Turtle Talk

An excerpt from the Petoskey News:

The motion to approve the amendment failed on a 4-5 vote, but a second vote — passing 5-4 — put the entire tribal marriage statute that defines marriage as between a man and a woman up for legislative review.

The amendment would have made the tribe the first in Michigan to allow same-sex couples to wed. Only two tribes in the nation have adopted a similar marriage definition.

The decision would also have skirted a 2004 ballot proposal by Michigan voters that banned gay marriage for the entire state population, because the federal government recognizes tribes’ rights to govern themselves as a domestic nation.

Despite the failed vote, the issue is unlikely to be dropped.

Previous post on the topic is here. Miigwetch to C.D.