Who are the Mackinac Bands and the Mackinac Tribe, LLC., are they seeking federal acknowledgment, why did the Sault Tribe adopt the Mackinac Bands and how did they do it, what is the mystery surrounding the removal of John Causley, was there a break-in of the Mackinac Bands office, what is the status of the Mackinac Bands….? These are questions that linger and continue to be asked.
The Mackinac Bands of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians were signatories on the 1836 and 1855 treaties with the United States whose members were identified and federally recognized on the Horace Durant Rolls as being a separate and unique tribe. Horace Durant was an Indian agent appointed by the Secretary of Interior to prepare a census roll between 1907 and 1910 in order to make payment to the Indians in the Mackinac area.
During the late 1970’s, the Sault Tribe Board of Directors, with Bernard Bouschor as Chairman, passed a resolution to adopt the Mackinac Bands as members of the Sault Tribe. With the approval of that resolution by the Secretary of Interior, the Sault Tribe claimed ownership to all property that belonged to the MB. Recently, a question presented to the Assistant Secretary of Interior asked why there was no required secretarial election for MB members to vote on the adoption. The MB is still waiting for an answer but maybe the answer is not one the Secretary of Interior is willing to provide. Whether or not they respond will not change the outcome that has made members of the MB second class citizens in the eyes of the Sault Tribe. Several directors and members of the Sault Tribe have argued that the 14,000 MB members, who are also Sault Tribe members, are not eligible to vote. Some Sault Tribers also dislike sharing any sort of benefits with MB members. Apparently, the Sault Tribe wanted to have their cake and eat it too but without the calories.
The Mackinac Tribe, LLC. is a group of people who splintered from the MB in April, 2008, to represent a smaller group of MB descendents. They recently dropped the LLC from their name and attempted to convince the MB, in what would have been an unwise decision, to join them as one tribe. Continuity of the MB would have been lost and the MB would have ceased to exist.
John Causley, former chairman of the MB, was removed by a vote of the board. Records belonging to the MB were obtained, not through a break-in, but with the assistance of law enforcement who accompanied MB board members while they reclaimed their property.
Causley did file a letter of intent (to file a petition for federal acknowledgment) with the Secretary of Interior. The regulations for filing are complicated but the status of the MB is not. Logically speaking, it should be easy.The difficulty is convincing the Secretary of Interior that we have been here much longer than they have, we are not going away and that we are already approved as members of a federally recognized tribe according to the treaties and the Durant Census rolls. The MB wants affirmation of recognition as well as to separate from the Sault Tribe so that we can be the unique tribe we are. We want rights to the provisions defined in the treaties of which we are signatories and we don't want the constant threat of disenrollment (by the Sault Tribe).
If you are a Mackinac Band descendant and a member of the Sault Tribe, then you only need to provide proof of your identity to become an enrolled member of the MB. For others, it will be necessary to trace ancestral history to find a family connection to the MB. Only after affirmation of federal recognition is received, will it be necessary for those who are members of both the MB and ST to choose one over the other.
Ironically, the MB has many supporters who are not members of the Sault Tribe or the Mackinac Bands and are also not American Indians but who want to assist with our efforts. For purposes of identification, they receive membership cards as part of our support group but will not be entitled to any membership benefits.
If you have any questions about the Mackinac Bands, I will find the answer if one exists. Email me at lynne.mackbands@yahoo.com or weave977@yahoo.com Please provide me with a phone number if you wish to speak with me.
The Mackinac Bands of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians were signatories on the 1836 and 1855 treaties with the United States whose members were identified and federally recognized on the Horace Durant Rolls as being a separate and unique tribe. Horace Durant was an Indian agent appointed by the Secretary of Interior to prepare a census roll between 1907 and 1910 in order to make payment to the Indians in the Mackinac area.
During the late 1970’s, the Sault Tribe Board of Directors, with Bernard Bouschor as Chairman, passed a resolution to adopt the Mackinac Bands as members of the Sault Tribe. With the approval of that resolution by the Secretary of Interior, the Sault Tribe claimed ownership to all property that belonged to the MB. Recently, a question presented to the Assistant Secretary of Interior asked why there was no required secretarial election for MB members to vote on the adoption. The MB is still waiting for an answer but maybe the answer is not one the Secretary of Interior is willing to provide. Whether or not they respond will not change the outcome that has made members of the MB second class citizens in the eyes of the Sault Tribe. Several directors and members of the Sault Tribe have argued that the 14,000 MB members, who are also Sault Tribe members, are not eligible to vote. Some Sault Tribers also dislike sharing any sort of benefits with MB members. Apparently, the Sault Tribe wanted to have their cake and eat it too but without the calories.
The Mackinac Tribe, LLC. is a group of people who splintered from the MB in April, 2008, to represent a smaller group of MB descendents. They recently dropped the LLC from their name and attempted to convince the MB, in what would have been an unwise decision, to join them as one tribe. Continuity of the MB would have been lost and the MB would have ceased to exist.
John Causley, former chairman of the MB, was removed by a vote of the board. Records belonging to the MB were obtained, not through a break-in, but with the assistance of law enforcement who accompanied MB board members while they reclaimed their property.
Causley did file a letter of intent (to file a petition for federal acknowledgment) with the Secretary of Interior. The regulations for filing are complicated but the status of the MB is not. Logically speaking, it should be easy.The difficulty is convincing the Secretary of Interior that we have been here much longer than they have, we are not going away and that we are already approved as members of a federally recognized tribe according to the treaties and the Durant Census rolls. The MB wants affirmation of recognition as well as to separate from the Sault Tribe so that we can be the unique tribe we are. We want rights to the provisions defined in the treaties of which we are signatories and we don't want the constant threat of disenrollment (by the Sault Tribe).
If you are a Mackinac Band descendant and a member of the Sault Tribe, then you only need to provide proof of your identity to become an enrolled member of the MB. For others, it will be necessary to trace ancestral history to find a family connection to the MB. Only after affirmation of federal recognition is received, will it be necessary for those who are members of both the MB and ST to choose one over the other.
Ironically, the MB has many supporters who are not members of the Sault Tribe or the Mackinac Bands and are also not American Indians but who want to assist with our efforts. For purposes of identification, they receive membership cards as part of our support group but will not be entitled to any membership benefits.
If you have any questions about the Mackinac Bands, I will find the answer if one exists. Email me at lynne.mackbands@yahoo.com or weave977@yahoo.com Please provide me with a phone number if you wish to speak with me.
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