Government

• The tribe's government consists of a chief, vice chief and tribal council. The chief and vice chief serve two-year terms, while council members serve four-year terms. Elections are held every two years. Six seats on the council are up for election in every cycle, ensuring the council never entirely consists of new members. The government enforces tribal laws, manages tribal resources and operates tribal programs. The tribe also sends a representative to the Maine's legislature. The representative can introduce legislation and speak at sessions of the legislature but cannot vote.
  
  

Infrastructure and Population

• The tribe's reservation includes Indian Island, Maine, and 215 islands in the Penobscot River. Its government is headquartered on Indian Island. Government property includes a community building, a school, a health clinic, an apartment complex, an office building, bingo palace, housing authority, public safety building and department of human services. The tribe has about 2,200 members. About 400 live at the reservation, while the rest live within a 50-mile radius of Indian Island. Indian Island is the only permanently inhabited island; the others are used for hunting, camping and gathering natural resources.
  
  

History

• The Penobscot made substantial contact with 17th-century explorers from France and England such as Bartholomew Gosnold, Samuel de Champlain and John Smith. In the 17th and early 18th centuries, they sided with France during several wars with England. During the American Revolution, the tribe sided with the colonists. In 1796, the Penobscots signed a treaty with Massachusetts and gave up most of their land except several islands in the Penobscot River to white settlers. In exchange they received ammunition, salt, corn and cloth. In 1820, the Penobscot reservation became part of Maine. In 1980, the Maine Indian Land Claim Settlement granted the Penobscots and the Passamaquody a $21 million trust fund and $51 million to buy land.
  
  

Wabanaki Confederacy

• During the 17th century, the Penobscot fought many wars against neighboring tribes for the control of resources. In 1701, facing the expansion of British colonies, the Penobscot, the Passamaquody, the Maliseet and the Mi'kmaq set aside their differences and created the Wabanaki Confederacy. Member nations retained their sovereignty but worked together on issues such as diplomacy, warfare and trade. Although the confederacy disbanded in 1862, the tribes maintain close political ties.
  
  

Culture

• The Penobscot were organized into small family bands that came together periodically for religious ceremonies, resource gathering and political organizing. They lived off moose, muskrat, beaver, deer and a variety of plants. Some traditional Penobscot arts include basket making, drumming, singing and dancing. Intricately carved clubs made from birch tree roots traditionally used for hunting and trapping have become popular collectibles. These Indians traveled along Maine's extensive network of rivers in birch bark canoes. These canoes were also used by 17th-century explorers and fur traders. The craft is kept alive by tribal sponsorship.