Editing Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation

{{Short description| Native American Reservation in the state of Maine, United States}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=May 2024}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                     = Pleasant Point
| government_footnotes     = 
| nickname                 = 
| settlement_type          = [[Indian reservation]]
| motto                    = 
| image_skyline            = Sipayik, Maine.jpg
| imagesize                = 
| image_caption            = 
| image_flag               = 
| flag_size                = 140px
| image_seal               = 
| seal_size                = 
| image_shield             = 
| shield_size              = 
| image_map                = 2850R Pleasant Point Reservation Locator Map.svg
| mapsize                  = 140px
| anthem                   = 
| map_caption              = 
| subdivision_type         = Tribe
| subdivision_name         = [[Passamaquoddy Tribe|Passamaquoddy]]
| subdivision_type1        = Country
| subdivision_name1        = [[United States]]
| subdivision_type2        = State
| subdivision_name2        = [[Maine]]
| subdivision_type3        = County
| subdivision_name3        = [[Washington County, Maine|Washington]]
| subdivision_type4        = 
| seat_type                = 
| seat                     = 
| website                  = https://www.wabanaki.com
| native_name              = ''Sipayik''
| official_name            = Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation
| area_total_sq_mi         = 0.6
| leader_title             = Chief
| leader_title1            = Vice Chief
| leader_name1             = Ernie Neptune
| leader_title2            = Council Members
| leader_name2             = Ryan Currier<br />Dylan Francis<br />Pamela Francis<br />Denise Altvater<br />Pos Bassett
| established_date         = 
| established_title2       = <!-- Incorporated (town) -->
| established_date2        = 
| established_title3       = <!-- Incorporated (city) -->
| established_date3        = 
| area_total_km2           = 1.6
| area_land_km2            = 
| area_water_km2           = 
| area_land_sq_mi          = 
| area_water_sq_mi         = 
| government_type          = Tribal Council
| area_water_percent       = 
| population_as_of         = 2020
| population_footnotes     = 
| population_total         = 692
| population_density_km2   = 
| population_density_sq_mi = auto
| timezone                 = [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| elevation_footnotes      = 
| elevation_m              = 16
| elevation_ft             = 53
| postal_code_type         = <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... -->
| postal_code              = 04667
| leader_name              = Maggie Dana
}}
'''Passamaquoddy Pleasant Point Reservation''' ([[Malecite-Passamaquoddy language|Maliseet-Passamaquoddy]]: ''Sipayik'') is one of two [[Indian reservation|reservations]] of the federally recognized [[Passamaquoddy]] tribe in [[Washington County, Maine]], [[United States]]. The population was 692 as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].{{R|census2010}}

The Passamaquoddy also reside on the [[Passamaquoddy Indian Township Reservation|Indian Township Reservation]].

==Geography==
Sipayik is located near the [[Canada–United States border]] in Washington County, Maine on a [[peninsula]] with the Little River and [[Passamaquoddy Bay]] to the east and [[Cobscook Bay]] to the west.{{R|trailfinder}} It borders [[Eastport, Maine|Eastport]] and [[Perry, Maine|Perry]], and according to the [[United States Census Bureau]], has a total area of 0.6&nbsp;mi<sup>2</sup> (1.6&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>).

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1970= 307
|1980= 549
|1990= 572
|2000= 640
|2010= 749
|estyear=
|estimate=
|estref={{R|2019estimates}}
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{R|census2010}}
|2020=692}}
The ACS estimates 683 people and 258 households at Sipayik in 2019.{{R|2019estimates}} Passamaquoddy tribal census rolls report a total of 2,005 tribal members.{{R|ourpeople}}

According to the ACS, in 2019 11.70% of residents were white; 84.04% Native American; 1.02% from other races, and 3.66% from two or more races. The median income for a household was an estimated $26,429. 35.1% of families and 43.6% of the population had incomes below the [[Poverty in the United States|poverty line]], including 58.3% of those under age 18 and 28.8% of those age 65 or over.{{R|2019estimates}}

==Drinking water crisis==
===Passamaquoddy Water District===
Sipayik's municipal water is provided by the Passamaquoddy Water District (PWD). Despite incorporating the tribe in its name, PWD is not tribally affiliated; it is a state-chartered [[Quasi-corporation|quasi-municipal corporation]] created by the [[Maine Legislature]] in an emergency act in 1983. PWD is governed by an independent board of trustees and an [[executive director]], and serves slightly over 600 households in Perry, Eastport and Sipayik, Maine. The PWD is responsible for infrastructure at the water source, a water tower at Sipayik, and facilities in Eastport.{{R|weru}}{{R|beaconwater}}

PWD water comes from the Boyden [[Reservoir]] in Perry, a shallow body that is only 10–11 feet deep at its deepest point. Since it is a shallow, surface-water source, the water contains high amounts of [[organic matter]] that are exacerbated by weather events and routine system maintenance procedures.{{R|weru}}{{R|beaconwater}}{{R|bdnwater}} When chlorine is used to treat water containing organic matter, the [[disinfection by-product]] [[trihalomethane]] (THM) forms. Acute exposure to large doses of THMs can cause [[hepatotoxicity|liver damage]] and [[central nervous system depression]] in humans, and laboratory animal studies of chronic low-dose exposure suggest that THMs may be carcinogenic.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.cdc.gov/biomonitoring/THM-DBP_BiomonitoringSummary.html |title=Centers For Disease Control Biomonitoring Summary for Disinfection By-Products|website=Centers for Disease Control|date=May 15, 2019}}</ref>  PWD water testing has revealed high levels of THM since testing for disinfection by-products began following the [[Safe Drinking Water Act]] (SDWA) of 1974. Between 1977 and 1981, THM levels in PWD water were three to four times the [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA) Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL).{{R|weru}}{{R|beaconwater2}} Levels exceeding the MCL were recorded again in 2005 and 2017,{{R|bdnwater}} and in both 2018 and 2019 THM concentrations were above the MCL for three out of the four quarters of the year.{{R|beaconwater}} Boyden Reservoir's water level continues to decrease, causing the levels of organic matter to rise along with the amount of chlorine needed to treat the supply.{{R|weru}}{{R|beaconwater}}{{R|bdnwater}} PWD's treatment facility has seen $14.9 million worth of upgrades since 2000, and state officials reported in August 2020 that the water test results were within federal regulatory limits. This is disputed by tribal documents.{{R|bdnwater}}

===Resident experience===
Since 2000, residents of Sipayik have received 49 public notices on water quality, 22 of which warned of unsafe levels of THM and [[haloacetic acids]] and stated that these contaminants can lead to "liver, kidney, and central nervous system problems and an increased risk of cancer.” The water is frequently discolored and odorous,{{R|weru}}{{R|beaconwater2}} and runs black, brown and green when weather events or routine maintenance procedures cause excess [[turbidity]] in the reservoir.{{R|weru}}{{R|beaconwater}}{{R|bdnwater}}

Though most Sipayik residents do not drink the PWD tap water, it is commonly used for other needs such as bathing and household cleaning. Because THMs vaporize at room temperature and can be inhaled and absorbed through the skin,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Nuckols |first1=John R. |last2=Ashley |first2=David L. |last3=Lyu |first3=Christopher |last4=Gordon |first4=Sydney M. |last5=Hinckley |first5=Alison F. |last6=Singer |first6=Philip |title=Influence of Tap Water Quality and Household Water Use Activities on Indoor Air and Internal Dose Levels of Trihalomethanes |journal=Environmental Health Perspectives |date=March 24, 2005 |volume=113 |issue=7 |pages=863–870 |doi=10.1289/ehp.7141 |pmid=16002374 |pmc=1257647 |doi-access=free }}</ref> it is likely that even the Sipayik residents who avoid drinking the tap water are still subject to chronic THM exposure.{{R|weru}}{{R|bdnwater}}{{R|beaconwater2}}

===Barriers to safe water===
The ability of the Passamaquoddy Tribe to implement solutions to the PWD water crisis is limited because Maine does not grant tribes the ability to regulate and permit water resources independent of the state. A bill was introduced to the 129th Maine legislature to amend Maine's tribal sovereignty law, but the legislature had not taken it up by the time it adjourned due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].{{R|beaconwater}}{{R|bdnwater}} Also, the PWD is the only public water utility in Maine that is not tax-exempt. Due to this and its limited customer base, there has not been adequate funding for infrastructure repairs that could improve drinking water quality.{{R|beaconwater}}

Efforts to develop wells as alternatives to the PWD system and reservoir have met resistance. In 2014, the Passamaquoddy Tribe drilled a well on a parcel of their land in Perry, Maine. After initial testing of the well negatively impacted other wells in the area, the town of Perry passed an ordinance limiting activity on the new well, and the project was halted.{{R|beaconwater}}{{R|bdnwater}} In 2020, state regulations also prevented the tribe from independently testing and permitting a well for the new Sipayik Elementary School. The Passamaquoddy Tribe successfully obtained permits and dug a hand-pumped well from which people in need of clean drinking water can fill storage jugs in the fall of 2020.{{R|beaconwater}}

===Solutions===
In November 2019, the Passamaquoddy Tribe of Pleasant Point received a $30,000 grant from the United States Environmental Protection Agency for water studies and testing, community outreach, reporting and action plan development.{{R|epagrant}} The EPA has recommended testing in a wider variety of the PWD's service area and is helping to institute more regular testing of the water.{{R|weru}}

In early 2020, Passamaquoddy leaders assembled a group of stakeholders in the water crisis to began developing short-, middle- and long-term solutions and to increase water testing at Sipayik.{{R|beaconwater}}{{R|weru}} The group includes tribal leaders, PWD leaders, state water officials, EPA Region 1 representatives, and individuals from other municipalities. Tribal leaders expressed a desire to understand exactly what is in the water, to have more routine testing of the PWD system take place at Sipayik as opposed to the neighboring towns of Perry or Eastport, and to establish institutional partnerships to study the health impacts of the PWD water.{{R|weru}}

As of late September 2020, the stakeholder group had held three meetings during which the State of Maine acknowledged an ongoing public health crisis at Sipayik and pledged to aid in solutions. A state grant program has been announced to address imminent public health threats, and PWD will use the first grant for a one-year pilot project: A granular [[activated carbon]] [[water purification]] system will be installed to treat the water after the existing PWD treatment. Administration of the 2019 EPA grant, focused on feasibility studies for alternative water supplies, continues; and the tribe is waiting on state permits to install a roadside well using funding from the [[CARES act]].{{R|weru}}

==Notable people==
<!---♦♦♦ Only add a person to this list if they already have their own article on the English Wikipedia ♦♦♦---> 
<!---♦♦♦ Please keep the list in alphabetical order by LAST NAME ♦♦♦--->
*[[Melvin Francis]] (1945–2006), reservation governor

==References==
{{reflist|refs=

<ref name=census2010>{{cite web |title=Total Population: Pleasant Point Reservation, ME, DEC Summary File 1 |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Pleasant%20Point%20Reservation,%20ME&tid=DECENNIALSF12010.P1&hidePreview=false |website=United States Census Bureau |access-date=March 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210306175341/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Pleasant%20Point%20Reservation,%20ME&tid=DECENNIALSF12010.P1&hidePreview=false |archive-date=March 6, 2021}}</ref>

<!-- <ref name=censusprojection2019>{{cite web |title=Total population: Pleasant Point Reservation, ME, 2019: ACS 5-year Estimates Detailed Tables |url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Pleasant%20Point%20Reservation,%20ME&tid=ACSDT5Y2019.B01003&hidePreview=false |website=United States Census Bureau |access-date=March 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210306175751/https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?q=Pleasant%20Point%20Reservation,%20ME&tid=ACSDT5Y2019.B01003&hidePreview=false |archive-date=March 6, 2021}}</ref> -->

<ref name=2019estimates>{{cite web |title=My Tribal Area: Pleasant Point Reservation |url=https://www.census.gov/tribal/?aianihh=2850 |website=United States Census Bureau |access-date=March 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210306182310/https://www.census.gov/tribal/?aianihh=2850 |archive-date=March 6, 2021}}</ref>

<ref name=ourpeople>{{cite web |title=Our People |url=https://www.passamaquoddy.com/?page_id=14 |website=Passamaquoddy Tribe @ Indian Township |access-date=March 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411153915/http://www.passamaquoddy.com/?page_id=14 |archive-date=April 11, 2013}}</ref>

<ref name=beaconwater>{{cite web |last1=Lewis-Nash |first1=Robby |title=Tribal leaders seek to end decades-long ordeal, bring clean water to Pleasant Point |url=https://mainebeacon.com/tribal-leaders-seek-to-end-decades-long-ordeal-bring-clean-water-to-pleasant-point/ |website=Maine Beacon |access-date=February 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210226194732/https://mainebeacon.com/tribal-leaders-seek-to-end-decades-long-ordeal-bring-clean-water-to-pleasant-point/ |archive-date=February 26, 2021 |date=September 20, 2020}}</ref>

<ref name=beaconwater2>{{cite web |last1=Lewis-Nash |first1=Robby |title='Dirty water causes our communities to lose sight that they are worthy of clean water' |url=https://mainebeacon.com/dirty-water-causes-our-communities-to-lose-sight-that-they-are-worthy-of-clean-water/ |website=Maine Beacon |access-date=February 27, 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210227205235/https://mainebeacon.com/dirty-water-causes-our-communities-to-lose-sight-that-they-are-worthy-of-clean-water/ |archive-date=February 27, 2021 |date=October 12, 2020}}</ref>

<ref name=weru>{{cite podcast
| url= https://archives.weru.org/radioactive/2020/10/radioactive-10-15-20-drinking-water-crisis-at-sipayik/
| title= Drinking Water Crisis at Sipayik
| website= WERU 89.9
| publisher= Salt Pond Community Broadcasting
| host= Meredith DeFrancesco
| date= October 15, 2020
| time=
| access-date= February 27, 2021
}}</ref>

<ref name=epagrant>{{cite web |title=EPA Awards 2019 Environmental Justice Small Grants for Projects to Passamaquoddy Tribe of Pleasant Point and Penobscot Indian Nation |url=https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-awards-2019-environmental-justice-small-grants-projects-passamaquoddy-tribe |website=United States Environmental Protection Agency |access-date=February 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201024092511/https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-awards-2019-environmental-justice-small-grants-projects-passamaquoddy-tribe |archive-date=October 24, 2020 |date=November 5, 2019}}</ref>

<ref name=bdnwater>{{cite web |last1=Andrews |first1=Caitlin |title=A Maine tribe worries about its water as it faces sovereignty fight and pandemic |url=https://bangordailynews.com/2020/08/10/politics/a-maine-tribe-worries-about-its-water-as-it-faces-sovereignty-fight-and-pandemic/ |website=The Bangor Daily News |access-date=February 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228183820/https://bangordailynews.com/2020/08/10/politics/a-maine-tribe-worries-about-its-water-as-it-faces-sovereignty-fight-and-pandemic/ |archive-date=February 28, 2021 |date=August 10, 2020}}</ref>

<ref name=trailfinder>{{cite web |title=Sipayik Trail |url=https://www.mainetrailfinder.com/trails/trail/sipayik-trail |website=Maine Trail Finder |access-date=March 6, 2021 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210306192842/https://www.mainetrailfinder.com/trails/trail/sipayik-trail |archive-date=March 6, 2021}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
* [http://www.wabanaki.com/ Pleasant Point - Passamaquoddy Tribal Government]
* [http://www.fourdirectionsmaine.org/wabanaki-tribes/ Wabanaki Tribes - Four Directions Development Corporation]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20150129074039/http://www.wabanakitrails.org/home/passamaquoddy-tribe-at-pleasant-point/ Wabanaki Trails - Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point]
* [https://passamaquoddywater.com/ Passamaquoddy Water District]
* [https://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/119322 MIT water study of Passamaquoddy Water District area]

{{Washington County, Maine}}
{{coord|44|57|18|N|67|02|44|W|scale:50000_source:GNIS|display=title}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:American Indian reservations in Maine]]
[[Category:Geography of Washington County, Maine]]
[[Category:Passamaquoddy]]
[[Category:Populated coastal places in Maine]]
[[Category:Towns in Maine]]
[[Category:Federally recognized tribes in the United States]]
[[Category:Washington County, Maine]]