The property owners on Redskin’s Drive have sent a letter to the Wiscasset Board of Selectmen requesting to change their private road name from Redskin’s Drive to Micmac Drive.
The letter, signed by Sara Harvey, Michael Harvey, and Jeff Fortier, said, “To avoid any further conflict or potential lawsuits with the Indian tribes in the state we give our consent, but would like to just continue to show our pride in the Indian heritage in the road that leads to our home by using our father’s, our grandfather’s and our great-grandfather’s side of our Indian heritage as the road name.”
Last month the property owners asked the selectmen to approve a name of the road for 911 purposes. The two families on the road submitted five choices for the board’s consideration, their first choice being Redskin’s Drive. The other choices were Winchester Drive, Shotgun Alley, Black Widow Lane, and Remington Drive.
Selectman Ben Rines made a motion to name the road Redskin’s Drive. The motion carried 3-1-1. Selectmen Pam Dunning opposed the motion and Jeff Slack abstained.
On Sept. 4, Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Frances and James Sappier, former chief and current Penobscot Elder Council member, sent a letter to three of the Wiscasset selectmen asking them to overturn their decision naming the private road because of the negative connotations of the word.
As of Sept. 22, Merry, Slack, and Selectmen Ben Rines and William Barnes said they had not seen the letters, but had received several calls from the state and local news media.
Wiscasset Town Manager Marian Anderson said she received a copy of a letter from a newspaper reporter, but has had no discussion with the board regarding the letters.
On Wednesday, Sept. 24, Francis, during a telephone interview, said he doesn’t understand why the Wiscasset selectmen did not receive the letters, which were sent by email and the U.S. Postal Service, and said the letters would be resent immediately.
“We are looking for a respectful resolution to this issue, one that will create a sense of decency and respect toward each other,” Francis said. “It is important the selectmen know the negative impact their decision has on the native people.”
The request to change the name of the private road is expected to be on the selectmen’s agenda at their next meeting Tuesday, Oct. 7.
Chief Edward Peter Paul, of the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, said Sept. 26 he had no problem with the proposal to call the road Micmac Drive.
“It’s cool,” he said, adding that he sees the plan to name the road in honor of a Maine Native American tribe as a sign of respect.
“It all depends on how you take it. To me, when people do that, everybody takes things differently. Either way to me, is if it hurts some people, then don’t, [but] to me, it makes me proud to be a native.”
(Bangor Daily News writer Dawn Gagnon contributed to this article.)