The Grand River Bands have lived on lands in West Michigan for hundreds of years. Our ancestors survived on these lands, and in 1821 and 1836, our chiefs signed treaties recognizing the ancestral homelands of our people. These lands are still sacred to the Grand River Bands today. The Grand River Bands were also signatories to the 1795 Treaty of Greenville; 1807 Treaty of Detroit; 1821 Treaty of Chicago; 1836 Treaty of Washington and the 1855 Treaty of Detroit.
We have been advocating for federal recognition of our tribe for almost 30 years. Our petition to the U.S. Department of the Interior has been on the “active consideration list” since 2013. COVID-19 has slowed the process for these petitions.
Without federal recognition, our tribal members continue to be denied rights to health care, housing, education assistance and more through resources that are provided to federally recognized tribes.
Check Our Status
See the status of the Grand River Bands petition for federal recognition.