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Umbazooksus and Beyond: Katahdin and Ragged Lake

Map of Mt. Ktaadn, 1917

Map of Mt. Ktaadn, 1917

Item 17584 info
Maine Historical Society

THE GREATEST MOUNTAIN

Katahdin -- "greatest mountain" to Maine Indians -- at 5,268 feet is the highest peak in Maine and is a symbol of the state and the wilderness challenges it offers.

Native Americans believed that at least three holy deities resided there. One, the Spirit of Katahdin (often referred to by Euro-Americans as Pamola) had extraordinary powers and Indians believed those who ventured into his mountain territory might never return.

Indians, therefore, treated the mountain and its spirits with reverence and caution.