Michigan Indian

Spring Fishing Season Brings Consent Decree Attention

Nick Reo

As folks start dusting off thier spring fishing gear, the 2007 Consent Decree is getting some press again. It is good to keep balanced information in front of Michigan citizens as we come upon walleye spawning and subsequent inland spearing. These activities will present a culture shock for some citizens, so some balanced coverage by local media outlets will be useful.

By the way, the Michigan DNR is hiring 2 fisheries biologists to work on their tribal coordination unit and whose duties will relate directly to implementing the 2007 Consent Decree. The postings close on 4/22/08.

GTB Election Coverage (from Indianz)

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Members of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan are voting in a primary election on Wednesday.

Twenty candidates are vying for three seats on the tribal council. Three candidates are running for chairman. The general election will be held May 21. The two top voters from each race will be on the ballot. For chairman, incumbent Robert Kewaygoshkum is facing a challenge from Derek Bailey and Thurlow “Sam” McClellan.

Get the Story:
Tribal voters to narrow field (The Leelanau News 4/8)

Nokomis Center Spring Feast

bnewland

Sorry to break up the discussions with a shameless plug, but the Nokomis Center in Okemos will be hosting its first annual “Spring Feast” this Sunday, April 13th, from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Guests will get to indulge in buffalo meat, as well as hear special musical guests. Tickets are $25 per family, $10 per adult, $5 per child (10 & under), and $5 per elder (55 & older). Proceeds go to the Nokomis Center, which is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving Native culture. The Nokomis Center is located next to the Meridian Mall in Okemos, at 5153 Marsh Rd. Please join us if you can, as the Nokomis Center needs all of the financial support our community can provide.

News Coverage of BMIC/Sault Tribe Off-Rez Gaming Bills

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From the Detroit Free Press:

WASHINGTON – The House Judiciary Committee is set to work on a couple of bills on Wednesday that would allow for two new Indian casinos in Michigan – even though another committee has already approved them.

It could set up an interesting jurisdictional question for the House.
A couple months ago, the Natural Resources Committee voted overwhelmingly in favor of the two pieces of legislation, which would authorize land swaps with two tribes, resulting in new casinos in Romulus and Port Huron. That vote was expected to send the bills to the House floor.

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Dispute over Access to Straits of Mackinac

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From the Petoskey News-Review:

In a pending lawsuit, the owners of a Wawatam Township lot are seeking ownership of an adjacent strip of property that the public often uses to access the Straits of Mackinac.

The legal efforts have raised concerns from county and township officials about the potential loss of public water access.

“What we don’t want to do is, we don’t want it to fall into the hands of a private owner,” said Wawatam supervisor Roger Moore. “We want to keep it so it would be accessible to the public like it always has.”

Adjoining landowner Ralph Reisinger said he’s looking for a way to control illegal activities by visitors rather than putting the spot off limits. He noted that some of the people who’ve visited the area at the end of the road have engaged in activities such as littering and building unauthorized campfires on his lot and setting off illegal fireworks.

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Coverage of Keno Settlement

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From Crain’s Detroit Business:

LANSING — State economic-development officials are cheering the settlement of a long-running legal dispute and renewal of a key revenue stream to the state.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians on Friday announced the resolution of a federal lawsuit that involved the tribes’ obligation to share casino revenue with the state.

The tribes had halted payments in 2004. But under the settlement, tribal revenue-sharing will resume and the state will also receive about $26 million in previous payments that the tribes had put into escrow.

It’s good news to the Michigan Economic Development Corp., where tribal casino money pays for a variety of MEDC activities and nearly a third of MEDC employees’ salaries and benefits.

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KBIC v. Kleine — Michigan Sales and Use Tax Upheld

Matthew L.M. Fletcher1 Comment

This case, decided by Judge Quist, out of the Western District of Michigan is the latest in a long string of Indian tax cases arising out of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community’s reservation in the past few years, including Chippewa Trading v. Cox (CA6) and KBIC v. Rising (CA6). Here are the very lengthy materials in this case:

DCT Order Granting Michigan’s Motion for Summary Judgment – KBIC v. Kleine

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Clash of Titans over Off-Rez Gaming in Michigan: Dingell v. Conyers!

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From The Hill:

Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) is clashing with Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman John Dingell (D-Mich.) over the thorny issue of Indian gambling, setting up a standoff between two of the oldest bulls in Congress.

Conyers has stepped into an Indian gambling dispute that is dividing the Michigan delegation and the Democratic Caucus. After teaming up with Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), who chairs the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), the 22-term House veteran has used his position as chairman of the powerful Judiciary Committee to oppose two bills that would settle tribal land disputes and clear the way for new casinos to be built near both lawmakers’ Detroit-area districts.

Conyers argues that the bills would change the way casinos are approved by allowing Congress to get involved in land dispute claims that the U.S. Department of the Interior routinely determines. He also cites the concern that the casinos would be located more than 350 miles from the tribes’ reservations.

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AP: Michigan Tribes Object to Michigan Water Legislation

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

From the AP:

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — An American Indian tribe says bills pending in the Legislature to regulate high-volume water withdrawals would violate its rights by reducing fish populations in some rivers and streams.

Officials with other northern Michigan tribes also are raising concerns about the measures, pending in the House and Senate. The two versions are similar, but have differences that sponsors are trying to work out before floor votes are taken.

The bills would regulate withdrawals of more than 200,000 gallons per day from rivers and streams — or from underground aquifers — for commercial uses such as farming and manufacturing.

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Interviews with Michigan Tribal Chairs @ United Tribes of Michigan Meeting

Matthew L.M. Fletcher

Here are videos of interviews with Fred Cantu (Saginaw Chippewa), DK Sprague (Gun Lake Band), Frank Ettawageshik (LTBB), Matt Wesaw (Vice-Chair, Pokagon), and Aaron Payment (Sault Tribe).

Link to videos on the Saginaw Chippewa website.