Our neighbors should not be afraid to access these spaces because of the recent violent actions of immigration enforcement agents. By restricting ICE’s access to these community places, we can ensure that everyone can use these basic services without fear.

I recently held a testimony writing party at my school for this bill. Only four students showed up, and almost all of them already knew about the issue. That told me something too. The kids who care are here. There just aren't enough of them yet, because Maine hasn‘t given them the education to know why they should.

LD 785 will remove outdated barriers that have prevented the Wabanaki Nations from fully accessing federal self-determination policies available to all other tribes nationwide. For over 40 years, these restrictions have stifled economic growth in Wabanaki communities; tribal income outside Maine rose 61% since 1989, while Wabanaki income grew just 9%, compared to Maine's 25% overall, leading to lost opportunities for jobs and development that would benefit rural Maine.

Practices like oyster and seaweed farming naturally collect carbon, purifywater, and support biodiversity, especially when done at a smaller scale, like most of our currentsea farmers. Not only would this amendment increase opportunities for a larger sector of Maine industry, but it would also support the very habitat that the industry relies on.

People in Old Town and the Penobscot Indian Nation have repeatedly said that more expansion at Juniper Ridge adds to environmental burdens they already carry. They are worried about air pollution, leachate in the river, and health problems such as cancer and asthma. Blocking landfill expansion into wetlands is one concrete step toward reducing these unequal impacts on low‑income and tribal communities.

Wetlands serve as a carbon sink. We are at a critical point in lowering emissions, and taking away a natural mechanism for reducing the Greenhouse gas effect goes down a path that could be irreversible. Not to mention, the health effects of landfills are toxic and compoundable. Allowing expansion means paving the way for the future of these effects.

By passing this bill, the Legislature can help ensure that the Wabanaki Nations have access to the same tools, resources, and opportunities that every other federally recognized tribe in the country can use to strengthen their communities. Doing so will benefit not only the Wabanaki but the entire state; economically, environmentally, and morally.

The rules should work the same for everyone. Maine is the only state that overrides federal tribal law, every other state simply lets it apply. That's not a small difference. It means the Wabanaki Nations have been playing by a different, harder set of rules for decades, and nobody ever fixed it.