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Explore Michigan Agency achievements, challenges, and pending items related to tribal lands in Michigan and Indiana. Learn about trust acquisitions, deeds, leases, mortgages, and more. Contact BIA Michigan Agency for more information.
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Midwest Region Realty Report Partners in Action Conference June 23-25, 2015
MICHIGAN AGENCY • Tribes Serviced: 12 (Chippewa, Ottawa, Potawatomi) • Trust/Restricted land acres managed: 39,901.56 • Allotted Land: 2 Tribes (Keweenaw Bay and Saginaw Chippewa Tribe) • Geographical Service area(s): Michigan and Indiana • Services provided: Fee to Trust, Trust to Trust (Allotted Land), Rights of Way, Leasing, Mortgages, Forestry
FY15 ACCOMPLISHMENTS • Deeds: 5 Gift Conveyances • Trust acquisitions & acres: 7 tribal / 757.28 acres • Leases: 11 • Mortgages: 20 • ROWs: 2 • Records Management: 11 boxes shipped to the American Indian Records Repository (AIRR) PENDING: • Number of administrative appeals: 2 1 pending at IBIA and 1 pending at MRO • Reservation Proclamations: 1 pending at Central Office
CHALLENGES / ISSUES: • Backlog of title opinions at the Solicitor’s Office. This backlog is delaying not only the Tribe’s fee to trust efforts but also the BIA’s effort to comply with the BIA Director’s fee to trust mission. Michigan Agency currently has 25 cases pending title opinions. • Sault Ste. Marie Tribe is requesting a mandatory fee to trust determination for 2 parcels of land in Lower Michigan that were purchased with funds from the Michigan Indian Land Claims Settlement. • Pokagon Band fee to trust gaming application for lands in Indiana, totaling 164.04 acres. Band is experiencing opposition from Indiana lawmakers.
ACHIEVEMENTS • Pokagon Band obtained TAAMS access and is able to encode their own leases. Scanning and LTRO recording is still handled at the Agency. • Recorded 62 residential leases for Pokagon Band pursuant to the Hearth Act. Pokagon Band is the first Tribe in Michigan to pursue their own leasing regulations. • Carcieri Determination issued for Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians – 4 trust applications approved totaling 409.99 acres. This is the Band’s first batch of non-gaming parcels
Staff & contact information: BIA Michigan Agency 2845 Ashmun Street Sault Ste. Marie, MI 49783 1-877-659-5028 (Office) ~ 906-632-6809 (Fax) Esther M. Johnson, Realty Officer, Ext. 3128 Esther.Johnson@bia.gov Sandra Gallagher, Realty Specialist, Ext. 3127 Sandra.Gallagher@bia.gov