Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan

Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan
Name	Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan
Formation	1966
Founders	Federally recognized tribes of Michigan
Type	Nonprofit organization
Headquarters	Lansing, Ingham County
Region served	Michigan, Great Lakes
Leader title	Executive Director

Contents

Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan is a statewide nonprofit consortium formed in 1966 to coordinate services among Anishinaabe, Odawa, Ojibwe, Potawatomi, Chippewa and other Native American nations in Michigan. The organization serves as a tribal technical assistance and advocacy body linking tribal governments such as Bay Mills Indian Community, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians and Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians with federal agencies including Bureau of Indian Affairs, Indian Health Service, and state entities like the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. It participates in regional initiatives with groups such as the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission, Native American Rights Fund, and national coalitions including the National Congress of American Indians and United South and Eastern Tribes.

History

The organization originated amid policy shifts following the Indian Reorganization Act era and the Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act timeframe, when tribes sought coordinated responses to federal programs administered by Department of Health and Human Services, Department of the Interior, and Community Services Block Grant administrators. Early meetings included representatives from Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Bay Mills Indian Community, Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi, and Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians to pursue collective negotiating positions toward the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Indian Health Service. During the 1970s and 1980s the council expanded programming in response to federal statutes such as the Indian Child Welfare Act and engaged with litigation and policy work alongside organizations like the Native American Rights Fund and advocacy networks tied to the National Congress of American Indians and American Indian Movement. In the 1990s and 2000s it deepened intertribal coordination for health, housing, and social services, collaborating with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and regional partners including the Great Lakes Intertribal Council and Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Member jurisdictions include federally recognized nations across Michigan such as Bay Mills Indian Community, Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians, Hannahville Indian Community, and Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma‑affiliated constituencies with ties to Michigan. Affiliations reach bands associated with Anishinaabe collectivities like Saginaw Chippewa Indian Tribe of Michigan and Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. The council’s membership also coordinates with urban Indigenous service providers in Detroit, Grand Rapids, Flint, and Lansing to connect tribal nations such as Little River Band of Ottawa Indians and Grand Portage Band of Lake Superior Chippewa to statewide programs.

Governance is led by a board comprised of tribal leaders and appointed delegates from member nations similar to structures used by the National Congress of American Indians and regional consortia like the Great Lakes Intertribal Council. An executive director administers operations and implements resolutions adopted by the board; oversight interfaces with federal funding overseers such as Administration for Native Americans and state oversight through Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Committees mirror subject areas found in organizations like the Native American Rights Fund and include health, housing, education, and natural resources, with liaisons to entities like the Bureau of Indian Affairs and the Environmental Protection Agency for issues involving Great Lakes watersheds and tribal fisheries.

The council operates programs in behavioral health, diabetes prevention, elder services, youth leadership, and housing assistance, coordinating grant-funded work that often originates from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indian Health Service, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, and the Administration for Native Americans. It supports implementation of protections under the Indian Child Welfare Act through case coordination and training in partnership with the Native American Rights Fund and local tribal courts. Public health initiatives align with campaigns by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state public health agencies, while workforce and education supports connect tribal members to opportunities administered by Department of Labor programs and Bureau of Indian Education initiatives.

The council engages in advocacy with national bodies including the National Congress of American Indians, United South and Eastern Tribes, and regional partners such as the Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission and Great Lakes Intertribal Council. It coordinates responses to federal rulemaking at the Department of the Interior and interagency processes involving the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Health and Human Services, and Department of Housing and Urban Development. Collaborative partnerships extend to universities for research and capacity building with institutions like Michigan State University, University of Michigan, and Wayne State University through tribal‑university research agreements and public health collaborations with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Funding streams include federal grants from the Administration for Native Americans, Indian Health Service, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and competitive awards from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. The council assists tribal enterprises and cooperative ventures that intersect with regional economic actors such as tribal casinos regulated under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and partnerships with state economic development agencies in Michigan Economic Development Corporation. Economic development efforts include support for small business incubation, workforce training tied to Department of Labor programs, and collaboration on natural resource‑based economies linked to Great Lakes fisheries and forestry enterprises.

Category:Native American organizations in Michigan Category:Organizations established in 1966