PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • April 11, 2022
About 300 tribal advocates and supporters gathered in Augusta on Monday to urge state lawmakers to approve a bill they say will lead to cleaner, safer drinking water for the Passamaquoddy Tribe. Before the rally, supporters gathered outside the State House, with the sweet scent of smudge sticks lingering in the air. They tapped drums, sang and danced. Some carried signs reading: “Water is a human right” and “Our land. Our water. Our future.” Advocates were urging passage of a bill to give the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point more control over their drinking water supply, which they say is unhealthy and unsafe. The Mills administration has criticized the bill and would like to see it scaled back.