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The Passamaqouddy Connection to Meddybemps Lake
          
    The history of Meddybemps Lake had a lot to do with the Passamaquoddy people. The Meddybemps lake took them anywhere they needed to go, up the Denny's river or down to the St. Croix and from there to the sea. The Passamaquoddy people had a village on Meddybemps called N'tolonapemk which means “My relatives place”. The Passamaquoddy had lived and camped at N'tolonapemk over 8,600 years.
    Meddybemps Lake actually means “plenty of alewife”. The Passamquoddy said that there were so many alewife that you could cross the river on their backs without getting their feet wet.
    The pollution on the shores of Meddybemps Lake was in abundance from the year 1946-1984. From 1985-2001 they started to clean it up. They removed 27,000 pounds of contaminated soil away from the shores of Meddybemps Lake. While they were moving the soil they found the village of N'tolonapemk. There they found 2,000 tools, 37,000 stone flakes and 6,000 ceramic pieces.
    The Passamaquoddy people are part of the Wabanaki people. There are two reservations which are in Indian Township and Sipayik or Pleasant Point. The name was given to them by another Wabanaki tribe. It means “The people who spear pollock”. The pollack that can be found on the shores near the Sipayik reservation were very important to their diet way back. They say that the pollack used to be up to three feet long.
    It is claimed the Passamaquoddy have been in the Meddybemps area since the rivers and streams flowed the opposite way. This is a little history on the Native connection to Meddybemps Lake. This information came from the movie “N'tolonapemk”.