Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation

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Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan
Flag of the Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan.PNG
Tribal Flag
Chippewa michigan logo.png
The official Saginaw Chippewa Logo designed by Elder Julius Peters
Total population
3,296
Regions with significant populations
Flag of the United States.svg  United States (Flag of Michigan.svg  Michigan)
Languages
English, Ojibwe
Religion
Christianity, traditional tribal religion
Related ethnic groups
Potawatomi

Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan (Ojibwe : Ziibiwing Anishinaabek) [1] is a federally recognized band of Chippewa (a.k.a. Ojibwe) located in central Michigan in the United States.

Contents

The tribal government offices are located on the Isabella Indian Reservation, near the city of Mount Pleasant in Isabella County. They also hold land on the Saganing Reservation near Standish. As of February 2007, tribal membership was approximately 3,296. [2] The 2010 US Census reports 2,414 persons living in the Mount Pleasant, Michigan micropolitan area are Native American.

The tribe operates the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College, a two-year community college open to all in the region.

Economy

The tribe owns and operates several gaming and recreation facilities on its property in Mount Pleasant:

In addition, it operates Eagle Bay Marina and Saganing Eagles Landing Casino in Standish. These generate revenue for investment in education and welfare for the tribe, including such facilities as a new elders' center.

Besides its gaming enterprises, the tribe owns the Sagamok Express Mobil Gas Stations in Mount Pleasant and Standish, the Cardinal Pharmacy and Migizi Economic Development Corp. at the Sowmick Plaza in Mount Pleasant. It also makes online sales through Amazon and Walmart.com under its Ziibiwing Commercial Services Warehouse in Mount Pleasant.

Government and operations

Map showing sites of Indian reservations in northern Michigan. MichiganIndianReservations.svg
Map showing sites of Indian reservations in northern Michigan.

In 1966, the nation was among the four founders of the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan, established to pool resources for development and to improve relations with state and federal governments. Others are the Bay Mills Indian Community, Keneenaw Potawatomi Indian Community, and Hannahville Indian Community. They have worked together since. In the early 21st century, the Council consists of members from 11 of the 12 federally recognized tribes in Michigan.

The tribe operates community facilities, including a substance-abuse treatment center, a community clinic, and health facilities. In the early 21st century, the tribe opened a new Elders' Center.

The tribe operates the Saginaw Chippewa Academy (an elementary school). They also have Native American advocates and tutors who work with students in the local public schools.

In 1993, the tribe elected their first female Tribal Chief, Gail George, who served until 1995. [3]

In 1998 the tribe established Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College. Since 2007 it has been an accredited two-year community college. The Nation has an agreement with Central Michigan University that allows students to readily transfer credits to CMU to complete a 4-year degree there.

The Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe also operates the Ziibiwing Cultural Society (a tribal museum). It encourages use and teaching of the Ojibwe language. The reservation has the largest community of Ojibwe language speakers in Michigan.[ citation needed ]

The tribe hosts a pow-wow every year during the last full weekend in July. This competition pow-wow takes place at the grounds on "the Hill" (the only rise on the otherwise flat Isabella Reservation). The Hill is also the site of the tribal campgrounds and the Chippewa Indian Methodist Church.

On December 2, 2019, the tribe signed a memorandum of understanding with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources to co-manage the Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park in Sanilac County. This agreement marks the first state-tribal co-management of a Michigan state park. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabella County, Michigan</span> County in Michigan, United States

Isabella County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 64,394. Its county seat is Mount Pleasant. The area was known as Ojibiway Besse, meaning "the place of the Ojibwa". Isabella County contains the Isabella Indian Reservation, on which members of the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arenac County, Michigan</span> County in Michigan, United States

Arenac County is a county located in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 15,002. The county seat is Standish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Pleasant, Michigan</span> City in Michigan, United States

Mount Pleasant is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The city is the county seat of Isabella County, which is part of Central Michigan. The population of Mount Pleasant was 21,688 as of the 2020 census. The city is surrounded by Union Charter Township, but is politically independent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">L'Anse Indian Reservation</span> Indian reservation in Michigan, United States

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Isabella Indian Reservation</span> Indian reservation in Michigan, United States

The Isabella Indian Reservation is the primary land base of the federally recognized Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation, located in Isabella County in the central part of the U.S. state of Michigan. The tribe also has some small parcels of off-reservation trust land in Standish Township, Arenac County, near Saginaw Bay and southeast of the city of Standish. Tribal lands are held in trust by the federal government on behalf of the nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bay Mills Indian Community</span> Indian reservation in Michigan, United States

The Bay Mills Indian Community (BMIC), is an Indian reservation forming the land base of one of the many federally recognized Sault Ste. Marie bands of Ojibwe.

Chippewa is an alternate term for the Ojibwe tribe of North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Soaring Eagle Casino</span> Casino and Resort in Mount Pleasant, Michigan

The Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort is a Casino, Hotel, and Entertainment venue located near Mount Pleasant, Michigan. It is owned and operated by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians</span> Reservation

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lac Courte Oreilles Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians</span> Ethnic group

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians</span> Ethnic group

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park</span> Park in Michigan, USA

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa</span> Ethnic group

Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa is a federally recognized band of the Lake Superior Chippewa, many of whom reside on the Lac Vieux Desert Indian Reservation, located near Watersmeet, Michigan. It is approximately 45 miles southeast of Ironwood, Michigan in Gogebic County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians</span> Ethnic group

The Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians is a federally recognized Native American tribe of Odawa. A large percentage of the more than 4,000 tribal members continue to reside within the tribe's traditional homelands on the northwestern shores of the state of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The historically delineated reservation area, located at 45°21′12″N84°58′41″W, encompasses approximately 336 square miles (870 km2) of land in Charlevoix and Emmet counties. The largest communities within the reservation boundaries are Harbor Springs, where the tribal offices are located; Petoskey, where the Tribe operates the Odawa Casino Resort; and Charlevoix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saganing Eagles Landing Casino</span> Casino in Michigan, United States

Saganing Eagles Landing Casino is a casino located just outside the city of Standish, Michigan, United States. Opened on December 31, 2007, the casino is owned by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Council, which also owns the Soaring Eagle Casino in Mount Pleasant, Michigan. This is located on the tribe's Isabella Indian Reservation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana</span> Federally recognized tribe in Montana, US

Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians of Montana is a federally recognized tribe of Ojibwe, Métis, and Cree people in Montana. The name of the tribe is often shortened to Little Shell. The current population of enrolled tribal members is approximately 6,800. They have a 35,000-sq. foot office complex in Great Falls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Water and Woods Field Service Council</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School</span> United States historic place

The Mount Pleasant Indian Industrial Boarding School in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, was established by an act of the United States Congress in 1891. This provided funding for creation of an education system of off-reservation boarding schools and vocational training centers to educate Native American children. It was extending a model developed and practiced first at the Carlisle Indian Industrial School, which opened in 1879 and was directed by Richard Henry Pratt, an Army officer.

Saginaw Chippewa Tribal College (SCTC) is a public tribal land-grant community college in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, United States. The college was established in 1998 by the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Committee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gail George</span>

Gail Lorraine George was a healthcare professional and leader within the Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation. She served as the tribe's first female Tribal Chief from 1993 to 1995.

References

  1. https://ojibwe.net/nations-map/
  2. "", February, 2007, MDOT State Long-Range Transportation Plan (2.1.11)
  3. "In memory of SCIT's first female chief, Gail George 1946-2020" (PDF). Tribal Observer. Vol. 32, no. 1. January 2021. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  4. "Saginaw Chippewa And State Of Michigan To Begin Co-management Of The Sanilac Petroglyphs Historic State Park". nativenewsonline.net. December 3, 2019. Retrieved May 21, 2020.