I 
117TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 6707 
To amend the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 to advance 
equality for Wabanaki nations, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
FEBRUARY 11, 2022 
Mr. GOLDEN (for himself and Ms. PINGREE) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Natural Resources 
A BILL 
To amend the Maine Indian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 
to advance equality for Wabanaki nations, and for other 
purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Advancing Equality 
for Wabanaki Nations Act’’. 
SEC. 2. APPLICATION OF CERTAIN LAWS. 
(a) APPLICATION OF STATE LAWS.—The Maine In-
dian Claims Settlement Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–420) 
is amended— 
(1) in section 3— 
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(A) in subsection (m), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(B) in subsection (n), by striking the pe-
riod and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(C) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(o) ‘Mi’kmaq Nation’ means the sole successor to 
the Micmac Nation as constituted in aboriginal times in 
what is now the State of Maine, and all its predecessors 
and successors in interest, and which is represented, as 
of the date of enactment of this subsection, as to lands 
within the United States, by the Mi’kmaq Council.’’; and 
(2) in section 6— 
(A) in subsection (a), by striking ‘‘provided 
in section 8(e) and section 5(d)(4)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘otherwise provided in this Act’’; and 
(B) in subsection (h)— 
(i) by striking ‘‘Except as otherwise 
provided in this Act, the’’ and inserting 
‘‘The’’; 
(ii) in the first sentence, by inserting 
‘‘or enacted for the benefit of’’ before ‘‘In-
dians, Indian nations’’; 
(iii) by inserting ‘‘that is in effect as 
of the date of the enactment of the Ad-
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vancing Equality for Wabanaki Nations 
Act, (2)’’ after ‘‘United States (1)’’; 
(iv) by striking ‘‘also (2)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘also (3)’’; and 
(v) by inserting ‘‘, unless Federal law 
or the State laws of Maine provide for the 
application of such Federal law or regula-
tion’’ after ‘‘State’’ and before the period 
at the end. 
(b) IMPLEMENTATION OF THE INDIAN CHILD WEL-
FARE ACT.—Section 8 of the Maine Indian Claims Settle-
ment Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–420) is amended— 
(1) in subsection (a)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘or’’ after ‘‘Passama-
quoddy Tribe’’ and inserting a comma; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘, the Houlton Band of 
Maliseet Indians, or the Mi’kmaq Nation’’ after 
‘‘Penobscot Nation’’; and 
(C) in the second sentence, by striking ‘‘re-
spective tribe or nation’’ each place it appears 
and inserting ‘‘respective tribe, nation, or 
band’’; 
(2) in subsection (b)— 
(A) by striking ‘‘or’’ after ‘‘Passama-
quoddy Tribe’’ and inserting a comma; and 
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(B) by inserting ‘‘, the Houlton Band of 
Maliseet Indians, or the Mi’kmaq Nation’’ after 
‘‘Penobscot Nation’’; 
(3) by striking subsection (e); 
(4) by redesignating subsection (f) as sub-
section (e); and 
(5) in subsection (e), as so redesignated— 
(A) by striking ‘‘or’’ after ‘‘Passama-
quoddy Tribe’’ and inserting a comma; 
(B) by inserting ‘‘, the Houlton Band of 
Maliseet Indians, or the Mi’kmaq Nation’’ after 
‘‘Penobscot Nation’’; and 
(C) by striking ‘‘or nation’’ and inserting 
‘‘, nation, or band’’. 
(c) CONSTRUCTION.—Section 16 of the Maine Indian 
Claims Settlement Act of 1980 (Public Law 96–420) is 
amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘(a)’’ at the beginning; and 
(2) by striking subsection (b). 
(d) AROOSTOOK BAND OF MICMACS SETTLEMENT 
ACT.—The Aroostook Band of Micmacs Settlement Act 
(Public Law 102–171) is amended by striking section 8. 
Æ 
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