Wabanaki Nations' State Of The Tribes Address

foreign [Music]
hello and welcome to live coverage of the state of the tribes address to a special joint session of the Maine
legislature I'm Jennifer Rooks and we are coming to you from the legislative Council chamber at the State House in
Augusta for this special occasion joining me here Donald Soctomah an author, filmmaker and tribal historic preservation officer for the Passamaquoddy tribe. Donald Soctomah was also recently appointed by President Biden to the international Park commission also
with me here Donna Loring an author broadcaster veteran and former senior
advisor on tribal Affairs to Governor Janet Mills she is a citizen of the
Penobscot Nation both also served as tribal representatives to the Maine
legislature and we have file footage of the historic address in 2002 you all
were seat mates then and it's so fun to be able to look back and see that you
were together then and here today for the second historic address Donna Loring this is as we mentioned the
first time in more than two decades that a state of the tribe event has happened an address for The
Joint session of the legislature what I understand that in 2002 it was your idea
what were you hoping to accomplish then and what are you hoping today's
events today's address will mean for not only the
wabanaki people but also for the people of Maine well I think it's a the reason that I created this I thought
of it was the fact that uh the wabanaki voices were never heard
in the in that house and I at first thought that it would
just do it in the house and then when they approved it I asked for a joint session which they also approved so it
was uh it was a time for the people of Maine to actually hear directly from
tribal Chiefs about tribal issues you know and it's a it's amazing because it
was the first time in 181 years ever that the voices of
webinaki chiefs were listened to and heard in that chamber
um and I do want to say that it's something else that this year is uh five Chiefs will speak and it will
be the first time in the history of the state that five Chiefs address the
legislature so that's over 200 years um in your book
of variance and your experience as tribal representative and I'm going to read a quote you said that you thought
that the state and the tribes were quote entering a new era one of partnership and progress looking back do you think
that that was accurate and could you say the same thing about the current ERA I think back then it uh it was it was
accurate but it's sort of like you take a giant step forward and and another step
backwards so it's been like that since 2002 particularly
um some of the political issues that came up over the years so you know that
set us back and you know we keep trying to move forward on these issues and trying to educate the public and you
know it's a continuous thing and and again this year we're hoping that again uh well we can move on in Partnership
and Donald maybe I posed the same question to you what are you hoping happens after today
it's always good to communicate that was a problem in the past the lack
of communication when I first came to the state house a lot of representatives were surprised there's even a native
tribe in the state so communication is really important and
I hope today the representatives hear the Chiefs
discuss concerns hopes and dreams of the
future relationship that we have with me that's really what I'm hoping
will figure into the remarks today sovereignty is the most important thing
to all the tribes it makes us who we are we're able to
govern ourselves and have a relationship with the state sovereignty is very
important for the tribes and if you look at it nationwide there's over
550 tribes in the nation that have sovereignty the main tribes are the only
tribes in the whole nation that don't have that and I don't see there's any should be
any fear because all the other states
that have this they have good relations and if you look at the difference from
the Harvard report that was put out recently
the tribes with sovereignty have 60 percent more per capita income
than the main tribes and this is a report that's been out for just a couple months or December of 2000 22 but one of
the authors of the report just addressed the legislature a couple days ago and I want to talk about that word you used
Donald that word fear um way back in 2002 when Chief Barry
Dana addressed the legislature he raised the issue of sovereignty and at that time he said these things are important
to us but they need not be scary to you so clearly you are not the only person
who senses that there is fear among others what do you think there is fear of
that's what I've been trying to figure out for the last 20 years why is there
fear if other states and other tribes have that type of relationship I really
don't see why there should be fear maybe it's because it's the unknown
to Maine in general but I don't see big reason to be to have
any fear and Donna I'll ask you that same question what do you think do you agree
and if so what do you what do you think is going on okay so I think there's a sovereignty issue that the state is not
recognizing the tribes have sovereignty we have inherent sovereignty but the
state does not recognize the fact that we do have sovereignty and they have refused to recognize that ever since
they signed the treaty in 1820 with the tribes so that's been an ongoing issue
and lies at the bottom of of trust you know when when we signed that 1820
treaty we signed it in our eyes as sovereigns in order to keep our lands
and the state saw us as uh signing a declaration of uh surrender
and treating us like uh like Wards of the state and then went ahead and started taking the lands that we thought
we had preserved by that treaty and let's talk about that because uh just recently before the Judiciary
Committee I believe there was a measure that would put language back into that Constitution from 1820 the language was
never voted to be removed it just hasn't been printed it's still and it and it talks about
the state of Maine as it was breaking away from Massachusetts honoring previous treaties
I want to get your perspective on that Donna no one really knows why this hasn't been
printed what do you make of the opposition from
Governor Mills and others to putting this language back in the printing of the Constitution I believe the governor
said it would be confusing if I if I'm recollecting correctly yeah so my response to that is what's tell me what
state refuses to print constitutional language you know it's it's a
constitutional the Constitution uh uh provide state law or whatever you
know the state goes by those laws so for for you not to print laws that you're about you're you're honoring or whatever
that's to me that's kind of ludicrous it's uh very strange
Donald you were I want to return to something you're talking about about the sovereignty and the tribes the 550 570
tribes Across the Nation who are in a different category than the wabanaki
tribes of the of uh who who live in our area and I'm wondering
Congressman Jared golden proposed a change to that congresswoman Shelley Pingree supported
that change but it was never voted on in Congress in part because Senator Angus King opposed it do you know why Senator
Angus King opposed it were there conversations or did it just
go away I didn't hear any reason from him about why he opposed it
I don't understand why he opposed it I did send him a copy of the Harvard
report so he could um
understand why we're looking at having the sovereignty issue addressed now in Maine
and in Congress the federal government had a responsibility a treaty responsibility
and they gave that up breaking their own law because right in
the Constitution of the United States they're the only party that can deal with native tribes
Donald Donna I understand that right now the Chiefs who will be addressing the
joint session of the legislature being escorted in to the legislative Chambers
into the house Chambers we are expecting to hear the five Chiefs
in the following order Chief Clarissa Sabattis of the Houlton band of Maliseet
Indians followed by Chief Rena Newell of the Passamaquoddy tribe it's Sipayik near Eastport Chief Kirk Francis of the
Penobscot Nation Chief Edward Peter-Paul of the Micmac nation and chief Williams
Nicholas of the Passamaquoddy at Motahkmikuk or Indian Township
each is expected to talk for approximately 10 minutes
you hear the voice of Senate President Troy Jackson calling the house to order
Congressman Jared golden is there and being greeted by the legislature
second district Congressman Jared golden
and as we mentioned golden did indeed sponsor the legislation to give the wabanaki tribes the same
status under federal law as the other 570 federally recognized tribes yeah recognize the tribal represented from
past quality tribe rep Dana during the convention order and move its
passage the tribal representative from Passamaquoddy tribe rep Dean and presents a conventional removes passes secretary
read the order ordered that a message be sent to the honorable Clarissa Sabattis chief of the Houlton I'm going to turn to
you all since you served in the legislature why didn't you explain the rigmarole what's going on right now
what are we seeing your guess is good as mine
and it was a historic day over 21 years ago too
and I think this is going to make a difference for some of the representatives and Senators to actually
hear from the tribal Chiefs
last session in the legislature there was a lot of support for revisiting
the claims that the Indian Claims Settlement Act rewriting it
passed both houses of the legislature the governor signaled that she would not pass it and it never came before a full
vote and I'm wondering if you believe that this Outreach today
will make it possible to bring that legislation back with even more support
well I I think the governor needs to hear from the Maine public
she had an opportunity to be at the address today and decided not to
um so I I think the main public if they understand what's going on and they
start flooding her office with letters and phone calls that would be an
important step have you talked with the governor about this no I haven't and you have you Donna
no I have not okay okay back to the House of Representatives at
the main stat state house if you're just joining us this is an historic event for
only the second time the leaders of Maine's wabanaki Nations will be addressing
the main House and Senate calling it the state of the tribe's address
this is the first time since 2002 there has been an occasion like this but
as Donna Loring told us this one is a little bit different because five all five Chiefs in 2002 was at four Chiefs
Donna um three Chiefs okay
and so this time all five being represented
I believe we have footage of the 2002 there we are the 2002 event yep
um on the right was um this is Chief Richard Stevens from Motahkmikuk
and then speaking is Chief Rick Doyle Richard Doyle from Sipayik
and this is Chief Barry Dana from the Penobscot Nation
both of you drove up um Donna you said this morning and Don last night is this
something people were talking about back home and and what are people saying what are they hoping for today
well back home this is so important the children from our grammar schools are
watching right now and I wanted to say hi to all the students at Motakmikuk and Sipayik this is a learning
opportunity for them and it's bringing a lot of Hope to our community that things
will start to change for the better and people don't understand about sovereignty
if you had in the last couple days about today well I think that people are looking
forward to hearing from the Chiefs directly for the what's currently issues in in our communities and and I think
the issues of more about sovereignty and uh how they're going to how we hope
to move forward as equal partners with the state um how are how are students you said
this is going being shown in the school today yeah how are students taught about the concept of sovereignty and
the structure of the government as it stands today well we have the students
understand we have inherent sovereignty like Donna said and we teach our
children that because for a culture to survive it has to have that important
part of it so the children understand that
but they also understand by reading the papers and listening to TV that there's
a conflict in Augusta about the difference of opinion on sovereignty
apparently earlier when we were told the chiefs were coming it was tribal
Representatives but now the Chiefs are at the door and ready to come in
and this is Clarissa Sabbatis who's the chief of Maliseet from Houlton
and for those of you listening on the radio there is indeed a standing ovation
we have a wide shot here but it looks to me from my perspective that all five
Chiefs are coming right now
taking their position up on the dice and shaking the hands of Senate
President Troy Jackson I'm getting a big hug I believe is that
the speaker of the house yeah from Rachel travel at Ross Speaker of the House
next to Clarissa Sabattis is Chief Rena Newell from Sipayik
the chair is pleased to welcome the honorable Charissa Sabattis chief for the
Houlton band of Mailseet Indians for the purpose of addressing the joint convention
foreign [Applause]
I'm gonna come back just for that Willy's about will not delete was closer
Sabattis foreign good morning my name is Clarissa Sabattis
and I'm Wolastokuk or Maliseet and we are the people of the medexica
I'm the chief of the Houlton band of Malisset Indians and on behalf of our nation I offer our gratitude to Madam speaker
Talbot Ross Senate President Jackson House minority leader faulkingham
and Senate minority leader Stuart for the invitation to address this joint convention today
I also extend that gratitude to their staff and all who have worked so hard to make this possible and to those who made
it a priority to attend this historic event I'd also like to recognize an amazing
partner joining us today Congressman golden
this is the very first time all four tribes have delivered a state
of the tribe's address in the history of this great state of Maine [Applause]
I'd like to say thank you to our elders who have offered opening prayers asking that we all speak and listen with good
intentions I also want to recognize our drummers and singers for being here today
and to start us off in a good way filling these halls with our language with the echo of Mother Earth's
heartbeat and speaking of our language in my travels around the state I see
many wabanaki place names these names always make me feel connected
connected to the waters to the land but most importantly to our ancestors who name them
well we still encounter mean citizens who don't know that there are tribes here
these place names are a reminder of the First Peoples to inhabit this territory
we are not a long forgotten Society we are strong we are resilient
and most importantly we are still here [Applause]
I feel that our cultural tourism efforts are a way to teach and celebrate who we are as a people and share it with those
who call Maine home as well as those who come from away there's nothing I love more than to
enter Maine's borders and be greeted not only by the welcome sign
but by one that says home of the wabanaki Nations [Applause]
this is also why I support lr1566 an act to strengthen the teaching
of wabanaki studies in Maine schools LD 291 that was passed in 2001 required
main history to be taught in Maine schools it was introduced by The Honorable Donna Loring who at the time was the Penobscot
legislative representative teaching the true history of wabanaki or the people of the Dawn is so important
and this bill will help ensure the intentions of ld291 are fully recognized
here in Maine at times history can be uncomfortable but ignoring it does not make it go away
our youngest citizens in Maine should have the opportunity to understand the
incredible history of resilience of our wabanaki Nations told from a wabanaki
perspective I also support lr1184 an act
implementing the recommendations of the task force on changes to the main Indian claim settlement implementing act that's
amalfo this is sponsored by Speaker Talbot Ross
we need the space to self-determine our own destinies while our right to exercise our
jurisdiction was never removed the main Indian Claims Settlement Act also encourages us to negotiate
jurisdictional agreements with the state of Maine passage of this bill is a step in the direction towards
self-determination As Leaders we all know the importance of having the ability to make changes
for the betterment of our citizens and we will always work with you to protect our shared resources for
everyone's benefit our mallacy borders are within Aroostook County
which currently ranks 11th in health outcomes and 12 and 12th sorry for
health factors out of the 16 counties in Maine one of those important factors that impact our health outcomes is the
socioeconomic status of those living in Aristo County our goal is to create local jobs and
economic growth for our tribe and our neighboring towns and County
sorry our tribal government is one of the largest employers in our area
employing tribal and non-tribal citizens not only do we Infuse funds into the
local economy through employment but we also believe in supporting local and family-owned businesses
cultural tourism will also be another Economic Development opportunity to further us on the path towards economic
independence which is essential for fostering thriving communities
we are currently in the hospitality business owning and operating our Wilderness Pines Campground that offers
a beautiful Lodge and Cabins with other amenities this has become a wedding destination
and we are currently working on creating spaces where people can have cultural camping experiences
we also own a motel that is currently being remodeled it's called holistic Inn and Suites and both are located in
northern Maine the governor's bill that provided the
tribes with mobile Sports wagering exclusivity has the potential to be a wonderful economic tool
it can provide funds to fill gaffs in underfunded tribal government programs and offer needed resources to support
economic growth and diversity in our area it is my hope that the process will be
expeditious and the proposed regulations will not hamstring the tribe's ability to find a
partner and have success with with licensing fees and 10 percent of adjusted gross wagering receipts
coming back to the state of Maine our success is your success
our tribe is currently working on setting up our very first court in partnership with Penobscot Nation
this court will will at first only focus on addressing Child Support Enforcement
passage of lr1184 would also help clear the way for us to work towards a fully
operational Court exercising our jurisdiction to the fullest extent allowed under the law and creating
Equity among the tribes in Maine I also support the Indian Child Welfare
act bail sponsored by Senator Bailey it doesn't currently have a title
but we've been working with the AG's office our mousey children are our greatest
resource and they hold our future in their hands it was only 25 years ago that the state
was removing our children at a troubling rate more than 10 percent
and devastating our community this legislature will have the
opportunity to pass an Indian and child welfare bill to help keep our families together and
make them stronger and I urge you to support it
food sovereignty is a as a priority that our tribal nation has also been hyper focused on since the pandemic when we
looked around to assess the needs that there may be that we could truly impact feeding our people was top priority
meeting this basic human need is a determinant of all of our health and well-being
with the help of our wonderful staff community and partners
we have been successful in starting up a food pantry farming some of our own land that
typically is least to Farmers providing the tools and the knowledge to
our citizens on how to grow and process their own foods and this is just the beginning
we are engaging our youth in this process from planting and growing to developing a food sovereignty plan
we need to engage our younger generation and model the way again the ability to exercise our
jurisdiction will fill a gap that we experience on the path to realizing food sovereignty the ability to hunt and fish
under our own authority without the need to issue Maine licenses is another inequity created by this 1980
settlement language with only two of our four tribes that can exercise this inherent right to hunt and fish on their
own lands without interference covet has also highlighted other needs
our tribal Nation mousey health and wellness center I'm sorry our tribal Administration and
our mousey health and wellness center and other departments we're quick to meet emerging needs of
the pandemic in partnership with state and federal agencies but the pandemic presented unique challenges for Citizens
with substance use disorder and those needing Behavioral Health Services our behavioral health program was Swift
to problem solve and do all they could to ensure delivery of needed services and this required restructuring and
growth to meet the ongoing need and emerging needs as a result of the pandemic
with the partnership of wabanaki Public Health and Wellness who serves all of our tribes we are seeing the constant
growth of behavioral health and substance use services that are grounded in our wabanaki life ways
their services reach beyond our borders and meet our citizens where they are
the issue of substance use is not just tribal we have a shared responsibility with you
to address this epidemic we are all on this path together
the Houlton band of Maliseet Indians is one of eight willistic way or male seat First Nations and we continue to
inhabit our traditional territory of holistic or Saint John waterset watershed which includes the northeastern portion
of Maine into New Brunswick our ancestors have inhabited this land's
long for long I'm sorry these our ancestors have inhabited the land along these rivers and waterways
for time immemorial being a riverine people water has always been at the
center of our existence from sustenance to ceremony land ownership was not our way
but today in today's world is a way to ensure existence of our nation and exercise stewardship
there is a word in our language and it's pronounced it means All My Relations
it is our belief that all of our relations reach beyond our human family and envelop the Earth Clans the
four-legged the air Clan and the water Clan well we have adapted over the years to
changing environment we still believe that the water and land is key to survival and remains sacred
there was a relationship of reciprocity that has become unbalanced
and it is our duty as stewards of these lands and all of our relations that inhabit it
our tribe works collaboratively with the Conservation District Regional Maine dep office USDA and nrcs
as part of an ongoing Watershed effort to control erosion with a focus on agriculture
we have also been working on restoring The Aquatic habitat in the medexnic egg since 2011 with our latest project in
partnership with the town of Houlton to replace failing culverts this is just a couple examples of the
collaborative work taking place well some of our methods of stewardship have evolved in contemporary times it
remains our responsibility to adapt and overcome obstacles to restoring the ecosystem in our traditional lands to
improve the livelihood of all that inhabit them this is not just a responsibility of the
home band and Malisset Indians this is a shared responsibility of all of us in this room
all of us that live in this beautiful state I look forward to standing beside you
all to find ways to fulfill the shared duty of reciprocity and stewardship for the future of our relatives
we do not own these lands we only borrow them from our future Generations
I would like to thank everyone on both sides of the aisle for their meaningful engagement and willingness to come to the table to modernize the Settlement
Act it was enacted at a time when the rest of the nation was making a shift from an era of tribal termination to supporting
the self-determination of tribal Nations the state of Maine took a step backwards
and this has remained for decades our resilience has helped us build
complex governmental infrastructures to serve our citizens despite having to live with this the unintended
consequences of this law and as some of you have heard or read from the Harvard report
self-governance policies and self-determination have fostered exceptional economic
growth across Indian country in some cases completely alleviating the need for state and local services to
individuals as a result of this unchanging law we have become outliers in Indian
country economically underperforming when compared to tribes across the
continental U.S so with that I'd like to say I look forward to our continued partnership
and forging A New Path forward that is not only better for our tribe
but is also better for this great state that we all call home thank you
Chief Clarissa Sabattis chief of the malaise tribe outlining initiatives and
goals of the Malisset tribe calling for reciprocity in stewardship and a call to
modernize the Settlement Act as we hear Applause what is your
reaction Donald the message he came across was excellent
she's an excellent speaker she now please welcome delivered the
message
[Applause]
Woliwon thank you Woli Spasuwiw
it's a good morning
as I began I was going to describe to you the welcome song however
I would defer to the song sung by Lauren Stevens that being the
humble song kci woliwon to Passamaquoddy tribal citizen Lauren Stevens the daughter of
former Chief Richard Stevens of the Passamaquoddy tribe at Indian Township
who addressed this legislative body during the first state of the tribe's address
he is here today he is seated in the gallery I'm not sure if he received
recognition at the start but it's good to have you here former Chief Richard
Stevens Kci Woliwon [Applause]
I am happy to have traveled here from Sipayik located on the edge of Passamaquoddy land on the shore of Passamaquoddy Bay home to the beautiful and proud people of the Peskotomuhkat tribal government and community of tribal citizens other most
eastern tribe to welcome the sunrise from the East
we are part of the wabanaki the people of the Dawn
as the daughter of Mary Ursula and the late Timothy John Newell senior
who served as a former council member former lieutenant governor of Sipayik and until his Earthly departure proudly
served as a member of our school board at Sipayik as the great granddaughter
of The Honorable Peskotomuhkat tribal representative Lewis Mitchell
as a mother of two to two amazing daughters Courtney and Kylie as the uhkoma
a grandmother of three granddaughters lavella denea and nias
I humbly stand before you now in a good way to bring forth a message
as the chief of the Peskotomuhkat tribe at Sipayik n'toliwis Rena Newell my name is Rena
Newell I greet you as I begin I want to offer gratitude and
recognition once again to those in attendance to Speaker of the House Representative
Rachel Talbot Ross she Willy won House Majority Leader representative
Maureen Terry cheweli one assistant House Majority Leader representative Kristen
Cloutier Republican leader representative Billy
Bob faulkingham assistant Republic leader Republican leader Amy Arata
and of course to Senate President Mr Troy Jackson thank you
and to the Senate and to The Honorable and distinguished members of the Senate and the House of
Representatives it's truly my honor to be with you once again as the former tribal representative to
this body you have heard my words before I've had the privilege of speaking on
the floor of this house in the last four years I appreciated your patience then and I
ask for it once again today I am once again honored to be here Among
The Honorable Chiefs of the wabanaki tribes
Nation Chief William Nicholas of the Passamaquoddy tribe at Motahkmikuk and
chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Nation these wabanaki tribal leaders hold a
combined 50 years of leadership experience in serving their respective communities
I would be remiss if I did not also introduce you please if I may I also
would like to introduce you to the vice chief of the Passamaquoddy tribe at SipayikVice Chief Pos Bassett who is
here with me today in the audience [Applause]
I'd also like to send gratitude and uh appreciation to having the associates
associate Supreme Court Justices whom I just met in the speaker's office Justice Lawrence and Justice me thank
you for sharing this time with us today to Congressman golden kci woliwon for
traveling here today thank you for your visit to Sipayik and I look forward to
continuing our work together thank you to Penobscot Nation Ambassador
Molly and Dana Malieet Ambassador Zeke Crofton-McDonald and Passamaquoddy tribal representative Aaron Dana
honorable tribal Elders tribal citizens former tribal representatives and tribal
council members and tribal attorneys kci woliwon for being here today
and to the singers and the drummers that traveled here today that welcome this day
I especially wish to acknowledge our youth in attendance
and the maine Indian education students that are watching today
serving under the direction of Penobscot Nation Tribal citizen principal Lee
Francis the Penobscot Nation students serving under the direction of Passamaquoddy tribal citizen interim principal my sister Molly Newell Motahkmikuk
Elementary School and serving under the direction of principal Dan meringue the Sipayik
elementary school students to all that stand in support of the
wabanaki tribes members of the main Indian tribal State Commission
the wabanaki alliance and the wabanaki alliance coalition
kci woliwon thank you very much for being here today
well these acknowledgments may have taken a bit of my speaking time
I feel it is important to give recognition appreciation and send gratitude and
greetings to those that are in this shared space
on March 11 2002 I watched in awe at the state of the tribe's address held
for the first time in Maine history led by the work of my friend The
Honorable Donna Loring while serving as the Penobscot Nation Tribal representative
I recall how proud I was to see tribal Chiefs presented in full traditional
regalia each articulating their respective written speeches before the legislative branch
I was connected by the hopeful words that I heard yet I was filled with more Pride of the
visual representation of my culture through the tribal leadership heard on that day
21 years later on March 11 2023 I began to write words
that I have come to learn may have been shared before
today is beyond symbolic today just as I did 21 years ago
I will appreciate the words heard before me and those that will follow
and is so certainly my hope that those in attendance today and watching and the
members of this great state the citizens of the
state of Maine we'll also hear the messages brought forth on this day
my speech right now tells me to go off script
but I'm going to do that I want to share this morning when I woke
I felt rushed I felt I had a limited time what would you say
how would you deliver it and then I was like well they've heard me be spoke before they've heard me
speak before they've allowed me to go off a little bit go a little bit longer I appreciate
that I think it's very fitting that the choice that I made and the option of
this part of my speech this is now my choice
I would now like to quote the words of my great grandfather
who spoke to this same legislative body these remarks were from 1887.
and the detail of the history of our contributions to this country
in 1775 or 1776 in the struggle between Great Britain
and America your people came to us for assistance you authorize Colonel John Allen to
speak to us you said he is our mouth
believe what he says to you after many kind words and Promises
Francis Joseph who was chief of the tribe at that time accepted his offer
he promised to go and help his people gain their independence
immediately he sent his captains to different points of his country to
notify his people to prepare for immediate War in a few days Francis Joseph gathered an
army of 600 men at that time and many years before that
the Passamaquoddy tribe was the headquarters of the Abenaki Nation
the Passamaquoddy tribe can show you by statement of Joshua driscoe of
jonesport how the Passamaquoddy Indians Faithfully fought fought for the
American people to help them gain their independence
and the possible quality tribe also can show you by affidative Affidavit of
William watt of Jonesboro Maine one of the Revolutionary soldiers
how he was alongside of Francis Joseph the chief
and heard him ask permission from Captain Smith to fire the first gun
and Captain Smith gave him permission he fired and killed an officer who was
in the stern of the boat the distance measuring nearly three quarters of a mile from where it fired
and we can also Show You by the same affidavit how many Indians were in the army
it was 600 men and they served two years
the Passamaquoddy tribe can show you by letter from Colonel John Allen
when he authorized the pasumaquati Indians to guard the coast from Massachusetts from Machias to
Passamaquoddy Bay and authorize them to seize the enemy's vessels
and according to his otters orders we can show you by the affidavit Capital
captain sabial softoma with 50 others of his tribe
captured an army Schooner in Passamaquoddy Bay
and they ran her to Machias and gave her up to Colonel John Allen
and we can also Show You by the statement of John Allen Jr have the Passamaquody Indians followed
the enemy from Machias to Castine the Passamaquoddy tribe can show you by
the affidavit Affidavit of magazette Frost who saw the Indians at Castine
and told how they Faithfully fought for the Americans now nearly all of these statements
were sworn to before magistrates and we can also show you many different
histories that mention how the Passamaquoddy Indians
fought for you such as Halls history
Williamson's history and the history of the town of Machias
and how by all these statements histories and traditions no doubt the Indians must have served in
that war we can also further Show You by the letter dated in Massachusetts in 1780
after the war was over in that letter you said to us
on account of the large army we Supply and dry summer of this year
we cannot send you any supplies but you promised us you would
you would see to our just claims in future
we can now show many old documents and letters before the Revolutionary War
and during the war if necessary now about these before mentioned letters
and affidavits we were advised by some intelligent persons
to present them to the main legislature they said to us
if they favor you they will refer them to Congress
they said to us it may not come in the form of Pensions
but you stand a chance to get something for your services from the general government
we know the Indians who served in that war are passed out of existence
but the passive equality help the Americans in that war and the tribe is still in existence
now we humbly ask your attention to help us
now look at this yourselves and see whether I'm right or wrong
if you find any insulting language in my speech I ask your pardon
I don't mean to insult anybody but simply tell you of our wrongs
Lewis Mitchell of the Passamaquoddy tribe of Indians
presented to the state of Maine House of Representatives
on March 8th 1887.
i i in closing I just want to say kci woliwon for the opportunity to have spoken to you
I think it was important for me to convey who was in the room who's listening to the words before you
how will they be received and I thought it was important to go to the Past
we can speak of the present we can speak of the future but it's important to reflect upon the
past in order to move towards the future my words are words that have been spoken
long ago the words of my great-grandfather is an example
and I thought today would be a fitting day to share his words once again
Chief Rena Newell or the Passamaquoddy tribe at Sipayik acknowledging the many
people in attendance today acknowledging Donna Loring who is sitting with us today saying that today is beyond
symbolic and then reading words of her great-grandfather outlining the history of Passamaquoddy
dedication to the United States and then what happened afterwards when the Passamaquoddy Chief went to the legislature here's now pleased to welcome
The Honorable Kirk Francis chief of the Penobscot Nation for the purpose of addressing the joint convention
thank you thank you Mr President Madam speaker
members of leadership and all of you in this room what a terrific day it was
just five years ago when things were broken so badly that the Penobscot Nation after 200
years of holding a representative seat here chose to walk out it seemed impossible and unfixable and
here we are and it's a credit to all of you in this room thank you so much
I know a lot of people have been acknowledged already I will not do that again
but I feel as one person I should acknowledge in the room I have members of my Council here our ambassador
obviously and many of our citizens uh you don't get too far in life without
without support I'd like to acknowledge somebody who's worked on behalf of Indian people her whole life grew up on
her own Indian Reservation and for some reason took pity on me and married me so my my wife Allison
so as chief of the Penobscot Nation I bring you greetings on behalf of our vice Chief Mark sock Beeson our tribal
counsel our ambassador Maulian Dana and the citizens of our great tribe the Penobscot nation is a proud to be part
of the wabanaki Confederacy I am honored to be here today with my brother and sister wabanaki Nations
Penobscot people have lived in this territory for over 10 000 years it is our home today and it will be forever
our history and culture are bound to this territory it's land and natural resources our name comes from our sacred
River in our main Community Indian Island is located near Old Town in the Penobscot River and serves as our seat
of government the Penobscot people have been buried on Indian Island for thousands of years
we continue to preserve and respect that final resting place for our people I was raised on Indian Island and one
day I'll be proud to be buried there I share this with you so you can understand the commitment of the
Penobscot Nation government and its people to this territory to its well-being to its future
we are not like some corporate entity that will shut down and move out of state when there's no more profits to be
made We have forever been here and we will forever remain here
we are committed to our lands and our economic well-being but also committed to our neighbors in their economic
well-being we we no longer subscribe to not
accepting the things or accepting the things that we cannot change but Focus rather to change the things we cannot
accept we want to work with our neighbors and with you to find ways to make all of
Maine prosper at the beginning of the American Revolution in 1775 Chief Joseph Orno and
other Penobscot leaders traveled to Watertown to address the provincial Congress of Massachusetts which included
the territory of Maine the purpose of orono's visit was to present grievances on behalf of the
Penobscot people one of the Grievances was a Phipps Proclamation
which declared war on the penobs god in 1755 and authorized bounties for scalps
of Penobscot men women and children Chief Warren obviously wanted the killing of Penobscot people to end
and he also wanted six miles of land on either side of the Penobscot River to be reserved for our people
and protected from trespass in exchange he committed the Penobscot Nation to fight alongside the American
colonists in their struggle for independence from the British crown the Massachusetts Government agreed to the
bargain and the Penobscot Nation fought in the Revolutionary War on the side of the Americans and defended this territory we
now know as Maine since the American Revolution Penobscot people have fought in every military
conflict much more than any other American population
one of our oldest citizens Charles Shea served as a medic on on the beaches of Normandy
on D-Day in 1944. he ended up a prisoner of war twice in
his service but still managed to come home to Indian Island today there is a statue of a turtle on
the beaches of Normandy pointing towards Indian Island and we have one here pointing towards
France to remind us of penobscot's critical support during World War II this is just one example of the amazing
veteran Community we have Penobscot nation has always fought for life liberty and pursuit of happiness
we have always fought for freedom and for the protections of this land and we will continue to do so
over the past few years there has been a decent amount of press coverage on the wabenaki Nations and our desire to
reassess the limitations on our sovereignty that were put in place in 1980 through the land claims
many people are confused as to exactly what we want so I want to try to address some of that
today in 1970 president Richard Nixon gave a special address to Congress announcing a
new federal policy towards American Indians this was being done according to Nixon after centuries of Injustice and failed
Federal policies such as Force termination and assimilation the national policy would be one of
Indian self-determination focusing on strengthening tribal Nations autonomy by increasing opportunities for
Education Economic Development and self-governance more than 50 years later the federal
policy announced by Nixon continues to be in place historians economists and
many others praised the policy as one of the most successful in United States history
it has led to not only improvements in tribal communities but also in the regional communities in Which tribes are
located the new federal policy of self-determination also included the federal government doing better at
upholding its obligations to American Indian tribes this included the federal government bringing litigation on behalf
of tribes for the wrongful loss of tribal land that is what happened in Maine litigation was brought by the federal
government against the state of Maine in 1972 regarding the wrongful taking of Penobscot and pass with Party Land
ultimately two settlements were reached between the tribal nation state of Maine
and federal government the settlements had to be ratified by Congress and that happened in 1980. these settlements
extinguished our land claims in exchange we received money from the federal government for the reasonable value of
the land it should be noted the state of Maine did not contribute one dime to that settlement
the tribes pushed for inclusions of Provisions that allow us to govern ourselves our land free from outside
interference however the state included Provisions that said no federal law enacted to
benefit Indians before or after the settlements shall apply in Maine if it impacts State jurisdiction
time has shown that the state can object to almost any federal law applying to the tribes in Maine this has led to
significant restrictions on our sovereignty and our ability to self-govern our lands and resources
it has also led us to have insignificantly less rights and Powers than any other tribe in the United States
more importantly ad hoc objections from the state have created a chilling effect on federal agencies and private
companies wanting to work with us to create economic social and Public Safety opportunities
opportunities that would benefit not just us but also the entire region in which we are located
the federal policy of self-determination has been reaffirmed by almost every president since Nixon yet in Maine we
are stuck in 1980s policy and the tribes have had to commit significant resources towards trying to
Advocate on a case-by-case basis to be included in federal laws that are passed and supposed to apply to us
our federal representative Congressman Jared golden who is here today fought
for a bill last Congress to have every new federal beneficial act apply to the webinarians and I'd like to take an
opportunity to recognize his courage and strength and fight on that issue
thank you
the Harvard University concluded that the bill would have provided significant benefits to the
webinarians and Rural Maine yet unfortunately the bill died in the
Senate penobscot people in wabanaki nations are mainers The Blood Sweat and Tears of
our ancestors run through this land and it will continue to do so for generations to come we are not going
anywhere all we want is for state government to break decisively from the past and join
the era of self-determination for tribal Nations that has proven so successful
throughout the rest of the country we are capable of self-governance and should be treated as partners rather
than threats to the future of the state we want a relationship with state government that is based on Mutual trust
Fidelity and respect a relationship that recognizes the unique contributions of wabanaki peoples
to this state and promotes our self-determination without interference the state of the Penobscot nation is
strong our history is one of endurance survival of adapting in the face of overwhelming obstacles
we are still here we have made an enormous contribution to the existence of the state to its outdoor culture its
art its sense of History strength and purpose the Penobscot nation is strong but we
can be stronger through Partnerships we are one of the largest employers in our region we operate over 110 programs
including Public Safety tribal court housing Social Services natural resource protection health and education to name
a few a tribal Health Department as a shining example of self-governance and
self-determination was critical at successfully navigating us through the covet pandemic and we worked with state
and local Health agencies on a regular basis to share information and resources we provided services to all our
employees and their family members and worked to support everyone connected to our community
regardless of whether they would pronounce God or not we donated thousands of pieces of
personal protective equipment to local medical facilities during the shortages and we serviced hundreds of people for
coveted related issues we delivered over 150 000 meals during
that period and not one of our employees lost a day of pay that self-determination in
self-governance
thank you in Although our Economic Development and Business Development still lags fire
behind most other tribal nations in the country we are working creatively to address these challenges and we welcome
all ideas and Partnerships we are not opposed to development but believe in
responsible and sustainable development these lands and natural resources have to last Us and other main people forever
we cannot ruin them for profits today but need to responsibly manage them so they can benefit us all for generations
to come the Penobscot Nation owns more than 100 000 Acres two-thirds of this land is
managed for forestry we do it in a sustainable manner our forestry operations supports hundreds of jobs in
this state and we use all local vendors to do this work we spend significant time effort and
resources monitoring the Penobscot River and its Watershed the Penobscot river is
not just a body of water it is a living relative and we truly connect with our ancestors there
we collect more water quality samples in the river than any other entity in the state and we work extensively to enhance
habitat for species within its ecosystem all mainers benefit from a healthy River and we all share a responsibility to
care for it and we focus on our youth by providing programs to help them get educated to
become Future Leaders and I'm proud to report to you today that just last year the Penobscot Nation
youth youth Council was named National Youth Council of the Year among 574
federally recognized tribes across this country
so our future is bright the Penobscot nation is strong but we
can be stronger and we can be better engines for regional Economic Development and general welfare if the
state is willing to change the Dynamics of our relationship to one that recognizes our self-governing abilities
sovereignty over our land and provides us access to Federal beneficial acts intended to benefit all Indian tribes
the last four years have been very productive in advance and tribal State relations with your help we were able to
make significant advancements on water quality standards collaboration on state policies that directly impact us tax
treatment of activities occurring on our lands and access to participate in the new industry of mobile sports betting we
were ready and capable of taking on these new responsibilities and so much more think of us as partners for Maine's
future when we get the privilege to participate in new Industries such as mobile Sports wagering we make sure to
also benefit long-standing main institutions such as the harness racing industry Horsemen's Association agricultural
fairs these institutions are quintessential Maine and we recognize the need to keep them every dollar the
Penobscot Nation generates and profit remains in Maine we don't have shareholders we have citizens and a vast
majority of them live here there is a movement back to a made in America economy the Penobscot Nation
fully supports made in America and ask that you remember Native America When developing policies to advance
Maine's future Maine's indigenous voices and knowledge are critical to the advancement of our
state I want to thank again speaker Talbot Ross leader Billy Bob faulkingham Senator
Troy Jackson and others for coming to Penobscot nation and participating in bipartisan talks with the wabanaki
leaders about how to build on these past successes I am confident that we can make more
progress and am ready to roll up our sleeves my sleeves and do the work I also want to thank the people of Maine
and this is very important who have taken the time to become educated and engaged in the issues that the Penobscot
nation and wabanaki Nations face countless numbers of you have come to rallies testified before
the legislature rode op-eds and sent your well wishes you have said loud and
clear that you want a better relationship to exist between the state and the wabenaki Nations your friendship
has meant everything and lastly I want to thank the Penobscot people for
continuing to put their trust in me and work with me to advocate for Progress for our tribal community and region we
are all in this together and together we can make more progress it has been my honor to be here today I
am proud to be part of the wabanaki family and I'm also very proud to state to you today that the Penobscot Nation
remains a proud strong and powerful Nation thank you so much
Chief Kirk Francis of the Penobscot Nation noting that the Blood Sweat and Tears of generations of penobscots run
through this land and calling for Mutual trust Fidelity respect self-determination and self-government
for the Penobscot people Donna Loring quickly your response reaction so I
think that occur which it very succinctly as far as you
know the state and tribal relations very very Rocky right now and but we've
always tried to move forward and offered our hand in Friendship to the to the state but I think we've made a lot of
progress here and I think this day is uh is proof of that
and now Chief Edward Peter-Paul of the Micman Nation we'll pronounce Mi'kmaq [Applause]
Quay need Delhi was in edwell biopol sakom
Mi'kmaq greetings I'm Chief Edward Peter Paul of
the Micmac nation we are one of 30 Micmac communities on
Turtle Island we stand with our brothers and sisters from the land of the wabanaki our traditional territories to
give you the state of our tribes thank you president Jackson
speaker Ross leader faulkingham
Republican leader Trey Stewart sorry I don't know the all the technical terms you know it's
there's so many here um and Congressman golden you know thank
you for coming this is uh it's a great event it's you know it's about time that the state does something like this
um without you guys leadership and understanding
of the benefits of having native nations within State boundaries we would not have this opportunity to speak with all
of you today as a state we are only strong as our weakest link
this body has an opportunity to strengthen one of the state's weakest link
weakest link not in the form of its people and culture
but in the form of growth and prosperity this weakest link is our native nations
who are still fighting for our rights of self-determination instead of
participating in the growth of the prosperity of the state we live in and love
just as any strength can be someone's greatest weakness and any weakness can become a strength
we the people in this legislative body and tribal leaders have an opportunity
to shape Maine's future and roll economy by working together and using our
advantages to the best of our ability it's time as leaders in our communities
to build and create opportunities for all residents in Maine tribal and non-tribal
we have made much progress in the past four years but there is more work to be done
with Open Hearts and Minds with honesty and fair dialogue there's no doubt we
can create solutions that will not only benefit the wabanaki people but all main
people walking hand in hand moving forward together we can work towards the goals
of ensuring self-determination for Wabanaki Nations while lifting up all of
Maine my nation survives on federal grants and grants alone
we don't have any Economic Development we don't have a way to generate revenue on a tribal lands to better our
community because we are so restricted by the state my nation is in survival mode we cannot
focus on economic development and prosperity we can just try we're just trying to
survive the day we want an opportunity to self-determine our prosperity our future the onus of
success and failure should be on us and not the state determining what success
or failure is of our nation as tribal Chief I am tasked with the
protection of the health safety and Welfare of My Tribe it is often difficult to address these
issues without self-determination on our lands we don't have a tribal court to
adjudicate our sis our citizens which means we don't have a police force to protect our citizens
we get limited Federal funding for health care which is not enough
native and Americans in Maine life expected expectancy is 20 years less
than the non-natives with the high rated diabetes
cardiovascular disease along with addiction epidemic that is touching many
families across Maine we're all in constant Battle of survival
these are some of the major issues despite hardships mentioned we continue to persevere the best we know how
we have made differences where we have the authority and are held responsible
we all know the 1980s agreement is outdated must be modernized
and has not the prosperous effects of all that had hoped 43 years ago
we're asking to be put on the same footing as 570 federally recognized tribes across
the country those tribes are subjected to Federal Indian laws passed by Congress
we are asking to be treated fairly and on those same footings
those tribes have seen 61 percent personal income growth since 1989.
while the tribes in Maine have only seen nine percent growth in that same period
we need to work together to bring prosperity to State and local
communities using the advantage we have which includes the federal beneficial
laws for our Indian nations we are not asking for handouts we're
asking to self-determine our destiny
there are numerous examples across the United States in ways States and tribes
can coexist here in Maine we need to find a way to move our state
and our communities forward as friends not adversaries as neighbors not enemies
nothing is stronger than when people can come together work together and prosper together
thank you [Applause]
and talking about the fact that he feels as though his nation is in survival mode
and says we all know that the 1980s agreement is outdated
he says that we've made progress in the last four years but more needs to be done
reaction Don Donald Trump well I think he said it perfectly clear
we're stronger when we work together there's a lot of federal programs out
there that are available to tribes all around the nation and they're stopping it I mean
I mean finally Chief William Nicholas of the Passamaquoddy tribe at Motahkmikuk or
Indian Township taking the podium
thank you I guess I get the challenge of being able to entertain you a little bit
more and going fifth I was able to hear from the other tribal leaders and it's always
important but one of the things that's being here today that I keep hearing is the inequities the main tribes are
receiving across the state I haven't even got to my presentation
yet but I made a promise going fifth that I some of you were had
visited my Administration and I talked for an hour and a half and in that hour and a half I did not go
on script and the speaker asked me in the end if she could have my script and I gave her my notes I said that's all I have
so I have the tendency after a long time of being able to articulate
um the challenge is the successes and finding balances within government
and the economics of it all before I start I need to recognize even
though she's going to say not to my wife of 34 years I heard Mr uh Chief Francis
stated earlier that the backbone well she's put up with me through law enforcement career as well as being
Chief and she is my backbone and she is a leader in our community I need to
recognize my wife Lucy Nicholas [Applause]
thank you Woli Spasuwiw
Senate President Jackson speaker Talbot Ross house Republican leader faulkingham
members of the House and Senate distinguished guests Senator Trey Stewart representative
golden Justice Mead Justice Lawrence tribal leaders from the Passamaquoddy
tribe Micmac Nation Maliseet Penobscot Elders of all of our communities
and tribal citizens Sakom William Nicholas N'toliwis Peskotomuhkati Motahkmikuk
what that means is I am Chief William Nicholas the Passamaquoddy tribe at Indian Township
(Passamaquoddy language)
did you will hear this in possible quality
towards the end of my speech again and then I'll tell you what it means
on December 24 uh 24 1776 during the Revolutionary War
General Washington asked for the help of the possible quality and the Penobscot you've heard this earlier without
hesitation it is documented that over 600 possible quality in Penobscot agreed to serve
wabanacki have served in every conflict since without even having the right to vote
until 1967. when Native Americans were granted the right to vote in Maine
Maine was was one of the last states in the country to comply with the citizen act even though the 15th Amendment
passed in 1870 granted all citizens the right to vote regardless of race
sovereignty means the ability to govern oneself without outside interference
the passable quality tribe at Indian Township resides mainly in Washington County a natural resource-based tribe
we employ just over 200 employees in our administration at madokmigu
with businesses in Northern Washington and Somerset counties
the past McCauley tribe Indian Township operates a fully staffed Community Health Center providing Health Care substance use
counseling Dental EMS any map program
we provide 24-hour emergency services and law enforcement Warden Service fire
and rescue 24-hour dispatch one of only two
providing 24-hour services in Washington County
tribes judicial system includes a juvenile Wellness Corps
one of two in the United States a tribal Corps with jurisdiction over
civil class D criminal and child welfare cases
we own and operate two eight a federally contracted Federal Contracting businesses with locations in
Mechanicsville Maryland Hollywood Maryland Augusta Georgia
and Fredericksburg Virginia we own and operate high-stakes bingo
in Washington County on reservation we operate under state law
obtain a license and pay licenses licensing fees to the state
tribe is also a partner in American unagi
ill aquaculture in Waldoboro Maine we have also partners with wabanaki
public health and wellness to address substance use and treatment on and off
reservation throughout this state to Native people who are in crisis
I must ask all of you Republican Democrat and independents
and tribal Representatives although we have created business that
help funds infrastructure elderly services Health Care and many other internal operations of
the past macquati tribe do you notice that most of our operations are in other counties
or out of state the land Claims Settlement Act of 1980
was to resolve land claims it was never meant to hinder Economic
Development and dissolve our Sovereign right to make decisions on our own lands
main Indian tribal State Commission was developed to help Foster the
relationship between the state and the tribes and their recommendations have not been
accepted the legislature has passed multiple bills in the house and the Senate
to address the inequities and treatment of the wabanaki tribes only to fall short
to the signature of a veto in almost every instance
I am a Republican I am a Democrat
I am an independent what does that mean
I am a tribal Chief serving my fourth four-year term
it means I have an obligation to serve in the best interests of the totality of the people regardless of
party affiliation or family imagine a day when conflict can once
again be resolved by understanding others supporting the neediest
addressing inequities and racism make and Main
the best place to live and raise a family there is nothing we can't work on
together with
understanding compassion and respect
the Passamaquoddy tribe Sovereign right to fish hunt trade and provide a living
has been controlled by the state since signatory in 1980. Education Health Care Economic
Development have had continual interference slowing down growth for the tribe to
address Health disparities and educational opportunities through Economic Development projects that
continue to fall short with businesses having to be developed outside of our reservation
and in other states the disparity excuse me between wage growth
and wabanaki communities in Maine and tribal communities elsewhere from 1990 until now a show that levels
around Indian Country have grown 60 percent which you heard earlier and only nine percent
in webinaki communities in Maine the Harvard report showed that many
tribes across the country have larger more diverse tribal governments than here in Maine
largely because of our lack of access to federal law
which blocks development Harvard concluded that our Workforce is underdeveloped because our governments
are underdeveloped as a result of the settlement restrictions on our sovereignty
limited sovereignty is not sovereignty the opportunity to address the unfair
treatment that Maine tribes have received since 1980 can be worked on and
end with this legislative body of leaders there was a clear history
that has not changed almost every treaty made has been broken
modified or interpreted to benefit the state
we must come together to make some positive inclusive change and recognize the sovereignty of Maine
tribes within their respective reservation and current trust lands
wabenaki tribes have a huge economic impact
in the counties and towns we live in passable quality tribe is one of the
largest employers in Washington County if you combine sibaya with madokmegurk
it's got to be close to over 400 employees within the top five
in Washington County we support our local businesses helping to keep them Ma and pop stores open
we all have an obligation to bring forward and address the inequities of the people that we
represent Maine tribes are the only tribes in the country that do not have the access to
federal laws that get passed in Congress that benefit all of Indian country
let's make that change together recognize the complete sovereignty of the main tribes and move forward in
making a better state for all who live here
we must unite together we must unite together
that's what I just said to you foreign
what I just read to you is it is our responsibility as leaders
of the tribes Nations and the state to unify behind recognizing the
inequities of all people across the state and recognize
the sovereignty of the wabanaki tribes in closing
I need to thank everybody for being able to hear us today
and also I missed a few on my in the beginning
the Attorney General Shannon bellows and several others that are here in
leadership positions along with our representation from Washington County and our tribal representative
I would like to say thank you for being here and pushing forward for the main tribes and we hope to work closely more
with all of you thank you and I appreciate the opportunity to speak
Passamaquoddy Chief William Nicholas saying limited sovereignty is not sovereignty
and calling on those assembled in the legislative Chambers today in the House
of Representatives calling on them and both Passamaquoddy and to English saying we
must unite together he was the final speaker five Chiefs of wabanaki tribes
addressing the state legislature the house and the Senate and this historic
event I'm joined as I was at the beginning of this program by Donna Loring and Donald
saktoma both leaders I could spend hours talking about everything they have done
they have both served in the legislature they are both authors um Donald Soctomah historian Donna Loring
a veteran and a former tribal adviser to the governor Donna Loring any surprises
today no no there's no surprises I mean we've said
each Chief basically said that they want to work together with the
state and they want to move forward and uh
they just one of the one of the threads I think in
this is a Settlement Act and it's it's been a contentious act that has kept the
tribes uh weakened I guess economically
and just by that section in the Settlement Act where exclude with exclusive tribes from from any federal
law and uh that section was added
very shortly before it was approved by Congress and was never approved by the
tribes so that's that's one issue I do feel
strongly that the land claim Settlement Act is a
fruit what I would consider fruit of a poisonous tree and needs to be abrogated just wiped out
and that the state and the tribes need to start with a very honest and transparent and
truthful relationship and develop something that they can work together with recognizing each other as partners
and sovereignties can you give us an example of what kind of federal laws
benefit other tribes other Indian nations that you
have not been able to give us some examples equal
the Indian gaming regulation Act when you look across the country
the main main tribes could not participate in that because of this
federal act and and other tribes the pequots especially they've made billions
of dollars and it's it's helped them economically
um and Maine was not Maine tribes were not allowed to participate in that however
you know gaming does exist in the state but the tribes are not allowed to uh to
do to do any any gaming it's not just gaming though no I'm just saying that's
one you asked for an example and that's that's an example and I think it's a it's a glaring example
Donald what stood out to you I have a statement about remembering the
past living the future and dreaming of dreaming about a relationship where we
can like Chief one of the Chiefs mentioned about working together for a brighter
future that's what stood out to me and the issue of sovereignty trying to
work together the land claims is a living
evolving document and that's the way it was told to the tribe in 1980. this
document will be evolving and we've run into roadblocks all along
the way the issue of we had to fight in the legislature to to get Indian child
welfare rights for our own children the right
controlled domestic violence in our communities we had to fight for that and
it sounds like two other tribes don't have that right right now
so that's what stood out to me all the chiefs were powerful in their
delivery both of you as we saw at the beginning of this have been doing this work for a
long time 22 years ago we're here for the first time tribal leaders addressed
the legislature are we moving forward Donald
are things better than they used to be that's a good question
the Chiefs if you look at 21 years ago and today
it's the same statement there's been a little bit of change but
it takes a lot of effort and money that we can use better ways instead of
fighting in the state to get something passed that's going to make our community
healthier and more prosperous same question to you I mean sure the uh
the issue that that we face every every year is every other year I guess is
basically that if if one branch of government supports us and works with us
another Branch goes against us and so it is today it's a very uh very obvious
absence by the governor today in this address and and the message is
you know native voices the Chiefs voices from all other communities are are
talking about their issues and willing to work and there's one branch of government that's has closed their ears and it's
not doesn't hear those voices and was not here today and actually in my
opinion was disrespectful to the Chiefs I wanted to ask you about Governor Janet
Mills was not said she could not attend but did invite the Chiefs to meet with her afterwards what do you make of that
foreign
sending the message that uh uh you know I'm I I'm willing to hear
you on my terms I'm not going to go and and listen uh to what you have to
say uh in in the house under under the House's terms but you come to my office
and maybe we can talk to me that's uh that's a controlling element
and the tribes are I don't believe are interested in that sort of
dialogue Donald your thoughts
ah I think it would have been a step forward for her to be there today the
whole state of Maine would have seen this and would have looked for a brighter
future a relationship that we're really working towards and I think that's important the visual
part of it is there anything either of you would like to add here on this historic day
well I think that today was a huge step forward
and I'm I'm still hoping that all the branches of government will
come around and start working together because and we've said this over and over and
over again it's just fallen on deaf ears you know there are other states that
benefit greatly from Partnerships with the tribes in Maine just refuses Time
After Time and I'm hoping that this time with the a
lot of legislative support and a lot of groups around the state that that's
that's going to change and I and anything that that we can do
together is really going to improve this state as a whole Donald
the message that came out to me was we've been here
we're still here and our future we're always going to be here
and working together would make the whole state more powerful I think
a stronger economically powerful
life better for all citizens thank you so much for watching this with
me and sharing your thoughts Passamaquoddy leader Donald Soctomah Penobscot leader Donna Loring I want to thank all
of the all of my colleagues at Maine public who worked with me today on this presentation the director Nick Godfrey
broadcast producer Nick Woodward programming director Susan Tran producers Susan Sharon and Keith short
all audio George Thomas camera operators Cal yeaton Brian Bouchard Brandon Blair
Rebecca Connolly did the graphics and photography engineering and production support Aaron Carter John Bradford Dan
Works Ryan Smith Steve jaskella Alex Rodriguez and master control Mariah St
Pierre for all of us thank you for joining us for this historic event here at the State House the address the state
of the tribe's address to a joint session of the Maine State Legislature