User:Geotomer

Geotomer George Tomer, Tribal Elder P.O. Box 306 Old Town, ME 04468-0306 georgestomer@yahoo.com

I live on my tribal nation's homelands located in Maine. We are a small, federally-recognized Indian tribe with a total population less than 2,500. Our relationship with the federal government started in 1970's following several court cases relating to our tribal existence and land claim. As the Penobscot is member of the Wabanaki tribal alliance with other northeastern and eastern maritimes tribal nations consisting of the Mi'Kmaq, the Maliseet, the Passamaquoddy, the Abenaki, my status is at once national and international.

Historically, there is no dispute relating to the Abenaki membership with the Wabanaki. Since several segments of the Abenaki allegedly sort shelter with the Iroquois, contemporary Penobscots have contested the Abenaki's current relationship with the Wabanaki. Personally, I have and shall continue to recognize the Abenaki as our political ally and cultural holders of the Penobscot tribal language.

As for the Wikipedia references to "Native American recognition in the United States," I am not entirely enthused with the presentation of Indian or native, indigenous people who are tribal members of nations not currently recognized by the federal government. Next, as author of the memorandum defining the process of recognizing tribal entities, I am saddened to note the lack of substantive information regarding the American Indian Policy Review Commission and the spirit of and intent of the federal acknowledgment process. Wikipedia - and the contributors - failed to carefully state the historical perspective of tribal existence and the meaning of "federal recognition."

In the future, I will provide documented information that provides a comprehensive and integrative approach to a more complete federal process. Namely, the creation of a formal government-to-government relationship with tribal entities not previously included in the Indian Reorganization Act, not subjected to federal Executive Order, or treatied with, or duly compensated, as a sovereign people in the taking of tribal lands by colonies, states, or their citizens. Most importantly, the policy of "federal recognition" has only served to subject native people with a divisive means to pit native people against each other.