January 14, 2026.
Like a broken record..we have to report that once again it is the Law Blogs that inform Tribal Members of bad news about our tribe. This time it is that the Supreme Court refused to hear the Sault Tribe's challenge to the Great Lakes Consent Decree. As of today a review of both the official Sault Tribe website and their Facebook Page has no mention of the January 13 ruling and this very important event for our tribe. If a press release is issued by the tribe we will publish it.
While it was both an expensive and disappointing loss to some, in my view that is no excuse for not posting this news on the tribe's website for our members. We have the right to have our tribe inform us before third parties tell the world. Another reminder of how important it is to have a Tribal Member Portal on our website so they can inform us of important matters like this privately though based on past performances there would be no guarantee that they would have done so.
Many Sault Tribe Members that followed this fight projected that this appeal was going nowhere and wanted the tribe to set aside their ego and attempt to work with the other tribes on the decree but instead our representatives alienated themselves from even being allowed to participate in drafting the final version of the 2023 Great Lakes Consent Decree as a direct result of their bad behavior as reported by the other tribes to the courts.
As a reminder to those not following this matter the decree deals with the allocation, management, and regulation of certain parts of the Great Lakes governed by the 1836 Treaty of Washington. Under that treaty, the First Nations Tribes of Michigan ceded millions acres of land and water to the United States, which in turn recognized their rights to hunt, fish, and gather across the state.
The Michigan First Nations Tribes governed by this decree are the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, Bay Mills Indian Community, Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians, Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians and Little River Band of Ottawa Indians working with the United States, Canada, and State of Michigan.
Our tribe began an appeal of the order and decree in the fall of 2023. The tribe said it had not consented to the deal and had effectively been shut out of negotiations and that the decree violated its treaty rights. Tribal representatives have also said it restricts fishing rights and won’t meet the needs of tribal members. The court and other tribes obviously disagree...and as members we have no obligation to blindly believe the views of our government leaders. They waste our money on legal battles they don't deserve to win because they did not have to earn the money to pay for it; As a banker would say "They have no skin in the game" .
Our fishing rights are still available to our members that wish to fish. Our department of natural resources fisheries is doing a great job. Just think how much better of job they could be doing if they had the money spent on legal fees to expand their work.
