The BDN Editorial Board operates independently from the newsroom, and does not set policies or contribute to reporting or editing articles elsewhere in the newspaper or on bangordailynews.com.
This year marks the fifth Indigenous Peoples Day in Maine. As we’ve written before, we fear that this day, set aside by the Legislature in 2019, to honor Maine’s indigenous people, has the potential to be more about symbolism than progress. Symbols are important but so is action.
To be sure, there has been progress on some issues, such as access to drinking water for Passamaquoddy and tribal involvement with online sports betting, but momentum toward larger agreements on Indigenous rights and sovereignty has been halting.
Members of the five tribes in Maine are rightly frustrated that their desire for more autonomy has been repeatedly thwarted. At the same time, we also understand some of the governor’s concerns with legislation that has been passed by lawmakers but fell to her veto pen.
However, we have long believed and hoped that such differences can be bridged through dialogue and action in areas where there is broad agreement. This work is hard and progress is slow, but this is a potential way forward.
Earlier this year, the chiefs of the five tribes in Maine addressed the state Legislature. It was a historic address, yet the governor was sadly absent. In their remarks, each Wabanaki leader spoke of their hope for a better relationship with the state, one that recognizes and respects their history and their rights.
“We want a relationship with the state government that is based on mutual trust, fidelity and respect,” Chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Nation said in his remarks on March 16. “A relationship that recognizes the unique contributions of the Wabanaki peoples to this state and promotes our self-determination without interference.”
To have such a relationship, the Indigenous leaders emphasized, the document that has shaped the state’s relationship with those tribes – the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement – needs to be updated.
“It’s time to modernize the agreement between state government and Maine tribes, because the current arrangement makes Maine Native Americans ‘outliers in Indian Country,’” Chief Clarissa Sabattis of the Houlton Band of Maliseets said in her remarks.
“I look forward to forging a new path forward that is not only better for our tribe but also better for this great state that we all call home,” she added.
“Today is a sign that our momentum will only increase and, for this reason, I am excited for what the future holds for Wabanaki-state relations,” Rena Newell, chief of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik, said in her March 16 address.
That excitement and optimism was tempered with calls for the state to step up as a partner in advancing the tribes’ goals.
“The Passamaquoddy Tribe is proud to be forging new positive bipartisan relationships in the Legislature and we look forward to working with our friends in both parties to improve economic development and the delivery of services in tribal and non-tribal rural communities in Maine,” said Chief William Nicholas Sr. of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Motahkomikuk.
“The Mi’kmaq Nation seeks to provide for our citizens what all sovereign nations and local communities provide for theirs,” Chief Edward Peter Paul of the Mi’kmaq Nation said. “We seek to provide reliable community services for our citizens, to grow our local economy, and to provide jobs and positive cultural opportunities for our people. I am excited to see the state’s embrace of these objectives.”
We continue to believe that more progress can be made when Wabanaki leaders, lawmakers, and the governor continue to look for places to take positive steps forward together. Those steps, and the resulting moment, can lead all of Maine down a road to a stronger and more prosperous future.
That would be something to celebrate on Indigenous Peoples Day, and throughout the year.
