Ancient Tobacco
We received this ancient tobacco seed as a gift from Albie Barden, who lives on the Kennebec River in Norridgewock, Maine – down the road from the site of the locally infamous Norridgewock Massacre, perpetrated by the English on the Native American village on August 23, 1724. The oral history of the seed given by Albie Barden is as follows:
“I first learned of the tobacco seed in a news letter called Kuwesi News (Pine Medicine News) published by the Passamaquoddy Elder Fredda Paul and his wife Leslie. I wrote to them and asked to learn more about the story and if they could share some seeds with me. It was perhaps ten or more years ago that a friend of theirs and mine heard about the seed. It was discovered in an accidentally disturbed grave during a construction dig on the North Shore of Lake Superior. In the grave was a small sealed ceramic jar of seeds. The seeds were taken to a University in Guelph in Ontario. The seeds were identified as tobacco seeds and carbon dating showed them to be 1000-1200 years old. When planted, they proved to be still viable, and our friend Larry gave some to Fredda and Leslie who grew out some tobacco and from their harvest they shared a light bulb box full of seed pods with me containing tens of thousands of seed. I have been growing the tobacco for plant offerings and prayers and giving the seeds away ever since. “
Albie Barden, 1/14/2019
