PERRY – Members of the Passamaquoddy tribe who live on a reservation that is not part of a developer’s plan for a proposed $400 million liquefied natural gas terminal on separate tribal land want to have a say in the project.

A resolution passed Tuesday by the Indian Township Tribal Council claims their reservation has rights over the water where the developers propose building the LNG terminal at Pleasant Point, located about 50 miles to the southeast.

“The Indian Township Tribal Government does assert its right to have a vote in any activity infringing on our rights in these waters and does not support this LNG project until the voters of Indian Township have had a chance to vote on this issue,” the resolution said.

Tribal Gov. Robert Newell, Lt. Gov. Joseph Socabasin and members of the council signed the resolution.

The Passamaquoddy have two reservations: one at Pleasant Point, near Eastport, and another at Indian Township, near Princeton.

Each reservation has its own governor and tribal council. When it comes to matters of the whole tribe, however, the two councils come together as a Joint Tribal Council. According to the resolution dated March 22, the Indian Township Council believes that the ocean and its resources belong to the whole tribe, not just those who live at Pleasant Point.

“The Joint Tribal Council signed the ocean fishing ordinances protecting and regulating all tribal rights to the ocean resources,” the resolution said.

The resolution was presented Wednesday at a press conference by former state tribal Rep. Madonna Soctomah.

Last year, tribal members at Pleasant Point gave the green light to its council to build an LNG terminal on reservation land near Gleason Cove. The tribe entered into an exclusivity agreement with the Oklahoma City-based Quoddy Bay LLC.

Quoddy Bay’s point man, Don Smith, discounted Indian Township’s right to assert itself over the project.

“Quoddy Bay is leasing the land from [Pleasant Point] of the Passamaquoddy tribe,” Smith said Wednesday. “So our contract has to do with the land. We are informed that the council of [Pleasant Point] has authority to authorize the governor of [Pleasant Point] to lease us the land,” he said. “Separately we do not believe that there are any consequences of the use of the water to bring a ship to a dock.”

Opponents at the press conference titled: “We love Perry so much we wouldn’t sell it for a million bucks,” also talked about Smith and the tribe’s offer of $1 million to offset property taxes.

Opponents have likened Smith to Daddy Warbucks in the movie “Little Orphan Annie” who can “fix anything.”

On Monday, Perry residents will vote on whether Pleasant Point can move forward with construction. In 1986, the tribe gave Perry the right to have a say over any commercial projects on land it bought from the town. To sweeten the pot and cover the cost that a nearby LNG facility would have on the town, the tribe and Quoddy Bay have offered the town an annual payment of $1 million, adjusted for inflation.

Opponents also took issue with accusations by Smith that they had sold out to “wealthy, selfish interests in Canada.” Smith claimed in a press release issued this week that the group has accepted “tens of thousands of dollars” from Canada. Right now the Canadian-based Irving Oil Corp. is in the process of building an LNG terminal near Saint John, New Brunswick.

“I believe that selfish Canadian interests are disguising their activities by funneling money through environmental organizations in Canada, which are then funneling money to political organizations in Maine,” Smith said in a prepared release issued this week. “Powerful interests in Canada don’t want an LNG terminal in Maine competing with their attempt to see gas from New Brunswick LNG terminals in Boston.”

Linda Godfrey of Save Passamaquoddy Bay denied Smith’s allegations. She said they were a grass-roots organization that has been funded from the nickels and dimes of people who do not want LNG in their back yard. She invited anyone to look at their books.

To date, she said, they have raised $11,945. She said their largest donation of $1,404 came from a dance the group held. She said they had received two donations that totaled $570 from a bed and breakfast and a lodge in Campobello Island, New Brunswick.

Godfrey then challenged Smith to reveal how much money he has paid his public relations firm and technical experts.

Smith said he would reveal where the money is coming from to fund his efforts, but not how the money was being spent.

“What I am concerned about is that they may be receiving money from organizations that hide the fact that there are individuals in particular places contributing to those organizations,” Smith said. “The issue is whose money is behind this effort.”

Soctomah had her own assessment of Smith and his deal. “I think the promises that have been made by Donald Smith and whoever else is involved in bringing about this facility on tribal land should use all the money and the paperwork as toilet tissue, I think it would better serve its purpose there,” she said.