Scholten, James introduce restoration act to provide justice to tribal members
GRAND RAPIDS – The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians today are applauding the introduction of a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives that would affirm the federal status of the tribe.
The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians Restoration Act of 2025, HR 3255, co-sponsored by U.S. Reps. Hillary Scholten, D-Grand Rapids, and John James, R-Shelby Township, seeks to reaffirm the Grand River Bands as a federally recognized tribe. If passed, it would give tribal members access to critical federal resources.
“On behalf of the Grand River Bands, I thank the lead sponsors of this legislation, Reps. Scholten and James, and others from the Michigan Congressional delegation for advocating for justice for our tribal members,” said Ron Yob, chairman of the Grand River Bands. “After more than three decades of advocacy for federal recognition, I am hopeful our tribal members will soon have access to the resources they deserve, and which have eluded generations of tribal members.”
The Grand River Bands have advocated for federal recognition for three decades through the federal acknowledgment process administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Office of Federal Acknowledgement. The tribe filed its notice to petition in 1994 and completed its petition for federal recognition in 2000. More than two decades later, the tribe received a proposed finding in February 2023 from the BIA and continues to work with the Bureau on this acknowledgement process, however federal recognition through the BIA is still years away.
Federal recognition would provide tribal members with access to resources including social services, education, housing, elder care and the ability to exercise treaty rights and weigh in on legislation that impacts 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.
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The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians is a native sovereign nation with agreements with the federal government dating back to 1795. The Grand River Bands originally included 19 bands of Ottawa people who lived along the Grand River and other waterways in southwest Michigan. Most of the Grand River Bands’ current membership resides in Kent, Muskegon and Oceana counties.