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- Between 2008 and 2011, the Bowdoin College Library conducted an oral history project to create a collection of spoken recollections and personal impressions from individuals who have known George J. Mitchell in a variety of ways. These oral histories document his life and career from early childhood onward, with particular emphasis on his public service to Maine and to the nation, and they complement his personal papers, which are also held by Bowdoin College. Interviewees include Senator Mitchell's Waterville (Maine) friends and acquaintances; family members; college classmates; Maine legislators; political associates and competitors; campaign supporters; U.S. Senate colleagues and staff members; public agency officials; foreign policy specialists; law practice associates; public policy advocates; board members of various affiliations; and friends. Because oral history recordings are intrinsically informal, spontaneous, and candid, they characterize events and personalities in ways that are otherwise silent in the historical record. In particular, they capture personal knowledge and institutional memory about people, occasions, and processes that are rarely documented elsewhere. Thus, these oral histories provide an invaluable resource in understanding both the recent past and how individuals have played essential roles in shaping the present. TRANSCRIPT GUIDELINES Every attempt has been made to create transcripts that reflect the recorded interviews accurately. Interviewees were given the opportunity to edit their transcripts to correct errors of transcription and fact (often, for example, a recollection might have included a misremembered date or place), or to enhance clarity of expression. Additions and minor deletions or changes are indicated in the transcript by closed brackets ([ ]); more substantive omissions are noted as: [p/o] (i.e. “[phrase omitted]”). ATTRIBUTION These recordings and transcripts are provided for educational use, private study, and research. Brief quotations for academic purposes and other uses that fall within “fair use” (Title 17, United States Code) require proper attribution customary to the discipline or community. All other uses not protected by “fair use,” including derivation, publication, and reproduction, require written permission from Bowdoin College. In citing these interviews, specify the interviewee, interviewer, and interview date following the style found in the example below: George J. Mitchell, interview by Andrea L’Hommedieu, 10 May 2011, George J. Mitchell Oral History Project, Bowdoin College Library, Brunswick, Maine.
- Report of the President, Bowdoin College (1891-2001) provides annual “state of the college” summaries issued by the Office of the President. Most issues also include annual reports of the librarian, the director of the Museum of Art, the curator of the Arctic Museum, the dean of the College, and for some years, reports by the registrar, the dean of the Medical School, the College physician, and the director of the Senior Center. Among the matters discussed are gifts and acquisitions, changes in programs and personnel, demographics and other statistical data.
- The individual narrative of each Bowdoin student is central to defining the College. Bowdoin Stories began in 2015 as a collection of short interviews between Bowdoin students, to give each of them an opportunity to become part of Bowdoin’s history while still on campus. In Spring 2020, Bowdoin Stories was relaunched as a platform where all members of the Bowdoin community can contribute stories about their experiences with COVID-19.
This series includes audio and video recordings, as well as related transcripts, of all unrestricted statements by individuals that are part of the TRC archives. Statement providers include Wabanaki elders, children once in foster care and their family members, foster and adoptive parents, tribal leaders, service providers, incarcerated people, attorneys and judges, caseworkers, and administrators from the tribes and from the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). Some statement providers requested anonymity, and in those cases, both the transcripts and recordings have been altered to protect participants' identities.
These personal memories provide a window into the realities of the relationship between Wabanaki people and the state of Maine. As evidenced by the recordings themselves, the process of providing statements was often an emotional one for participants. Readers should be aware that many of the statements contain challenging and disturbing content. The statements are made available online with the hope that broader access to these important historical records will further our understanding of this difficult past and lead to improved child welfare practices for Wabanaki families.
Bowdoin does not hold copyright for these materials. They are made available for research and educational purposes, and with the permission of the TRC and individual statement providers. For all uses outside of "fair use" (as defined by Title 17, United States Code), including derivation, publication, and reproduction, researchers must secure permission from the copyright holders, typically the individual statement providers.
For More Information
If you have questions or concerns about your statement, or if you need research assistance, please contact the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives at scaref@bowdoin.edu or calling 207.725.3288
Visit the website of Wabanaki REACH to stay up to date on the work to implement the Commission’s recommendations. If you participated in the TRC and need support, or if you wish to contribute to the archive by providing a statement, please contact Wabanaki REACH at 207.615.3189
Please also read Wabanaki REACH's statement of support issued upon the release of the archives.
A related series of Statements collected at Focus Group meetings is also available.
- Digitized collection catalogues, exhibition catalogues, and more from the Bowdoin College Museum of Art.
On June 29, 2012, five Wabanaki Chiefs and Maine’s Governor Paul LePage signed a mandate commencing the Maine Wabanaki-State Child Welfare Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC). Under the leadership of five appointed commissioners, the TRC was charged with examining Maine’s child welfare practices affecting Wabanaki people; the focus of the Commission was on "truth, healing, and change." Over the course of three years, the TRC collected statements from nearly 150 individuals and focus groups. The TRC published a final report on June 14, 2015, detailing key findings and recommendations for further action.
At the conclusion of its work, the TRC transferred its extensive archives to the Bowdoin College Library’s George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives. The collection includes video, audio, and written statements, and other personal documents contributed by participants, founding documents, the final report, and administrative and research records. This website provides online access to all the unrestricted statements that are part of the collection. Researchers interested in consulting other components of the collection described in the online inventory may do so by visiting the George J. Mitchell Department of Special Collections & Archives. For more information, email scaref@bowdoin.edu or call 207.725.3288.
Please read Wabanaki REACH's statement of support issued upon the release of the archives.