Wabanaki Legal News

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We helped several Native clients at Pleasant Point whose TANF benefits were mistakenly terminated by DHHS. The Pleasant Point Reservation was supposed to be exempt from the 5-Year limitation because of the high number of adults not employed.

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The Growth of Domestic and Sexual Violence Services in Wabanaki Tribes

 In early 1998, the Houlton Band of Maliseets applied for a Department of Justice “STOP Violence Against Indian Women” grant. This was a new funding source created by Congress after the Violence Against Women Act passed in 1994. The Houlton Band decided to use this grant to establish its own domestic violence response program.

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Maine Indian State Tribal Commission News

Last year, MITSC began to consider how UNDRIP ( United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People ) might affect the Maine Indian Land Claim Settlements. After several months of work, the Commission presented a letter to James Anaya, UN Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

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Native Unit Defends Clients in the Passamaquoddy Tribal Court

Pine Tree Legal can help defendants who are not eligible for court appointed counsel. Such cases might include first offenses and minor offenses. Those cases can have serious consequences even though no jail time is involved.

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Honoring, Helping Native Veterans

According to Penobscot Tribal Elder Charles N. Shay, Maine is the first state in the country to recognize June 21st as Native American Veterans Day. There are currently 831 Native American Veterans living in Maine.

In honor of Native American Veterans Day, here are some resources that we hope you find helpful.

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Students Have Rights When Searched or Questioned at School

Students can be charged with a juvenile crime for something he or she did at school. Many schools have “school resource officers” (or SROs).  What a student says to an SRO, school staff and other students can be used against him or her in juvenile court.  It is important to know that students have rights when they are in public school.  This is true even when a student is accused of breaking a school rule or a state law.

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Health Care Advance Directives Should Accompany Your Will

In the last edition of Wabanaki Legal News, we told you about wills and why you might want one. In this article, we talk about “Advance Directives.” They are important documents that control how you are cared for when you can no longer care for yourself.

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Changes to Maine’s School Expulsion Law

A school suspension means your child is temporarily removed from school programming.  It can be an out-of- school suspension (not allowed at the school building) or an in-school suspension (sent to a room at school).  An expulsion in Maine means that your child is not allowed to go to school or get any services, like tutoring, during the expulsion.

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New From The North

by Jeff Ashby, Managing Attorney Presque Isle Office, PTLA
I am very happy to continue outreach to the Micmac and Maliseet Bands here in Aroostook County. We visit the Micmac Reservation at the Micmac Health clinic on the last Wednesday of every month, in the morning from about 9:00 am until 11:00 am. We visit the Maliseet community at the Maliseet Housing Authority on the same day – the last Wednesday of every month – from 1:00 pm until 3:00 pm.

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