I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3255 
To reaffirm and clarify the Federal relationships of the Grand River Bands 
of Ottawa Indians of Michigan as a federally recognized Indian tribe, 
and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 7, 2025 
Ms. SCHOLTEN (for herself, Mr. JAMES, Ms. TLAIB, and Ms. STEVENS) intro-
duced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Natural 
Resources 
A BILL 
To reaffirm and clarify the Federal relationships of the 
Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians of Michigan as 
a federally recognized Indian tribe, and for other pur-
poses. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Grand River Bands 
of Ottawa Indians Restoration Act of 2025’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress finds the following: 
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(1) The Tribe consists of the 19 bands of Indi-
ans who occupied territory in what is now west 
Michigan, including the counties of Kent, Ottawa, 
Muskegon, Newaygo, and Oceana. 
(2) The Tribe consists of descendants of, and 
political successors to, signatories of the 1821 Trea-
ty of Chicago, 1836 Treaty of Washington, and the 
1855 Treaty of Detroit. 
(3) In 1994, Public Law 103–324 (108 Stat. 
2156) recognized two Michigan Ottawa tribes whose 
histories are virtually identical to that of the Grand 
River Bands, the Little River Band of Ottawa Indi-
ans and the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa 
Indians. 
(4) The Commissioner of Indian Affairs, Morris 
Thompson, and Congress, via Public Law 103–324, 
specifically recognized that the Northern Michigan 
Ottawa Association and the Grand River Bands De-
scendant’s Committee, whose membership included 
the Grand River Bands, were ‘‘functioning as or at 
least are accepted as tribal political entities by the 
Minneapolis Area and Great Lakes Agency’’. 
(5) The State of Michigan recognized the Tribe 
in 1996. 
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(6) In 1997, the Michigan Indian Land Claims 
Settlement Act (Public Law 105–143) reserved a 
percentage of the funds appropriated for payment of 
land claims to ‘‘newly recognized or reaffirmed tribes 
described in section 110’’. Section 110 of that law 
states that eligible non-recognized tribes are those— 
(A) that are signatory to either the 1836 
Treaty or the 1855 Treaty; 
(B) whose members are predominately 
Chippewa and Ottawa; and 
(C) that file a documented petition by De-
cember 15, 2000. 
(7) The Tribe was the only unrecognized Michi-
gan tribe that met the requirements of section 110 
of the Michigan Indian Land Claims Settlement Act. 
(8) The Tribe was instrumental in the filing of 
the original land claim and is comprised of descend-
ants of members who signed the Treaties of 1820, 
1836, and 1855. 
(9) The Tribe filed a fully documented petition 
with the Bureau of Indian Affairs on December 8, 
2000, and thus met the Act’s filing deadline. 
(10) After the Tribe filed its petition in 2000, 
the Bureau of Indian Affairs did not issue a tech-
nical assistance letter until 2005. The Tribe re-
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sponded fully in 2006, but still has not been recog-
nized. 
(11) The Bureau of Indian Affairs did not meet 
its legal requirement under the Michigan Indian 
Land Claims Settlement Act to recognize the Tribe, 
and the Tribe is still in the recognition process al-
most 26 years later. 
(12) The Tribe met all of the criteria for dis-
tribution of the judgment funds reserved for an un-
recognized tribe under section 110 of the Michigan 
Indian Land Claims Settlement Act. However, the 
tribal funds reverted back to the Treasury, which 
was a gross miscarriage of justice because the Tribe 
was a full participant in the claims litigation before 
the Indian Claim Commission that gave rise to the 
judgment award. 
(13) For every year that the Bureau of Indian 
Affairs does not act on the Tribe’s petition, the 
Tribe is unable to meet any needs for its members 
for social services, education, housing and elder care. 
(14) The Tribe filed for reorganization of its 
existing Tribal governments in 1935 under the Act 
of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 461 et seq. (commonly 
referred to as the ‘‘Indian Reorganization Act’’)). 
Federal agents who visited the Tribe, including 
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Commissioner of Indian Affairs John Collier, at-
tested to the continued social and political existence 
of the Tribe and concluded that the Tribe was eligi-
ble for reorganization. Due to a lack of Federal ap-
propriations to implement the provisions of the In-
dian Reorganization Act, the Tribe was denied the 
opportunity to reorganize. 
(15) In 1939, agents of the Federal Govern-
ment made an administrative decision not to provide 
services or extend the benefits of the Indian Reorga-
nization Act to any Indian tribes in Michigan’s lower 
peninsula. 
(16) In spite of such denial, the Tribe contin-
ued their political and social existence with a viable 
Tribal government. The Tribe, along with other 
Michigan Odawa/Ottawa groups, including the Little 
Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, the Grand 
Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, 
and the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians, 
formed the Northern Michigan Ottawa Association 
in 1948. The Association subsequently pursued a 
successful land claim with the Indian Claims Com-
mission. 
(17) Between 1948 and 1975, the Tribe carried 
out many of its governmental functions through the 
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Northern Michigan Ottawa Association, while retain-
ing individual Tribal control over local decisions. 
(18) The Federal Government, the governments 
of the State of Michigan, and local governments 
have had continuous dealings with the recognized 
political leaders of the Tribe from 1821 to present. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) MEMBER.—The term ‘‘member’’ means an 
individual who is enrolled in the Tribe pursuant to 
section 7. 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of the Interior. 
(3) TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Tribe’’ means the 
Grand River Bands of Ottawa Indians of Michigan. 
SEC. 4. FEDERAL RECOGNITION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Federal recognition of the Tribe 
is hereby affirmed. 
(b) EFFECT OF FEDERAL LAWS.—Except as other-
wise provided in this Act, all Federal laws (including regu-
lations) of general application to Indians and Indian 
tribes, including the Act of June 18, 1934 (25 U.S.C. 
5101 et seq.; commonly known as the ‘‘Indian Reorganiza-
tion Act’’), shall apply to the Tribe and members. 
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SEC. 5. FEDERAL SERVICES AND BENEFITS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Tribe and each member shall 
be eligible for all services and benefits provided by the 
United States to Indians and federally recognized Indian 
tribes, without regard to— 
(1) the existence of a reservation for the Tribe; 
or 
(2) the location of the residence of any member 
on or near an Indian reservation. 
(b) SERVICE AREA.—For purposes of the delivery of 
services and benefits to members, the service area of the 
Tribe shall be Newaygo, Oceana, Kent, Muskegon and Ot-
tawa Counties in Michigan. 
SEC. 6. REAFFIRMATION OF RIGHTS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Nothing in this Act diminishes 
any right or privilege of the Tribe or any member that 
existed before the date of the enactment of this Act. 
(b) CLAIMS OF TRIBE.—Except as otherwise pro-
vided in this Act, nothing in this Act alters or affects any 
legal or equitable claim of the Tribe to enforce any right 
or privilege reserved by, or granted to, the Tribe that was 
wrongfully denied to, or taken from, the Tribe before the 
date of the enactment of this Act. 
SEC. 7. MEMBERSHIP ROLL. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—As a condition of receiving rec-
ognition, services, and benefits pursuant to this Act, not 
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later than 18 months after the date of the enactment of 
this Act, the Tribe shall submit to the Secretary a mem-
bership roll consisting of the name of each individual en-
rolled as a member of the Tribe. 
(b) DETERMINATION OF MEMBERSHIP.—The quali-
fications for inclusion on the membership roll of the Tribe 
shall be determined in accordance with the Tribe’s gov-
erning documents. 
(c) MAINTENANCE OF ROLL.—The Tribe shall main-
tain the membership roll under this section. 
SEC. 8. ACQUISITION OF LAND. 
(a) HOMELAND.—The Secretary shall— 
(1) acquire, for the benefit of the Tribe, trust 
title to land within Muskegon, Newaygo, or Oceana 
Counties; and 
(2) accept into trust any real property located 
in those counties for the benefit of the Grand River 
Bands of Ottawa Indians, if— 
(A) conveyed or otherwise transferred to 
the Secretary; and 
(B) at the time of such acceptance, there 
are not adverse legal claims on such property, 
including outstanding liens, mortgages or taxes 
owed. 
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(b) ADDITIONAL ACQUISITIONS; TRUST LAND.—The 
Secretary may— 
(1) acquire additional land for the benefit of the 
Tribe pursuant to section 5 of the Act of June 18, 
(25 U.S.C. 5108; commonly known as the ‘‘Indian 
Reorganization Act’’); and 
(2) take into trust for the benefit of the Tribe 
any land held in fee by the Tribe, if such lands are 
located within the boundaries of, Kent and Ottawa 
Counties in Michigan. 
(c) DEADLINE
FOR DETERMINATION.—The Sec-
retary shall— 
(1) make a final written determination not later 
than 18 months of the date which the Tribe submits 
a request for land to be taken into trust under sub-
section (a)(1); and 
(2) immediately make the determination under 
paragraph (1) available to the Tribe. 
(d) RESERVATION STATUS.—Any land taken into 
trust for the benefit of the Tribe pursuant to this para-
graph shall, upon request of the Tribe, be considered part 
of the reservation of the Tribe. 
Æ 
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