Me. Rev. Stat. » Title 30
Maine Revised Statutes

Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30, § 6203 (2026)

Definitions

✓ current as of May 2026
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As used in this Act, unless the context indicates otherwise, the following terms have the following meanings.   [PL 1979, c. 732, §§1, 31 (NEW).]
1.  Commission.  "Commission" means the Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission created by section 6212.  
[PL 1979, c. 732, §§1, 31 (NEW).]
1-A.  Houlton Band Jurisdiction Land.  "Houlton Band Jurisdiction Land" means:  
A. All Houlton Band Trust Land that exists as of the effective date of this subsection; and   [PL 2023, c. 369, Pt. D, §1 (NEW); PL 2023, c. 369, Pt. D, §8 (AFF).]
B. All Houlton Band Trust Land acquired after the effective date of this subjection that is both within Aroostook County and within 50 miles of land described in paragraph A.   [PL 2023, c. 369, Pt. D, §1 (NEW); PL 2023, c. 369, Pt. D, §8 (AFF).]
[PL 2023, c. 369, Pt. D, §1 (NEW); PL 2023, c. 369, Pt. D, §8 (AFF).]
2.  Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.  "Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians" means the Maliseet Tribe of Indians as constituted on March 4, 1789, and all its predecessors and successors in interest, which, as of the date of passage of this Act, are represented, as to lands within the United States, by the Houlton Band Council of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.  
[PL 1979, c. 732, §§1, 31 (NEW).]
2-A.  Houlton Band Trust Land.  "Houlton Band Trust Land" has the same meaning as "Houlton Band trust land" in Section 2(2) of the federal Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians Supplementary Claims Settlement Act of 1986, Public Law 99-566.  
[PL 2023, c. 369, Pt. D, §2 (RPR); PL 2023, c. 369, Pt. D, §8 (AFF).]
3.  Land or other natural resources.  "Land or other natural resources" means any real property or other natural resources, or any interest in or right involving any real property or other natural resources, including, but without limitation, minerals and mineral rights, timber and timber rights, water and water rights and hunting and fishing rights.  
[PL 1979, c. 732, §§1, 31 (NEW).]
4.  Laws of the State.  "Laws of the State" means the Constitution and all statutes, rules or regulations and the common law of the State and its political subdivisions, and subsequent amendments thereto or judicial interpretations thereof.  
[PL 1979, c. 732, §§1, 31 (NEW).]
5.  Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation.  "Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation" means those lands reserved to the Passamaquoddy Tribe by agreement with the State of Massachusetts dated September 19, 1794, excepting any parcel within such lands transferred to a person or entity other than a member of the Passamaquoddy Tribe subsequent to such agreement and prior to the effective date of this Act. If any lands reserved to the Passamaquoddy Tribe by the aforesaid agreement hereafter are acquired by the Passamaquoddy Tribe, or the secretary on its behalf, that land shall be included within the Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation. For purposes of this subsection, the lands reserved to the Passamaquoddy Tribe by the aforesaid agreement shall be limited to Indian Township in Washington County; Pine Island, sometimes referred to as Taylor's Island, located in Big Lake, in Washington County; 100 acres of land located on Nemcass Point, sometimes referred to as Governor's Point, located in Washington County and shown on a survey of John Gardner which is filed in the Maine State Archives, Executive Council Records, Report Number 264 and dated June 5, 1855; 100 acres of land located at Pleasant Point in Washington County as described in a deed to Captain John Frost from Theodore Lincoln, Attorney for Benjamin Lincoln, Thomas Russell, and John Lowell dated July 14, 1792, and recorded in the Washington County Registry of Deeds on April 27, 1801, at Book 3, Page 73; and those 15 islands in the St. Croix River in existence on September 19, 1794 and located between the head of the tide of that river and the falls below the forks of that river, both of which points are shown on a 1794 plan of Samuel Titcomb which is filed in the Maine State Archives in Maine Land Office Plan Book Number 1, page 33. The "Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation" includes those lands which have been or may be acquired by the Passamaquoddy Tribe within that portion of the Town of Perry which lies south of Route 1 on the east side of Route 190 and south of lands now owned or formerly owned by William Follis on the west side of Route 190, provided that no such lands may be included in the Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation until the Secretary of State receives certification from the treasurer of the Town of Perry that the Passamaquoddy Tribe has paid to the Town of Perry the amount of $350,000, provided that the consent of the Town of Perry would be voided unless the payment of the $350,000 is made within 120 days of the effective date of this section. Any commercial development of those lands must be by approval of the voters of the Town of Perry with the exception of land development currently in the building stages.  
[PL 1985, c. 747, §1 (AMD).]
6.  Passamaquoddy Indian territory.  "Passamaquoddy Indian territory" means that territory defined by section 6205, subsection 1.  
[PL 1979, c. 732, §§1, 31 (NEW).]
7.  Passamaquoddy Tribe.  "Passamaquoddy Tribe" means the Passamaquoddy Indian Tribe as constituted on March 4, 1789, and all its predecessors and successors in interest, which, as of the date of passage of this Act, are represented by the Joint Tribal Council of the Passamaquoddy Tribe, with separate councils at the Indian Township and Pleasant Point Reservations.  
[PL 1979, c. 732, §§1, 31 (NEW).]
8.  Penobscot Indian Reservation.  "Penobscot Indian Reservation" means the islands in the Penobscot River reserved to the Penobscot Nation by agreement with the States of Massachusetts and Maine consisting solely of Indian Island, also known as Old Town Island, and all islands in that river northward thereof that existed on June 29, 1818, excepting any island transferred to a person or entity other than a member of the Penobscot Nation subsequent to June 29, 1818, and prior to the effective date of this Act. If any land within Nicatow Island is hereafter acquired by the Penobscot Nation, or the secretary on its behalf, that land must be included within the Penobscot Indian Reservation.  
The "Penobscot Indian Reservation" includes the following parcels of land that have been or may be acquired by the Penobscot Nation from Bangor Pacific Hydro Associates as compensation for flowage of reservation lands by the West Enfield dam: A parcel located on the Mattagamon Gate Road and on the East Branch of the Penobscot River in T.6 R.8 WELS, which is a portion of the "Mattagamon Lake Dam Lot" and has an area of approximately 24.3 acres, and Smith Island in the Penobscot River, which has an area of approximately one acre.  
The "Penobscot Indian Reservation" also includes a certain parcel of land located in Argyle, Penobscot County consisting of approximately 714 acres known as the Argyle East Parcel and more particularly described as Parcel One in a deed from the Penobscot Indian Nation to the United States of America dated November 22, 2005 and recorded at the Penobscot County Registry of Deeds in Book 10267, Page 265.  
[PL 2009, c. 636, Pt. B, §1 (AMD); PL 2009, c. 636, Pt. B, §2 (AFF).]
9.  Penobscot Indian territory.  "Penobscot Indian territory" means that territory defined by section 6205, subsection 2.  
[PL 1979, c. 732, §§1, 31 (NEW).]
10.  Penobscot Nation.  "Penobscot Nation" means the Penobscot Indian Nation as constituted on March 4, 1789, and all its predecessors and successors in interest, which, as of the date of passage of this Act, are represented by the Penobscot Reservation Tribal Council.  
[PL 1979, c. 732, §§1, 31 (NEW).]
11.  Secretary.  "Secretary" means the Secretary of the Interior of the United States.  
[PL 1979, c. 732, §§1, 31 (NEW).]
12.  Settlement Fund.  "Settlement Fund" means the trust fund established for the Passamaquoddy Tribe and Penobscot Nation by the United States pursuant to congressional legislation extinquishing aboriginal land claims in Maine.  
[PL 1979, c. 732, §§1, 31 (NEW).]
13.  Transfer.  "Transfer" includes, but is not necessarily limited to, any voluntary or involuntary sale, grant, lease, allotment, partition or other conveyance; any transaction the purpose of which was to effect a sale, grant, lease, allotment, partition or other conveyance; and any act, event or circumstance that resulted in a change in title to, possession of, dominion over, or control of land or other natural resources.  
[PL 1979, c. 732, §§1, 31 (NEW).]
SECTION HISTORY
PL 1979, c. 732, §§1,31 (NEW). PL 1981, c. 675, §§1,8 (AMD). PL 1985, c. 747, §1 (AMD). PL 1987, c. 712, §§1,2 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 636, Pt. B, §1 (AMD). PL 2009, c. 636, Pt. B, §2 (AFF). PL 2023, c. 369, Pt. D, §§1, 2 (AMD). PL 2023, c. 369, Pt. D, §8 (AFF).
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Notes of Decisions
Cited in 12 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1988–2021 · leading case: Penobscot Nation v. Mills, 861 F.3d 324 (1st Cir. 2017).
Sort: Relevance Newest Treatment
Penobscot Nation v. Mills, 861 F.3d 324 (1st Cir. 2017). · cites it 30× “30 M.R.S.A. § 6203; supra at 15. But the majority never explains in what way the "context indicates otherwise.”
Maine v. Johnson, 498 F.3d 37 (1st Cir. 2007). · cites it 2× “Accord 30 M.R.S.A. § 6203(3). 5 . When in 1987 Congress empowered Indian tribes generally to apply for “treatment as state" status under the Clean Water Act, 33 U.”
Francis v. Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Hous. Auth., 1999 ME 164 (Me. 1999). · cites it 2× “By its own terms, this provision in section 6206(1) restricts Maine’s jurisdiction only in reference to the Passamaquoddy Tribe itself. The Implementing Act defines the tribe as “the Passamaquoddy Indian Tribe as constituted on March 4, 1789, and all its predecessors and…”
Penobscot Nation v. Mills, 151 F. Supp. 3d 181 (D. Me. 2015). · cites it 3× “” 30 M.R.S.A. § 6203. On the issue of sustenance fishing* the context does indicate otherwise.”
In re Child. of Mary J., 2019 ME 2 (Me. 2019). “In a child protective proceeding, it is the court's obligation to determine whether to terminate or suspend an individual's parental rights because that individual's child is in circumstances of jeopardy. See 22 M.R.S. §§ 4035, 4055 (2017).”
Kimball v. Land Use Reg. Comm'n, 2000 ME 20 (Me. 2000). “” 30 M.R.S.A. § 6203(6) (1996). Section 6205, subsection 1 describes Passa-maquoddy Indian territory as including the Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation, see 30 M.”
Francis v. Dana-Cummings, 868 A.2d 196 (Me. 2005). “30 M.R.S.A. § 6203(7) (1996). No language in this definition suggests that it would include the individual members of the Tribe.”
Couturier v. Penobscot Indian Nation, 544 A.2d 306 (Me. 1988). “" See 30 M.R.S.A. § 6203(8) (Supp.1987). 2 . 14 M.”
United States v. Frey (1st Cir. 2021). · cites it 9× “Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 30, § 6203 (8).2 MIA also addresses the Nation's sustenance fishing rights, saying: Notwithstanding any rule or regulation promulgated by the [Maine Indian Tribal-State Commission] or any other law of the State, the members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe and…”
United States v. Frey (1st Cir. 2020). · cites it 2× “§ 6203(8), and if not why not; and how, 30 M.R.S.A. § 6203, which provides that its subsections' definitions, including "Penobscot Indian Reservation," will apply "unless the context indicates otherwise," affect how we interpret the relevant statutes and construe any ambiguities.”
Winifred B. French Corp. v. Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Reservation, 896 A.2d 950 (Me. 2006). · cites it 2× “Commercial development of that land requires approval of the Town’s voters, 30 M.R.S. § 6203(5) (2005), and they voted against the proposal at a referendum in March 2005.”
State of Maine v. Bear (Me. Super. Ct 2018). “§ l 722(b); 30 M.R.S. § 6203(3). 9 § 1725(e)(2)), they are nairnw and relate only to jurisdictional issues on lands acquired pursuant to the land acquisition fund and held in trust for the Houlton Band.”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30, § 6203(13) — 1 case
Penobscot Nation v. Mills, 861 F.3d 324 (1st Cir. 2017). “30 M.R.S.A. § 6203; supra at 15. But the majority never explains in what way the "context indicates otherwise.”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30, § 6203(3) — 3 cases
Penobscot Nation v. Mills, 861 F.3d 324 (1st Cir. 2017). “30 M.R.S.A. § 6203; supra at 15. But the majority never explains in what way the "context indicates otherwise.”
Maine v. Johnson, 498 F.3d 37 (1st Cir. 2007). “Accord 30 M.R.S.A. § 6203(3). 5 . When in 1987 Congress empowered Indian tribes generally to apply for “treatment as state" status under the Clean Water Act, 33 U.”
State of Maine v. Bear (Me. Super. Ct 2018). “§ l 722(b); 30 M.R.S. § 6203(3). 9 § 1725(e)(2)), they are nairnw and relate only to jurisdictional issues on lands acquired pursuant to the land acquisition fund and held in trust for the Houlton Band.”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30, § 6203(4) — 1 case
Penobscot Nation v. Mills, 861 F.3d 324 (1st Cir. 2017). “30 M.R.S.A. § 6203; supra at 15. But the majority never explains in what way the "context indicates otherwise.”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30, § 6203(5) — 3 cases
Penobscot Nation v. Mills, 861 F.3d 324 (1st Cir. 2017). “30 M.R.S.A. § 6203; supra at 15. But the majority never explains in what way the "context indicates otherwise.”
Maine v. Johnson, 498 F.3d 37 (1st Cir. 2007). “Accord 30 M.R.S.A. § 6203(3). 5 . When in 1987 Congress empowered Indian tribes generally to apply for “treatment as state" status under the Clean Water Act, 33 U.”
Winifred B. French Corp. v. Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Reservation, 896 A.2d 950 (Me. 2006). “Commercial development of that land requires approval of the Town’s voters, 30 M.R.S. § 6203(5) (2005), and they voted against the proposal at a referendum in March 2005.”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30, § 6203(6) — 1 case
Kimball v. Land Use Reg. Comm'n, 2000 ME 20 (Me. 2000). “” 30 M.R.S.A. § 6203(6) (1996). Section 6205, subsection 1 describes Passa-maquoddy Indian territory as including the Passamaquoddy Indian Reservation, see 30 M.”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30, § 6203(7) — 3 cases
Francis v. Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Hous. Auth., 1999 ME 164 (Me. 1999). “By its own terms, this provision in section 6206(1) restricts Maine’s jurisdiction only in reference to the Passamaquoddy Tribe itself. The Implementing Act defines the tribe as “the Passamaquoddy Indian Tribe as constituted on March 4, 1789, and all its predecessors and…”
Francis v. Dana-Cummings, 868 A.2d 196 (Me. 2005). “30 M.R.S.A. § 6203(7) (1996). No language in this definition suggests that it would include the individual members of the Tribe.”
Winifred B. French Corp. v. Pleasant Point Passamaquoddy Reservation, 896 A.2d 950 (Me. 2006). “Commercial development of that land requires approval of the Town’s voters, 30 M.R.S. § 6203(5) (2005), and they voted against the proposal at a referendum in March 2005.”
— Me. Rev. Stat. tit. 30, § 6203(8) — 4 cases
Penobscot Nation v. Mills, 861 F.3d 324 (1st Cir. 2017). “30 M.R.S.A. § 6203; supra at 15. But the majority never explains in what way the "context indicates otherwise.”
Penobscot Nation v. Mills, 151 F. Supp. 3d 181 (D. Me. 2015). “” 30 M.R.S.A. § 6203. On the issue of sustenance fishing* the context does indicate otherwise.”
Couturier v. Penobscot Indian Nation, 544 A.2d 306 (Me. 1988). “" See 30 M.R.S.A. § 6203(8) (Supp.1987). 2 . 14 M.”
United States v. Frey (1st Cir. 2020). “§ 6203(8), and if not why not; and how, 30 M.R.S.A. § 6203, which provides that its subsections' definitions, including "Penobscot Indian Reservation," will apply "unless the context indicates otherwise," affect how we interpret the relevant statutes and construe any ambiguities.”
Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.