- Details
- By Kelsey Turner
The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians, a Tribe in the state of Michigan, has been trying to gain federal recognition for nearly three decades. On Thursday, the 600-member tribe took another step toward advancing the process.
Michigan State Rep. David LaGrand introduced a resolution to the Michigan House of Representatives encouraging the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) to approve the tribe’s petition for recognition. The petition, a part of the federal recognition process that the Grand River Bands began in 1994, has been on the DOI’s “active consideration list” since 2013. The Office of Federal Acknowledgement suspended the process in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We want to thank Rep. LaGrand for introducing this important resolution, and we hope the full Legislature will add its voice to our mission to achieve federal recognition,” said Ron Yob, Chairman of the Grand River Bands, in a press release Thursday.
In addition to LaGrand’s resolution, Michigan’s U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters and House Natural Resources Committee Chair Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva sent letters to the DOI in November urging the department to complete its review of the petition. “While the federal acknowledgment process can be lengthy even under the best circumstances, Grand River has experienced extraordinary delays without substantial explanations from the Department,” Grijalva said in his letter.
Federal recognition would establish the Grand River Bands’ government-to-government relationship with the U.S. It would also give access to federally-funded resources and services allocated only to recognized tribes, like tuition, health care and housing assistance. Without federal recognition, the Grand River Band has been unable to access crucial federal health benefits offered during the pandemic, including COVID-19 vaccines.
“For too long, the lack of recognition has unjustly and unfairly deprived our tribal members of key resources such as health care and educational opportunities which are afforded to federally recognized tribes,” Yob said. “We continue to urge federal officials to approve our petition as soon as possible.”
More Stories Like This
50 Years of Self-Determination: How a Landmark Act Empowered Tribal Sovereignty and Transformed Federal-Tribal RelationsMacArthur Foundation Launches Native Self-Determination Program, Pledges Expanded Support
In Runoff Triumph, David Sickey Elected Chairman of Coushatta Tribe
San Carlos Tribe Celebrates Temporary Victory in Federal Court to Save Oak Flat
LAND BACK: 47,097 Acres Returned to Yurok Tribe
Help us tell the stories that could save Native languages and food traditions
At a critical moment for Indian Country, Native News Online is embarking on our most ambitious reporting project yet: "Cultivating Culture," a three-year investigation into two forces shaping Native community survival—food sovereignty and language revitalization.
The devastating impact of COVID-19 accelerated the loss of Native elders and with them, irreplaceable cultural knowledge. Yet across tribal communities, innovative leaders are fighting back, reclaiming traditional food systems and breathing new life into Native languages. These aren't just cultural preservation efforts—they're powerful pathways to community health, healing, and resilience.
Our dedicated reporting team will spend three years documenting these stories through on-the-ground reporting in 18 tribal communities, producing over 200 in-depth stories, 18 podcast episodes, and multimedia content that amplifies Indigenous voices. We'll show policymakers, funders, and allies how cultural restoration directly impacts physical and mental wellness while celebrating successful models of sovereignty and self-determination.
This isn't corporate media parachuting into Indian Country for a quick story. This is sustained, relationship-based journalism by Native reporters who understand these communities. It's "Warrior Journalism"—fearless reporting that serves the 5.5 million readers who depend on us for news that mainstream media often ignores.
We need your help right now. While we've secured partial funding, we're still $450,000 short of our three-year budget. Our immediate goal is $25,000 this month to keep this critical work moving forward—funding reporter salaries, travel to remote communities, photography, and the deep reporting these stories deserve.
Every dollar directly supports Indigenous journalists telling Indigenous stories. Whether it's $5 or $50, your contribution ensures these vital narratives of resilience, innovation, and hope don't disappear into silence.
The stakes couldn't be higher. Native languages are being lost at an alarming rate. Food insecurity plagues many tribal communities. But solutions are emerging, and these stories need to be told.
Support independent Native journalism. Fund the stories that matter.
Levi Rickert (Potawatomi), Editor & Publisher