Our Latest Newsletter: Candidate forums, Women's History Month, legislative updates, and more!

We have had an exciting month. Legislative work is in full swing and we are closely monitoring our priority bills and their accompanying amendments. In the short session, the second year of the legislature, it tends to be a tighter timeline for committee work and the adjournment date of April 15th seems to be quickly on the horizon. We are working on the Judiciary Committee bills. These bills, which were amended from their original focus on amending the 1980 Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement, now feature a new Tribal Representative for the Mi'kmaq Nation, increased tax provisions, and a task force created to study restoring access to beneficial federal laws from which the Wabanaki have been essentially blocked for 46 years. We are also working on bills concerning tribal rights in land easements, Wabanaki Studies in schools (the Specialist position is included in the Governor's supplemental budget yet the remaining pieces of the bill in LD 1474 are on the appropriations table), and the ongoing resistance to the expansion of the Juniper Ridge Landfill near the Penobscot Nation.

We also held the first in our series of candidate forums: the Gubernatorial race! We were hosted by the Houlton Band of Maliseet and had a historic night featuring a unified Wabanaki voice presenting questions and engaging in conversation with eight of the candidates seeking the office of Governor. We were especially thankful for Chief Sabattis's warm welcome, the beautiful opening ceremony, and the youth participation. We look forward to the United States Senate and Second Congressional District forums as well as our other electoral work throughout the year. 

I want to extend immense gratitude to our team, our board, the tribal leaders who support our work, our coalition partners, and all of our allies and friends throughout the homelands. In our state, country, and world the things that divide us can feel ever present and heavy. This type of tension has historically paved the way for new and better beginnings. We feel this way about the restoration of the recognition of our inherent tribal sovereignty, and we are thankful for all of you on this journey with us. 

Woliwoni!

Maulian Bryant
Executive Director