Our View: New era in tribal-state relations unjustly deferred again
Native people have already waited too long for a sovereignty agreement with Maine.
By The Editorial Board
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A new dawn in tribal-state relations will have to wait, deeply disappointing Native people and their supporters around the state.
A bill that would have clarified the relationship between the state and its sovereign tribes that was presented to the Legislature in 2020 will likely have to wait another year before it can get a vote in the House and Senate, according to a social media post by Penobscot Nation Ambassador Maulian Dana.
An effort to change Maine’s relationship with tribes stalled with pushback from the Mills administration, which has reservations about a bill aimed at ensuring tribal sovereignty.
Bills on tribal sovereignty issue likely delayed until next year
Leaders of tribal nations in Maine say the state has failed to recognize their sovereignty and want an overhaul of the landmark 1980 agreement with the state.
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Lawmakers resumed discussions Tuesday of proposals to overhaul the strained relations between Maine state government and tribal nations but appear unlikely to address the long-standing issues before next year.
Last year, members of a legislative committee voted in support of several bills viewed as potentially historic steps to recognize the sovereignty of the tribes in Maine. The bills dealt with a wide range of perennial issues – including taxation, gambling and criminal justice – based on the work of a task force examining ways to improve Maine’s unique but controversial 1980 settlement between the state and the tribes.
State legislation now being considered would restore rights to Maine's Wabanaki people, giving them more control over their land and the welfare of their citizens, and is supported by a coalition that says the initiative would also have other benefits.
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