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Tribal Government

Image from a tribal pow wow with several adult and children dancing in native dance attire.

Tribal Government

Tribal Governments in Michigan

Michigan is home to a total of 12 federally-acknowledged Indian tribes that enjoy a special status under federal law and treaties. Federally-acknowledged tribes are not merely organizations of citizens who happen to be of Native American descent. Rather, they are sovereign governments that exercise direct jurisdiction over their members and territory and, under some circumstances, over other citizens as well. Tribal governments provide a wide array of governmental services to their members including lawmaking, tribal police and court systems, health, and education services, and many more.

The state generally does not have legal authority over tribal governments and tribal members when they are inside the tribe's territory - those lands designated as the tribe's reservation or trust lands. Instead, the state interacts with tribes on a government-to-government basis. This has lead in recent years to a number of formal government-to-government agreements on a variety of subjects including such matters as treaty fishing rights, taxation, water quality issues, economic development, and casino gaming. On this web page you will find links to such agreements and to various state government resources and information regarding tribes and tribal issues. You also find links to the tribal government web site for each of the twelve tribes.
Bay Mills Chippewa Indian Community logo.

Bay Mills Indian Community

On Nov. 4, 1936, as a result of the Indian reorganization Act (IRA) of 1934, the Bay Mills Indian Community representing 5 of the original six Sault Ste. Marie Bands of Chippewa Indians, adopted a constitution and by-laws.
Bay Mills Indian Community
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians logo.

Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians

On May 27, 1980, the Tribe was re-recognized by the federal government as the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.
Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
Hannahville Potawatomi Indian Community logo.

Hannahville Potawatomi Indian Community

Hannahville is a growing and diverse community located in the heart of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.
Hannahville Potawatomi Indian Community
Huron Potawatomi-Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi logo.

Huron Potawatomi-Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi

NHBP, a federally recognized tribal government with more than 1,500 enrolled tribal members, gained federal recognition Dec. 19, 1995.
Huron Potawatomi-Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community logo.

Keweenaw Bay Indian Community

The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community of the Lake Superior Band of Chippewa Indians is located approximately 65 miles north of Marquette, Michigan in the L’Anse/Baraga Michigan area and has dual land bases on both sides of the Keweenaw Bay Peninsula in Baraga County.
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community
Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians logo.

Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians

The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians is also referred to in the Constitution as the "Lac Vieux Desert Band" and the "Band."
Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
Little River Band of Ottawa Indians logo.

Little River Band of Ottawa Indians

The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (LRBOI), a native sovereign nation is based in Manistee. LRBOI is the political successor to nine of the nineteen historic bands of the Grand River Ottawa people. 
Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians logo.

Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians

On Sept. 21, 1994, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBB) was federally reaffirmed with the signing of Public Law 103-324. The Tribe is governed by a nine member Tribal Council who serve staggered terms. The Tribe has over 4,000 members.
Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians
Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan logo.

Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan

The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians (Gun Lake Tribe) is part of the historic Three Fires Confederacy, an alliance of the Pottawatomi (Bodewadmi), Ottawa (Odawa) and Chippewa (Ojibwe). 
Match-e-be-nash-she-wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians of Michigan
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians logo.

Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians are a federally-recognized tribal nation with homelands in the states of Michigan and Indiana. They are a part of the greater Potawatomi Nation, whose Bands are spread throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe logo.

Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe

The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Mount Pleasant, Michigan, comprises mainly the Saginaw, Black River, and Swan Creek Ojibwe bands.
Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians logo.

Sault Ste Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians is a federally recognized Indian tribe based in Michigan's Eastern Upper Peninsula, with 44,000 citizens.
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
Photo of Tribal Affairs Executive Order Executive Directive 2019-17 Signing.

Tribal Relations

The state of Michigan shares a responsibility with Michigan’s federally recognized Indian tribes to provide for and protect the health, safety, and welfare of tribal community members. This responsibility is deeply important and calls for open communication and robust collaboration. To this end, on Oct. 31, 2019, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Directive 2019-17. This Executive Directive builds on the Government to Government Accord of Oct. 28, 2002, entered into with each of Michigan’s tribes, and it requires that each state department and agency adopt a formal tribal consultation policy.
Agency Tribal Consultation Policies
Image of two people standing in grass. The photo focuses on their lower legs and feet. They are dressed in native American dance and ceremonial attire.

Indigenous Education

The education of Indigenous learners in Michigan is a complex, intergovernmental collaboration involving a wide range of partners sharing responsibility for ensuring the success of educational efforts. This collaboration begins with the tribal communities where the learners live and includes federal, state, and local partners, including the local educational agencies responsible for delivering instruction. This Michigan Department of Education's Indigenous Education page is designed to provide resources and information necessary for individuals at all levels of the system to support the ongoing education of Indigenous learners throughout Michigan.
Indigenous Education Resources

Tribal Accords

Tribal Executive Directives

Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan logo.

Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan

The Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, Inc. (ITCM) is a 501©(3) non-profit corporation duly organized under a State Charter filed April 16, 1968. The Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, Inc.  represents the twelve federally recognized tribes in Michigan. 
Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan
Governor Whitmer Meeting With Tribal Leaders.

State Resources for Tribal Governments

Related Resources