Molly Ockett
Molly Ockett, an Abenaki Native American, lived in the 1700’s after most of the other natives had been killed off or chased away by white settlers. She is said to be the last of her tribe, the Pequaket Native Americans. / She traveled throughout New England and into Quebec, Canada. She had extensive contact with English settlers. / It is difficult to know which stories about her are true and which ones are legends. Below are some tales that modern day people tell about her name, her talent, and her independent thinking. /
The name, Molly Ockett, is well known to the resident of many parts of New England today. / Molly Ockett’s Abenaki name was “Singing Bird.” She was given the name Marie Agathe by some Catholic nuns. She probably pronounced it with an accent and other people thought she was saying “Molly Ockett.” / One of the many places that now bear her name her include Molly Ockett Middle School in Fryeburg, Maine.
Molly’s resourcefulness and her talent as a medicine woman helped her earn a living. / A gifted healer, Molly used her knowledge of nature, especially the local herbs, to treat anyone she met who was in need of medical help. She never charged anyone more than one copper penny for her services. / Her generosity helped her make friends with the settlers in the area.
Molly’s contact with the settlers occasionally led to uncomfortable cultural encounters. One day she arrived at a church service with a pail of fresh blueberries. / One of the ladies of the church scolded her for picking blueberries on a Sunday; because the Christians believed people should devote all of Sunday to God, they didn’t believe in doing work of any kind on a Sunday. / Molly confidently told the woman that she was glad the Great Spirit (the native American name for God) had provided the fruit for her.
Molly Ockett’s legacy helps us understand both the native people and the settlers of her time and how they lived. The above information was based an article written by Catherine Newell for the Bethel Historical Society and on research by Nancy Lecompte - "Canyon Wolf." To learn more about Molly Ockett’s life, please visit the following websites.
http://www.bethelhistorical.org/Molly_Ockett_and_Her_World.html
http://www.avcnet.org/ne-do-ba/bio_moly.html
Glossary
Abenaki: a kind of Native American people; an Indian tribe. They lived in Western Maine.
encounters: meetings; contact; conversations; people coming together
herbs: grasses and small plants used for medicine or to flavor food.
legacy: the stories told about a person; fame
natives: local people; people who were born there
nuns: Christian women (usually Catholic) who devote their entire lives to God
resourcefulness: the ability or tendency to use what is available; the opposite of wasteful
settlers: people who have moved in from another place
Molly Ockett
Molly Ockett, an Abenaki Native American, lived in the 1700’s after most of the other natives had been killed off or chased away by white settlers. She is said to be the last of her tribe, the Pequaket Native Americans.
She traveled throughout New England and into Quebec, Canada. She had extensive contact with English settlers.
It is difficult to know which stories about her are true and which ones are legends. Below are some tales that modern day people tell about her name, her talent, and her independent thinking.
The name, Molly Ockett, is well known to the resident of many parts of New England today.
Molly Ockett’s Abenaki name was “Singing Bird.” She was given the name Marie Agathe by some Catholic nuns. She probably pronounced it with an accent and other people thought she was saying “Molly Ockett.”
One of the many places that now bear her name her include Molly Ockett Middle School in Fryeburg, Maine.
Molly’s resourcefulness and her talent as a medicine woman helped her earn a living.
A gifted healer, Molly used her knowledge of nature, especially the local herbs, to treat anyone she met who was in need of medical help. She never charged anyone more than one copper penny for her services.
Her generosity helped her make friends with the settlers in the area.
Molly’s contact with the settlers occasionally led to uncomfortable cultural encounters. One day she arrived at a church service with a pail of fresh blueberries.
One of the ladies of the church scolded her for picking blueberries on a Sunday; because the Christians believed people should devote all of Sunday to God, they didn’t believe in doing work of any kind on a Sunday.
Molly confidently told the woman that she was glad the Great Spirit (the native American name for God) had provided the fruit for her.
Molly Ockett’s legacy helps us understand both the native people and the settlers of her time and how they lived. The above information was based an article written by Catherine Newell for the Bethel Historical Society and on research by Nancy Lecompte - "Canyon Wolf." To learn more about Molly Ockett’s life, please visit the following websites.
http://www.bethelhistorical.org/Molly_Ockett_and_Her_World.html
http://www.avcnet.org/ne-do-ba/bio_moly.html
Glossary
Abenaki: a kind of Native American people; an Indian tribe. They lived in Western Maine.
encounters: meetings; contact; conversations; people coming together
herbs: grasses and small plants used for medicine or to flavor food.
legacy: the stories told about a person; fame
natives: local people; people who were born there
nuns: Christian women (usually Catholic) who devote their entire lives to God
resourcefulness: the ability or tendency to use what is available; the opposite of wasteful
settlers: people who have moved in from another place