Maine has profited from centuries of Wabanaki land loss. Supporting land return and sovereignty reforms is both a moral responsibility and a smart economic investment.
This report focuses on the fundamental importance of land acquisition and usage to lay out an economic case for fully recognizing the Wabanaki Nations’ inherent sovereignty.
Key Facts
- For at least 13,000 years, Wabanaki people and their ancestors have cared for this region’s land, water, and natural resources through sustainable stewardship.
- About 12.5 million acres of Wabanaki territory, valued at $105 billion in 1976, were claimed by Maine before rulings showed the claims were based on invalid treaties. Between 1820 and 1980,
Maine extracted hundreds of millions in profits from tribal land seizures and sales, resource exploitation, tourism, and taxes —
without compensating the Wabanaki Nations. - The 1980 Settlement Acts ended the federal land claims case
but left the Wabanaki Nations uniquely constrained compared
to other federally recognized tribes, granting the state unusual control over their affairs and sparking decades of contention over unfulfilled promises. - The Federal government contributed $26.8 million each to trust
funds for Passamaquoddy and Penobscot Nations to purchase a
maximum of 150,000 acres each, and $900,000 for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians to purchase 5,000 acres. But the funds were exhausted before the full amount of land could be secured.
Maine did not contribute any funds to the settlement. - The federal land acquisition funding was based on a calculation
of $181 per acre. A recent purchase on behalf of the Penobscot
Nation was valued at more than $1,000 per acre. - The Mi’kmaq Nation did not receive any federal funding for land
acquisition until 1991. Today, the Mi’kmaq Nation still faces more land acquisition restrictions than other Wabanaki Nations. - In contrast to efforts across North America to foster tribal
sovereignty, the Settlement Acts lock the Wabanaki in an
outdated system that blocks access to federal programs and
about $4.6 million in funding per year, limits land acquisition
and usage, and stifles economic growth. - Between 1989 and 2020, tribes in the US with full recognition of
their sovereign authority had six times greater income growth
per capita than Wabanaki Nations. - Modernizing the Settlement Acts could add $330 million to Maine’s GDP each year, create 2,700 new jobs, and generate $51 million in state and local tax revenue.
- Collaboration between Wabanaki Nations and non-native organizations will secure the return of over 50,000 acres to Wabanaki communities. But the state and federal government can and should do far more to fund and facilitate land return.
Cover photo credit: Yehyun Kim, Friends of Acadia. View full report for notes and acknowledgments.