We Support Wabanaki Sovereignty
The federally recognized Wabanaki Nations have endured as sovereign and self-determining peoples, with distinct and diverse languages, cultures, governments, and economic structures, despite colonization and attempted genocide. Healthy Acadia, as a member of the Wabanaki Alliance, supports efforts to remove existing legal barriers to their economic opportunity, self-determination, and quality of life.
The Wabanaki Alliance advocates for legislation and policies that improve the lives of Wabanaki citizens and our neighbors around the state, protect and preserve our environment, and honor tribal history and culture.
We are joining the Alliance in supporting the current calls to action below.
LD 1835: An Act to Require the State to Notify Indian Tribes and Indian Nations When New Laws Are Enacted That Need to Be Certified
This bill stipulates that state of Maine legislation requiring approval of a federally recognized tribe (or tribes) in Maine according to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act, Aroostook Band of Micmacs Settlement Act, or other act of Congress cannot take effect without the approval of tribal government. It also requires the Secretary of State to notify tribes of the bill’s enactment and of the deadline and process for the tribal government to communicate its approval or disapproval, specifying deadlines for those notifications as well as the provisions of the legislation requiring tribal approval. The bill was amended in committee to extend deadlines for the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, and Maliseet tribes to certify the law enacted last June that achieves parity for the Mi’kmaq Nation with the other Wabanaki Nations.
Click here to read the testimony of the Wabanaki Alliance in support of LD1835.
LD 1667: An Act Regarding Recommendations for Changing Place Names
This bill creates the State Names Authority within the Office of Geographic Information Systems to serve as a liaison to the United States Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey, and United States Board on Geographic Names. The bill also establishes the Maine Board on Place Names. Its responsibility is to make recommendations to the State Names Authority for renaming Maine features. Click here to read the complete bill text.
LD 2001: An Act to Establish the African American Studies Advisory Council and Require Funding for African American Studies.
Reported out of Committee (Majority - Ought to Pass as Amended)
The Maine Legislature will vote soon. If you would like to voice support for these bills, contact your legislators. Click here to find your legislator.
Click here to visit the Wabanaki Alliance website to learn more about how you can Stand With Wabanaki.