Micmac Indian tribe

The Micmac Indian tribe is the indigenous people whose ancestral lands include the area of Ludlow, Maine, where the novel's central events unfold. Their ancient burial ground, located beyond the Pet Sematary, possesses a powerful and dangerous supernatural force that can resurrect the dead, a secret known to a few local residents and central to the novel's horror.

History and Territory

The Micmacs were the original inhabitants of the region, and their presence is felt throughout the story. The Creed property abuts state lands, and the realtor explains that the remains of the Micmac tribe had laid claim to nearly eight thousand acres in Ludlow and the towns east of it, with complicated litigation involving the federal and state governments that might stretch into the next century. This legal claim underscores the enduring connection between the tribe and the land, a connection that predates the arrival of European settlers. Jud Crandall, a lifelong resident, recalls how the Micmacs had staved off a British landing at Machiss two hundred years ago, describing them as "pretty fearsome" in those days, and notes that state and federal land lawyers still found them formidable.

The Micmac Burying Ground and Its Power

The most significant legacy of the Micmacs in the novel is their ancient burying ground, a place of immense and dangerous power. Jud Crandall describes it as a place the Micmacs had made by sanding off the top of a hill, a feat whose method is unknown, much like the Mayan pyramids. The Micmacs buried their dead there, and Jud explains that they did not discriminate, burying their pets right alongside their owners. The site is marked by cairns of stones, and the ground is stony and hard. The power of this place is not neutral; it is described as old, restless, and capable of resurrecting the dead, but the returned beings are fundamentally changed. Jud warns Louis that the place has power, and that it can be like heroin, poisoning the body and the way of thinking. He also states that the Micmacs believed the whole forest, from the swamp on north and east, was magic, and that other tribes, like the Penobscots, steered clear of it, saying the woods were full of ghosts.

The Wendigo and the Souring of the Land

The Micmacs themselves eventually abandoned the burying ground, believing it had been soured by the Wendigo, a malevolent spirit of the north country. Jud recounts that one Micmac claimed he saw a Wendigo there and that the ground had gone sour, leading to a big powwow about it. The Wendigo is associated with cannibalism, and Jud speculates that the Micmacs may have had to resort to it during harsh winters and that they buried the bones of those they ate in the burying ground, which then became corrupted. The Wendigo's presence is felt as a tangible, terrifying force in the woods beyond the Pet Sematary, a creature that can touch a person and awaken unspeakable appetites. The Wendigo is the ultimate guardian or corrupting influence of the Micmac burying ground, making it a place of profound evil rather than simple resurrection.

The Secret and Its Transmission

Knowledge of the Micmac burying ground and its power is a closely guarded secret, passed down through generations of local residents. Jud learned about it from Stanny Bouchard, a local tosspot whose grandfather was a fur trader who did business with the Micmacs. Stanny's grandfather learned the secret from the Micmacs themselves. Jud, in turn, shared the secret with Louis Creed after Louis saved Norma's life, a decision he later deeply regrets, believing the place used him to bring about tragedy. The transmission of this secret is a burden, and those who know it are drawn to share it, often with disastrous consequences. The story of Timmy Baterman, a young man resurrected by his father using the Micmac burying ground, serves as a horrific cautionary tale, demonstrating that the returned are not the same and are often filled with malice and knowledge of others' secrets. The Micmac burying ground is not a place of comfort but a source of abomination, a secret that should have remained buried.