Department or Program

Environmental Studies

Abstract

This thesis project explores the relationship between the Lewiston community and the Androscoggin River, exploring how human-river interactions across history have shaped social, cultural, and environmental relationships that persist today. Drawing on historical context and community perspectives, the project traces a progression of relationships with the river, from kinship to ownership to appreciation. The Indigenous Peoples understood the Androscoggin as kin, treating it as a living relative essential to sustenance, travel, and community life. This relationship was disrupted with the arrival of Western settlers, who reframed the river as an economic resource. Industrial development, including dams and canals, transformed the river into a controlled power source, fueling Lewiston’s economic growth while displacing Indigenous communities and causing severe pollution that altered public perception of the river. In recent decades, however, environmental restoration efforts and a growing emphasis on tourism, recreation, and aesthetics have reshaped this relationship once again, increasing the appreciation for the Androscoggin. By situating contemporary interactions within their historical context, this thesis highlights the central role of the river in shaping Lewiston’s past and present. Ultimately, the project argues that acknowledging the Androscoggin’s influence fosters greater awareness, respect, and responsibility toward the river as an enduring presence within the community.

Level of Access

Restricted: Campus/Bates Community Only Access

First Advisor

Joe Hall

Date of Graduation

5-2026

Degree Name

Bachelor of Arts

Number of Pages

74

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Available to Bates community via local IP address or Bates login.

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