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Maine state government and the Wabanaki Nations have taken another step forward together, with Gov. Janet Mills signing LD 2007 into law earlier this week. The new law will expand the authority of tribal courts, and allow the Penobscot Nation to regulate drinking water on its tribal lands.
The amended version of this legislation, while not the sweeping approach to tribal sovereignty as originally proposed, is nevertheless a significant and collaborative advancement in the ongoing effort to rebalance the tribal-state relationship.
Maulian Bryant, Penobscot Nation Tribal Ambassador and president of the Wabanaki Alliance board, welcomed the signing of LD 2007 as “great progress in our efforts to restore the recognition of our inherent tribal sovereignty that we did not relinquish in 1980” in an April 22 Wabanaki Alliance press release.
“We wish to thank tribal leaders and citizens, Speaker Rachel Talbot Ross and the champions in both chambers of the Legislature, the governor and attorney general offices for working with us on this bill, and our vast and devoted coalition of supporters that work tirelessly to be faithful and steadfast allies as we advance this work together,” Bryant said. “The signing of this bill on Earth Day is a good reminder that robust and collaborative relationships between tribal and state governments is a proven and tested way to heal and serve our shared Mother, the Earth. We remain hopeful and we remain focused on this journey of restoration and change.”
This is a journey that the state and the tribes must continue to walk together. Much more work remains. Funding the creation of a new Office of Tribal-State affairs within the Secretary of State’s Office, and revitalizing the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission (MITSC), are just two examples. But the careful and ultimately productive negotiations around LD 2007 show that continued progress in this relationship is both possible and necessary.
“I thank Speaker Talbot Ross and Tribal leaders for working closely with my office to arrive at this legislation, which expands the rights of Tribes to prosecute crimes on Tribal lands,” Mills said in her own April 22 statement after signing the bill. “This is another important step forward, builds on the significant work of the past five years, and continues to demonstrate my commitment to negotiation and compromise.”
Talbot Ross, who sponsored the legislation, was similarly appreciative in her statement.
“I thank the governor and the Tribes for their work on this bill,” Talbott Ross said. “LD 2007 is the product of the time, resources, and commitment of many people, and it represents meaningful progress in the important and ongoing effort of partnership and collaboration with the Wabanaki people that has the support of Mainers from all over the state.”
The collaboration and negotiation that led to this successful step forward are worth celebrating, and worth replicating in the ongoing work to right historic wrongs and build a better future together.
