Maine legislation passed on June 10, 2019, creating the Task Force, states a commitment to recognize, “that the Maine Tribes should enjoy the same rights, privileges, powers and immunities as other Federally recognized Indian Tribes within the United States”.
Since the passage of the Settlement Act, the State has exerted an interpretation that imposes its jurisdictional power over the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Micmac and Maliseet, which has undermined their inherent rights and federal law that applies to all other federally recognized Tribes.
