[38] Maine Hist. Soc. Coll., vol. III (1853), p. 413.
[39] Ibid., p. 440. Among these names, Acteon for Attean (Etienne), Omborowess for Amblowess (Ambroise), and Pier for Piel (Pierre) are recognizable as present day Wabanaki family names. The name Omborowess was a Wawenock patronym. (See p. 176.)
But the peace did not last long and war again broke out between the English and Wabanaki tribes. Another treaty was consummated at Falmouth in 1749. In this compact, which finally brought an end to the Indian troubles in southern Maine, the “Arresuguntoocooks and Weweenocks” were represented by “Sawwaramet, Aussaado, Waannunga, Sauquish, Wareedeon, Wawawnunka.”[40] From this time on the Abenaki relinquished their attempts to retain their claims in Maine and retired to Canada, where the Wawenock came into possession of land at Becancour on Becancour River, while the Norridgewock and Aroosaguntacook, together with survivors of the other smaller tribes, settled permanently about 30 miles away at St. Francis, on St. Francis River. Maurault in 1866[41] asserted that only 10 families remained at Becancour, though they were of purer blood than the Abenaki at St. Francis. He says that in 1708 the Indians at Becancour numbered 500, having come from Lake Megantic, with others from the Androscoggin and Chaudiere Rivers. The number probably included Sokoki who had joined them in 1679 (see p. [173]).
[40] Maine Hist. Soc. Coll., Vol. IV, p. 164 (1856).
[41] Maurault, op. cit., pp. 288 and 294.
Although the Indians forming the St. Francis village and the Wawenock had many interests in common they remained independent of each other, not only in dialect but in political respects, in having their own reservations, chiefs, and administration, both religious and civil. The same conditions hold to-day. At St. Francis the Wawenock from Becancour are regarded as friendly strangers.
This brings us down to recent times. Politically the Wawenock have now about lost their name, being known in occasional reports as the Abenaki of Becancour. In 1910 they numbered 26,[42] including absentees, upon their reservation of 135⅔ acres. Most of them have scattered, some having gone to the French towns, while I encountered several families who have migrated to Lake St. John and live with the Montagnais as hunters and trappers.[43]
[42] In 1914 when I visited them they numbered 23.
[43] In traveling among the Montagnais of the Province of Quebec I have encountered some of the dispersed Wawenock families and descendants from whom the following information was secured.
In about 1870 Charles Neptune and his sister of Becancour, in company with some Abenaki from St. Francis (Aimable Gille, Obomsawin family), and relatives, came to Lake St. John by way of Chicoutimi. They migrated to Metabetchouan by canoe from Chicoutimi, and settled near the Hudson Bay Co.’s post, long since abandoned. Here they appropriated hunting territories with the permission of the Montagnais. Charles Neptune died in 1907. He spoke the Wawenock language. Six sons and three daughters survived him, his wife having been a Canadian. Their descendants are now living among the Montagnais at Lake St. John, under the family names of Neptune, du Chêne, and Phillippe. Another Wawenock from Becancour, Louis Philip, lives at Lake St. John. His father came from Lake Megantic on the border between Maine and the Province of Quebec. He was probably the last Wawenock to have been born in Maine. Philip has descendants at Lake St. John. He knows a few words and expressions which indicate the dialect of his father to have been really Wawenock. Of the 23 Wawenock descendants at Lake St. John, as enumerated by Noah Neptune in 1915, none know anything distinctive of their ancestral language or customs.