Wabanaki Legal News
Wabanaki Legal News
Fall 2024 Edition
Tax law is never a fun or simple topic. But it is one of those issues we must all deal with. Here is some news regarding tax law in Maine for tribal members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, Penobscot Nation, and Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.
Collectively, tribal cultural heritage is intellectual property (IP). According to tribal IP law attorney Carrie Frias, intellectual property is an umbrella term that includes copyrights, trademarks, and patents, with each one protecting different rights.
The Wabanaki Nations have expanded authority to prosecute more serious offenses committed on tribal territory by tribal members under a law that took effect Friday. However, the state will still retain those responsibilities for the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians and the Mi’kmaq Nation until those tribes have established full court systems.
October was Domestic Violence Awareness Month, when our attention turned to the issues of abuse, violence, and control over partners and family members. It was also the month of Indigenous Peoples’ Day, falling on October 14, 2024 this year.
The University of Maine waives tuition and mandatory campus fees for eligible Native students. This includes recent high school grads and non-traditional students alike.
Spring 2023 Edition
(and do something about it!)
The Fair Housing Act (FHA) is a federal law that prohibits discrimination when people rent or buy a home. The FHA also protects individuals who are involved in other housing-related activities, such as obtaining homeowner’s insurance or asking for an accommodation to a no-pet policy when a tenant has a disability and needs an assistance animal.
VAWA 2022 passed through Congress and was signed into law by President Biden in early 2022. Under VAWA 2022, Tribes exercise their sovereign power to investigate, prosecute, convict, and sentence Indian and non-Indian defendants who commit covered crimes in Indian country against Indian victims.
For many Veterans, being discharged from the military is straightforward, despite the abundance of paperwork and formalities. But this is not the case for all those who served. Learn more about discharge upgrades.
Many schools in Maine have been suffering from staffing shortages. In fact, several school districts have recently considered shortening the school day, closing schools, or going remote due to these staffing shortages. Some of the most severe shortages affect students receiving special education.
Supreme Court Hears Oral Argument for Haaland v. Brackeen
The Supreme Court heard a major case in November 2022 that may have ramifications for all of Indian Country. Haaland v. Brackeen, or simply Brackeen, is a case brought by an adoptive couple, the Brackeens, with support from several states and other petitioners that aims to dismantle the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) and potentially more of Federal Indian law.
Pine Tree is happy to announce that we welcomed a new Executive Director, Tom Fritzsche, back in September! Tom was born and raised in Maine and is a graduate of Kennebunk High School, Amherst College, and the NYU School of Law. Tom has had a lifelong commitment to working toward the advancement of Pine Tree's vision that there should be fairness, justice, and equality for all.
The Wabanaki Legal News is published by Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Inc. and is funded in part through a grant from the Legal Services Corporation. The views expressed by the authors in this newsletter are not necessarily shared by Pine Tree Legal Assistance or its staff.
Indigenous Peoples Unit
Lisa Chase, Managing Attorney
Suzanne Burke, Staff Attorney
Sadie Harris, Staff Attorney
115 Main St. #2
Bangor, ME 04401
Pine Tree Indigenous Peoples Unit toll free hotline: 1-877-213-5630; V/TTY: 711.
Please call our toll-free hotline to request assistance. You may also call Pine Tree Legal Assistance during call center hours.