The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians have advocated for federal recognition for more than three decades through the federal acknowledgement process administered by the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Federal Acknowledgement.
First filing a notice to petition for acknowledgement in 1994, the Grand River Bands completed our petition for federal recognition in 2000. Years later, in 2023, we received a proposed finding from the Bureau, and we continue to work with officials on the administrative acknowledgement process.
At the same time, we are working with members of Congress on bills in the House and Senate that would reaffirm federal acknowledgement for our tribe.
Federal acknowledgement would give our members access to important resources, including social services, education, housing, elder care and the ability to exercise our treaty rights. These resources are only afforded to federally recognized tribes.
The Grand River Bands has a long and storied history in Michigan. Between 1795 and 1855, Grand River Bands chiefs signed five separate treaties reaffirming their Constitutional sovereignty and the homelands of their people. The Grand River Bands are the last treaty tribe east of the Mississippi River without federal recognition, even though the tribe’s history in southwestern Michigan has been widely documented.
Our Bills
Check the progress of our bills in the U.S. House and Senate.
Take Action
You can support the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians’ efforts to be federally recognized by telling lawmakers why federal recognition is important.