Wabanaki leaders and their allies relaunched a legislative campaign on Monday to restore recognition of their inherent tribal sovereignty. Similar legislation has been introduced the last three legislative sessions in Augusta, but this time the tribes are hoping to find common ground with Gov. Janet Mills, who has been an obstacle to several Wabanaki priorities…
Hundreds of Mainers joined members of the Wabanaki Alliance at a rally at the State House on Indigenous People’s Day to support Question 6, a referendum question that the tribes say make clearer Maine’s treaty obligations to Maine’s Indigenous people. Question 6 on the November ballot asks whether voters support requiring “that all of the…
Gov. Janet Mills on Friday vetoed the most significant tribal rights measure this session, a bipartisan bill that would allow the Wabanaki to access past and future federal laws meant to benefit Indigenous nations. Tribal leaders blasted the Democratic governor for her inflexible opposition to recognizing tribal rights in the face of widespread support. They…
Wabanaki leaders are praising a U.S. Supreme Court ruling upholding the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), saying the decision is significant for the wellbeing of kids and the principle of tribal sovereignty. Because of its importance, tribal leaders and lawmakers are hoping to pass a bill to codify the civil rights statute into Maine law. …
Dan Neumann contributed reporting to this piece. A bill to allow the Wabanaki to access past and future federal laws meant to benefit Indigenous nations was advanced in a bipartisan vote by the legislature’s Judiciary Committee on Thursday — a major step forward for the most significant tribal rights measure this session. The legislation, LD…
Lawmakers heard testimony Tuesday on a pair of bills to require that printed copies of the state’s Constitution include the text of a statute related to Maine’s treaty obligations when it comes to Indigenous nations — another plank in a continued campaign for tribal sovereignty and justice. The bills, LD 78 and LD 578, are…
Marking Indigenous Peoples Day, four organizations released a report Monday that found that a law passed in 2001 requiring schools to teach K-12 students about Wabanaki economic, cultural and political systems — as well as the tribes’ relationship to local, state and national governments — has not been meaningfully implemented in Maine. The report was…
The Wabanaki Alliance on Friday endorsed over 120 sitting state lawmakers or legislative candidates while also announcing that it won’t be throwing its support behind either Gov. Janet Mills or former Gov. Paul LePage in the 2022 gubernatorial election due to their refusal to back reforms that would recognize tribal sovereignty. On the Senate side,…
Hundreds gathered in front of the State House on Monday to urge the Maine Legislature to pass a bill to address the unsafe and deteriorating water system at the Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Reservation, arguing that inaction is unacceptable given the dangers posed by the current supply. Students traveled from Indian Township and the reservation at…
A coalition of more than 60 advocacy groups called Tuesday for Maine lawmakers to pass a series of priorities that would spur a strong recovery from the pandemic and address issues of housing, health care and racial justice while ensuring that data is used to inform equitable policy. During a press conference outside the State…