Archive

News Article Maliseet Indians gain a voice Written by Jim McCarthy, Editorial Page Editor from Times Record One of the first things Rep. Charles Priest, D-Brunswick, did upon assuming the co-chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee with Sen. Lawrence Bliss, D-South Portland, in early 2009 was to visit the Houlton Band of Maliseets’ reservation in northern Maine. The trip was part of their efforts to see firsthand the living conditions of Maine’s Wabanaki peoples — the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Maliseet and Micmac tribes — and to hear directly the concerns of tribal leaders. It proved to be a good first step in signalling at the start of the 124th Legislature that the two Judiciary Committee leaders were serious about improving relations with Maine’s tribes, who’d been stung by several snubs that had taken place in the previous legislative session. Now that the 124th Legislature has wrapped up its second session, we give credit to Priest, Bliss and other lawmakers for enacting several bills that build a stronger foundation of respect and trust between the state and Maine’s native peoples. A leading example is Priest’s LD 445, “An Act To Improve Tribal-State Relations,” which gives the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians the right to elect a tribal representative to the Legislature beginning in 2012. Gov. John Baldacci signed the measure into law on Monday. During their visit to the Maliseet reservation, Priest said he and Bliss were impressed by the tribe’s efforts to organize programs and services to meet its needs and build a better future. Both came away with a strong feeling the Maliseet Indians should have a “voice” in the Maine Legislature — with their elected representative having the same rights as the tribal representatives for the Penobscot Nation and Passamaquoddy Tribe to sponsor bills and serve on committees — and they succeeded in persuading fellow lawmakers to make that happen. Although tribal representatives still don’t have the right to vote in Maine’s Legislature, the addition of a Maliseet representative will help put the Houlton Band on the “radar screen” for all of us. That, in and of itself, is a good thing. It will create great opportunities for dialogue with the Maliseet people and a better understanding of their issues of concern. Priest notes there are other measures within his approved bill that are intended to address issues that have been raised by the Wabanaki tribes in recent years: — Designating land located near Argyle as being part of the Penobscot Indian Reservation. Doing so will facilitate the Penobscot Nation’s efforts to provide housing in Argyle for its people. — A provision that seeks to address tribal concerns about the process of developing the budget for the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission. For this provision to take effect it must also be approved by the Penobscot Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe and Houlton Band of Maliseets. — A provision that clarifies laws governing interlocal agreements that the Passamaquoddy Tribe and Penobscot Nation might enter with neighboring municipalities, counties and school administrative units. Priest credits Penobscot Nation Rep. Wayne Mitchell with helping other lawmakers understand the importance of this provision to the tribes. Another measure enacted during the first session of the 124th Legislature in which Priest played a role was an emergency bill to increase the pay of tribal representatives in the Legislature to be on par with fellow lawmakers. All of these measures have one thing in common: Respect for Maine’s native people. While Priest acknowledges there remain significant unresolved differences between the state and the tribes, he’s hopeful the 124th Legislature has set the stage for improved trust and understanding. That’s necessary — if we are to move forward in our relations with the Wabanaki tribes. letters@timesrecord.com

Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission (MITSC) P.O. Box 241 Stillwater, Maine 04489 (207) 817-3799 Email: mitsced@roadrunner.com Copyright 2010MITSC Privacy Policy