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About this module
The State of Maine and tribes belonging to the Wabanaki Confederacy have had a long and fraught relationship. Before we can consider how the Maine Legislature and government came to be, these structures which stripped land and power from the Wabanaki people for hundreds of years, we have to acknowledge its history.
In this module, you will experience a brief overview of the relationship between tribal governments and Maine's government, how and why the tribes are seeking sovereignty, and how we can improve relations and support the policy of the Wabanaki Alliance.
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What is the Wabanaki Alliance?
In June of 2020 the tribes in Maine (Mi’kmaq Nation, Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Passamaquoddy Tribe and Penobscot Nation) formed the Wabanaki Alliance. The Wabanaki Alliance was formed to educate people of Maine about the need for securing sovereignty of the tribes in Maine.
The goals and lessons for this episode are detailed below. Click on a box to expand and learn more about each section.
Featuring
Lane Sturtevant
Organizer for Democracy Maine
Lane has worked at nonprofit organizations in Lewiston and the Midcoast in youth programming and education roles. Most recently, they served as a youth coordinator for OUT Maine, an organization supporting and empowering LGBTQ+ youth in rural Maine.
Maulian Dana
Penobscot Nation Ambassador
In September 2017, Chief Kirk Francis appointed her as the first Tribal Ambassador of the Penobscot Nation. She is a regular fixture at the Maine State House in Augusta where she can be found testifying on behalf of her community and helping to create policy.
The Ambassador is responsible to act as a representative of the Penobscot Nation and to serve as a liaison for the Nation at the local, state and federal levels of government in order to educate and advocate for policy and laws that impact and protect the Penobscot Nation’s sovereignty, culture, natural resources and the general welfare of the Penobscot people.
Key Links
Wabanaki Alliance: The Wabanaki Alliance website provides a plethora of information about the coalition of four Maine tribes who are working to educate more people about the urgency of securing tribal sovereignty in Maine as well as some of the history behind the 1980 Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement Act and its context for the different tribes.
From the Wabanaki Alliance:
In 1980, the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act was passed by Congress and ratified by the tribes and the State of Maine. The Settlement Act was supposed to be a living document that would be improved upon. Under political duress the tribes agreed to the Settlement Act but with the hope to continue improving the relationship between the State of Maine and the tribes. For forty years this has not happened.
Because of the 1980 Settlement Act, the Tribes in Maine have had their sovereignty stripped from them. The promise of improving the Settlement Act has never been fulfilled. Now the Tribes in Maine are treated less than every other federally recognized tribe in America. The Wabanaki Alliance is not asking for special privileges but fairness by having the same or similar sovereignty as the more than 500 other tribes across America.
Key Links
Wabanaki Alliance: The Wabanaki Alliance website provides a plethora of information about the coalition of four Maine tribes who are working to educate more people about the urgency of securing tribal sovereignty in Maine as well as some of the history behind the 1980 Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement Act and its context for the different tribes.
Understanding Tribal Sovereignty: Gives a more abstract definition of tribal sovereignty and the general historical practices that brought us to today’s circumstances.
The Wabanaki Alliance advocates for legislation and policies that improve the lives of Wabanaki citizens and their neighbors around the state, protect and preserve our environment, and honor tribal history and culture.
Key Links
Support Racial Justice Bills: Maine legislators will consider a number of bills during the 131st Legislature that involve issues related to the Wabanaki Nations. The Wabanaki Alliance has put together a bill tracker which provides details on many of those bills and actions you can take to stand with the Wabanaki.
Take Action: Follow along with the Wabanaki Alliance's calls to action.
Further Reading
At its core, defending sovereignty is defending democracy. These resources below should help facilitate an understanding of this connection and underscore the importance of self-governance. Our goal is to encourage you to educate yourself about these important topics and the ongoing issues, with these resources serving as a basic foundation in your pursuit of knowledge and steps toward action.Abbe Museum: The Abbe Museum works closely with the Wabanaki people to share their stories, history, and culture with a broader audience. With a collection of over 70,000 archaeological, historic, and contemporary objects, the Museum’s collections conservation program is recognized nationally as a model for museums. Learn more here.
Brief History of Indian Legislative Representatives in the Maine Legislature: This article describes tribal representatives in the Maine State Legislature by S. Glenn Starbird, Jr., updated by Donald Soctomah and Donna M. Loring. Click here to read.
Maine State Law & Legislative Reference Library: Provides legal and governmental information, research and resources to all the citizens of Maine, their government and the legal community. Use their Ask a Librarian tool.
Harvard Report on Economic Growth: Unique to Maine, the federal Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 (MICSA) empowers the state government to block the applicability of federal Indian policy in Maine. As a result, the development of the Wabanaki Nations’ economies and governmental capacities have been stunted. Read the full report here.
Support the Wabanaki Community:
Wabanaki Reach: The Wabanaki Reach supports the self-determination of Wabanaki people through education, truth-telling, restorative justice, and restorative practices in Wabanaki and Maine communities. They design our structures and processes to be responsive to Wabanaki communities and beneficial to Wabanaki people.
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Nibezun: The Wabanaki Cultural Preservation Coalition (WCPC) is dedicated to preserving and promoting all aspects of Mic Mac, Passamaquoddy, Penobscot, Maliseet, and Abenaki ceremonies, traditions, customs, and language through practice and education. To advance this goal, WCPC is deeply committed to the sacred, unbroken relationship between the People and the ancestral lands and waterways of the Wabanaki Confederacy.
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