Statement of Public Appeal to the Passamaquoddy Tribal Council and Community

Preserving Our Lineage and Identity for Future Generations

In the year 1900, the Passamaquoddy people were formally recognized as 100% descendants on the tribal census, a historic act that preserved our identity, lineage, and rightful place within our community. This recognition has been vital in maintaining the continuity of our people, culture, and inherent rights.

Now, 125 years later, we face a stark reality: many of our descendants, our children, grandchildren, and extended family, are at risk of exclusion under current census and enrollment standards. These standards, often relying on rigid blood quantum rules that require a minimum of 25% Passamaquoddy ancestry does not reflect how our people have traditionally understood identity and belonging. Identity is about family ties, culture, language, spirituality, and connection to this land. 

Historic censuses like those from 1900 and 1925 are incomplete and imperfect records, full of gaps, errors, and omissions. These flaws, combined with the requirement for official documentation, which many families struggle to obtain due to historical displacement, lost records, or bureaucratic barriers mean that many rightful members are turned away or left in limbo. The process feels confusing, unfair, and disconnected from our true identity.

We also know that many unrecognized tribal members today carry less than the 25% blood quantum but are fully Passamaquoddy in heart, mind, and spirit. The blood quantum system threatens to erase our people over generations by fragmenting our identity into fractions.

Therefore, we, the undersigned, respectfully appeal to the Passamaquoddy Tribal Council and community members to seriously consider formally recognizing all individuals identified as Passamaquoddy on the upcoming 2025 census as 100% descendants for enrollment purposes. This bold and necessary step would preserve the family lineages that have sustained our people for generations, it would ensure that future generations retain their rightful place within our community. We can address historic documentation gaps and the challenges of proving lineage through lost or missing papers.

We could move beyond rigid blood quantum restrictions toward a membership policy that honors culture, community, and ancestry in a holistic way. Strengthen our cultural, social, and legal standing as a united and resilient people.

This is not just about paperwork; this is about reclaiming our identity, honoring our ancestors, and protecting our children’s futures.

We urge the Tribal Council to take this opportunity to lead with courage, vision, and respect for our shared history. Let us reaffirm that the Passamaquoddy Nation is alive, thriving, and sovereign, not defined by paperwork, but by our unbreakable connection to each other and this land.

We call on all community members to support this appeal and stand together for the dignity and future of the Passamaquoddy people.

Respectfully submitted,
Alphonse A. Andoscia IV

August 9, 2025