Elders Listening to the Wax Cylinder Recordings

Over the last three years, there have been regular gatherings to listen to the wax cylinder recordings and to decipher words, songs and stories. This work has been long. Sometimes listening to one song of 3 minutes can take the whole day. Then there is the translation of the song into Passamaquoddy, then the transition into English and then the work of remembering the cultural contexts that the songs belong within. Some of the songs are really fun and funny - like the Snake Dance song - it is a welcoming song still sung today. The Passamaquoddy that is being spoken in these recordings has a strong French language influence as most Passamaquoddy people at the time (1890) spoke Passamaquoddy and French. English was the third language. Listening to the ancestors speaking back into our present has been exciting and emotional. We are still here to listen and learn from our ancestors. 

The videos feature Dolly Apt, MaDonna Soctomah, Molly Neptune Parker, Wayne Newell, Gracie Davis, Dwayne Tomah and Donald Soctomah, and were made by Donald Soctomah on May 10th, 2018

Featured photo: Jesse Fewkes playing the wax cylinder recordings back to the Passamaquoddy community in Pleasant Point in May 1890.