DATE: Friday, May 5, 2023
LANSING – The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians are continuing to advocate for their long overdue federal recognition and have enlisted the support of professional historians and other experts to make their case to the U.S. Department of the Interior.
“The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians continues to work with the U.S. Department of Interior to provide additional information on our petition for federal recognition,” said Ron Yob, chairman of the Grand River Bands.
Since the U.S. Department of the Interior issued its proposed findings in February, Yob and other tribal members have been poring over historic documentation of the tribe’s long history in West Michigan. The Grand River Bands has agreements with the federal government dating back to 1795, and is a state recognized tribe. The Grand River Bands have formally asked for a technical assistance meeting with the Department of the Interior to discuss the proposed findings and provide additional information.
“The U.S. Department of the Interior has continuously reached out to support our efforts and we have been compiling documentation that shows our long history as a distinct political community,” Yob said. “We are so thankful for the numerous lawmakers, other tribes, business groups, community organizations and West Michigan residents who continue to advocate for our recognition. We remain confident we will ultimately achieve the long overdue federal recognition for our tribal members and be able to provide long-awaited justice to our members.”
For more information on the Grand River Bands and a list of supporters of their recognition, visit grandriverbands.com.
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The Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians is a native sovereign nation recognized by the state of Michigan 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.