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.

Press Herald teams up with Report for America to cover Wabanaki Nations

Portland Press Herald
December 17, 2024

The Portland Press Herald is teaming up with Report for America to hire a reporter to cover the Wabanaki Nations in Maine. This first-of-its-kind beat will examine how Maine’s distinct limits on tribal sovereignty affect more than 9,000 members of the tribes that make up the Wabanaki Nations.

Wabanaki Alliance testifies in Washington about the crisis of missing and murdered indigenous women

Maine Public
November 21, 2024

Murdered and missing indigenous women were the focus of a hearing before House Interior Appropriations leaders Wednesday in Washington. Wabanaki Alliance Executive Director Maulian Bryant testified that one in three indigenous women will be the victim of a violent crime in her lifetime. And she said stereotypes about indigenous people silence victims and make their cases more challenging to address.

31,000 acres returned to Penobscot Nation promise conservation without land-use restrictions

Maine Morning Star
November 19, 2024

The nonprofit Trust for Public Land is set to return 31,000 acres purchased from a timber investor in Maine to Penobscot tribal management. It will be the largest return of its kind to an Indigenous tribe in U.S. history, without any easements or other restrictions.

Yale museum may return items to Wabanaki Nations next month

Maine Public
November 13, 2024

Yale University’s Peabody Museum said human remains and other items taken from Maine more than seventy years ago may soon be returned to the Wabanaki Nations. According to two notices in the Federal Register, the museum has established a connection between the Wabanaki Nations and the human remains, which were removed from a shell mound near Oak Point on Deer Isle around 1950.

Wabanaki people have served in the military since before the US was a country

Bangor Daily News
November 11, 2024

For one day each November, we take a moment to remember the people who served in the U.S. military. There is one group of people who live in what is now Maine, however, whose legacy of military service goes back to before the U.S. became a country, and who have served in every American war since: the Wabanaki people.

Joe Biden’s apology for Indian boarding schools is step ‘forward into the light’

Bangor Daily News
October 30, 2024
From an editorial by the Bangor Daily News Editorial Board

Biden’s apology on behalf of the U.S. government, which is overdue as he acknowledged, is a significant step. Yet, it is just the beginning of a new recognition of the history, mistreatment, rights and aspirations of Indigenous Americans.

Wabanaki Alliance looks to the future as Maulian Bryant steps up as executive director

Beacon
October 17, 2024

Maulian Bryant says she has been on the journey to leading the Wabanaki Alliance for most of her life.

Where Maine’s congressional candidates stand on recognizing sovereignty of Wabanaki

Maine Morning Star
October 14, 2024

This article profiles where candidates for the U.S. Senate and the U.S. House in Congressional Districts 1 and 2 stand on Wabanaki sovereignty. 

Tribes in Maine see progress, but will continue push for full sovereignty

Spectrum News
October 14, 2024

More than four years ago, tribal leaders in Maine joined together to form the Wabanaki Alliance to help everyday Mainers understand their story and to grow their political power… In the time since, the group has made progress in the halls of the State House, with new laws giving them increased power over criminal justice issues, water quality improvements and better relations with state government.

Indigenous Peoples’ Day provides ‘a reason to be joyful and proud’

Bangor Daily News
October 11, 2024

Monday’s holiday is a meaningful day of celebration and reflection. It must also be a day of resolve, one where we recommit ourselves to walking a more collaborative and equitable path together.

Wabanaki Alliance picks Maulian Bryant to lead tribal advocacy group

Bangor Daily News
September 26, 2024

The Wabanaki Alliance has hired Penobscot Nation Ambassador Maulian Bryant as its next executive director, the organization announced Thursday. She will replace John Dieffenbacher-Krall, who is retiring at the end of the year.

Wabanaki Alliance hires Penobscot ambassador as next director

Mainebiz
September 26, 2024

The new executive director of the Wabanaki Alliance will bring a background as ambassador for the Penobscot Nation and organizational experience in human resources, equity and issues pertaining to human rights, the climate and the economy. Maulian Bryant will succeed the alliance’s first executive director, John Dieffenbacher-Krall, who will retire at the end of 2024.

Selected to lead Wabanaki Alliance, Maulian Bryant outlines vision for greater federal engagement
Current tribal ambassador for the Penobscot Nation intends to bring lived experience, policy background into new role

Maine Morning Star
September 26, 2024

Maulian Bryant has her eye on more than state-level politics in the fight for the recognition of the Wabanaki Nations’ inherent sovereignty as she prepares to assume the top role of the Wabanaki Alliance, a nonprofit charged with advocating for that goal. The Wabanaki Alliance announced Wednesday that Bryant, currently president of the group’s board, will be the organization’s next executive director. Bryant will begin training for the role in the coming weeks as the current executive director, John Dieffenbacher-Krall, prepares for his retirement at the end of the year.

Wabanaki Alliance announces change in leadership
Penobscot Nation Ambassador Maulian Bryant will take over as executive director after the current leader, John Dieffenbacher-Krall, retires at the end of the year.

Times Record
September 25, 2024

The Wabanaki Alliance has hired Penobscot Nation Ambassador Maulian Bryant as the next executive director of the organization. She succeeds John Dieffenbacher-Krall, who will retire at the end of this year.

Sweetgrass harvesting may return to Acadia
Gathering sweetgrass, which the Wabanaki have traditionally used in basket weaving and for ceremonies, has been outlawed in the national park since it was formally established in 1916.

Portland Press Herald
July 24, 2024

The Wabanaki Nations may be allowed to gather sweetgrass in Acadia National Park for the first time in over a century, the National Park Service announced Wednesday. Harvesting sweetgrass, which Wabanaki citizens traditionally use in basket weaving and ceremonies, has been outlawed in the area since the park was formally established in 1916, the park service said. The Wabanaki, or “People of the Dawn,” include the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Penobscot Nation and the Passamaquoddy Tribes at Pleasant Point and at Indian Township.

Wabanaki Nations, allies celebrate progress in continued fight for sovereignty

Maine Morning Star
July 12, 2024

The Wabanaki Nations embody what Carol Wishcamper characterized Thursday night as patient persistence. Wishcamper, a founding supporter of the Wabanaki Alliance, was one of three people honored at the Abbe Museum in Bar Harbor at Nihkaniyane, the second year that members of the alliance and allies have come together to recognize the coalition’s work and the relationships that make it possible. Each of the honorees spoke to this ability — being able to hold a vision, despite setbacks and slow progress, toward the overarching goal of having the state of Maine recognize the sovereignty of the Wabanaki Nations.

Wabanaki veterans have stepped up to serve even when the US failed them

Bangor Daily News 
June 28, 2024

Passages from an editorial by the Bangor Daily News Editorial Board

For more than a decade on June 21, Maine has celebrated Native American Veterans Day. As noted in state law, this day is observed “in remembrance of the courage and dedicated service of Native American members of the United States Armed Forces.”…This remarkable service echoes throughout U.S. military history. So too do the many ways that the federal and state government have failed tribal citizens. This duality should inform not just our understanding of history, but the work that remains today to better recognize, respect and support Tribal Nations in Maine and across the country.

People of Wabanaki Nations stress proper representation, importance of language

Note: The Wabanaki Alliance Media & Style Guide can be found here.

News Center Maine 
June 6, 2024

While many people in downtown Bangor are admiring a new mural that highlights Wabanaki culture, people from the Wabanaki Alliance and of Wabanaki Nations are working behind the scenes to stress the importance of respecting those represented by the artwork and urging others to use proper language when referencing Wabanaki people… The Wabanaki Alliance issued a media style guide to more than 250 organizations, news, and media outlets that it interacts with on Wednesday, the same day the mural was completed. The media style guide educates organizations about how to respectfully refer to, interact with, and reference various Wabanaki tribes and people of Wabanaki Nations in media.

They’re not ‘Maine’s tribes’: A new guide for writing about the Wabanaki Nations

Note: The Wabanaki Alliance Media & Style Guide can be found here.

Bangor Daily News
June 8, 2024

The Alliance believes it’s important for Maine media to get it right because its reporting can either perpetuate incorrect, hurtful terms, or more precise and respectful ones among readers, viewers or listeners. Moreover, the Alliance hopes getting the language right can be a potential first step toward wider understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples living in Maine and, ultimately, the restoration of full tribal rights.

Harmful misinformation can’t distract from tribal progress in Maine

From a guest editorial by Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Francis and Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador Maulian Bryant on the importance of the passage of LD 2007, An Act to Advance Self-Determination for Wabanaki Nations, which was sponsored by Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross and signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills.

Bangor Daily News
May 9, 2024

It was upsetting to tribal communities that in the midst of this achievement between the tribes, the speaker, the governor and the attorney general who all collaborated on this positive development, we were met with a floor speech against the bill from Rep. Jennifer Poirier from Skowhegan that contained incorrect information and has the potential to harm our people. Whether knowingly or not, the speech casts doubt on the integrity of our tribal court, social services department, tribal administration, tribal council and the tribal citizens who trust and make use of these services or are employed by them. Rather than give space to the harmful speech, we wanted to take the opportunity to shed a positive light on the good work our programs do and the great progress we have made with the passage of LD 2007.

Maine tribes and state have opportunity for a more equitable relationship

From a guest editorial by Rev. Marvin M. Ellison, the Willard S. Bass Professor Emeritus of Christian Ethics at Bangor Theological Seminary.

Bangor Daily News
April 4, 2024

As an ordained Presbyterian minister and educator, I’m grateful that people of faith across the ecumenical and interfaith spectrum are encouraging the Maine legislature to pass LD 2007, An Act Regarding the Criminal Jurisdiction of Tribal Courts and to Extend the Time for the Penobscot Nation to Certify Its Agreement to Public Law 2023, Chapter 369. This bill will help correct serious harm that Native peoples have long endured.

Maine and tribes should keep taking steps forward together

Bangor Daily News
April 3, 2024

From this editorial from the Bangor Daily News Editorial Board:

The amended version of LD 2007 is not the same sweeping tribal rights bill that was originally proposed. Negotiations between the Wabanaki tribes, the offices of the governor and attorney general, and lawmakers yielded a modest but necessary agreement based around tribal court authority. This updated bill should become law, and it should become another building block on which to base continued engagement and action. The Maine House took an initial step Tuesday by voting to pass the amended bill.

Opinion: Internet gaming will empower Wabanaki Nations, benefit us all

A guest editorial by Rep. Laura Supica (D-Bangor), who represents House District 22 and serves as the House Chair of the Veterans and Legal Affairs Committee. 

Portland Press Herald
March 15, 2024

We all do better when we have the freedom and resources to choose the best path for our families and communities. Across the United States, many Indigenous nations have been able to move toward this self-determination through tribal gaming. But over the last four decades, the Maine Legislature, Maine courts and even Maine voters have blocked the Wabanaki Nations from accessing the same tools, all while allowing large, out-of-state corporations to operate slots and casinos. This year, we have an opportunity to upend this dynamic and empower the Wabanaki Nations by authorizing internet gaming in Maine.

At Wabanaki rally for supporters, tribal leaders say ‘time is on our side’

Maine Public
July 14, 2023

Leaders of the Wabanaki Nations gathered with supporters in Freeport on Thursday night for a “celebration,” one week after a high-profile bill was blocked by Gov. Janet Mills. But as tribal and legislative leaders made clear repeatedly, they viewed the recent vote as a temporary setback, not a defeat.

Legislature can begin to heal tribal-state relations by overriding governor’s veto

A guest editorial by Donna Loring, a Penobscot Nation tribal elder and former Penobscot Nation representative to the Maine Legislature, and Eric Mehnert, the chief judge of the Penobscot Nation Tribal Court.

Bangor Daily News
July 4, 2023

It is deeply concerning to read the misinformation it appears may have guided the Gov. Janet Mills’ recent veto of LD 2004. This bipartisan legislation would recognize some tribal sovereign rights of the tribes in Maine placing them on equal footing with the rest of Indian Country. With due respect, we believe the governor’s response to LD 2004 misunderstands the U.S. Constitution, the development of federal Indian law in accord with the Constitution and the history of tribal-state relations in Maine.

On tribal rights, Republicans need to declare their independence from Janet Mills
A guest editorial by John Andrews of Paris represents District 79 in the Maine House of Representatives. He is a co-sponsor of LD 2004.

Bangor Daily News
July 3, 2023

Together as a state, we can reforge the bright chain of friendship that was crafted centuries ago between the People of the Dawn and those American rebels fighting for their own independence on the banks of the Delaware River. The tribes had our backs then, and it’s time we had theirs now.

Commentary: Maine Legislature should override Mills’ veto of tribal sovereignty bill

Portland Press Herald
July 2, 2023

How is it that every other state in the country with Indian tribes can accommodate the tribes in their states as being under federal jurisdiction, but here in Maine, our governor and her legal counsel find it too difficult?

Maine House supermajority backs tribal-rights expansion opposed by Janet Mills

Bangor Daily News
June 21, 2023

A key tribal-rights expansion narrowly cleared a major hurdle on Wednesday by winning two-thirds support in the Maine House of Representatives, increasing the odds that it can survive a likely veto from Gov. Janet Mills. It was a victory for tribes and House Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, a leading progressive who has aggressively taken on her party’s governor on this subject in recent weeks and needed to woo Republicans to advance her bill. Mills dug in against the measure while lawmakers expedited it to the chamber floors over the past week.

House overwhelmingly supports tribal bill opposed by Gov. Mills

Portland Press Herald
June 21, 2023

The House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly on Wednesday to advance a bill that would allow four Indigenous tribes to benefit from more federal laws, setting up a possible confrontation with the governor. The bill was approved by a 100-47 vote, indicating enough support to overcome a possible veto from the governor. The bill now advances to the Senate, which is expected to take up the bill later today.

House speaker says new bill will make Maine tribes ‘economic engines’ that will benefit entire state

Spectrum News
May 31, 2023

Tribal leaders implored lawmakers Wednesday to give them a sense of certainty when it comes to federal laws that may benefit their citizens. The leaders of Maine’s four tribes told the Judiciary Committee that they are often ineligible for benefits that help all other Indigenous people — 570 tribes — across the country. “The problems the Wabanaki Nations face are not different from the issues other tribes face, but our exclusion from federal beneficial laws has handicapped our ability to adequately respond,” said Passamaquoddy Chief Rena Newell.

Wabanaki sovereignty would benefit all Maine residents, study finds
The consistent underdevelopment of the Wabanaki tribes in Maine has risen to the level of UN human rights violations, argues a Harvard scholar.

The Maine Monitor
April 29, 2023

Maine is leaving more than $300 million a year on the table and contributing to child poverty rates of up to 76.9 percent in tribal households by continuing to uphold the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 (MICSA). The consistent underdevelopment of the Wabanaki tribes in the state due to MICSA has risen to the level of UN human rights violations. These findings were outlined by Joseph Kalt of the Harvard Kennedy School on April 11 during an online presentation hosted by the Maine Philanthropy Center.

Settlement act has left a legacy of inequity
A guest editorial by Sonja Birthisel and Rob Laraway, town councilors in Orono; Dina Yacoubagha and Joe Leonard, city councilors in Bangor; and Brad Sealfon, a select board member in Prospect. . 

Bangor Daily News
April 27, 2023

Now is the time for thoughtful debate on how to address these challenges facing our Wabanaki neighbors and our state, not for fear-mongering. We have a collective interest in protecting our environment and ensuring that our children and families are safe, healthy, and economically secure. It is only by working together that we can secure a better future for tribal and non-tribal members alike.

Commentary: Gov. Mills seeks to perpetuate Maine control of Wabanaki nations
A guest editorial by John Dieffenbacher-Krall, executive director of the Wabanaki Alliance. 

Portland Press Herald
April 15, 2023

A recent op-ed by Gov. Janet Mills’ attorney claimed that the governor was committed to political progress with Wabanaki Nations. This claim is an illusion: The governor’s idea of progress is ensuring that she maintains control over the tribes in Maine. Mills refuses to place the Wabanaki tribes in Maine on the same footing as other federally recognized tribes across the country.

Our View: Gov. Mills must outline thinking on tribal rights
The governor’s opposition to proposals like the latest one, involving tribal treaty language in the state Constitution, has been more or less sustained. Equally sustained is bafflement as to why.

March 10, 2023

From this editorial from the Portland Press Herald Editorial Board:

“Political momentum continues to build on the matter of tribal sovereignty; the hearing regarding the constitutional changes will shortly be followed by a State of the Tribes address before a joint session of the Legislature. In this climate Mills is facing down not only tribal representatives and advocates but, increasingly (and, perhaps, increasingly progressive), peers in government as well as large parts of her base.”

Tribes in Maine left out of Native American resurgence by 40-year-old federal law denying their self-determination

The Conversation
February 14, 2023

Hundreds of the 574 federally recognized Indian nations in the U.S. now routinely provide their citizens with the full array of services customarily expected from state and local governments, from tax collection to environmental protection regulations. At the same time, many tribes are becoming the economic engines of their regions. All this has happened over the past several decades under federal policies that, unlike previous policies, support tribal self-determination through self-government.

As a new legislature begins, Wabanaki tribes hope a long elusive goal is within reach

Maine Public
January 4, 2023

Tribes in Maine say they’ve received an unprecedented amount of support from state lawmakers in recent years. Exclusive rights to online sports betting. Legislation to address longstanding water quality issues for the Passamaquoddy tribe. The Wabanaki Alliance, tribal members, state lawmakers and others gathered in Augusta Tuesday night — on the eve Gov. Janet Mills’ second-term inauguration — to celebrate several years of legislative progress.

Perplexed by Sen. King’s response to Wabanaki legislation
A guest editorial by the Honorable Thom Harnett, who served as House chair of the Judiciary Committee in the 130th Maine Legislature and was an assistant Maine attorney general for 27 years.

Portland Press Herald
December 18, 2022

As the House chair of the Judiciary Committee in the 130th Maine Legislature and as an attorney, I have worked hard to better understand the restrictions facing the Wabanaki nations and the unique federal and state laws that govern the tribes’ status. One issue raised to the Judiciary Committee was the challenge created by Section 1735(b) of MICSA, which states that no federal law passed to benefit tribes applies in Maine unless the law itself specifically mentioned the Wabanaki nations by name. No other federally recognized tribe is subject to such a sweeping exclusion, which has barred the Wabanaki tribes from accessing federal resources for disaster relief, domestic violence prevention and public health challenges. While the state Legislature has attempted to address this issue, the Maine Attorney General twice made clear that he believes this issue is best addressed by Congress. That is why I was heartened to see U.S. Rep. Jared Golden introduce HR 6707, legislation that corrects this inequity prospectively. This legislation has passed the House of Representatives and now sits in the Senate. To encourage its passage, many constituents reached out to Sen. Angus King for assistance. Unfortunately, his response left me perplexed. For the sake of the many Mainers who received a similar response, I want to try to clear up some misconceptions.

Harvard study finds sovereignty constraints on Maine tribes caused them enormous economic damage

Portland Press Herald
December 8, 2022

A new study by researchers at the Harvard Kennedy School has concluded that Maine’s tribes have been economically hobbled by the restrictions placed on their sovereignty and ability to access federal Indian policy under the terms of the controversial 1980 land claims settlement agreement. The study by the Kennedy School’s Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development compared the economic performance of Maine’s four federally recognized tribes with tribes in the other 47 contiguous states between 1989 and 2020. Adjusted for inflation, the other tribes in the country had an average per capita gross domestic product growth of 61 percent in the period – far greater than the U.S. average for all citizens of 11 percent. The figure for Maine’s tribes was just 9 percent, less than one-sixth the performance of other tribes. And the reason, the report’s authors say, is the restrictive regime set up under the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act, or MICSA.

Congress should fix law harming tribes in Maine
A guest editorial by Nicole Friederichs, director of the Human Rights and Indigenous Peoples Clinic at Suffolk University Law School and co-author of a report that studies the drafting and enactment of the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act.

Bangor Daily News
December 1, 2022

When Congress held its hearings on the proposed federal legislation to settle the land claims made by the Penobscot Nation and Passamaquoddy Tribe in July 1980, the version of the bill they discussed did not contain what would become section 1735(b) — sometimes referred to section 16(b) — prohibiting the application of future federal laws benefiting native peoples and nations in Maine. In fact, there was nothing in that version of the bill, a bill heralded as the “product of the negotiating process between the [Tribes] and the State of Maine,” that came even close to such a prohibition.

Indigenous Peoples Day a time to talk about improving tribe-state relations
The BDN Editorial Board

Bangor Daily News
October 9, 2022

Indigenous Peoples Day is not only a day of symbolism or a day off from work for some. It must also be a day of action, a day of learning and a day of continuing conversations — both in the halls of power and in the hearts and minds of Mainers.

40-year-old answers are out-of-step with what Mainers want for Wabanaki tribes
A guest editorial by James McCarthy, a retired journalist who lives in Brunswick and member of the Committee on Indian Relations of the Episcopal Diocese of Maine.

Times Record
October 7, 2022

I’m disappointed that Sen. King essentially gave a 40-year-old answer to these questions, one that aligns with views expressed by Gov. Janet Mills. He replied: “It is important to note that The Settlement Act was just that — a settlement — which entailed benefits and burdens to each of the parties.”

Really? Even the U.S. Constitution has been amended 27 times to make it more just and equitable for all U.S. citizens. 

Tribes in Maine have been left behind. Congress should fix that.
A guest editorial by Kevin Hancock, the CEO of Hancock Lumber Company and a past member of the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission.

Bangor Daily News
September 23, 2022

It’s my hope that our federal lawmakers will remember that they are entrusted with a special responsibility to federally recognized tribes and thereby support their economic sovereignty and right to self-government. Respecting the voice and wishes of tribal communities is the least we can do as we work to overcome a past in which indigenous tribes were denigrated and denied the most basic rights our country stands for. Federally recognized tribal sovereignty should not be withheld from Maine’s tribal communities.

Wabanaki sovereignty bill sponsored by Rep. Golden passes U.S. House

Maine Beacon
July 15, 2022

The U.S. House on Thursday passed a bill that, if ultimately approved, would ensure the Wabanaki Nations are no longer excluded from federal laws that benefit other recognized tribes around the country. The bill, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine, received bipartisan support, passing on a 329-101 vote. The measure was included as part of a package of amendments added to the National Defense Authorization Act by a 277-150 margin, Golden’s office said in a news release.

The Maine Idea: Tribes have waited too long for governors’ respect
A guest editorial by Douglas Rooks, a Maine editor, commentator and reporter since 1984, and the author of three books. 

The Times Record
July 14, 2022

Gov. Janet Mills isn’t cruising to re-election, but she’s in an increasingly strong position. The Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision obliterating abortion rights in many states, forcing women’s health clinics to shut down services overnight, plays to her strengths. She’s a co-founder of the Maine Women’s Lobby, with a strong pro-choice voting record throughout her career. Her principal opponent, Paul LePage, has been reduced to near-incoherence, satisfying neither pro-choice or right-to-life voters and apparently wishing the whole issue will go away, which it won’t. So it might be a good time to lean back, consider carefully, and take her foot off the brake when it comes to the rights of Maine’s Indian tribes.

Bill to give Wabanaki tribes parity under federal law advances

Maine Public
June 15, 2022

The House Natural Resources Committee today advanced a bill to give Wabanaki tribes in Maine the same access to federal laws and protections that benefit nearly every other federally recognized tribe in the country.

Sponsored by Congressman Jared Golden and cosponsored by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree the Advancing Equality for Wabanaki Nations Act would update federal law to allow tribes in Maine to receive the same benefits as their peers.

Bill to give Maine tribes benefits of federal laws advances

Associated Press
June 15, 2022

A House committee on Tuesday advanced a bill that would allow Native American tribes in Maine to benefit from future federal laws, despite a state land claims settlement. Wabanaki tribes in Maine are governed by the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 that stipulates they’re bound by state law. That sets them apart from the other 570 federally recognized tribes. The federal bill won’t change the state settlement, but would update federal law to give Maine tribes to benefit from federal laws going forward.

Gov. Mills signs bill to give Passamaquoddy Tribe access to cleaner drinking water

Bangor Daily News
April 21, 2022

Gov. Janet Mills has signed an amended version of a bill to provide members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe greater access to clean drinking water. The governor signed L.D. 906 just 10 days after tribal members staged a rally outside the State House in Augusta demanding that they be given access to better drinking water. Demonstrators said the tribe’s current source is unhealthy and unsafe. Under the law signed Thursday, the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point will be able to drill wells on sources of groundwater located on tribe-owned land without seeking state approval.

Maine governor signs bill letting tribe regulate its water

Associated Press
April 21, 2022

PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A Passamaquoddy Tribe reservation in Maine has been granted authority to regulate its drinking water, opening the door to greater sovereignty. Gov. Janet Mills signed a bill into law on Thursday that gives the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point the right to secure clean drinking water by drilling wells on tribe-owned land and working with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency instead of state agencies. The tribe has long been frustrated by poor water quality that sometimes caused brown liquid to flow from faucets at Pleasant Point, also called Sipayik.

Tribes Now Garner Strong Support in State Water Legislation Signed into Law

Quoddy Tides
April 22, 2022

Governor Janet Mills may have been sharpening her veto pencil for the Passamaquoddy Tribe’s drinking water bill when legislators removed the bill from her office on April 19 and amended it, in order to address the governor’s concerns. The amendment that was then approved by the House and Senate clarifies jurisdictional issues that the governor had raised. Mills then signed the bill on April 21. 

In historic appearance before Congress, Maine tribes urge that future federal laws apply to them

Maine Public
March 31, 2022

The leaders of the four Wabanaki Indian tribes in Maine appeared jointly before members of Congress for the first time in more than 40 years on Thursday, testifying in support of a bill that they said is necessary to restore their tribal sovereignty.

In newest gaming debate don’t forget how Maine tribes have been unfairly shut out in the past

Bangor Daily News Editorial Board
March 2, 2022

“Maine tribes have repeatedly been blocked, by  voters and by state government, in efforts to enter the gaming industry. This continued exclusion has not been fair. So as lawmakers consider a bill that would give tribes control of a new mobile sports betting market, we view this as a potential rebalancing of a situation that has historically left them behind.”

Tribal leaders, other groups testify in support of bill to overhaul controversial 1980 agreement

February 15, 2022

Lawmakers heard more than eight hours of testimony on Tuesday in support of a bill that would dramatically change a decades-old agreement between the state and tribal nations in Maine. The hearing comes at a time when the Mills administration has been negotiating a separate proposal with tribal leaders.

In February of 2020, leaders of tribes in Maine stood before state lawmakers to support a series of recommendations aimed at restoring tribal sovereignty. Two years and one global pandemic later, many of those tribal leaders were back – albeit virtually – along with more than 1,000 others who submitted written testimony in support of a bill to overhaul the state’s relationship with the four tribes in Maine. The bill, LD 1626, has also garnered support from a broad array of organizations, including religious coalitions, environmental groups and other nonprofits.

Maine Voices: Mills should stress action, not words, in committing to tribal sovereignty

This guest editorial by Shirley Hager and James McCarthy explains how Gov. Mills’ latest Indigenous Peoples’ Day message highlighted incremental fixes that don’t effect systemic change. 

November 24, 2021

“We need action – not self-congratulatory words or feel-good references to Maine’s ‘first stewards’ that completely gloss over the many ways our state continues to keep the Wabanaki people under its thumb as if they were no more than municipalities. Passing L.D. 1626 would be the best way to fulfill the governor’s pledge to ‘recommit ourselves to our shared home and future with respect and trust for one another.’”

Maine tribal leaders say Indigenous Peoples’ Day is call to action, reform

October 11, 2021

AUGUSTA — As Maine celebrated Indigenous Peoples’ Day for a third time Monday, tribal leaders called for deeper reforms to restore the rights of Maine’s tribes and help indigenous communities.

Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador Maulian Dana said the change from Columbus Day to Indigenous Peoples’ Day remains a cause for celebration. But she and other leaders also said it is time for meaningful changes that would give tribes more independence under Maine law.

Our View: Indigenous Peoples Day is a time to look back and ahead

Bangor Daily News Editorial Board
October 11, 2021

“Symbolic action, however, cannot be the only action. It’s time for meaningful reform to parts of the 1980 land claim settlement that, while ending a significant amount of uncertainty at the time about ownership of two-thirds of the land in the state of Maine, also set the stage for decades of friction. It is in the state and the tribes’ best interest to rebalance this relationship as one of cooperative, self-governing partners. It’s also the right thing to do.”

More work remains as we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day
The history of tribal/state relations affects how people live today and points to what we should do next.

October 11, 2021

From this editorial from the Portland Press Herald Editorial Board:

“Bills have come before the Legislature to put the tribes in Maine on the same footing as federally recognized tribes in other states, but one was tabled and the other, which would have allowed tribes to regulate gambling on Indian land, was vetoed by Gov. Janet Mills.

At the time, Mills pledged to work with the tribes to overcome her technical objections and address these historical inequities. We urge the administration to continue that work and develop bills that will make a real difference in the lives of tribal people in Maine.”

Without self-government, Indigenous Peoples’ Day does not honor Maine’s Wabanaki tribes

October 8, 2021

In this guest editorial, Chief Clarissa Sabattis of the Houlton Band of Maliseets and Chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Nation share why passing LD 1626 is the only way to truly honor Wabanaki tribes.

“To celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day you first must appreciate and respect Indigenous people. You must understand the importance of the inherent sovereignty that is the backbone of our heritage and culture. You must trust us to self-govern. The only true way to celebrate Indigenous people in Maine is to change the system that treats us differently than every other tribe in the country.”

It’s time to correct legal inequities harming Maine’s tribes

September 24, 2021

In this guest editorial, former Maine Attorney General and state Senator Michael Carpenter–who supported the Settlements Acts in 1980–explains why he now backs efforts to change them.

“Nothing in life is set in stone. I no longer embrace views I held strongly more than 40 years ago on any number of issues, including how the government-to-government relationship between the tribes and state should be understood and practiced. I’m hopeful LD 1626 , the bill that encompasses the task force’s recommendations will finally be approved by the Legislature and signed into law by Gov. Janet Mills in 2022. LD 1626 provides us the opportunity to right a wrong and restore the full rights of self-determination to the tribes in Maine that are enjoyed by 570 federal tribes across the nation in 49 states.”

The Quest For Clean Water On Maine Reservation

August 31, 2021

For decades, members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe have issued a message to family and visitors to their reservation at Pleasant Point in the state of Maine: Don’t drink the water. Residents there have long complained about its color, smell and tests reporting excess levels of contaminants. Recent efforts to improve the water treatment system have some members hopeful that a fix could be on its way. But as Maine Public Radio’s Robbie Feinberg reports, tribal leaders see the solution as a matter of tribal sovereignty.

Wabanaki tribes, community rally in Maine to support tribal sovereignty
Tribal leaders are advocating for the same rights as federally recognized tribes.

August 2, 2021

BANGOR, Maine — Members of Maine’s Wabanaki Tribes gathered Sunday at the Bangor Waterfront for a solidarity rally. They used it as an opportunity to engage with the community and educate people on their push for tribal sovereignty.

“What the Penobscot Nation and with our allies are really trying to accomplish here is a cleaner water system. One that respects the culture and heritage of the Penobscot people,’ said Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Francis.”

Mining CEO defends comments that Maine tribes lack rights

July 20, 2021

PATTEN, Maine (AP) — The head of a Canadian mining company has defended comments in which he touted the state of Maine as a good place to do business because of a lack of rights for tribal groups. Wolfden Resources wants to develop a precious minerals mine in rural Maine. The chief executive officer of the company, Ron Little, has faced criticism recently because of comments he made during a 2019 presentation to investors in which he said there are “no indigenous rights in the state of Maine” and that “streamlines the permitting process.”

The Natural Resources Council of Maine, which opposes the mining project, shared the videos with Maine tribes, the Bangor Daily News reported. Penobscot Nation Chief Kirk Francis has described the statement as “obviously not an accurate comment.”

Gov. Mills vetoes bill to provide gaming rights to Maine tribes
Leaders of the 4 tribes reacted harshly to the veto, which was issued just hours before the measure would have become law without the governor’s signature.

June 30, 2021

AUGUSTA — Gov. Janet Mills vetoed a bill Wednesday that would have allowed Native American tribes in Maine to open casinos or other gambling businesses on their tribal lands. The bill, approved by the Legislature in June, would have ended years of state government opposition to allowing tribes in Maine to open casinos as a means of economic development.

In a lengthy, four-page veto message, Mills detailed her efforts to repair the state’s frayed relationship with the Wabanaki, whose tribes include the Maliseet, the Micmac, the Passamaquoddy and the Penobscot. But Mills said the bill, which would have restored federal gaming rights that were stripped from the tribes in a 1980 law that settled a land dispute between the tribes and the state, was fraught with problems.

Leaders from the four tribes reacted harshly to the veto in a prepared statement issued shortly after the Mills administration released the veto message.