BARAGA, Mich. (WLUC) - The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community is expressing its appreciation to Senator Gary Peters and Senator Debbie Stabenow for advancing S. 195, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Land Claim Settlement Act,
According to a press release from the KBIC, the settlement advanced through the U.S. Senate with unanimous consent.
“The Tribal Council and the whole Keweenaw Bay Indian Community are beyond overjoyed by the Senate’s unanimous passage yesterday of S. 195, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Land Claims Act, said Keweenaw Bay Indian Community President Doreen Blaker. “We have sought relief and compensation for generations for the unlawful taking of our lands. Thanks to Senator Peters and Senator Stabenow we finally feel heard.”
“The Tribal Council and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community are grateful for the herculean efforts of the Michigan delegation, especially Senator Peters and Senator Stabenow, in securing passage of this important land claim settlement,” said Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Vice-President Toni J. Minton. “This is true reconciliation. Acknowledging past wrongs, coming together to find solutions, and working together for a better future for the Tribe, our neighbors, and the entire community.”
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community worked closely with its neighbors in Baraga County, the Village of L’Anse, and the Village of Baraga, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the Department of the Interior, and its U.S. Congressional Delegation to develop the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Land Claim Settlement Act. The legislation acknowledges the uncompensated taking by the Federal Government of lands guaranteed to the Community under its 1854 treaty and provides compensation to the Community for those takings. The bill also extinguishes all claims by the Community to those lands.
The legislation will now move to the U.S. House of Representatives for consideration and the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community is looking forward to working with Congressman Jack Bergman to advance the bill through the House.