HOULTON, Maine — Clarissa Sabattis on Thursday evening became the new chief of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians.
Sabbatis successfully unseated longtime chief Brenda Commander during a tribal election occurring Saturday by a vote of 124-122. Commander had been chief of the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians for 20 years.
A group of tribal members contested the election, but the tribe’s appointed election committee reviewed and certified the voting results and Sabattis was officially sworn in during a council meeting Thursday evening.
During Thursday’s event, Sue Tortello, a representative from the HBMI, performed the swearing in ceremony.
Sabattis, a member of the tribal council and a registered nurse who works as a public health consultant for several tribes in the region, becomes just the fifth tribal chief in the HBMI’s 37-year history. On Oct. 10, 1980, the federal government officially classified the Houlton Band of Maliseets as a Native American tribe.
Sabattis is following in the footsteps of her father, Clair Sabbatis, who was the tribe’s third chief from 1985-1997. Prior to him, Jim Tomah and Terry Polchies served as chiefs. Commander took over in 1997.
“It’s an honor to be chosen by our members to serve our community with dignity and respect,” Sabattis said. “I have always had so much respect for my father, especially during times when there were hard decisions to be made. He was always eager to learn and understand so he could represent our tribe to the best of his ability.”
Sabattis said growing up as the daughter of the tribal chief provided her with a number of opportunities to connect with tribal elders not just from the HBMI, but other tribes as well. Born and raised in Houlton, Sabattis said her father instilled a number of core values she has cultivated over the years.
“He had always taught me to be proactive, treat others with respect, and stand up for my beliefs,” she said. “What he has passed on to me through seeing his tireless devotion to our tribe as a leader was pride in my people, and our culture, and determination to ensure our existence for generations to come.”
As the new chief, Sabattis has a number of goals and a new direction in mind in which she would like to see the tribe head.
“I’d like to bring a renewed energy and fresh ideas to promote growth for our members and within tribal government,” she said. “I feel there is a need for local economic development, increased job opportunities, and I’d like to increase the capacity and business knowledge of our emerging Maliseet entrepreneurs. Fostering culturally rich programs and finding more robust services for our youth, families and elders is also a goal of mine.”
Sabattis has three children, Dominic, age 14; Aliya, age 12; and Raven, age 2. She added that through her role as a registered nurse, she has learned first-hand of an alarming trend for tribal members.
“As a nurse I’m sure you can imagine health is an important topic,” she said. “The average life expectancy for tribal members is approximately 20 years less than that of the state of Maine. From a public health perspective I know this is not the result of anyone factor. I plan to focus on those social determinants of health that play role in the disparities affecting our tribal members including economic stability for families, educational attainment and access to quality health care.”
Fostering new leaders and empowering people to become more active both in the community and in government is another goal of hers.
“Honing in on a vision for the future can be a daunting task,” she added. “I’d like to see myself and the council working as a team to evaluate and develop solutions that are in the best interest of our tribe. I foresee a shift, creating a supportive environment for government employees that provides opportunities for internal professional development as well as an open arena for them to share their ideas to help mold our tribal administration and services.”
Sabattis served as a member of the tribal council before the election. A special election will fill her unexpired seat, at a date yet to be determined.
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- New Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians Tribal Chief Clarissa Sabattis, left, is joined by her father, former chief, Clair Sabbatis, during a swearing in ceremony. (Contributed)
