Maine made history four decades ago when it negotiated a one-of-a-kind agreement with the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy and Maliseet tribes. But the 1980 Maine Indian Claims Settlement triggered decades of clashes with the state over fishing rights, water quality regulations, economic development, and the jurisdiction of tribal courts. Now the legislature is considering rewriting the settlement, restoring tribal sovereignty and redefining the relationship between the state and its indigenous communities.
We discuss the legacy of the settlement and the effort to reform it with Maulian Dana, ambassador of the Penobscot Nation. A leading advocate for the restoration of tribal rights and a powerful voice for tribal communities, Dana has changed the perception of indigenous people in Maine.
She was be interviewed by Colin Woodard, state and national affairs writer for the Portland Press Herald and a historian and author. In 2014. Woodard wrote “Unsettled,” a 29-part series that chronicled the history of the Passamaquoddy people and the settlement.
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