Father Demillier's Versions of the Lord's Prayer

Abstract

Three versions of Father Demillier's Lord's Prayer as used by Indians on the Passamaquoddy reserve at Pleasant Point, Maine, in 1833-1834 are compared with earlier versions assembled by J. Hammond Trumbull. The 18th century versions which are most similar to the early 19th century Pleasant Point versions, Trumbull attributes to the Canniba Indians living along the Kennebec River in southern Maine. Demillier's suggestions that Canniba and Penobscot are the same and that Penobscot is the liturgical tongue of the Passamaquoddies give credence to Trunbull's assumed connection. Finally, the fact thatthe deacon of the Passamaquoddy mission was a native speaker of Penobscot is further verification for my assumption that Demillier's versions are Penobscot-rather than Passamaquoddy.