Take action for Wabanaki Sovereignty by February 19th

The Wabanaki Policy Youth Initiative at the Wabanaki Alliance press conference on February 3, 2026.

CALL TO ACTION! Submit testimony for LD 395 and LD 785. Check out the template testimony included below.

At MEEA, we work hard to ensure that all students in what we now call Maine have access to a strong and holistic environmental education. We also know that no environmental education is complete without the foundational knowledge of the first stewards of our land, and we strive to honor and uplift the Wabanaki Nations. Next week, on Thursday, February 19th, there will be public hearings for two significant bills regarding Wabanaki sovereignty. Testimony for LD 395, An Act to Restore Access to Federal Laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations, will be heard by the Judiciary Committee at the State House at 10am, and the hearing for LD 785, An Act to Enact the Remaining Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act will take place at 1pm. 

If you would like to provide testimony on one or both bills, you may find the guide below to be helpful. Testimony can be given in person, over Zoom, or submitted online.

Thank you for your support of Wabanaki sovereignty! More information regarding each bill can be found below:

• LD 395, “An Act to Restore Access to Federal Laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations”

• LD 785, “An Act to Enact the Remaining Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act”
  

SUBMITTING YOUR WRITTEN TESTIMONY 

• Go to:  https://www.mainelegislature.org/testimony/   

  • Select “public hearing”

  • Select “Judiciary” as the committee hearing this bill.

  • Select February 19 2026 at 1pm or 10am as the day of the hearing

  • Select the bill — LD 395, “An Act to Restore Access to Federal Laws Beneficial to the Wabanaki Nations,” or LD 785, “An Act to Enact the Remaining Recommendations of the Task Force on Changes to the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Implementing Act”

  • Enter your testimony, by uploading a PDF or by copying the text and pasting it into the testimony field

  • If you want to testify orally during the public hearing, check the “I would like to present my testimony live” at the same time you submit your written testimony. You should submit written testimony even if you are planning to deliver it live during the hearing. Find tips below on how to testify at the hearing…

  • Enter your name and contact information, check the “captcha” box, and select “submit/register.”

  Your written testimony will be shared with members of the committee, be added to the bill website, and become part of the bill’s permanent legislative record.

  TESTIFY DURING THE HEARING

  
  Delivering your testimony live during the public hearing is a powerful way to demonstrate your support for this legislation. 

  • Testify in-person. If you are testifying in person, you do not need to submit your testimony online, but you should bring 20 printed copies of your written testimony with you to the hearing, which will be distributed to members of the Committee by the Clerk. Hearings may not always begin on time, but you should still try to arrive a few minutes early to hand in your testimony and add your name to the list of those testifying in person.

  • Testify over Zoom. When you submit your written testimony, check the box “I would like to present my testimony live,” which can be found just above the entry field for your testimony. You must register at least 30 minutes before the hearing begins.

  • Practice.  Oral testimony is usually limited to 2 minutes, so you may need to shorten your written testimony. Practice before the hearing to make sure you have the timing down.

Testimony Template

To: Committee on Judiciary

From: NAME, HOMETOWN, AFFILIATION, IF RELEVANT

Date: 

RE: Testimony in support of [BILL # AND NAME]

___________________________________________________________________________

Senator Carney, Representative Kuhn, and members of the Committee on Judiciary,

My name is______, and I am a [state your profession, e.g. student/educator/parent, or community affiliation] and I live in [your town]

I am testifying in support of [BILL # AND NAME] because I believe ____

USE TALKING POINTS FROM ABOVE TO SUPPORT YOUR TESTIMONY

For these reasons, I respectfully encourage you to support [BILL #]. Thank you for your time and consideration of my testimony.

Sincerely,

[YOUR NAME]

Thank you for taking action for Wabanaki sovereignty!