A sign at the Pleasant Point Reservation in Maine. Photo from Facebook
Maine tribes are once again facing opposition to their fishing rights. In 2013, the state brought charges against tribal members for exercising their rights. The case was dropped later that year and tribal leaders started working with the state on fishing agreements. But those deals were scrapped in 2014 over objections from Attorney General Janet Mills. Now, Department of Marine Resources Commissioner Patrick Keliher is opposing a bill that would require the state to come back to the table and negotiate. "The tribe has done this since time immemorial. Our culture is fishing,” Rep. Matthew Dana, the sponsor of the bill, said at a hearing on Monday, the Associated Press reported. "It's about sharing resources within the tribe." At the hearing, Keliher said he was willing to work with tribes to address their issues. But he again asserted that tribal members must comply with state fishing laws. The Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act authorizes state jurisdiction over some reservations. The law also includes a provision that makes it nearly impossible for federal laws like the Violence Against Women Act and the Tribal Law and Order Act to apply to tribes in the state. Mills is opposing efforts by the tribes to take advantage of the two laws. Dana is a non-voting representative of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point and Indian Township. Get the Story:
DMR, tribes are at odds over elvers (The Ellsworth American 4/28)
Maine tribes seek deal with state on commercial fishing (AP 4/28) Also Today:
Penobscot Nation member to address Bucksport Council on water rights lawsuit (The Ellsworth American 4/28)
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