A total of $2,027,149 in funding has been awarded to 10 Maine agribusinesses and farms through the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Value-Added Producer Grant Program.
The nomination of a Native American to lead the Department of the Interior, which oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs, comes as Maine's four tribes advocate in the Legislature for restoration of their sovereignty, which was largely stripped in 1980.
The federal government's economic stimulus package includes $1.3 million in housing funds for five Wabanaki communities, part of $8 billion for native populations across the country.
Lawmakers and Gov. Janet Mills agreed on emergency legislation focused on businesses and residents who may lose money during the crisis, as well as town meetings, elections and more.
The Passamaquoddy tribe at Indian Township is planning to build a state-of-the-art data center that is expected to create well-paying jobs and diversify the regional economy.