The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa, also known as the Gete-gitigaaning in the Anishinaabe language, is an officially recognized group of the Lake Superior Chippewa. Many members live on the Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation, which is near Watersmeet, Michigan. The reservation is located about 45 miles southeast of Ironwood, Michigan, in Gogebic County.
Early history
The Ojibwe Nation split into two groups and moved west from the Sault Ste. Marie area. The southern group reached the region now called Lac Vieux Desert. The Lake Superior Band of Chippewa had twelve groups during that time.
This lake, called Gete-gitigaani-zaaga'igan ("Lake of the old garden") in the Anishinaabe language, is near several major areas where rivers flow into larger water bodies. It was an important place for travel and trade, connecting waterways and trails to Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and the Wisconsin River. The Lac Vieux Desert Band was one of three groups in Michigan. The other nine groups of the Lake Superior Chippewa lived in areas that later became Wisconsin and Minnesota under U.S. rule.
All twelve groups signed treaties with the United States. Chiefs from the Lac Vieux Desert Band signed the Treaty of St. Peters in 1837, the Treaty of La Pointe in 1842, and the Treaty of La Pointe in 1854. These treaties required them to give up their land in Michigan to the United States. The 1854 Treaty of La Pointe also created the Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation, which is called Gete-gitigaaning in the Anishinaabe language.
Because of the federal Indian Reorganization Act of 1934, the Lac Vieux Desert Band lost their independent federal recognition. They were grouped with the L'Anse and Ontonogon bands to form the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. However, they continued to live separately in the Watersmeet area.
Independent federal recognition
In the 1960s, Native American groups began working together to fight for their rights and the right to govern themselves. For about 20 years, the Lac Vieux Desert Band tried to get the federal government to officially recognize them as a self-governing group. This group had a long history with the federal government, as shown by their many treaties and their own reservation. On September 8, 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed a law called the "Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians Act" (H.R. 3697), which officially recognized the Band as a separate and distinct tribe, different from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community.
In 1988, the Lac Vieux Desert Band joined the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, Inc. This group was created in 1966 to help Native American tribes in Michigan by sharing resources and finding funding for joint programs. As tribes grew and created more of their own programs, the council gave some responsibilities to the tribes.
Economic development
The tribe owns and runs the Northern Waters Casino Resort on its reservation in Watersmeet, Michigan. The resort includes the Dancing Eagles Hotel and the Lac Vieux Desert golf course. Seasonal events at the resort include ice fishing competitions during the winter months.
The tribe started an online business that provides short-term installment loans to help people who have difficulty getting loans from banks. This business has created new jobs and helped fund other tribal businesses and social programs on the reservation. The tribe launched Big Picture Loans (https://www.bigpictureloans.com) in late 2016. The company is based on the reservation in Watersmeet. Loans are only available online, and the maximum loan amount is $3,500, according to the company’s website.
In August 2015, the Lac Vieux Desert community opened a modern medical center called Lac Vieux Desert Health Center. This facility provides care for all family members, is open to the public, and accepts all types of insurance.
In 2015, the tribe received a historic preservation grant from the National Park Service to study the ancient Lac Vieux Desert to L'Anse Trail. This trail, more than 80 miles long, was used by the Ojibwe people before the 17th century to travel between this area and L'Anse. The Ojibwe continued to use the trail until the 1940s. As part of the management plan for the Ottawa National Forest, which includes land near the tribe’s reservation, the tribe wants to identify and protect the historically important trail. The trail passes through Baraga, Houghton, Iron, and Gogebic counties.