MAINE MORNING STAR • October 13, 2025
The Wabanaki Alliance was formed to advocate for changes to the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act. That land agreement has resulted in the Wabanaki Nations — the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, Mi’kmaq Nation, Passamaquoddy Tribe and Penobscot Nation — being treated differently than other federally recognized tribes, with a relationship to the state more akin to municipalities than sovereign nations. Since the organization’s creation, progress has been made. Gov. Janet Mills has rejected sweeping reform and instead approached changing the relationship on a case-by-case basis. Though, already fairly widespread gubernatorial candidate support for tribal sovereignty suggests the state’s approach could change when Mills is termed out in 2026.