The Indians of Maine have always retained their sovereign rights. With the Land Claims Settlement in 1980, Maine tribes gave up some of their rights, for example, the right to the exclusive control of gaming on tribal territory (state police patrol at bingo games on Indian Island).

However, Maine tribes never gave up their right to self-government or their right to be stewards of their own reservation lands and waterways. In their quest for self-government, they uphold one of the oldest documented democracies in the world, much older than that of the United States itself.

Actually, the democracy of the United States is fashioned in many ways after that of these Native Americans. Unfortunately, here in Maine, Indians have been regarded in the past as wards of the state, when indeed they never were and they certainly are not now.

Indian Tribal Council meetings are Indian self-government in action. Documents like the minutes of the Council meetings are the exclusive property of each tribe. Thus, it is as inappropriate for a paper company to request such documents from an Indian Nation, as it is for a paper company to request government documents from France, England or Russia.

The Indians of Maine are Maine’s indigenous people. By definition, to be indigenous, one must be dependent on land and water. To be dependent on land and water requires vigilant and impeccable stewardship of that land and water. The Penobscot Indians never agreed to give up their stewardship of the Penobscot River with the Land Claims Settlement and I pray they never will because their very lives depend on the ecological health of the river that bears their name and surrounds their island reservation. Furthermore, the vigilant stewardship of the Penobscot River stands to benefit more than just one tribe. It eventually benefits everyone because the cleaner our waters, the healthier our lives.

Unfortunately, Maine is caught in the middle because the state wants to appease the paper companies since they are such big taxpayers and because they contribute so greatly to supporting the state economy. But is the state being held hostage to paper companies at the expense of our health?

These are complex and confusing issues for Indians and for non-Indians alike. Understanding, consideration, negotiation and resolution are needed. It’s a sad day indeed when a Maine Superior Court Judge condemns Indian leaders to jail sentences instead of listening with an understanding ear to what they are trying to tell us about their environmental waters, their governmental policies and their reservation lands.

Haven’t we been here before? Have we learned nothing from our not-so-honorable treatment of Native Americans in the past? As a non-Indian citizen of Maine, I feel both ashamed and outraged.

John C. Frachella, DMD lives in Hudson.