddy10prinrich/passamaquoddy10prinrich_djvu.txt|accessdate=23 April 2015}}</ref> ==An excerpt of Mitchell's translations== '''Prince's verse''' ''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.'' <ref name=archives /> '''Mitchell's verse''' ''Nil nolpin naka ntet li-tum n pekholak n. Nitut-li-wikw tahan weyusis k naka na petciu wutcauVn l w tciksitmakon npekholak n. Nolpin naka ntet li-tum n pekholak n. Petciu mutckiskak p takik ntasitemakok pekhola; naka na k tci Aplas mwesit tceniso; w tciksitm n npekholak n. Nolpin naka npekholin. Nit-te Tcipila kw w petciyan naka w tciksit makon npekholak n. Eltakwak k tci WutcauVn w tcenekla w neski naka w tciksitm n eltakwak npekholak n. Nolpin naka ntuktem n npekholak n. Petciu-te Lampekwin wuk muskapaswuk naka w tciksitm nya npekholak n naka na Atwusk nikus tcenakwetehiye naka w tciksitm n npekholak n. Nolpin naka ntuktem n npekholak n naka k tci Apotumk n muskatin- te na nek m w tciksitm n npekholak n. Pesakwut wuk, petakiyik, wutcauVn l, mutckiskakil, Atwusk niges, Aplasemwesit, Lampekwin wuk, Tcipila kw, m siu-te mawe-petapaswuk natci-tciksitm nya eltakwak npekholak n.'' <ref name=archives /> ===Explanation=== In the excerpt from Prince's collaboration with Mitchell above, it exhibits lyrics that speak of summoning spirits and animals/creatures.<ref name=archives /> Mitchell was a highly distinguished member of his community, yet he was still quite in touch with what some may consider his more “mythical” roots.<ref name=professor /><ref name="brian swann" /> Mitchell was regarded as an intelligent man, one of few who could write and translate Wabanaki into English and vice versa.<ref name=professor /> He was a member of the Maine State Legislature, spoke in the courtroom to advocate for Passamaquoddy rights, and was often sought out for his expertise and consultation by other highly regarded members of the white community (like Leland and Prince).{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} At the same time, he still published stories (particularly that of Koluskap) right along with his more governmental and reformative letters and documents directed toward Maine's government.<ref name="brian swann" /> This is notable because Mitchell was able to maintain his status in and around his community with not only his people, but with white people as well.<ref name="brian swann" /> He also wrote stories that some may consider either fictional or absurd,{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} remaining true to his ancestry while advocating for the Passamaquoddy people with great vivacity and conviction. Mitchell was known for his professionalism intermixed with his heritage, and he was able to maintain that status amongst his colleagues, peers, opposers and supporters of both races.{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} He is known for Native publications that express his cultural background and a more non-conventional form of expression, at least in the white world (for Native Americans, these stories, poems and songs are just as relevant if not more than any court system that has been implemented since the creation of these generational stories that Indigenous peoples, in this case the Passamaquoddy, and the Wabanaki on a grander scale, have passed down as rightful knowledge for as long as they have existed).{{citation needed|date=June 2015}} ==Personal life== Other than his government position and writing, Mitchell was known for his skill at canoeing.<ref name=canoe>{{cite web|title=Guiding Services for Sport Hunters|url=http://mdi.mainememory.net/page/3716/display.html|website=Mount Desert Island: Shaped by Nature|publisher=Maine Memory Network}}</ref> 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.<ref name=canoe /> According to the Mount Desert Herald publication in July of 1881, 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.<ref name=canoe /> This practice was known as the Canoe Club, and Passamaquoddy for known for their expertise in building and manning these homemade (Indian-made) paddles and canoes.<ref name=canoe /> 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 excellency in cultural skill and knowledge.{{cn|date=June 2015}} == References == {{reflist}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Mitchell, Lewis}} [[Category:1847 births]] [[Category:1930 deaths]] [[Category:Members of the Maine House of Representatives]] [[Category:Native American politicians]] [[Category:Passamaquoddy people]] [[Category:19th-century American politicians]]'