November is Native American Heritage Month. This month has been federally designated since 1990, but the push for formally recognizing the contributions of Native Americans dates back to 1916 in New York State. In his 2024 Proclamation on National Native American Heritage Month, President Biden spoke about the resilience of Indigenous people and their dedication to preserving their unique cultures and way of life. Additionally, he reflected on the trauma inflicted on Native Americans by the United States government and highlighted the importance of remembering our history as we continue to move towards healing.
At the Michigan School of Psychology, we recognize that Native American Heritage Month is one celebration that encompasses a wide variety of cultures and lived experiences. The United States Government currently recognizes 574 different Native American tribes and Alaskan Native entities. While these groups have many shared experiences, especially in regards to their historic treatment by European settlers and the US government, they also have unique cultures with their own customs, languages, governance, etc.
There are 12 federally recognized tribes who live and operate as sovereign nations within the state of Michigan, each of which contribute greatly to our state. Below you will find short introductions to each of the 12 tribes, along with links to the tribal website where you can learn about the culture of each tribe directly from it’s members.
The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians live along the Upper Peninsula’s boarder with Wisconsin on the Lac Vieux Desert reservation which resulted from the divide of the Ojibwe Nation. Historically, this tribe is one of 12 bands who made up the The Lake Superior Band of Chippewa Indians.
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community is based in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan on both sides of the Keweenaw Bay Peninsula. The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community’s L’Anse Reservation is the oldest and largest reservation in the State and is sustained by the tribes self-sufficient ways of life.
The Hannahville Potawatomi Indian Community is situated in the Upper Peninsula near Escanaba River State Forest. This community is a part of Potawatomi people who alongside the Ottawa and Ojibway comprise the Three Fires Confederacy.
The Bay Mills Indian Community is located along the shore of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula, with tribal offices in Brimley. While the Bay Mills Indian Community is federally recognized as its own tribe, their Constitution states they are “members of the Sault Ste. Marie Band of Chippewa Indians residing on the Bay Mills Reservation.”
The Sault St. Marie Band of Chippewa Indians have their tribal headquarters in Sault St. Marie but inhabit the eastern most seven counties of the Upper Peninsula. The tribe is comprised of the decedents of the Anishinaabeg (original people) fishing tribes of the Great Lakes.
As their name suggests the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians is based along the shores of Little Traverse Bay. The Odawa (also referred to as Ottawa) are the native people to Southern Ontario and Northern Michigan long predating the creation of the borders of the United States and Canada.
The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians are located on the shore of Grand Traverse Bay. Per their website, member of this band identify as Anishinaabek, the people of the Three Fires Confederacy.
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians tribal government is located in Manistee between Lake Michigan and Manistee Lake. They are the descendants of the Grand River Ottawa Bands, who historically lived on the land along the Grand River system.
The Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Potawatomi Indians, are also a part of the historic Three Fires Confederacy. This specific band is also known as the Gun Lake Tribe as they settled near Gun Lake when most of their lands were ceded to the US government.
The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe have their headquarters in Mount Pleasant. The tribe currently operates the Ziibiwing Center which works to preserve the culture and spirit of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe and all the Great Lakes Anishinabek.
Southwest Michigan, near the Indiana border, is home to the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians. The Pokagon people are members of the Potawatomi people who showed a strong attachment to Catholicism and therefore were not forced to move west.
Finally, the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians reside on the Pine Creek Indian Reservation in Fulton. They are Potawatomi people who have be deep connection to the Great Lakes and its waterways.
*Native American Heritage Month is the title used in official government proclamations for the month and therefore the purpose of this blog. However, it is important to acknowledge that some members of the community prefer the usage of other terms such as Indigenous, First Nations, etc. The best practice is to use specific tribal names, but this is not always possible. For more information read The Impact of Words and Tips for Using Appropriate Terminology.
