| | | Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
|
| | | Sec. 1. 30 MRSA c. 605 is enacted to read: |
|
| | | This chapter is known and may be cited as "the Metis | | Recognition Act." |
|
| | | As used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise | | indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. |
|
| | | 1.__Distinct from other aboriginal peoples. "Distinct from | | other aboriginal peoples" means distinct for cultural and | | nationhood purposes. |
|
| | | 2.__Historic Metis Nation.__"Historic Metis Nation" means the | | aboriginal people then known as Metis who resided in the historic | | Metis Nation homeland. |
|
| | | 3.__Historic Metis Nation homeland.__"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 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 | | judicial interpretations thereof. |
|
| | | 5.__Metis.__"Metis" means a person who self-identifies as | | Metis, is of historic Metis Nation ancestry, and is accepted by | | the Metis Nation or the Metis Nation in New England. |
|
| | | 6.__Metis Nation.__"Metis Nation" means the people descended | | from the historic Metis nation and who are included within the | | definition of "aboriginal peoples of Canada" within section 35 of | | the Constitution Act of 1982 of Canada. |
|
| | | The State hereby recognizes and extends State recognition to | | the Metis people as a distinct category of Native Americans. |
|
|
