Penobscot Indian Island Reservation is an Indian reservation for the Penobscot tribe in Penobscot County, Maine, United States near Old Town. The population was 562 at the 2000 census. A small, uninhabited part of the reservation is in Aroostook County.
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The Penobscot people long inhabited the area between present-day Old Town, Maine and Bangor, and still occupy tribal land on the nearby Penobscot Indian Island Reservation. The first European to visit the site was probably the Portuguese Esteban Gómez in 1524, followed by Samuel de Champlain in 1605.[1] Champlain was looking for the mythical city of Norumbega, thought to be where Bangor now lies. French priests settled among the Penobscots, and the valley remained contested between France and Britain into the 1750s, making it one of the last regions to become part of New England. One of their most important Chief's was Madockawando.
During King William's War, Benjamin Church's third expedition during the war was in 1692 when he raided the Penobscot village with 450 men.[2]
Madockawando and others from Penobscot fought along side Hertel Portneuf and St. Castin at the Battle of Fort Loyal (May 1690). They were also involved in 1692 Raid on Wells. Finally they also went with Villie in the Raid on Oyster River. He died during the war in 1697. [3]
On 15 July 1722, Father Lauverjat from Penobscot led 500-600 natives from Penobscot and Medunic (Maliseet) laid siege to Fort St. Georges in Colonel Thomas Westbrook's home town of Thomaston for twelve days. They burned their saw-mill, a large sloop, and sundry houses, and killed many of their cattle. Five New Englanders were killed and seven were taken prisoner, while the New Englanders killed twenty Maliseet and Penobscot warriors.[4]
During Father Rale's War, Father Lauverjat was established at the mission.[5] On March 9, 1723, Colonel Thomas Westbrook from Thomaston, Maine led 230 men to the Penobscot River and traveled approximately 32 miles (51 km) upstream to the Penobscot village. They found a large Penobscot fort—70 yards (64 m) by 50 yards (46 m), with 14-foot (4.3 m) walls surrounding 23 wigwams. There was also a large chapel (60 by 30 feet). The village was vacant of people, and the soldiers burned it to the ground. [6]
Starting in 1775, Condeskeag became the site of treaty negotiations by which the Penobscot were made to give up almost all their ancestral lands, a process complete by about 1820, when Maine became a state. The tribe was eventually left with only their main village on an island up-river from Bangor, called “Indian Old Town” by the settlers. Eventually a white settlement taking the name Old Town was planted on the river bank opposite the Penobscot village, which began to be called “Indian Island”, and remains the site of the Penobscot Nation.[7]
The reservation is home to a small museum, as well as Penobscot High Stakes Bingo, which was established in 1973. This was one of the first Native American gambling enterprises operating in the country.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the Indian reservation has a total area of 20.6 mi² (53.4 km²). 7.8 mi² (20.1 km²) of it is land and 12.9 mi² (33.3 km²) of it (62.45%) is water.
As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 562 people, 214 households, and 157 families residing in the Indian reservation. The population density was 72.5/mi² (28.0/km²). There were 263 housing units at an average density of 34.0/mi² (13.1/km²). The racial makeup of the Indian reservation was 14.59% White, 84.88% Native American, and 0.53% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population. As of the 2009 U.S Census Bureau estimate, there were 541 people residing in the reservation. There were 214 households out of which 44.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.0% were married couples living together, 25.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.6% were non-families. 22.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.61 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the Indian reservation the population was spread out with 33.3% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 31.3% from 25 to 44, 19.2% from 45 to 64, and 9.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 32 years. For every 100 females there were 92.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 84.7 males.
The median income for a household in the Indian reservation was $24,653, and the median income for a family was $24,000. Males had a median income of $34,500 versus $23,194 for females. The per capita income for the Indian reservation was $13,704. About 23.5% of families and 22.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 28.3% of those under age 18 and 6.1% of those age 65 or over.
As of 2008, the chief of the island is currently Kirk Francis. The vice-chief is Bill Thompson.
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