Passamaquoddy Tribe

The bill, LD 2004, states that any laws passed by Congress pertaining to other federally recognized Indian tribes would also apply to the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Nation, the Mi'kmaq Nation and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.

Federal officials from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management were in Bangor this week to gather feedback from state officials, fishermen and tribal members about potential offshore wind development projects that may be sited in the Gulf of Maine.

Rena Newell, the current tribal representative for the Passamaquoddy at Pleasant Point, will become the new chief. Chief Kirk Francis was elected to a sixth term as the Penobscot Nation's top leader, and Chief William Nicholas will return for a fourth term at the Passamaquoddy tribe at Indian Township.

The St. Croix River, also known as the Schoodic River, flows through the homeland of the Passamaquoddy people between Maine and the province of New Brunswick. It once teemed with millions of migratory fish. Then came a series of dams that blocked the fish from their spawning grounds, and years of conflict over river management.

The program brought together musicians and storytellers of Wabanaki, Congolese, and Puerto Rican heritage.

In this week's Pulse: The status of the tribal sovereignty bill and its political implications.

The bill would allow the Penobscot Nation, the Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians to enjoy most of the rights, power and privileges afforded to more than 500 other tribes nationwide under federal law.

The House approved the proposal 81-53 despite opposition from Hollywood Casino in Bangor and lawmakers who philosophically oppose the expansion of gaming in the state.

The Maine House gave initial approval Thursday to a bill to overhaul the fraught relationship between state government and tribal nations in the state. But supporters fell well short of the margin they would need to overcome a potential veto from Gov. Janet Mills.

Supporters of the bill hope big majorities might persuade the governor to drop her concerns that the proposal creates jurisdictional issues with neighboring towns and let the bill become law upon enactment.