Tribes in Maine left out of Native American resurgence by 40-year-old federal law denying their self-determination

Hundreds of the 574 federally recognized Indian nations in the U.S. now routinely provide their citizens with the full array of services customarily expected from state and local governments, from tax collection to environmental protection regulations. At the same time, many tribes are becoming the economic engines of their regions.

All this has happened over the past several decades under federal policies that, unlike previous policies, support tribal self-determination through self-government.

The progress has not been uniformly outstanding, nor is it close to complete. Tribes have long histories of disempowerment and consequent deprivation to...