Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians facts for kids
Flag of the Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
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| Total population | |
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| 323 | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
 United States ( Michigan) |
The Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians is a group of Native American people. They are recognized by the State of Michigan. Most members live in Emmet and Cheboygan counties. These are in the northern part of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. The Burt Lake Band has been trying to get federal recognition since 1985. They were first recognized by the U.S. government in the 1830s.
A Look Back: History of the Burt Lake Band
The Ottawa people fought in wars against Great Britain and the United States. This happened in the 1700s and early 1800s. By the mid-1830s, the Ottawa and Chippewa people in the Michigan Territory wanted to make treaties with the United States. This led to the Treaty of Washington in 1836.
The 1836 Treaty of Washington was signed between the Anishinaabe people of Michigan and the U.S. government. The Anishinaabe gave up about 13 million acres of land. This land was in the western two-thirds of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. It also included the eastern half of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This was almost one-third of Michigan's total land. In return, the Anishinaabe were promised yearly payments and supplies. They were also guaranteed the right to hunt and fish forever.
As part of this treaty, the Burt Lake Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians were promised a 1,000-acre reservation. This land was on Lake Cheboigan. The reservation was supposed to last for five years. However, the United States did not set aside the promised land. So, from 1848 to 1850, the Burt Lake Band used their treaty money. They bought 375 acres of land themselves. This land was on Indian Point, along the shore of Lake Cheboigan.
A second treaty, the Treaty of Detroit, was signed in 1855. It was between the Anishinaabe of Michigan and the United States. The Burt Lake Band was given land in two townships in Cheboygan County. These were the same townships where the Band had already bought land. The treaty also said that individual Anishinaabe people could choose their own land plots. But these individual plots were not given out until 1875. This was three years after a law was passed in 1872.
The Burt Lake Burn-Out
After the 1855 treaty, local officials in Cheboygan County started taxing the land. This was for the Indian Village settlement on Indian Point. Because of these taxes, the Band had to sell some of their land. A banker and land buyer named John W. McGinn bought the "tax titles." In 1898, he got a court order to remove the residents. In October 1900, he used this order. Sheriff Fred Ming and his deputies forced the people out of Indian Village. After they left, McGinn burned the village to the ground. This event became known as the Burt Lake Burn-Out. The Chippewa and Ottawa people who lived there had to move. They went to Indian Trail (now Indian Road), where other Burt Lake people owned land.
The Burt Lake Band was once known as the Cheboiganing Band of Ottawa & Chippewa Indians. This name was used before the 1836 Treaty of Washington. It continued until 1917. That year, a federal judge made a decision in a lawsuit involving the Burt Lake Band.
Seeking Recognition Again
After the burn-out, the Burt Lake Band lost their land. They also lost their official recognition from the federal government. Since 1985, the Band has been asking the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to recognize them again. The community has stayed strong culturally for many years. In 2006, the BIA said no to their request. They said it was because some members married into other bands. They also mentioned paperwork issues. But in May 2020, a judge named Amy Berman Jackson disagreed. She said the BIA's reasons were "arbitrary and capricious." This means they were unfair and unreasonable. She gave the BIA 60 days to respond to the Band's request.
