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Legislation introduced this week in Washington, D.C. could resolve a longstanding dispute between the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community and the federal government.
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Land Claim Settlement Act of 2023 would provide compensation for at least 4,000 acres of land the tribe maintains was illegally taken from it in the 19th century.
Some of the land was transferred by the federal government to the state government as partial compensation for construction of the early locks at Sault Ste. Marie.
The proposed settlement has been endorsed by local governments, including the villages of L’Anse and Baraga, and Baraga County. Republican U.S. Representative Jack Bergman, and Democratic U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters also support it.
KBIC Tribal Council President Doreen Blaker called the legislation “a testament to what we can achieve when we come together and work in the spirit of cooperation.”
In exchange for the compensation, the KBIC will relinquish any claims it has to the land, thus providing clear title to current property owners.
The total value of the compensation package has not been released, but Peters’ office said the deal would authorize federal funds through the U.S. Department of the Interior that could be used by the KBIC for governmental services, economic development, natural resource protection, and land acquisition.
The legislation needs to pass through both houses of Congress, and then be signed by President Joe Biden.
