GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — After a nearly three decades long battle, a West Michigan tribe could soon find out whether it has been granted federal recognition.
The U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) is set to issue a decision on the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians acknowledgement by October 12.
Grand River Bands submitted a petition to re-affirm their status as a tribe in 1994.
The petition has been on the “active consideration” list since 2013, but it’s been stonewalled by a series of extensions requested by DOI and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Federal recognition means the U.S. government sees a tribe’s right to exist as a sovereign nation. It also opens up a number of benefits, including land, healthcare, and education resources.
“It’s just really hard knowing that my dad, his mom… they never saw the benefits,” said Frances Compo, vice chair of Grand River Bands. “I just keep wondering is that going to happen to me? To my kids and grandkids? Are they going to be waiting forever for something that the government keeps putting off?”
Compo added, “By being able to get those resources, we would be able to help our people in a better way and I think that’s what I’m hoping for, but it’s been so long and waiting, you’re almost afraid to want.”
Ogema Ron Yob says Grand River’s history dates back hundreds of years when 19 bands of Ottawa people formed villages near waterways in Southwest Michigan.
Treaties signed in 1821 and 1837 recognize the tribe’s homelands. It’s also recognized by the state of Michigan.
Yob says Grand River has lost about half of its members through the federal recognition process. When the original petition was submitted, there were more than 1,000 members.
“A lot of people will have parents that are from one tribe or another tribe and they’ll pick the tribe that is recognized because then they can access funding,” said Yob.
According to Yob, it remains unclear as to why to the tribe as yet to be acknowledged, although he suspects changes in the White House may place some role in the problem.
Documents on DOI’s website show it’s requested at least nine extensions since 2017. Each time “administrative issues” were cited.
Another filing from 2005 suggested possible issues with the proof given to officials, but Yob says those problems have been corrected.
Over the summer Grand River released an affidavitfrom a longtime historian who was part of DOI’s recognition team. He claims the tribe’s request was approved in 2016, but it’s since sat in the department’s solicitor’s office.
DOI did not respond to a request for comment.
“We were acknowledged when they took our land… we were acknowledged when we signed treaties to cede over land,” said Yob. “When they took our children to boarding school they acknowledged these were Indian children, but those same children that they took from their families are denied rights now.”
It’s possible DOI could extend Grand River’s application beyond October 12.
Yob says if it were rejected, they would have a chance to re-apply.
However, he, Compo, and other members hope it doesn’t come to that.
“We can start our process of evolution, start upgrading ourselves,” said Yob. “We’d start surveying ourselves and do a needs assessments. We would start looking at the health of our people. We’d start looking at what education they have and what careers they want to go into. We’d just start uplifting everybody.”
There are currently six active petitions for federal acknowledgement according to DOI, including two from California that have also been trying since 1994.
Twelve tribes in Michigan have been federally recognized.
