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A fundamental question before the Maine Legislature this session is the same as it has been for the last six years: Do we believe that the Indigenous people of Maine should have the same rights, privileges, powers, duties, and immunities as any other federally recognized Indigenous community in the United States?
Since 1980, over 150 bills passed by the U.S. Congress to benefit Indigenous Americans have been largely off-limits for Maine tribes, due to a clause in the Settlement Act that Maine Tribes say they did not agree to. Childhood poverty in Wabanaki communities ranges from 40% to 77% compared to Maine’s overall rate of 15%. This year, LD 395 could help right that wrong.
Wabanaki leadership and legal teams have repeatedly demonstrated their common sense and deep commitment to open-ended, respectful consultation with state and local officials to reach mutually beneficial agreements, whether it concerns land use, legal jurisdiction, taxation, or hunting and fishing.
But their inherent sovereignty is non-negotiable and I believe it is incumbent upon the state of Maine to recognize this at long last, by approving and signing into law LD 785. Wabanaki people deserve the same legal liberties the other 570 federally recognized tribes productively enjoy!
When the Tribes can act freely as the stewards of their traditional lands and waters, govern their communities and determine their own economic development, our broader regional economies will benefit as well, and Maine will at last realize its potential to become a truly enlightened place to live.
Diane Oltarzewski
Belfast
