The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians (LTBBOI, Ojibwe: Waganakising Odawa) is an officially recognized Native American tribe of Odawa people. Many of the more than 4,000 tribal members live in the tribe's traditional homeland on the northwestern shores of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The reservation area, located at 45°21′12″N 84°58′41″W / 45.35333°N 84.97806°W / 45.35333; -84.97806, covers about 336 square miles (870 km²) in Charlevoix and Emmet counties. The largest communities within the reservation are Harbor Springs (formerly called L'Arbre Croche during the French colonial period), where tribal offices are located; Petoskey, where the tribe operates the Odawa Casino Resort; and Charlevoix.
This is one of three officially recognized Odawa tribes in Michigan, which together have more than 9,000 members. It is the only tribe named "Odawa." The other two are the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians. Other federally recognized tribes include the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma and several First Nations in Ontario, Canada.
History
The name Odawa, or Ottawa, comes from the Anishnaabe word for "trader." One European record incorrectly linked it to an Odawa phrase meaning "people of the bulrush," which referred only to one group near the Ottawa River.
The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa are descendants of the Ottawa of L'Arbre Croche. These people signed the 1836 Treaty of Washington and one of the 1855 Treaties of Detroit. These treaties allowed the United States to take about 37% of Michigan’s current land area in exchange for money, land, and other benefits.
The 1855 treaty gave 80-acre land plots to individual Odawa families, ending tribal governments. It created a new group called the Ottawa and Chippewa Nation, which included some Chippewa (Ojibwe) people. Many promised payments and supplies from the federal government under this treaty were never delivered. The Little Traverse Bay tribe has used annuity records from 1836 to 1871 to prove direct family connections to tribal members for citizenship.
In 1905, the Michigan Ottawa successfully sued the United States for breaking treaties. Despite this, groups across Michigan continued to seek tribal recognition. In the 20th century, tribes worked to follow the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, which encouraged Native Americans to reorganize their governments. However, the Michigan Ottawa were not allowed to do so under this law.
During the 1930s and 1940s, three groups formed in Michigan: the Michigan Indian Defense Association (1933), the Michigan Indian Foundation (1941), and the Northern Michigan Ottawa Association (NMOA) (1948). The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa were called NMOA, Unit 1, as other bands were also part of this group. NMOA, Unit 1 sued to gain fishing rights under a 19th-century treaty, claiming they had not given up these rights when they gave up land. Courts did not recognize NMOA, Unit 1 as a tribe because it was an organization.
Inspired by the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, who gained federal recognition in 1980, the Little Traverse Bay Bands reorganized. Members created a constitution and government, taking the name "Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians." A federal court still denied them treaty fishing rights, stating they were not federally recognized.
Because of their documented treaty history with the U.S., the Little Traverse Bay tribe worked to get their tribal status legally confirmed. On September 21, 1994, President Bill Clinton signed Senate Bill 1357, which confirmed the U.S. relationship with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians.
The tribe includes descendants of nine Odawa bands that lived in the area: 1) North Shore (Naubinway west to Escanaba); 2) Beaver Islands; 3) Cross Village; 4) Burt Lake; 5) Good Heart (Middle Village); 6) Harbor Springs; 7) Petoskey; 8) Bay Shore; and 9) Charlevoix.
Most tribal members live in their traditional homeland. The reservation area, located at 45°21′12″N 84°58′41″W, covers about 336 square miles (870 km²) in Charlevoix and Emmet counties. Major communities within the reservation include Harbor Springs (where tribal offices are located), Petoskey (where the Odawa Casino Resort is operated), and Charlevoix.
Language
Odawa, a dialect of the Ojibwe language, is the first language of some members of the tribe, but most people speak English. To help keep the Anishinaabe language and culture alive, the tribe offers several programs, such as summer language camps, language classes at North Central Michigan College in Petoskey, and community language classes. The Gijigowi Anishinaabemowin Language Department, based in Harbor Springs, supports language education through these efforts.
Tribal government
To gain federal recognition, the tribe created a constitution to form an elected, representative government. It chose seven members to serve on the Tribal Council, which held all power for governing, including setting rules for membership.
Before 2005, the Tribal Council of seven members held all government power. In 2005, the LTBBOI changed its constitution to divide government into three parts: legislative, executive, and judicial. Under this system, the Tribal Council handles laws; the Chairman, Vice Chairman, and appointed Boards manage daily operations; and a tribal court system handles legal matters.
- Tribal Chairman: Regina Gasco-Bentley
- Vice Chairman: Stella Kay
In 2012, the Council began discussing a change to the constitution after two tribal citizens asked for it. The change would replace the phrase "one man and one woman" with language that includes gay and lesbian couples. On March 3, 2013, the Tribal Council voted 5 to 4 in favor of the change and sent it to Chairman Dexter McNamara to sign or reject. At that time, only two other federally recognized tribes, the Coquille Tribe and the Suquamish Tribe, officially recognized the marriages of gay and lesbian couples.
Citizenship
The tribe decides who is a citizen. This mainly depends on an individual having at least 1/4 North American Indian ancestry and being directly related to someone listed on the Durant Roll (1907–1910) or the Annuity Rolls of Ottawa and Chippewa of Michigan (1836–1871). These individuals must also appear in the 1850–1920 censuses as living on the reservation. Because the Odawa and other Indigenous peoples once had territories now split by the U.S. and Canada border, the tribe requires at least 1/4 North American Indian ancestry in addition to direct family ties to those listed on the tribal records. The tribe does not accept people who are already enrolled in other tribes. Other rules about citizenship are written in the Tribal Code. The tribe offers special help to give citizenship to Native Americans who were adopted as children by non-Native families, to welcome them back into the tribe and restore their Native American citizenship.
Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians v. Whitmer
In August 2015, the tribe filed a legal case against the State of Michigan, saying the state did not meet its promises from an 1855 agreement. The case focused on whether the agreement created a "reservation" in the northwest part of Michigan's lower peninsula and whether the U.S. Congress ever changed that status. Many other groups, including cities like Charlevoix, Petoskey, and Harbor Springs; Emmet and Charlevoix counties; townships; and two nonprofit groups representing local property owners, were also involved in the case.
In August 2019, the United States District Court, W.D. Michigan, Southern Division ruled in favor of the defendants. The court said, "After reviewing all historical records, the tribe’s claims cannot be supported because the 1855 treaty does not clearly create an Indian reservation."
The tribe then appealed the decision to the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. In May 2021, the 6th Circuit Court ruled against the tribe, stating, "The Treaty of 1855 did not create a system of federal management sufficient to establish an Indian reservation for the Band."