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The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is a federally recognized American Indian tribe located in west Michigan.
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History
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is a federally recognized Native American tribe located in western Michigan. The tribe is descended from the Ottawa people, who once lived in the Great Lakes region. The Little River Band was established in 1855, and its members are descendants of the Ottawa people who were forced to move to Oklahoma in the late 1800s. The tribe has a long history of fighting for their rights and for the recognition of their sovereignty.
Pre-European History
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is a federally recognized tribe of Odawa people, located in northern Michigan. The Little River band is one of three members of the Council of Three Fires, a band society which also included the Ojibwe and Potawatomi. The Little River band was signatory to the Treaty of Washington in 1836, which ceded most of their lands in Michigan to the United States government; they were one of the first Native American tribes to be removed from their ancestral lands in Michigan.
The Odawa are an Algonquin people who traditionally lived along the coasts of Lake Michigan and Lake Huron, as well as in the northern parts of Michigan and southern Ontario. The Odawa language is part of the Algonquian language family. The tribe historically consisted of three major divisions: the Northern Odawa (or Payeghichigami), based along the north shores of Lakes Huron and Superior; the Southern Odawa (or Arcand), who occupied territory along the Michipicoten River in present-day Ontario; and the Ottawa (or Ada’swemegami), based along the Ottawa River valley in present-day Quebec and Ontario.
European History
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is a federally recognized Native American tribe in Michigan. They have lived in the area for over 10,000 years. The Ottawa people were originally from the eastern woodlands of North America. They were a nomadic people who moved around throughout the year to find food and shelter. In the 1600s, the Ottawa began to settle down in villages along the Great Lakes. The French were the first Europeans to make contact with the Ottawa. They established trading posts and missionaries in the area. The Ottawa converted to Christianity and became allies of the French during the French and Indian War. After the war, many of the Ottawa moved to Canada. The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is made up of descendants of those who remained in Michigan. The tribe has about 3,000 members today.
Post-European History
In the late 1600s and early 1700s, the Ottawa befriended the French fur traders who were moving through the Great Lakes region in search of furs. The French and Ottawa had a mutually beneficial economic relationship: the French traded goods for furs, and the Ottawa acted as middlemen, acquiring furs from other tribes in the area. This continued until 1763, when the British defeated the French in the Seven Years’ War and took control of all French territory east of the Mississippi River. The British maintained friendly relations with the Ottawa, but the British fur trade was much less profitable than the French one had been.
In 1837,Michiganbecame a state, and Euro-American settlers began moving intoOttawa territory. TheOttawasigned treaties ceding land to the United States in 1836 and 1855; however, these treaties were not honored by the federal government,and Euro-American settlers continued to encroach onOttawa land. In 1871,theOttawas were finally forced to move to a reservation in northern Michigan; however, even this was not enough to stop further encroachment on their land,and by 1902 only 144 acres (0.58 km2) remained of their original reservation.
The Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma is descendants of Ottawas who removed fromMichiganin 1870. Other descendents joined them later fromIndianaandCanada. They now have over 3200 members living in Miami,Wyandotte, and Delaware CountiesinOklahoma.
Culture
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is a federally recognized American Indian tribe located in northern Michigan. The tribe has a long and rich history dating back to the 1600s when they inhabited the area now known as Michigan. The tribe has a close-knit community and a strong cultural heritage.
Language
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is a federally recognized Native American tribe in northern Michigan. The tribe’s reservation is the Little River Indian Reservation, which has a land area of 444.5 acres (1.8 km2) in Manistee County, Michigan, United States. It is one of three federally recognized tribes in the county, along with the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.
The tribe uses the Anishinaabe language, also known as Ojibwe or Chippewa. It is a member of the Algonquian family of languages, which also includes Cree and Blackfoot.
Religion
The Ottawa traditionally believed in the Great Spirit, who they saw as the creator of all things. They believed that this spirit was everywhere and in everything, and that it could be good or bad depending on how it was treated. The Ottawa also believed in a number of other spirits who lived in the natural world and could help or harm humans.
Arts and Crafts
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is committed to keeping our culture alive through our arts and crafts. We have a wide variety of arts and crafts available, including:
-Beadwork
-Birch bark biting
-Canoe building
-Carving
-Drum making
-Fishing net making
-Lacrosse stick making
-Moccasin making
-Porcupine quillwork
-Snowshoe making
-Tobacco tieing
-Weaving
Current Issues
As of 2018, the little river band of ottawa indians is facing many issues. These include economic, social, and political issues. Many of these have been caused by the tribe’s lack of sovereignty and federal recognition. The little river band of ottawa indians is currently in the process of trying to gain federal recognition.
Land Disputes
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians has been involved in a number of land disputes over the years. The most recent and significant dispute is over the tribe’s proposed casino site in northern Michigan. The tribe has been trying to build a casino on the site for several years, but has been opposed by a number of local and state government officials. In December 2014, the U.S. Department of the Interior issued a statement supporting the tribe’s right to build the casino, but the project has still not been completed.
Economic Development
The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians is committed to economic development that creates jobs, generates income, and provides opportunities for our citizens.
Our economic development efforts focus on creating a diversified economy that includes businesses in the retail, service, gaming, manufacturing, and agri-business sectors. We are also working to increase our capacity to attract new businesses and entrepreneurs to our tribe.
In addition to our ongoing economic development efforts, we are also working to secure long-term economic stability for our tribe through investments in natural resources and infrastructure.
