A New Archive Tells the Human Stories Behind Maine's Land Claims Settlement

"Beyond the Claims" addresses a tumultuous decade in Maine's history that preceded the signing of the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act.

In 1972, the Passamaquoddy tribe filed suit to compel the federal government to pursue land claims against the state of Maine on its behalf, with the Penobscot Nation joining the effort soon after. The tribes alleged the illegal sale and transfer of their aboriginal territories, beginning in the late eighteenth century, and sought the return of a substantial land base in Maine that would open economic and cultural opportunities for them.

Historian and community organizer Maria Girouard, a member of the Penobscot tribal council, explained during the panel discussion at Bowdoin that a settlement was negotiated to put an end to a difficult time. "Following a tense and hostile decade, Mainers were fearing for their property, tribal citizens were suffering overt racial hostilities, and there was enormous pressure exerted on both sides to reach an agreement, since it was causing economic chaos in the state," she said.

More than four decades later, the Wabanaki continue to try to loosen the Settlement Act's restrictions on their sovereignty. Many other federally recognized tribes in the US do not have such restrictions, allowing them broader powers to self-govern and manage their lands.

"Beyond the Claims" is a way to bring this struggle out of the political realm, to strip it of legalese, and to ground it in the people and the land where they live.

"As we witnessed our legislative efforts run up against barriers and lost progress…I thought the venue for change didn't rest in the legislature, but in the people," Girouard said. "We needed to move the conversation about the land claims from the head to the heart."

One of the stories in the collection is recounted by Matthew Dana II, a Passamaquoddy citizen. He describes being brought up with a spirituality that connected people to the environment, imbuing him with a sense of responsibility for his homeland. "We were thankful for having the opportunity to go out and be part of the environment, and look for a deer or moose even though we didn't harvest one. We were still out there engaging and bonding with everything that goes on."