AUGUSTA - Members of the Maine House of Representatives gave initial approval Thursday to LD 1626, legislation to uphold the sovereignty of the Wabanaki Nations, in a vote of 81-55. Assistant House Majority Leader Rachel Talbot Ross, D-Portland, is the lead sponsor of the legislation.
If passed into law, LD 1626 would implement the recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act. The legislation would restore the Wabanaki Nations' jurisdiction over their reservation and trust lands, and it would bring all of the Wabanaki Nations' back to the same level of sovereignty that most other Tribal Nations exercise within the United States.
LD 1626 is the result of years of work from Tribal leaders and Maine legislators to modernize the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act and draft legislative solutions to restore sovereignty to the Wabanaki Nations. The proposal aims to improve the relationship between Maine and the Wabanaki Nations, a relationship that has been governed by federal and state Settlement Acts since 1980. While the Settlement Acts were intended to resolve land claims, they resulted in restrictions on the sovereign rights of the Wabanaki Nations to self-govern. As a result, Wabanaki Nations within Maine have not had the same rights and privileges as most other Tribal Nations in the United States.
"Today, the Maine House made history by voting to restore to the Wabanaki Nations what has always been inherently theirs: sovereignty," said Talbot Ross. "Tribal leaders and members have fought for generations for their right to self-govern, and I want to thank everyone who has worked so hard to get us to this point today. Throughout the history of Maine and the United States, we have amended our laws over and over again to correct past wrongs, improve our democracy and protect the rights of those previously left behind. Let 2022 be the year that we correct the Maine Indian Land Claims Settlement Act, finally uphold the Wabanaki peoples' sovereign rights and forge a new future of diplomacy, respect and collaboration between the State of Maine and the Tribal Nations."
During the bill's eight-hour public hearing on February 15 before the Judiciary Committee, members heard an outpouring of public support with over 1,500 individuals and organizations testifying in favor of the measure. The chairs of the Judiciary Committee, Sen. Anne Carney, D-Cape Elizabeth, and Rep. Thom Harnett, D-Gardiner, are cosponsors of the legislation.
"LD 1626 and the work around it strives to right past wrongs," said Carney. "My thanks go to the many who have worked so hard to move this important human rights legislation forward, especially the Chiefs of the Wabanaki Nations, Tribal leaders and elders, and the many Mainers who waited hours to share testimony at the public hearing; all those who shared their expertise during the extensive committee work including OPLA analysts; Judiciary Committee colleagues for their diligence and thoughtfulness; and of course Rep. Talbot Ross for her leadership in sponsoring and directing this bill. This bill represents an important step forward in repairing the relationship between state government and the Wabanaki people."
"Over the course of history up until the present day, we have treated the members of the Wabanaki Nations as less worthy, less important, less valued and less than people," said Harnett. "We have tried to strip them of their culture, their languages and their traditions. We have broken and dishonored treaties and promises. For all of that, I am sorry. While we cannot rewrite our history, we can make history by charting a new path forward. We can create a better future for all of Maine, including our native brothers and sisters, the members of Maines first nations. By voting to advance LD 1626, the Maine House has taken a step towards creating a new, more just relationship by recognizing the inherent sovereignty of Maine's first peoples."
The legislation faces more votes from the House and Senate in the coming days.
Talbot Ross is in her third term in the Maine House, representing part of Portland, and serves as assistant House majority leader. A ninth-generation Mainer and longtime public servant, Talbot Ross has dedicated her career to social justice. She serves as the executive director of Maine Black Community Development, Inc., a nonprofit organization she founded. Prior to her time in the Legislature, she led the NAACP in Maine and founded Maine Freedom Trails and Martin Luther King, Jr. Fellows. She chaired the Maine State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights for several years as well as the African American Collection of Maine housed at the University of Southern Maine.
Contact:
Jackie Merrill [Talbot Ross, Harnett], c. 207-812-1111
Lisa Haberzettl [Carney], c. 207-251-3548