Jurisdictional Issues

As federally recognized Indian tribes, the Passamaquoddy Tribe, the Penobscot Indian Nation, the Houlton Band of Maliseets, and (most recently) the Aroostook Band of Micmacs are eligible for all federal Indian benefits.  All federal laws concerning Indians apply in Maine unless they are contrary to settlement terms. 
The Passamaquoddy Tribe and the Penobscot Indian Nation are subject to the same state laws as municipalities, with certain exceptions, as described above.  The following areas of law are spelled out in the settlement in relation to the Penobscot Indian Nation and the Passamaquoddy Tribe:

They may adopt constitutions consistent with the Settlement Act.

The Indian Child Welfare Act, a federal law designed to protect Indian families and communities from losing their children, applies to them, thereby recognizing the exclusive jurisdiction of the Tribe and Nation over Indian children living on their reservations.

They may sue and be sued, but have sovereign immunity to the same extent as a municipality when acting in their governmental capacity.

They may have their own courts with exclusive jurisdiction over minor crimes, minor juvenile offenses, minor civil disputes, divorce, and child custody matters for their members.  The Tribe and Nation use the State of Maine's definition of crimes.

They may make the rules for hunting and trapping in their Indian territories and for fishing on any point that is entirely within the territory and is less than 10 acres in area.  The rules cannot discriminate against non-Indians allowed to hunt and fish in the territories, except that there may be special rules allowing individual members of the Tribe or Nation to hunt, trap, or fish for their own food.  The State Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife can overrule the Passamaquoddy and Penobscot fish and wildlife regulations, if it can be proved that they cause a significant depletion of fish and wildlife outside the Indian territories.

They must make payments to the State equal to the amount that would otherwise be imposed by county, district, state, or other taxing authority that are called "payments in lieu of taxes", so Indian lands cannot be taken by the State under its tax laws.