ROGER PAUL

Born on the Motahkomikuk reservation in Down East Maine to a Passamaquoddy mother and a Wolastoq father, Roger grew up speaking the local Wabanaki dialects and began learning English around the age of five. Living on various reservations throughout Maine and New Brunswick during his childhood, he attended Catholic schools, as well as public schools off the reservation. After finally finding an employer who would hire a young Indigenous man, he toured the world with the U.S. Marine Corps, and earned his Bachelor’s degree in Sociology at the University of Maine at Presque Isle. It was during this time he realized the public’s lack of understanding and connection to the indigenous peoples of Eastern North America.

As such, he chose to educate anyone who was willing to learn about the Wabanaki People and their vital role in the communities in which they are ever-present. Roger has done work for the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, the Houlton Band of Maliseets, his home tribe of Passamaquoddy and is presently working as a teacher with the Penobscot Nation and the University of Maine at Orono.

​His work history mirrors his background from being Cultural Director, Teacher, Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor, Consultant, and now finishing up his Masters in Linguistics at MIT. A mihtaqs (father) of three and a muhsums (grandfather) of five, he takes an active role towards the continued growth, prosperity, and preservation of Wabanaki Culture and Language. He endeavors to educate all people on the importance of realizing the significance of the indigenous peoples of New England and Atlantic Canada.