This bill restores federal recognition to the Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians of Michigan, a Native American tribe whose federal status has been in limbo for nearly 26 years. The Grand River Bands are descendants of Ottawa Indians who signed treaties in 1821, 1836, and 1855 and should have been recognized under the 1997 Michigan Indian Land Claims Settlement Act after filing a documented petition in 2000, but the Bureau of Indian Affairs never completed the recognition process. Upon passage, the tribe and its members become eligible for all federal services and benefits provided to federally recognized tribes, including social services, education, housing, and elder care, with a defined service area in five Michigan counties: Newaygo, Oceana, Kent, Muskegon, and Ottawa. The bill requires the tribe to submit a formal membership roll within 18 months of enactment and allows the Secretary of the Interior to acquire land in trust for the tribe's benefit, with decisions on land acquisitions required within 18 months of the tribe's request. The legislation also preserves any legal claims the tribe may have to enforce rights that were wrongfully denied before the bill's enactment.
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