Penobscot

Brooklyn Belanger.
The Penobscots were like their own little country. They have their own government, laws, police and services. Even though they are their own tribe they are still US citizens and have to they American laws. The leader is called Sagama, translated it means governor or chief. The tribe is an original Indian tribe from Maine and still live or have land there today. The men and women of the Penobscot each have roles. Then men were hunters, and some times go to war to fight for and protect their family. The women were the farmers and did most of the cooking and child care. All together both genders took part in art, story telling, music and traditional medicine. At one point it was only men who could be chiefs but now women can be chiefs too. The Penobscot tribes did not live in teepee's like some of the other, they lived houses called wigwams. When winter came around they would leave the village and go to their hunting grounds when spring came back around they would return to the village. In colonial time they adapted European clothing such as cloth blouses and jackets and decorated them with beading. They would wear cloaks with pointed hoods, moccasins and nose rings. Some chiefs would headdress, but most of the time they would wear pointed hoods with head bands that were decorated with feathers, they didn't paint their faces either. Women would wear long dresses with removable sleeves and men would wear breechcloths with leggings. They would fish in the Penobscot river and eat fish, moose and deer.They also planted corn and beans, picked berries, and would make maple syrup from maple trees. They enjoyed hunting and fishing during these activities they would use spears, arrows, and wooden clubs. For fishing they would use pronged fishing spears, and nets.  Louis Sockalexis, the first American major league baseball player, was Penobscot. He was so strong he could throw a baseball across the Penobscot River. He had a remarkable season for the Cleveland Spiders in 1897. Unfortunately, his career was short. The fans and other ballplayers teased Sockalexis all the time because of his race. They would spit at him, call him names, and make fun of him with war whoops and tomahawk chops. This was 50 years before Jackie Robinson became the first black player in the major leagues. Sockalexis got very depressed from all the teasing and began to drink too much, destroying a promising career. The Cleveland Spiders changed their name to the Cleveland Indians after a while. Their red cartoon mascot is supposedly a tribute to Sockalexis, but it doesn't look like him. His family, and the Penobscot Nation, don't like that mascot. They think it is racist and insulting. [|Penobscot Time Line]
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Here is a Link to a story about the Penobscot tribes religion and how it worked: [|Penobscot Story]