PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • August 26, 2025
Formed in 1980, the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission is supposed to report to the Legislature on state-tribal affairs and provide feedback on issues that concern the Wabanaki Nations. It is also charged with regulating fishing in certain waters and approving additions to reservations. Gov. Janet Mills, who controls six of the 13 seats, vowed on the campaign trail to restore the commission, which she said had been “too long neglected” under her predecessor, former Gov. Paul LePage. In her first six months in office, Mills filled all of the state’s seats, and the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians each had two representatives on the board. But for years, the commission has struggled to find its place in state government. Insiders describe it as hobbled by structural limitations; outside observers call it “dysfunctional” and question whether the board is relevant at all anymore.