| Lesson
4:
Teacher Background: Who Are the Wabanaki?
The term Wabanaki, which has been translated
as “People of the Dawn” or
“Dawnlanders,” arose during
the 1700s to refer to the Wabanaki Confederacy
of tribes that had banded together for
military and political strength. Wabanaki
is now used as an umbrella term for all
the Native peoples on the Maritime peninsula
(Maine, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and
Prince Edward Island) and the Abenaki
peoples of Quebec, Vermont and New Hampshire.
Abenaki should not be
applied as an umbrella term for all the
tribes – use Wabanaki. Abenaki refers
to the Native peoples of Vermont and New
Hampshire who do not have federal status
in the U.S. [but do have state status
in Vermont] and to the Abenaki Tribe with
reserves in Quebec.
- In Maine, there are
4 federally recognized Indian Tribes.
These are:
a. The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians
b. The Aroostook Band of Micmacs
c. The Penobscot Indian Nation
d. The Passamaquoddy Tribe
What
does it Mean for a Tribe to be Federally
Recognized?
Federal recognition
grants a tribe status as a sovereign Indian
Nation with a government-to-government
relationship to the U.S. federal government.
A tribe that has been federally recognized
has gone through the long, complicated
and expensive process of petitioning,
or asking, the federal government to recognize,
or accept, their American Indian group
as a “tribe.” Native groups
petitioning the U.S. government to be
federally recognized must meet certain
criteria, or conditions, through documentation
and evidence—such as tribal census
information and state or federal records.
For some tribes, the process of petitioning
lasts years and many tribes’ petitions
are not accepted.
Through the Bureau
of Indian Affairs, federally recognized
tribes have access to a range of federal
services in education, social services,
law enforcement, health services and resource
protection. Federally recognized tribes
do not receive a monthly check from the
U.S. government because of their status
as Indians. There is no basis for this
belief other than misinformation and misconception
of the status of American Indians. Some
tribes give out payments to their members
when there is income from the sale of
tribal assets such as timber or oil and
gas. This is a decision made by each tribe’s
government, not the federal government.
(http://www.doi.gov/benefits.html)
When
did Wabanaki Tribes Receive Federal Recognition?
The Penobscots and Passamaquoddies received
federal recognition in 1974.
The Houlton Band of Maliseets received
federal recognition in 1980.
The Aroostook Band of Micmacs received
federal recognition in 1991.
Where
are Wabanaki Tribal Lands?
The Penobscot Indian Nation has a reservation
on Indian Island, Old Town, Maine.
<http://www.penobscotnation.org>
The Passamaquoddy Tribe has reservations
in Washington County at Indian Township,
near Princeton, Maine <http://www.passamaquoddy.com>,
and at Pleasant Point, near Perry, Maine.
<http://www.wabanaki.com>
The Aroostook Band of Micmacs maintains
tribal cultural/community centers in
Presque Isle, Maine, and has tribal land,
but it is not a reservation.
<http://www.micmac-nsn.gov/>
The Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians maintains
tribal land in Houlton, Maine, but the
land is not a reservation.
<http://www.maliseets.com>
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