Pos Bassett is chief of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Sipayik. William Nicholas is chief of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township.

Almost eight years ago, we sat in front of a crowded audience at Gov. Janet Mills’ first State of  the State address in the Augusta Civic Center. In her address, one of her promises to the state of Maine and the Wabanaki Nations was to improve the relationship between the  tribes and the state. We can tell you from our standpoint, she is leaving this relationship in a much, much better place than when she inherited it. 

She inherited a broken system — a system that did not work for either of the sovereign governments. The system was designed to improve the standing amongst the Wabanaki tribes and the state, but realistically it only ended up in heated litigation and wasting tons of valuable resources. Having been involved in many levels, we see progress shape up in many ways. Progress comes in many different forms and in this last year and a half of Gov. Mills’ administration, we focused on creating strong economies for our tribal communities.  

Last November, the five chiefs of the Wabanaki Nations met with Gov. Mills to discuss our tribal legislative priorities, which was a combination of sovereignty-related matters and, more importantly, how to really improve upon economic opportunities. 

During the meeting, which was held at our request, each chief spoke directly about their challenges, hopes and needs. The governor was respectful, honest and welcoming. She asked good questions and spoke openly about her concerns about the expansion of gaming in Maine, but also made it clear she is interested in finding ways to support the tribes.

As the elected chiefs of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township and Sipayik, we felt this meeting was the best we’ve had with any Maine governor. 

When we spoke to the governor, we were clear that our highest priority was that she allow LD 1164 — the bill on her desk to allow the Wabanaki Nations to benefit from iGaming — to become law. This was a much-needed expansion over what we had been doing for over two years with mobile sports wagering. 

We told her the revenue from iGaming would be transformational and life-changing for our  communities, make a direct and immediate impact on the day-to-day lives of our citizens and offer the potential for economic sovereignty like nothing else could. 

Our reservations are located in Washington County, which has the highest poverty rate in  Maine. Our needs are serious, and they are pressing. 

The governor had the option of vetoing the bill, and she made no promises at the end of our  meeting. Even so, we believed we had a partner in the governor who was sincerely interested in working with us. When she announced her decision earlier this month to allow the bill to become law, we were beyond elated. The governor had extended herself in friendship and trust, and the Wabanaki Nations now have a great achievement to celebrate. This represents the most significant economic progress for the tribes, which is massive progress.  

We know that work remains to be done to modernize the relationship between the state and the Wabanaki Nations and we will continue to be part of that work. But we have made great strides in that area too, and no one should pretend otherwise. 

In collaboration with Gov. Mills, we have secured authority under the Violence Against Women Act, the Indian Child Welfare Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act. We have negotiated important changes to tax laws that benefit tribal citizens and we have worked together successfully on a host of other issues. These advancements have each recognized and affirmed tribal sovereignty, and now, LD 1164 marks a historic economic turning point for the Passamaquoddy people and for all Wabanaki Nations. 

As elected chiefs, we have no interest in personal grievances. We have no interest in petty  politics. Our focus is improving the lives of our citizens and putting our communities in a  position to thrive into the future. Gov. Mills, through her decision, trusted us to deliver  on this promise, and we are fully committed to using the opportunity from iGaming to do exactly that.  

The revenue that is generated from LD 1164 will be used to fund much needed housing, massive improvements to our ability to provide better health care for our members, combat substance abuse, reinvest in our local communities and our neighboring communities, provide more resources for our members to get post-high school educations and to restore our language. 

When we met with the governor, she listened, engaged and showed us respect. She accepted our judgment as to what our communities need and how we can best support our citizens. We know so many people in Maine who count themselves as supporters of the Wabanaki Nations, and we hope they too will respect our judgment and support our efforts to revitalize our communities and build a strong economic future for our people.