Opinion ID: 216969
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: The KBIC Retains Interest in the Property

Text: It is settled that whatever title the Indians have is in the tribe, and not in the individuals, although held by the tribe for the common use and equal benefit of all the members. United States v. Jim, 409 U.S. 80, 82, 93 S.Ct. 261, 34 L.Ed.2d 282 (1972) (citation omitted). Because tribal land belongs to the tribe as a political body, it retains the ability to make decisions about the disposition of its land. See E. Band, 117 U.S. at 308, 6 S.Ct. 718. The Ontonagon Band received its interest in the Property in 1912 through Menogezhick's relinquishment. It retained this interest until 1936 when it decided to establish the KBIC. By virtue of this decision, the Ontonagon Band's property interests became those of the KBIC. Plainly, the KBIC is the successor in interest to the Property. The idea that the KBIC is the successor in interest of the Ontonagon Band should come as no surprise as we have repeatedly recognized it as such. See Keweenaw Bay Indian Cmty. v. Rising, 569 F.3d 589, 591 (6th Cir.2009) (describing the KBIC as a federally recognized Indian tribe and the successor in interest to the L'Anse and Ontonagon bands of Chippewa Indians); Keweenaw Bay Indian Cmty. v. Naftaly, 452 F.3d 514, 516 (6th Cir.2006) (same). Genschow contests this conclusion by citing the language from the KBIC Constitution that restricted the territorial jurisdiction of the KBIC at its formation to the land within the original boundary lines of the L'Anse Reservation. While the terms of the KBIC Constitution do not explicitly establish authority over the Property, several other documents do. The 2008 BIA certification supports the conclusion that the Property belongs to the KBIC as the Ontonagon Band's successor in interest, as does the 2004 DOI Field Solicitor Opinion. Genschow relies on the 1992 Field Solicitor Opinion and 1971 BIA Memorandum to demonstrate that the Property is not held for the KBIC. Yet, neither of these documents are persuasive on this issue. The 1992 Field Solicitor Opinion did not address interest in the Property; rather, it considered the KBIC's potential regulatory jurisdiction over a public domain allotment held in the estate of a deceased L'Anse Chippewa Indian. The 1971 BIA Memorandum speculated that the Property did not belong to the KBIC and, instead, belonged to an unorganized tribe. . . independent from all other existing groups. 1971 BIA Memorandum, supra. But this assertion was predicated on the incorrect assumption that the Property reverted to tribal ownership after the formation of the KBIC. In any event, the memorandum concluded by requesting title status verification. A Title Status Report issued the next month and assigned a reservation code of 476 to the Property, which reflects ownership by the Ontonagon, Keweenaw Bay tribe. Based on the extensive historical record and the well-settled principles of tribal land ownership, we conclude that the Ontonagon Band ceased to exist in 1936 when it established the KBIC and that the government now holds the Property in trust for the KBIC. As such, the indictment was not defective as alleged, and the district court properly denied the motion to dismiss.