Surviving Indian Groups of the Eastern United 
States 
By WiLu1aM Haren GILBERT, Jr., Library of Congress, Washington, D. C. 
Introduction 
The following paper was prepared 
for the purpose of indicating the extent 
to which Indian blood still remains 
noticeable in our eastern States popu- 
lation in spite of the depletions arising 
from over 300 years of wars, invasions 
by disease and by white men from 
Europe and black men from Africa. 
Any attempt to estimate the total 
amount of this Indian and mixed 
population must be based on an 
arbitrary classification of mixed-bloods 
as Indian who may frequently be 
more white or Negro in appearance. 
Anywhere from 75,000 to 100,000 
persons may be included in the groups 
described in the following pages. 
The census returns of “blood purity” 
are of course not to be taken as in any 
way biologically accurate. These fig- 
ures are much better used as indica- 
tions of the character of local opinion, 
Throughout the following discussion 
the term “‘blood”’ is to be understood 
as relating to opinion and not to 
actual biological fact. 
It will be noted that not all the 
Indian mixed groups have kept their 
original tribal names because in a 
considerable number of cases the only 
distinguishing terms are nicknames 
given them by white people. Where 
the native Indian speech is retained, 
some notice of the fact is given. In the 
same way the survival of other Indian 
customs and traits is noticed as addi- 
tional evidence that Indian blood may 
survive. 
817369—49——31 
The material in the following discus- 
sion is presented by States in geo- 
graphic order, beginning with the 
northernmost part of the Atlantic sea- 
board and ranging down to Florida, 
thence across the Gulf coast to Texas, 
and finally concluding with some com- 
ments on certain midwestern States. 
In each State an effort is made to 
note the evidence for Indian survivals 
especially through cases of separate 
social groups found claiming an Indian 
descent. It will be noticed that the 
census figures are often below the un- 
official estimates of these population 
remnants. All too often the census 
ignores their existence. The 1930 cen- 
sus figures have been used in this 
discussion since they give the tribal 
break-down, whereas the 1940 census 
does not. 
1. Maine 
According to the census, the Indian 
population of Maine totaled 1,012 in 
1930. Of these, 76 were in Aroostook 
County on the northern borders 
(Malecite Tribe), 444 were in Wash- 
ington County on the eastern border 
(Passamaquoddy Tribe), and 354 were 
in Penobscot County in the central 
part of the State (Penobscot Tribe). 
of the total, full-bloods were 46.3 
percent, mixed-bloods 42.4 percent, 
and not recorded 11.3 percent. 
Penobscot.—The Penobscot Tribe re- 
tains ownership of a number of islands 
in the Penobscot River from the falls 
at Old Town north to Mattawamkeag. 
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