Michigan Indian

Story About Harvesting Wild Rice on Michigan Public Radio

Kate Fort

Podcast here , slide show here. 

Summary:

For thousands of years, Native American tribes in the Great Lakes region have been harvesting wild rice. They call it manoomin.

But over the past few centuries, this tradition has been dying out. The rice beds have been shrinking, and the cultural knowledge has been disappearing. Many tribes were forced to relocate away from the wild rice beds. Starting in the 1870s, some children were taken from their families, into boarding schools. They were given English names and cut off from their culture and from the knowledge of how to harvest rice.

In Michigan, some people are trying to bring the tradition back.

Saginaw Chippewa Repatriation News

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From the Morning Sun:

Dennis Banks, renowned co-founder of the American Indian Movement who helped create the language for the Native American Graves and Repatriation Act which became law in 1990, took part in a reburial ceremony Thursday on the Isabella Reservation.

The reburial ceremony was for 10 Native American ancestoral remains who were dug up and kept in a vault in a museum at Harvard University and were proven to be affiliated with the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe.

Continue reading →

LVD Council Arrested?!?!?

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From TV, via Pechanga:

WATERSMEET — Controversy continues to surround the Lac Vieux Desert Tribe and Wednesday police took action.

All nine tribal council members have been arrested for disobeying a court order by refusing to swear in the newly elected chairman and treasurer at last night’s tribal council meeting.

In July, tribal members protested the council’s decision not to step down after seven of the nine council members were voted out of office.

A third party judge ruled last month that the new chairman and treasurer must be sworn in and a new election would be held for the five general council positions.

The nine arrested council members have been transported off tribal property and are being held in the iron county jail without bond.

Federal Court Denies Motion to Dismiss Indictment of Former GTB Gaming CEO

Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

Here is the order in United States v. Livingston (E.D. Cal.): DCT Order Denying Livingston Motion to Dismiss.

And we posted the indictment for theft from a tribal organization here.

ICT Article on Michigan Bid to Codify ICWA

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From ICT:

SAULT STE. MARIE, Mich. – The Indian Child Welfare Act is a federal law that can at times be confusing to those it was designed to help – tribes, tribal children, their families and the state and tribal court systems.

Making ICWA easier to use and understand is the goal of a group of dedicated people – a special committee formed by the Michigan Supreme Court. This committee is charged with helping Indian children and families in child welfare cases, and with educating judges and child welfare practitioners about ICWA.

Congress enacted ICWA in 1978 to help prevent the disruption of Indian families and tribes due to state and federal child welfare practices.

In 2008, a special committee was formed by the Michigan Supreme Court to help Michigan judges and child welfare practitioners learn more about ICWA and understand the need for states to comply with the act and how it can be better implemented within Michigan.

In 2009, the State Court Administrative Office, the administrative agency of the Michigan Supreme Court, published a court resource guide. This guide is designed to provide Michigan trial courts with best practice tips to apply when using ICWA. During work on the court resource guide it was determined further research was needed and a subcommittee was formed that recommended changes to Michigan’s court rules to help with the recognition and implementation of ICWA. On Jan. 27, the Michigan Supreme Court approved those changes, which became effective May 1.

A second subcommittee, the Tribal Court Relations Committee, was formed as part of the Court Improvement Program Statewide Task Force and continues to meet on proposed state legislation that was drafted to reflect the federal statute with the goal of making judges and child welfare workers more aware of ICWA at both the tribal and state levels. A special session to review the proposed ICWA statute is being held Sept. 30 in Lansing. This meeting is by invitation only to the ICWA committee that authored the Court Resource Guide.

Additionally, in 2010 the Michigan Supreme Court has been sponsoring ICWA training and dialogue for state court judges, tribal representatives, attorneys, court staff and Department of Human Services workers as a step toward implementing the “best interests” considerations for Indian children, families and tribes.

Planning is also underway for the Walking on Common Ground: Michigan Regional Conference, Oct. 12 – 13 at the Grand Traverse Resort in Acme, Mich., for tribal, federal and state justice communities throughout Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. Walking on Common Ground promotes collaboration, education and the sharing of resources to build a more positive future for tribal children and families involved in the child welfare system.

Continue reading →

Recent Saginaw Chippewa Appellate Court Decisions on Tribal Membership

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Interesting and important cases:

Ayling v Tribal Certifiers

Tappen v Tribal Certifiers

GTB Moves to Intervene in Asian Carp Suit

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From Indianz:

The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians filed a motion to join a lawsuit over Asian carp, an invasive species.

Five states are suing the federal government and the city of Chicago over efforts to limit the impact of the carp. The tribe wants to ensure that its treaty rights are protected throughout the litigation.

“Historically, fishing played a central role in the spiritual and cultural framework of Native American life,” the tribe said in the brief, the Associated Press reported. “Not only are the Great Lakes fish culturally important to the tribes, these communities depend upon fisheries resources for their livelihoods.”

A hearing in the case is set for September 7.

Continue reading →

Michigan Indian Day Information and Registration Forms

Kate Fort

Ashley Harding, former Program Coordinator at the ILPC, has done an amazing amount of work for this year’s Michigan Indian Day program.  We know the whole day will be great, but are sure some will be very interested in the second keynote speaker.

During the administration of Governor William G. Milliken, the Legislature designated the fourth Friday of September as Michigan Indian Day (Act 30 of 1974, Section 435.161). To honor this day in the State of Michigan, the Michigan Indian Day Planning Committee through the Ingham County Health Department’s Native American Outreach Program is proud to announce the 9th Annual Michigan Indian Day Event, entitled Strengthening Health, Strengthening Families: Empowering Indigenous Communities.

The event will be taking place Friday, September 24 at the Hannah Community Center in East Lansing, Michigan. The conference this year will be discussing health inequity and health disparities among the American Indian/First Nations populations of Michigan.

Our keynote speakers will be:

Stacy A. Bohlen, Executive Director, National Indian Health Board (NIHB), Washington, D.C.

Daniel Levy, Director of Law & Policy at the Michigan Department of Civil Rights. He will be discussing recent changes made to the Michigan Indian Tuition Waiver and the American Indian/First Nations populations this is affecting.

Workshop discussions include:
– Urban Native youth programming and its importance,
– Tobacco use among American Indians
– Tackling health inequity and why,
– Indian child welfare updates,
– Tribes and environmental justice issues,
– and MORE…

Costs
The cost of registration is $30 for the General Public and $15 for Students and Elders. Registration costs include materials, refreshments and lunch. No cash will be accepted.

Scholarships
Scholarships are available for students and elders (55 & up). Due to the limited number of scholarships, the committee will be taking these applications on a first come first serve basis.

Registration
Participants have the opportunity to register online or print off the registration form and mail it. Registration forms mailed must include payment. For those who register online, payment must be received within two weeks of registration. Please note the registration deadline is Friday, September 17.

Webpage
http://hd.ingham.org/other-services/native-american-outreach-program/michigan-indian-day-/mid-registration-2010.aspx

Questions
If there are any questions, please contact Ashley Harding at 517.272.4127 or by email at aharding@ingham.org

We hope to see you in attendance.

Registration Form
Registration Form-Elder Scholarship

Registration Form-Student Scholarship

News Coverage on LRB Gaming Compact

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From Indianz:

The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians of Michigan is weighing its options after a compact for an off-reservation casino failed to come up for a vote last week. The tribe plans to build a casino in Fruitport Township. The site is about 80 miles from the tribe’s headquarters but it’s within the tribe’s nine-county service area. The compact survived a series of hearings but it appeared to be headed for a negative vote last week. Lawmakers have until December 31 to vote on the agreement. “We’re going to weigh the options and strategies we have before us,” Robert Memberto, the tribe’s commerce director, told The Muskegon Chronicle. Separately, the tribe needs approval for its land-into-trust application.

Get the Story:
Fruitport Township’s casino future uncertain after failed vote (The Muskegon Chronicle 8/30)

Little River Band’s Fruitport Casino Compact Not Discharged From Committee

Kate Fort1 Comment

Yesterday the Michigan House had to clear the board to prevent a huge loss on the vote to discharge the compact (a concurrent resolution) from the Reg Reform committee.  The Muskegon Chronicle has the news story:

Fruitport casino plan gets the cold shoulder from Michigan House of Representatives

Published: Thursday, August 26, 2010, 12:33 AM     Updated: Thursday, August 26, 2010, 1:11 AM by Eric Gaertner

FRUITPORT TOWNSHIP — The chances of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians building a casino at the former Great Lakes Downs racetrack site suffered a setback Wednesday.The state House, which is required to concur with a compact amendment allowing the tribe to open an off-reservation casino in Muskegon County, failed to even approve the discharge of the resolution from committee.

State Rep. Doug Bennett’s request to have his bill discharged was on the verge of defeat during a House floor vote Wednesday when he had the board cleared and his request withdrawn. Greg McCullough, Bennett’s legislative aide, said the roll-call vote was at 53-13 against the discharge when Bennett withdrew his request. Bennett, D-Muskegon Township, introduced the bill in April.

Even if the discharge vote had been approved, the resolution still would require a full House vote on whether to concur with the compact amendment signed by Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Little River Band Ogema Larry Romanelli earlier this year.

McCullough called Wednesday’s vote frustrating. Fruitport Township Supervisor Brian Werschem said it was beyond disappointing.

“The delay continues,” Werschem said. “I’m a little surprised that the Legislature would stall economic development in West Michigan. We were looking at bringing jobs, entertainment and dollars to this community.”

Robert Memberto, Little River Band’s commerce director, criticized House Speaker Andy Dillon for listening to lobbyists, other tribes worried about competition for their casinos and the Detroit corporate casinos. Dillon, D-Redford, ran unsuccessfully for the Democratic nomination for governor.

“Speaker Dillon is playing politics with jobs,” Memberto said.

Continue reading →