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256 John Bear Mitchell (b. 1968) An educator and storyteller, John Bear Mitchell works for the University of Maine’s Wabanaki Center and has made numerous appearances on radio and television, particularly with Maine pbs. Mitchell wrote eight Ulnerbeh (Gluscabe) stories, including the one below, for the environmental education organization Penobscot Riverkeepers 2000. The Bangor Daily News ran the stories. The Penobscot River, home to the Penobscot Nation, has been subject to drastic pollution, particularly from the pulp and paper mills that surround the area. Penobscot people have been at the forefront of efforts to clean the river and educate the public about it. What’s It Like Today? Chapter 7 from the Ulnerbeh series Ulnerbeh was nearing the end of his journey, and many years had passed since he had begun his travels.²¹ He missed everything old, everything he considered the way it used to be—should be. With each dip of his paddle, Ulnerbeh reflected upon his life. What has happened to this land? Why have so many people built large wigwams on the shores of the river? Why do people travel on land and not the waterways? Ulnerbeh couldn’t answer the questions that he was asking himself. “There is only one thing to do,” Ulnerbeh thought. “I will travel back to Indian Island and visit the village my people called Burnurwurbskek.²² I will walk the island’s dirt paths; I will examine the village and talk to the young people. I need to try to understand this change.” Ulnerbeh portaged from the Kennebec River and made his way toward the Penobscot River to head north. He noticed many changes in the land, and smooth black paths disrupted the way he used to navigate. Noisy animals zipped by as Ulnerbeh tried to make it to safety. One fast-moving animal, the color of a strawberry, went by so fast that the wind it left behind almost blew the canoe off his shoulders; that is the one Ulnerbeh wanted to put one of his arrows into, but it was too fast. Oh well, maybe next time! John Bear Mitchell 257 Ulnerbeh placed his canoe down on the bank of the Penobscot River. He sat down and thought about noises he was hearing while he prepared himself a lunch. “Why all these changes?” he thought. While Ulnerbeh was preparing his canoe, a small black-and-white dog came sniffing—looking for something to eat. Ulnerbeh watched the dog slowly walk up to him—but not too close. The dog hunched over with his two front legs stretched out in front of him and placed his chin on the ground, leaving his back end and tail standing high above his head. Ulnerbeh flung a piece of meat at the dog. The dog jumped high and made a complete turn before hitting the ground, then lunged for the meat. Instead of grabbing the meat and running somewhere to eat it, the dog tossed and tossed the meat as if he were playing a game. Every once in a while the dog would run close to Ulnerbeh, look up at him, and run toward the meat once more. “Chabootdez,” Ulnerbeh yelled. “You sure act like a clown. I’ll call you Chabootdez.” Ulnerbeh found a new friend, a friend to travel with. Ulnerbeh and Chabootdez paddled up river until they came to a large wall that spanned the river. “What could this be?” Ulnerbeh asked. “It slows the river down.” Ulnerbeh took his canoe out of the water and portaged around the large stone wall, which held the river behind it. As Ulnerbeh continued his journey, he encountered another and yet another wall that spanned the river. But finally, after the fourth portage, Ulnerbeh saw it. There before him was the village of Burnurwurbskek. Only now it looked somewhat different. Ulnerbeh recognized the shape of the village, but it also had had many changes since he last visited it. Spanning the river was a long bridge. Ulnerbeh realized that his people no longer needed canoes to get to the village. Where fields of grass once grew, there now stood large houses. Where small wigwams were once scattered, now were the grave markers for the tribe’s deceased. Ulnerbeh walked the smooth road on the lower part of the village, slowly making his way up to the hill, the hill where his grandparents once lived. The field where the children had played games was now flooded with water, and Ulnerbeh saw children in...

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