Molly Ockett, Abenaki Healing Woman

By Nancy Lecompte – “Canyon Wolf”

Her Indian name was Singing Bird. Her Christian name was Marie Agatha. She probably pronounced it “Mali Agget” which sounded like Molly Ockett (Wikipedia) to the English settlers. Molly is undoubtedly the most well known Abenaki who ever walked in the forests of Western Maine. Legend, romance, and mystery have always been favorite topics for writers and Molly definitely has received her share of these stories. It has been very frustrating to sort out truth from fantasy.

Who was Molly, really! Molly was once referred to as “Androscoggin Valley’s Florence Nightingale”. A romantic title for a lone Indian squaw, but very well deserved. First and foremost Molly was an Abenaki healing woman. She wandered throughout the Upper Androscoggin and Connecticut Rivers in traditional Abenaki manner. She collected her healing medicines and provided for herself as she had been taught by her ancestors. Molly was a fine hunter. If she made a large kill near a settlement she would seek help from the locals in dragging the kill out and shared generously with her assistants. She administered her remedies to the settlers whenever and where ever there was a need, never accepting more than one copper penny for her services. Molly was the only doctor available to most of these early settlers. A story told by the Hamlin family of Paris Hill tells of her saving the life of the infant Hannibal Hamlin and predicting that he would become a very famous man. She touched their lives in many positive ways. Read more ->