''. . . We should remember that in naming streams and rivers, an Indian's point of view was that of a canoeman working his way upstream, concerned only with the set of the current, the riverbed, the carries, the routes by way of entering streams, and the immediate banks.''

From Eckstrom's book, here are some Maine place names and their meanings.

Penobscot: ''the rocky part,'' or ''at the descending rock.'' The original reference was to a part of the Penobscot River above Great Falls in Old Town.

Sebasticook: ''passage river,'' or ''almost-through river.'' This tributary of the Kennebec in Winslow was an important travel route, the shortest way of going from the Penobscot River to Quebec by way of Arnold's Trail.

Kenduskeag: ''the eel-weir place,'' a reference to fishing on this stream that meets the Penobscot in Bangor.

Passadumkeag: ''above the gravel bar.'' The name for an important tributary of the Penobscot. After passing by a set of rapids, canoe travelers knew they were near this small river. It was an important landmark, because the Passadumkeag led into the Union, Narraguagus, and Machias rivers. With portages, canoeists also could go into the St. Croix watershed.

Mattawamkeag: ''at the mouth a gravel bar.'' This name marked the Mattawamkeag River, feeding the Penobscot from the east. The smaller stream entered with a bed of gravel inside its own mouth. This distinguished the Mattawamkeag from the Passadumkeag, where the stream entered above or beyond a gravel bar.

Nicatous: ''the little fork.'' The name for this large Hancock County lake really applies to the nearby place where the main branch of the Passadumkeag River meets what is now Nicatous Stream.

Gassabias: ''little clear-water lake.'' A derivative of Kiasobeak, or ''clear-water lake.'' Kiasobeak is the original name of Nicatous Lake. Gassabias is a smaller lake that drains into Nicatous from the east.

Passagassawakeag: ''a sturgeon's place,'' or ''a place for spearing sturgeon by torchlight.'' This river runs through Belfast at Belfast Bay.

Winnegance: ''short carry.'' This name today marks the bay and creek between Phippsburg and West Bath. But the name also refers in general to a canoe-carry and is applied to other short coastal portages across necks of land.

Monhegan: ''out-to-sea island '' or ''the island.'' A reference to this island off Port Clyde, set off by itself.

Manan: ''little island.'' This small island creates the harbor at Monhegan.

Wiscasset: ''the outlet.'' A reference to what is now Wiscasset harbor, at the mouth of the Sheepscot River.

Androscoggin: ''place for preparing, curing fish.'' Reference to the abundance of salmon, alewives and other migratory fish found at the time along the Androscoggin River.

Pejepscot: ''long rocky rapids part.'' Name of the lower stretch of the Androscoggin River in Brunswick, now the site of a hydroelectric dam.

Aucocisco: ''muddy bay'' or ''head-of-the-bay, mud.'' A description of what is now Back Cove in Portland.

- Tux Turkel

From "Hinckley Township: Grand Lake Stream Plantation, A Sketch by Minnie Atkinson" from about 1920.

Maine's natives: The Passamaquoddies

Oneida Indian Nation's links to Native American Sites, including news, chat, a language page, and more.

The NativeWeb home page seeks to "provide a cyber-place for Earth's indigenous peoples." With legal information, newsletters and journals, childrens sites, historical material and lots of good links.

Brown ash basketry from the University of Maine's Hudson Museum. Their exhibit is on display in Caribou, Maine, through December, 1997.

Coil basketry and Quill decoration, a craft mastered by the Passamaquoddies, is explained on NativeTech.

A map with the locations of many of the tribes of the east and south, including the Passamaquoddies.

The Penobscot Primer Project at the University of Maine is a computerized Native American language resource for teaching and research, with audio clips.

The American Indian Tribal Directory from the American Indian Heritage Foundation.