PLEASANT POINT, Maine (AP) _ The chief of the Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point says his tribe's rift with Maine officials is deeper than it has ever been and he's skeptical of the state's willingness to negotiate earnestly with Native Americans.
The tribe and others in Maine have clashed with state regulators and Republican Gov. Paul LePage about issues ranging from tribal fishing rights to Native American representation in the state legislature. Pleasant Point Chief Fred Moore says he wants a productive relationship going into the next legislative session but says ``the honeymoon is over.''
Leaders of another tribe, the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, say they also doubt the state's willingness to negotiate.
State Rep. Walter Kumiega, a Deer Isle Democrat, says he and other legislators are ``always willing'' to negotiate with the tribes.