An Act To Extend Recognition to the Metis People
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0869
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: BOWEN

Legislative Document 
No. 869 
H.P.620 
House of Representatives, February 16,2005 
An Act To Extend Recognition to the Metis People 
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed. 
17/~ 
frI· 711t1C~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative BOWEN of Rockport. (BY REQUEST) 
Cosponsored by Senator SA V AGE of Knox. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 30 MRSA c. 605 is enacted to read: 
CHAPTER 605 
METIS RECOGNITION ACT 
S8l0l. 
Short title 
This 
chapter is 
known 
and 
may 
be 
cited as 
"the Metis 
Recognition Act. " 
S8102. Definitions 
As 
used 
in this 
chapter,~less the 
context 
otherwise 
indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. 
1. 
Distinct from other 
other 
abor iginal 
peoples" 
nationhood purposes. 
aPoriginal peoples. 
means 
distinct 
for 
"Distinct 
cultural 
from 
and 
2. 
His~ric Metis Bation. 
the abor iginal people then known 
"Historic 
as Metis 
Metis Nation" means 
who resided in the 
historic Metis Nation homeland. 
3. 
Historic Metis Bation hQmelan~. 
"Historic Metis Nation 
homeland" means the area of land in west central North America 
used and occupied as the traditional territory of the Metis. 
4. 
Laws 
Qf the Statg. 
"Laws 
of the Stgte" 
means 
the 
Constitution and all statutes, 
rule~ or 
regulations 
and 
the 
cQrnmQn 
19w 
Qf 
the Stgte 
and its poli ti~al 
subdivi~iQn~ and 
jugicial interpretations thereof. 
5. 
Metis. 
"Metis" megns a person who self-identifies as 
Metis, is Qf histQric Metis Nation gncestry, gnd is gccepted by 
the Metis NatiQn Qr the Metis NatiQn in New England. 
~. 
Meti~~.iQD. 
"Meti~atiQ_n" me.2,p.s the people descended 
frQm the historic Metis ngtion gnd whQ are included within the 
definitiQn Qf "gbQrigingl peoples of Cangda" within sectiQn 35 of 
the CQnstitutiQn Act of 1982 of Canada. 
S8103. 
Recognition 
The State hereby recognizes and extends State recognition to 
the Metis people gS a distinct categQry Qf Native Americans. 
S8l04. Laws of thg State 
Page l-LR0389(1) 
A person who is Metis in the State and any lands or other 
natural 
resources 
owned 
by 
such 
a 
person or group of 
such 
persons, held in trust by the United States or by any other 
person or entity, are subject to the laws of the State and to the 
civil and criminal jurisdiction of the courts of the State to the 
same extent as 
any other person or 
lands 
or other natural 
resources therein. 
SOl05. 
Powers of Metis 
This Act does not extend to the Metis people the powers, 
privileges and immunities of a municipality nor authorize the 
Metis People to exercise civil or criminal jurisdiction within 
the lands they may 
own prior to the enactment of additional 
legislation 
specifically 
authorizing 
the 
exercise 
of 
those 
governmental powers. 
SUMMARY 
This bill provides state recognition for the Metis people, 
recognized in Canada as one of the aboriginal peoples. 
This bill 
is similar to Canadian law recognizing the Metis people. 
This 
bill does not provide the powers, privileges and immunities of a 
municipality or 
authorize the exercise of criminal or civil 
jurisdiction by the Metis people.