{"id":11897,"date":"2022-02-06T10:16:19","date_gmt":"2022-02-06T15:16:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.suitupmaine.org\/?p=11897"},"modified":"2022-04-06T11:48:25","modified_gmt":"2022-04-06T15:48:25","slug":"stand-with-wabanaki","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.suitupmaine.org\/stand-with-wabanaki\/","title":{"rendered":"#StandWithWabanaki: Restore Tribal Self-Governance"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”3.22″ global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding=”4px|||||” next_background_color=”#000000″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.0.47″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_blurb admin_label=”Quick Action” title=”Quick Action” use_icon=”on” font_icon=”s||divi||400″ icon_placement=”left” image_icon_width=”65px” content_max_width=”809px” _builder_version=”4.14.6″ header_font=”|700||on|||||” header_text_align=”left” body_text_align=”left” body_text_color=”#efb217″ background_color=”#00417f” vertical_offset_tablet=”0″ horizontal_offset_tablet=”0″ custom_padding=”15px|15px|15px|15px” animation_style=”slide” animation_direction=”left” animation_starting_opacity=”20%” animation=”right” z_index_tablet=”500″ header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” body_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” body_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” body_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” body_link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” body_link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” body_link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” body_ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” body_ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” body_ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” body_ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” body_ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” body_ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” body_quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” body_quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” body_quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_horizontal_image_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_image_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_image_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_image_tablet=”0px” text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

Legislators will hold a public hearing February 15 on a bill to restore Wabanaki tribes’ inherent right to self-govern. The Wabanaki Alliance has set a goal to gather 500 written testimonies in support of the legislation to demonstrate the strong statewide backing for the bill, and are asking allies to step up! QUICK ACTION: Be one of the 500! Learn more about the bill and how to submit testimony in our call to action!<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

[\/et_pb_blurb][et_pb_text admin_label=”Issue, Action” _builder_version=”4.14.6″ vertical_offset_tablet=”0″ horizontal_offset_tablet=”0″ z_index_tablet=”0″ text_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” text_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” link_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” link_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ul_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ul_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” ol_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” ol_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” quote_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” quote_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_2_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_2_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_3_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_3_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_4_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_4_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_5_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_5_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” header_6_text_shadow_horizontal_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_vertical_length_tablet=”0px” header_6_text_shadow_blur_strength_tablet=”1px” box_shadow_horizontal_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_vertical_tablet=”0px” box_shadow_blur_tablet=”40px” box_shadow_spread_tablet=”0px” global_colors_info=”{}”]<\/p>\n

THE ISSUE<\/span><\/h2>\n

<\/span><\/p>\n

Maine legislators are considering a bill to protect Wabanaki rights by restoring the tribes’ inherent right to self-governance by enacting <\/span>consensus recommendations<\/span><\/a> from a bipartisan task force convened to address long-standing issues with the <\/span>Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act<\/span><\/a> (MICSA) and the state law that accompanied it, the <\/span>Maine Implementing Act<\/span><\/a>. Passed in 1980, the settlement was a negotiation between the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the state and federal governments. Even though tribes in Maine never ceded federally recognized rights, the state and courts have for 40 years used language in the settlement to treat the tribes as little more than municipalities, leaving them with <\/span>fewer rights<\/span><\/a> than all other federally recognized tribes across the country. Under MICSA, tribes in Maine were unable to benefit from <\/span>more than 150 federal laws<\/span><\/a> passed since 1980, missing out on opportunities for economic development, increased access to health care, expanded environmental protections, enhanced K-12 education, and legislation that fostered job creation, ensured safe drinking water, and strengthened laws regarding prevention and prosecution of sexual assault and domestic violence. A\u00a0<\/span>2012 report<\/span><\/a> from the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission, created by the 1980 settlement<\/span><\/span> to continually review its effectiveness, found that MICSA \u201ccreated structural inequities that have resulted in conditions that have risen to the level of human rights violations.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

These inequities prompted the creation of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act, a bipartisan group of tribal leaders, legislators, and state officials. After six months of hearings, meetings, interviews, and research, the task force issued a report in January 2020 with <\/span>sweeping recommendations<\/span><\/a> to restore tribal sovereignty over a range of issues, including the prosecution of crimes on tribal lands, the regulation of fishing, hunting, and other uses of natural resources on tribal lands, gaming, taxation, and land acquisition. The task force\u2019s recommendations do not affect the Aroostook Band of Micmacs, who are pursuing their own sovereignty proposal through parallel efforts.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

LD 1626<\/span><\/a>, sponsored by Assistant Majority Leader Rep. Rachel Talbot Ross (D-South Portland) and supported by the <\/span>Wabanaki Alliance<\/span><\/a>, is an omnibus bill to enact most of those recommendations. The legislation is supported by <\/span>Rep. Jared Golden<\/span><\/a> (D-CD2) and a <\/span>broad coalition<\/span><\/a> of nearly 100 environmental, faith-based, and social and racial justice organizations, including Suit Up Maine. The Judiciary Committee will hold a public hearing on the bill Tuesday, February 15 at 9am.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

ACTIONS<\/span><\/h2>\n