Some tribes are more sovereign than others. Those with settlement acts approved during the 1970s and 1980s are finding themselves in the lesser sovereign category.

A forum in Massachusetts examined the impact of settlement acts on New England tribes. Representatives of the Passamaquoddy and Penobscot tribes of Maine and the Narragansett Tribe of Rhode Island said they gave up too many rights by agreeing to legislation they probably had little choice of rejecting.

The acts have led to jurisdictional conflicts between state, tribal and federal governments. In Maine, the tribes have been subjected to certain state laws. The Narragansett Tribe has been told by a federal judge that it must adhere to state tax laws.

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Frustrated Tribes Lament Rights Lost In Settlements (The New London Day 4/2)
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