Tribal Issues in the News
We track local, state, and national news coverage and editorials about issues important to the tribes in Maine, and have included excerpts from recent articles below. For more news from the Wabanaki Alliance, visit Latest News on our homepage, our Archive, or follow us on Facebook and Instagram. Find links to previous years’ news highlights at the end of this page.
It’s been 25 years since Maine passed a Wabanaki studies law. It’s only partly working.
Three generations of Penobscot advocates are fighting to ensure students in Maine are taught about Indigenous tribes.
Portland Press Herald
February 22, 2026
Nearly 25 years have passed since Maine lawmakers decided students should learn about Wabanaki history, culture and contemporary life. Still, not all children in Maine receive that comprehensive education. A 2022 report that examined 10 school districts — the five largest in the state and the five closest to reservations — found most were struggling to implement the law with little support from the state. Now, lawmakers are considering whether to provide long-term funding for a statewide Wabanaki studies specialist — something advocates say should have been done years ago.
Tribal chiefs press Maine lawmakers for progress
Spectrum News
February 19, 2026
The push by tribal leaders toward sovereignty and better access to beneficial federal laws continued at the State House Thursday with dozens of supporters speaking out at a public hearing. Leaders of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and Mi’kmaq Nation all testified to state legislators about the importance of LD 395, which seeks to give tribes in Maine the power to more easily access federal laws and LD 785, which proposes to grant sovereignty to the tribes.
Wednesday Sit-Down: Debating tribal sovereignty
WGME-TV
February 19, 2026
In this week’s Wednesday Sit-Down, Wabanaki Alliance Executive Director Maulian Bryant sits down with CBS 13 to talk about tribal sovereignty.
Bill to teach Wabanaki Studies in classrooms passes through both House & Senate committees
WABI-TV
February 12, 2026
A bill aimed to teach Wabanaki Studies in classrooms has passed through committee in both the House and Senate and is now on the appropriations table. The bill would make the Wabanaki Studies specialist position within the Maine Department of Education a permanent role. While Wabanaki Studies has been required in grades K through 12 for more than two decades, advocates say implementation has lacked structure and consistency.
Sovereignty, conservation and education top priorities for Wabanaki Alliance
Bangor Daily News
February 11, 2026
From an editorial by Maulian Bryant, Execute Director of the Wabanaki Alliance and a citizen of the Penobscot Nation
The Wabanaki Alliance was formed in 2020 by leadership of all of the Wabanaki Nations in our homelands now called Maine to advocate for and educate about policies and issues that impact the tribal communities and people. We have an exciting year filled with legislative work, candidate forums, and educational initiatives.
How the Wabanaki coalition is fighting for tribal sovereignty
Portland Press Herald
February 3, 2026
The Wabanaki Alliance is ramping up its push for Maine to fully recognize tribal sovereignty — and it’s looking beyond the end of Gov. Janet Mills’ administration. The alliance, composed of representatives from the four Indigenous nations in Maine as well as non-native allies, is pushing a slate of bills this session that would reshape the legal framework under which tribes in Maine operate into something that more closely resembles the other 571 federally recognized tribes nationwide. It’s also pushing initiatives to support Wabanaki studies curriculum development for public schools and lay the groundwork for certain kinds of land return.
In win for Penobscot Nation, Maine judge blocks expansion of Juniper Ridge Landfill
Maine Morning Star
January 9, 2026
A Maine superior court judge blocked the expansion of Maine’s largest landfill on Friday, siding with the Penobscot Nation and Boston-based environmental group Conservation Law Foundation. Penobscot County Superior Court Judge Bruce Mallonee ruled against the Department of Environmental Protection, saying the department had not done adequate fact finding to determine that expanding Juniper Ridge Landfill, located near Old Town, would benefit the public, and did not consider the environmental impacts that the landfill has on the nearby Penobscot Nation.