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BAY /AILLS INDIAN COMMUNITY

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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MAPS

SECTION MAP TITLE

Page

Regional Considerations Ar 9 easy Sashcere nextsie’s Regional Location

Land Use TB Stcth int at ana ratected Surface Deposits

TIN? chs E.bnsdctslavaetok Bedrock Geology

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BOS Ba naeyah nore Land Ownership

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Transportation OGA) spt.acncarese Traffic Hazards

SECTION MAP TITLE

Page

Park and Recreation Resources WOTA. ccc ca a knead Existing Recreation

TNO: eas assancdcake Proposed Recreation

RTS cha paewnd Plans: Bay Mills Recreation Area

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4

James Houck

Department of Labor

Bureau of Employment and Training

State Secondary Complex

7150 Harris Drive

Lansing, Michigan 48926

March 23, 1977

Re: Comprehensive plan for Bay Mills Indian Community

Dear Mr. Houck:

The Executive Council of the Bay Mills Indian Community has authorized me to inform you that the Comprehensive Community Plan

developed by your staff has been adopted by the Council as the

official planning document for the Community.

The Council cannot say too much to express its appreciation and

thanks to you and your staff for its dedication and work in pre-

paring the comprehensive plan.

ArtHur L. LeBlanc

Tribal Chairman

ALL/ap

INTRODUCTION

The real heroes on this project were the people of the Bay Mills Community who patiently put up

with our efforts, made us feel welcome, and guided the direction of this planning effort. All the

long meetings, the surveys and interviews represent their substantial contribution that made this

plan possible.

So many people helped in so many ways, one is hesitant to name names for fear of leaving

someone out. The committees and staff at the Tribal Center are noted next, so we will take this

opportunity to acknowledge the contribution of other community members, the fishermen, the

carpenters, the mens’ and womens’ baseball teams, the bingo players, the cooks; all the folks

who shared their time and their insights with us.

We of the planning team hope this plan is a fair and accurate presentation of Bay Mills, as it is and

as you hope it will become. Where it is correct, it is due to the insight, guidance and information

from the community. Where it is incorrect it is the failure of the planning team to accurately

assess what lay before us.

While no document could ever capture the rich substance of the community, its interactions and

its history, we hope this document will aid in the process of Bay Mills making its future.

COMMITTEES & STAFF OF BAY MILLS TRIBAL GOVERNMENT

Executive Council

Chairman-Art LeBlanc

Vice-Chairman-Don Parish

Secretary-Armella Parker

Treasurer-Monica Karazon

Councilman-Robert Bowen

Tribal Staff - in support of administration

Office Manager-Geraldine Parish

Attorney-Kathryn Tierney

Legal Secretary-Armella Parker

Administrative Aide-Clint Parish

Resource Developer-Bill Thorne

Accountant-Jean Parish

Committees and Staff

Housing

Don Parish-Chairman

Robert Bowen

Maurice LeBlanc

Francis Parish

Wade Teeple

Education

Johnson O'Malley

Armella Parker

Geraldine Parish

Dorothy Menominee

Agnes Carrick

Health

Art LeBlanc

Doris Rykers

Agnes Carrick

Elizabeth Parish

Laurel Keenan

Title IV

Agnes Carrick

Geraldine Parish

Armella Parker

Irma Parish

Linda Carrick

Staff

Lorraine Bowen

Laurel Keenan

Yvonne Mc Ginnis

Staff

Donelda Schofield

Leila Parish

Darla Schofield

Elizabeth Parish

Wade Teeple-Police Official

Walter Le Blanc-Police Official

Levi Carrick-Police Official

Art LeBlance Jr. -- AA Counselor

Barb Teeple-Senior Outreach worker

Participants in the Bay Mills Indian Community Development Plan

The preparation of the Bay Mills Indian Community Development Plan was a major undertaking

involving the cooperation of a number of people working with the Bay Mills Planning Staff.

Primary input came from the Bay Mills Indian Community through the Executive Committee,

which is the major policy making board at Bay Mills acting under the powers granted by the

General Tribal Council. The Bay Mills Planning Staff has met frequently with the Executive

Committee and representatives of other committees including: Housing, Health, Education and

Law Enforcement in order to discuss planning issues, tribal goals and strategies and other

issues of importance to the formation of the plan.

The Bay Mills Planning Staff was composed of members working ina training program under the

direction of:

James M. Houck - Project Director who was administrative officer for the project and has an

academic background in outdoor recreation planning. He has had extensive experience in

community and recreation planning for the Thumb Area of Michigan.

Richard Kibbey - Project Instructor, has an academic background in Urban Planning and

specializes in Housing and Community Development. He has had extensive experience as a

planner for such diverse communities as Harlan, Kentucky and Lansing, Michigan.

The trainees were:

Ms. Laura Bartlett has a background in resource development and contributed sections on Land

Use, History and Education.

Ms. Lorri Burtt a community member and resident provided major contributions to sections on

Education, Health, and the Legal System.

Ms. Sharon Teeple a community member and resident provided major contributions to sections

on Elderly and Youth.

Ms. Judy Burton a community member provided major assistance in preparation of Transportation

and Housing section.

Mr. Phil Kessler has a background in civil engineering and provided contributions to sections of

Sugar Island, transportation and cost benefit analysis for various engineering studies.

Ms. Gail Jahnke a community member provided assistance in the Recreation section.

Ms. Sara Tadgerson a community member provided input and assistance in the Economic

Development section.

Ms. Carla Waite community resident provided assistance in sections of Youth and Recreation

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The production of the Comprehensive Community Development Plan for the Bay Mills Indian

Community was an immense undertaking which would have been impossible without the support

and contributions of a great many agencies and individuals.

We are indebted to the following for their invaluable assistance in this study:

The Director, Mr. John Campbell and staff of the Eastern Upper Peninsula Planning and

Development District.

The Director (Acting) Mr. Greg Mains and staff of the Central Upper Peninsula Planning and

Development District.

The Director, Mr. Michael Parish and staff of the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan.

The Director, Mr. James Hillman and staff of the Michigan Indian Commission.

The Director, Mr. Donald Walsh and staff of the Eastern Upper Peninsula Employment and

Training Consortium. :

The Director, Mr. Roger Fisher and staff of the Eastern Upper Peninsula Transportation

Authority.

Ms. Beth Shapiro, Urban Affairs Librarian, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan.

The Director, Mr. Pat Smith and Mr. Dean Coker and the staff of the Community Design

Center, Lansing, Michigan.

Mr. Gene Mill and Mr. Sid Hungerford, Soil Conservation Service, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

Mr. Del Meister and Mr. Loren Berndt, Soil Conservation Source District Office, Marquette,

Michigan.

Mr. Les Nichols, Recreational Service Division, Michigan Department of Natural Resources,

Lansing, Michigan.

Ms. Susan Drake, Bureau of Outdoor Recreation, U.S. Department of Interior, Ann Arbor,

Michigan.

Dr. Lewis Moncrief, Department of Park and Recreation Resources, Michigan State University,

East Lansing, Michigan.

Mr. James Hutchinson, Cooperative Extension Service, Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan.

Mr. Jay Burroughs, Michigan State University Department of Landscape Architecture, East

Lansing, Michigan

Mr. John Mullin, Michigan State University Department of Urban Planning and Lanscape

Architecture, East Lansing, Michigan.

Mr. Richard Baker, Urban Planner, Lansing, Michigan.

Mr. Mark Cory, and Evaluation staff of the Lansing School District, Lansing, Michigan.

Mr. Greg Griswald and Mr. Mike Randolph, Indian Public Health Service, Ashland, Wisconsin.

Mr. Paul Lamb, Michigan Department of Mental Health, Lansing, Michigan.

Ms. Sandy Firnhaber, Michigan Press Association, Lansing, Michigan.

PROJECT HISTORY

In late 1974 a series of meetings and discussions ensued between Richard E. Donahue, Director,

State of Michigan, Department of Labor, Bureau of Employment and Training and representatives

of Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan and the Michigan Indian Commission. The purpose was to

develop a program, utilizing the resources of the Bureau of Employment and Training, under its

mandate of administration of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Act of 1973, which

would benefit the Indian Reservations in the State of Michigan. It was determined that a major

need of the reservation was comprehensive community planning.

In cooperation with Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan research efforts were undertaken in May, 1975

to establish design specifications for an experimental program which would give unemployed

professional individuals a transitional skill into the field of community development planning. The

Transitional Employment Program was subsequently established under Special Governor's Grant

Funds, Title |, Section 103 (e), CETA.

Objectives of this Transitional Employment Program were to:

1. Identify the areas of community planning needed for each reservation.

2. Identify training program requirements.

3. Establish linkages between the various Federal, State, Local and Regional agencies

involved with each reservation.

4. Develop administrative procedures,

5. Identify placement requirements in the field of community planning.

6. Hire the unemployed community development planner trainees.

7. Train the unemployed professional individuals in community planning.

A product of this training program would be a comprehensive community development plan which

the reservation could use to chart its future course of development. Members of the reservation

community would also receive training in comprehensive community development planning to

provide implementation services following completion of the plan document.

In July, 1975 the Bay Mills Indian Reservation was chosen as the pilot training site for the

Transitional Employment Program.

WHAT IS THE COMPREHENSIVE PLANNING PROGRAM

The comprehensive planning program is the decisions made by Bay Mills regarding how it wants

to develop as a community. That process was taking place before the planning team entered the

scene and that process will go on after they have left.

This document, called a plan, is really many things. It is a record of what the situation is now,

points out some strengths and weaknesses of what is now, and makes some recommendations as

to how those strengths can be built on, and the weaknesses overcome.

Each subject area has, where appropriate, an inventory of existing conditions. That is followed by

a statement of strengths and weaknesses. A series of goals states the perceived policy direction

upon which recommendations are based. The recommendations and the text that goes with them,

are specific statements as to actions that can be taken in persuit of the stated goals.

The recommendations are specific Suggestions relating to the direction the community indicated

it would like to move. The important step was the decision by the community as to what it wanted.

A fisherman can’t tell you what size net to use until you know what kind of fish you want to catch.

In the same way a planner can’t make a recommendation as to how something can be done until

the community decides what it wants accomplished. The long meetings, the heated discussions

were all a part of the process where the community sets a direction. And just as that direction is

constantly being adjusted, so is this plan constantly being adjusted.

The planning process keeps going on for as long as people are making decisions about Bay Mills.

The advantage of having trained planners and a printed plan is that the planning process can take

Place in the presence of additional information. Any decision is only as good as the information

behind it.

It is the hope of the planning team that the information set forth in this document will aid in

decision making. In addition, it is hoped that planning staff has correctly understood the direction

the community wants to move. If all that has been done correctly the planning team has done half

its job.

The other half of the job is to be told over time. If the information is used, if the recommendations

are followed up, if the planning document gets hauled out and consulted when decisions have to

be made, then the planning team will have done a good job.

This doesn’t mean there will be no more disagreement over community development. People can

continue to disagree. But if they are arguing over facts instead of opinions, it will make for better

decisions.

HOW TO USE THIS PLAN

The purpose of this plan is to bring together information the Bay Mills Indian Community needs to

make decisions about its future growth. It is the result of a one year training/planning program

undertaken by the State of Michigan, Department of Labor, Bureau of Employment and Training in

late 1975.

Information contained in this plan is provided on a range of subjects which describe the existing

situation at Bay Mills. It is intended that this information be used by tribal government officials,

committees and members of the tribe to clarify the process of making decisions about the

communities future growth. The plan is also intended to serve as a factual resource to support

grants and proposals for future community projects and developments. It is important that the

plan be used to encourage participation by community residents in the decision making process.

It is hoped that this will not be a plan which is set aside to gather dust, but will be actively sought

both as a reference and as a policy guide for future development options. It is also hoped that this

plan marks the first step to establish an on going planning process as a recognized community

function.

The plan is not a static document and as new opportunities, developments and viewpoints occur,

it should be updated to reflect these changes. A loose-leaf form is provided to facilitate future

adjustment in each section as required.

HISTORY

10

The members of the Bay Mills Indian Community are descendants of Chippewa or Ojibway bands

who have been identified with the Upper Great Lakes Region for approximately 450 years.

According to oral tradition the Chippewa, Ottawa and Potawatomi, all belong to the Algonquian

linguistic stock, united in a slow migration from east of Montreal. These three tribes, “The Three

Fires”, later separated during this westward movement. The Ottawa and Potawatomi turned

south, settling in areas of lower Michigan, while the Chippewa continued west into the northern

woods along the shores of Lake Superior. A prime fishing and hunting location, the area around

the St. Mary’s Falls, presently Sault Ste. Marie, became one of the earliest permanent settlements

of the Chippewa. From here, other Chippewa continued west and north settling along the shores

of Lake Superior with major headquarters around Chequamegon Bay or “La Pointe”.

Attracted to the woods and waters which provided the basic essentials of living, a group of

Chippewa achieved geographical stability in the Sault area. For at least three generations, before

the arrival of European explorers in the early 1600’s, they remained relatively free from outside

interference with the exception of occasional battles with nearby tribes. In this time the Chippewa

were able to develop a well established and largely self reliant society.

Occupying the “Soo” region, a rough and cold country little suited for farming, the Chippewa

depended primarily upon fishing and hunting for survival. Supplemental agricultural products

were obtained from southern Michigan Indians who gathered here in the spring and fall and traded

their products for the Chippewa’s fish, furs and other products. Thus, a trading center was

established here long before the arrival of whites.

Indian life in this area was largely nomadic centering around an annual cycle of activities

determined by the seasons and food supplies. During the spring and summer the Chippewa

gathered in large villages where abundant fish populations could support a large number of

people. In addition to fishing, other spring and summer activities included gathering and drying

berries, producing maple sugar, planting potatoes and corn and constructing birch bark canoes.

With the arrival of winter, there came a limited fish supply and an ice cover which generally

stopped lake travel from October to March. At this time the large villages dispersed with extended

family units traveling to inland areas forming small winter hunting camps where moose, bear and

other game were sought. In spring, with the retreat of ice from the lakes, these families journeyed

back to the shores to fish and reunite with family and relatives.

Religion was a very important part of Chippewa life, in which man was viewed as a part of the

great natural cycle. Through their religion the Chippewa sought to ward off evil spirits and come in

contact with spirits which would guide and protect them. Sharing the earth with all other

creatures, every object of the universe, animate or inanimate has a soul and is greatly respected.

Religion was also largely an individual matter. At puberty, each child journeyed to an isolated

sacred place where a vision was sought through a period of fasting. At this time a spirit appeared

and remained a life long guardian to the individual.

In accordance with their religious views, the Indians had no conception of land ownership. The

land and waters were not to be owned nor exploited but were used by all alike for survival needs.

On the move, dependent upon food supplies, tribes became identified by their geographical

locale. They had undefined areas as hunting grounds but there was no conception of sovereignty

over all the people of an area. The lands and waters were not considered as merchandise or

personal property which made the white man’s continual Pressure to buy Indian land mysterious

and confusing.

When French explorers led by Etienne Brule arrived in the region of the St. Mary’s Falls and

Whitefish Bay in 1622, the Chippewa society had been established. The Chippewa proved to be of

crucial value to the survival and well being of explorers who ventured to this area by supplying fish

and furs, guiding them through the woods and lakes and teaching the white man to hunt, fish and

gather food from the land.

The French maintained peaceful relations with the Chippewa since obtaining furs from them was

of prime importance to the French trade economy. The British, also competing for furs from

Indians helped instigate rivalry among Iroquois and Chippewa competing for hunting territory.

1649 marked the beginning of a ten year period during which the Chippewa were driven west while

at war with Iroquois tribes. However, in 1660, the Chippewa returned and overcame the Iroquois at

Iroquois Point, located approximately five miles from the present Bay Mills Indian Community and

have occupied the Sault region since that time.

The British, who gained control of the Upper Great Lakes Region after capturing French military

posts in New France in the late 1700's, took a much more condescending attitude towards the

Indians. Revolting against this treatment, the Chippewa united in an attempt to restore French

control by joining in Pontiac’s rebellion against the British in 1763 in which every British post west

of Niagara, except Detroit, was over-run. The British, soon realizing the importance of the Indian

fur supply, sought in the Proclamation of 1763, to protect Indian hunting territory by restricting

infringement of colonial farmers in this area. °

By the 1760’s white contact had already taken its toll on the Indian culture. At this time, Indians

were congregated in trading centers such as Sault Ste. Marie and Michilimackinac and largely

dependent on trade with the invading explorers. During this period of intense trade, continual

contact with whites resulted in a cultural breakdown for the Indians. Indians materially began

living more like whites, were affected by numerous religious missions and became dependent

upon trade items introduced and supplied to them by whites.

Following French and British dominance, the American pioneer proved to be a much greater threat

to the Indian's territory and culture. The Chippewa joined with other tribes of the northeast in all

the wars against American frontier settlements to the end of the War of 1812. With the decline of

fur trading and increasing importance of agriculture, Indian lands in Michigan steadily diminished

as the American pioneers forced their way into Indian territory. The impact of American settlers

was delayed in the Lake Superior region due to the remote and harsh nature of the area which

made it little suited for extensive farming. However, with the discovery of forest and mineral

resources in the Upper Peninsula, there was little hesitation for pioneers to exploit these

resources with no respect for Indian territories.

By the use of force, by Promising annual payments of goods and by distributing liquor freely, the

Americans induced Indian tribes to sign a series of treaties by which they surrendered to the

United States their lands. Reservations, remnants of sovereign Indian lands, were originally

founded as those lands the Indians needed to survive by following their traditional life style.

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12

Beginning in 1795, with a treaty ceding to the Americans two thirds of Ohio with the assurance

that the balance of the Northwest Territory would remain in Indian hands, Indian lands in

Michigan were gradually diminished, resulting in today’s reservations. Following this, three major

treaties in 1820, 1836 and 1855 directed the areas where Michigan reservations are presently

located.

Chippewas were settled all along the shores of Lake Superior and particularly at the St. Mary's

River and Falls in 1820 when the governor of Michigan, Lewis Cass, led an expedition into these

Indian settlements to secure land for a military post. In the resulting Treaty of St. Mary’s on June

16, 1820, the Indians ceded 16 square miles adjacent to the St. Mary’s River to the United States,

but reserved their traditional fishing and camping site at the head of the rapids in addition to their

right to camp and fish in the area.

In 1836 the bands from the Sault area joined with other Chippewa and Ottawa bands signing a

treaty that ceded all of Northwestern Michigan above the Grand River and the majority of the

Upper Peninsula to the United States. The fishing and camping area reserved in the 1820 Treaty

was reaffirmed and an additional nine acres, including Sugar Island and 250,000 acres at the base

of Whitefish Bay were set aside for the Chippewa bands of the Upper Peninsula. The present Bay

Mills Community was included within these reserved acres.

By 1855 the main district occupied by Indians in the Sault area extended from Sugar Island to

Whitefish Bay. A treaty was signed in 1855 to settle financial accounts from the 1836 Treaty and to

establish permanent homes in Michigan for the Ottawa and Chippewa bands.

In this treaty four areas were reserved in 32 sections for Indian land assignments to be made in 80

and 40 acre selections by eligible Indians. These were located in four places: Salt Point, Point

Iroquois, East side of Sugar Island and Hay Lake and southern St. Mary’s River channel. Actual

distribution of the land patents did not take place until 1873. Indians received no help from the

government in obtaining and protecting their land holdings and became victims of unscrupulous

whites. The long delay of land patent distribution put the Indians in a position of unequal

competition with aggressive homesteaders and investors. The construction of the St. Mary’s ship

canal between 1853 and 1855 also interferred with Indian land holdings. Not only were their prime

fishing locations, ancestral burial grounds and homes taken and destroyed during the

construction, but the St. Mary’s Canal Company also had priority in selecting 750,000 acres in this

area as payment for their work.

By 1880, the Indian settlements at the Sault were gone with many moving to the region of the

present Bay Mills Community, lroquois Point and Sugar Island. In accordance with the 1855 treaty

and the Indian Appropriation Act of 1860, the United States purchased 794.75 acres of land for use

by the Bay Mills Indians from the Methodist Mission Society who originally purchased this land

for an Indian mission. With exception of 527.85 acres held in trust for the Bay Mills Indians,

these lands were alloted and fee patented in 1873 to individual Indians. The lands that were fee

patented passed into non-Indian ownership and are now in the hands of the U.S. Forest Service

and others. The checkerboard pattern of the present Bay Mills Community and surrounding land

holdings, in addition to the predominately marginal land, are characteristic of land left after being

picked over by whites.

Through legal and illegal means, by 1933, two thirds of Indian lands in the United States had

passed into non-Indian hands. This led to passage in 1934 of the Indian Reorganization Act (IRA)

which ended allotments and further sales of Indian’s land. Michigan’s four Indian reservations

were established through this act as an effort to help Indians regain sufficient land holdings fora

“self sustaining economy and a self satisfying social organization.”Provisions weremade to buy

back Indian land and establish means for tribes to develop constitutions. In 1937, land was

purchased for Bay Mills and the Bay Mills Indian Community was organized with the adoption of

their Constitution and Charter (November 27, 1937) in accordance with the Indian Reorganization

Act. Along with the original mission area, these lands comprise the 2,189 acres of the present Bay

Mills Community. The resulting tribal land status is:

Original Mission Area 527.85 acres

IRA Lands (1937 purchase) 1053.91 acres

Sugar Island (1937 purchase) 607.75 acres

TOTAL BAY MILLS ACREAGE 2189.51 acres

Although not federally recognized as an Indian reservation until 1937, occupation by Chippewa in

Bay Mills has been continuous since at least 1848. Since this time, the inhabitants of Bay Mills

have seen many changes in life styles and populations.

The opening of a lumber mill on Bay Mills Point in 1875 greatly affected the previously small,

isolated Indian community. Within 20 years the area had expanded into a well developed town

with a predominately white population of 1,900. In addition to the original lumber mill, 2 sawmills,

a sash and blind factory, pulp and Paper mill, post office, railroad, and 2 churches developed here.

During the life of this town, many houses were constructed within the Indian community. In

addition, employment was available, outside of fishing and hunting. A fire in 1904 destroyed this

town at Bay Mills, and decreased the population to about 75. At this time, the Bay Mills Indian

community returned to a more traditional life style of predominately fishing and hunting and

remained quite isolated and primitive until fairly recently. The community’s size has been largely

dependent on food and employment availability. Many left Bay Mills in the 1920’s for work in Raco

and later to Sault Ste. Marie where more work became available.

Rustic and isolated living conditions for those remaining at Bay Mills continued for a long time.

Similar to their ancestor's movements in response to seasons and food supplies, many Bay Mills

residents migrated from summer homes along the shores to more substantial log dwellings inland

a mile or so during harsh winter months. With a school located within the community until 1938

and no road until this time, the Bay Mills community became totally isolated in the winter. Food

had to be brought in before the winter set in and stored in the ground to be used throughout the

winter with occasional groceries brought in by sled.

Factors which aided in ending the isolated nature of Bay Mills began in the late 30’s with the

construction of the main road as far as the lighthouse. This road remained gravel until the 1950's.

Cars started turning up at Bay Mills during the rum-running days and electricity was extended to

the community in 1948.

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14

With the closing of the Bay Mills school in 1938, students attended the public school at Brimley.

Those attending the Brimley school had to wlak to the dump road on the south end of the

reservation to wait for the bus, many walking from as far away as the lighthouse. Community life

has always been an important aspect of the Bay Mills community with many activities provided

through the school and church including 4th of July festivals and Saturday night square dances

with Gros Cap.

Bay Mills people previously were employed at a lumber mill, leather tannery and dredging firms

mostly located Sault Ste. Marie. Also in 1937, an Indian Camp modeled after the Civilian

Conservation Corps started at Bay Mills paying $1.00 per day plus room and board. Those working

here were involved in work such as planting trees, cutting wood and constructing roads and

irrigation ditches on the reservation.

Fishing too, has always been a major part of life at Bay Mills. Fish prices were 1‘ to 3 cents per

pound for herring in the 1930’s at which time fish had to be dressed, boxed, iced and taken to

Brimley to be shipped by train. During the early 1900’s many Bay Mills fishermen became

employed by white commercial fishing firms which had developed in the area. Employment with

white commercial firms continued through the 1960’s, since Bay Mills people could not afford to

buy state commercial fishing licenses and other equipment needed to set up individual

operations. Gradually, Bay Mills fishermen who could afford state licenses, began commercial

fishing operations.

Dramatic changes have occurred at Bay Mills since the period of minority awareness in the late

60’s and early 70's. At that time government funding and services were extended to Michigan

Indian reservations. These changes were most evident in the higher involvement of the community

in tribal government, increased employment opportunities, upgraded housing quality and

availability and an overall relatively high standard of living.

Over the past 20 years it is believed that the Bay Mills population has doubled with additional

members desiring to move here. The sense of place and community prevails here. No matter

where a person goes, the reservation is home. The past history of Bay Mills reflects white

America’s neglect of the native population. Current activities and the future of Bay Mills will be

the result of Bay Mills efforts to shape it’s own destiny.

10.

ii

12.

13.

14.

15.

16.

BIBLIOGRAPH- HISTORY

. United States of America V. State of Michigan No. M26-73CA, by Helen Hornbeck Tanner,

PhD, 1319 Brooklyn Ave., Ann Arbor, MI (April 1974).

Indians of Michigan by Emerson F. Greenman, a John M. Munson Michigan Historical Fund

Publication, Michigan Historical Commission (Lansing, 1961).

Indians of the Woodlands from Prehistoric Times to 1725, by George E. Hyde, University of

Oklahoma Press (Norman, 1962).

First People of Michigan, by W.B. Hinsdale, George Wahr Publisher (1930).

Indian Life in the Upper Great Lakes (11,000 BC to AD 1800), by George Irving Quimby,

University of Chicago Press (1960).

The Indian In Michigan, Michigan Commission on Indian Affairs, Marquette County Historical

Society.

Redmans Applachia, by Samuel M. Taylor (1967).

. The Land of the Ojibway, Developed by Ojibway Curriculum Committee, American Indian

Studies Department, Minnesota Historical Society (1973) — need permission.

- A Survey of Indian Groups in the State of Michigan, by John H. Holst, Supervisor of Indian

Schools (1939).

Report of a Social Economic Survey of Michigan Indian Reservation Groups-Program Survey

Reports (December 1951) Department of Interior BIA.

American Indians and Federal Aid, by Alan L. Sorkin, the Brookings Institute, Washington,

D.C. (1971).

North American Indian Education Awareness information, by Michigan Association of

Classroom teachers, Human Relations Task Force (1971).

Michigan, by Willis F. Dunbar.

Justice Denied: An Analysis of American Indian-White Relations in Michigan, 1855-1889

Dissertation for the Degree of PhD, MSU, by Bruce Alan Rubenstein (1974).

“Great Lakes Indians”, Pt. 1, An Introduction to the Cultures and Histories of the Indians of

the Great Lakes, by Charles E. Cleland, Dearborn Historian, Vol. 14 #1, Winter 1974.

Personal Interviews with Mr. Wm. Cameron, Mr. Arthur LeBlanc and Mr. Wade Teeple, all of

Bay Mills.

45

Introduction

The purpose of this section on regional considerations is to place the situation of Bay Mills into

the context of activities in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. Clearly the activities, resources and

services available within the region place the conditions of Bay Mills into perspective, as Bay

Mills will share many of the limitations and opportunities available regionally.

For that purpose, there is discussion of regional demographics, economic activity, environment,

the regional transportation net, higher education and housing. In addition, the political and social

situation, as a context for Bay Mills, is briefly covered. All these areas are covered as an outline

for proceding with the more specific activities at Bay Mills. Throughout the plan, additional

specific comparisons between Bay Mills and the region will be made, to highlight by comparison.

CHIPPEWA COUNTY

BAY AILLS #

17

16

Bay Mills is located in the Eastern Upper Peninsula, an area long marked by limited job

opportunities and sparse and declining population. The area does not contain a Standard

Metropolitan Statistical Area (SMSA) and is more than 200 miles away from any large urban

center. It contains three communities of notable size: Sault Ste. Marie (25 miles from Bay Mills,

population about 15,130) Newberry (50 miles from Bay Mills, population about 2,500) and St.

Ignace (60 miles from Bay Mills, population about 3,000). Kincheloe Air Force Base (KAFB) with a

population of 8,000 is the second largest population center in the area. This base has tentatively

been ordered closed by the Department of Defense, which would result in substantial loss of

income to the area and loss of some jobs to Bay Mills.

Over 41% of the 13,000 jobs in the region are government, though the possible closing of KAFB

would cause a decline in this sector. Less than 5% of the region’s jobs are in manufacturing and

approximately 20% in wholesale or retail sales. Remaining jobs are in farming, construction,

communications, transportation, finance and mining. Unemployment in the area is usually two to

three times the state average.

The Soo Locks are a major economic feature, both for its employment opportunities and the

tourists it attracts. Other major tourist development in the area includes state parks and national

forests. Bay Mills is located immediately adjacent to Hiawatha National Forest and close (5 miles)

to Brimley State Park. Park season is realistically, however, only about four months of the year,

between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Remote location, harsh climate, lack of resources and development facilities all serve to hinder

development in the region. Though major thoroughfares are in good condition, supplemental

roads are not as well maintained and the bridges in the area are in very bad shape, through a bond

for extensive bridge repairs was recently passed.

Sault Ste. Marie is the northern terminus of Interstate Highway 75, a four lane divided highway

and the major north-south access to the Mackinac Bridge, a toll bridge, which is the only link to

the lower part of the state. This road passes 15 miles from the reservation. Other major highways

in the area are M-28 running east-west and passing 6 miles south of the reservation, M-123

running north-south to Paradise passing 25 miles west of the reservation and Lake Shore Drive

which follows the south shore of Whitefish Bay and passes thru the reservation.

Lake Superior State College (LSSC) is a new and growing institution in the region and has had a

strong positive impact on the expectations of educational attainment levels. Educational

attainment within the region is low, with median years of school completed at 11.7, below the

state median of 12.1.

Health care in the area is inadequate, with people frequently traveling to Canada or downstate for

serious illness.

Housing in the area is in high demand and in short supply and thus, very expensive. This is

believed to be because of the demand from KAFB, LSSC and tourism. The proposed closing of

KAFB is expected to decrease the demand for housing.

Plans for the region are developed by the Eastern Upper Peninsula Planning and Development

District (EUPPAD). The region is part of the Upper Great Lakes Regional Commission. Township

development plans are being developed by EUPPAD, working with local committees. EUPPAD

has taken a progressive position regarding efforts at Bay Mills but is responsible for a

considerable amount of other work.

Federal and State Legislative Representatives from the area are spread thin, with general concern

for the larger region rather than the Indian population exclusively. Relations between the Bay Mills

Community and local elected officials seem mixed, depending upon the personalities involved.

Relations with other government agencies seem cordial, especially with the U.S. Forest Service,

an adjacent neighbor and the Federal Fish Hatchery, a very important segment of the fishing

community.

Relations with local law enforcement agencies are mixed. The State Police and Chippewa County

Sheriff's Department get high marks. There have been serious problems with the behavior of some

members of the Soo Police Department that have lead to several civil rights suits regarding

Physical abuse of Indian youths. There have been repeated clashes with the State Department of

Natural Resources over fishing and hunting questions, though these clashes are not as heated as

they have become elsewhere in the Eastern Upper Peninsula. Despite policy level differences,

Progress towards accomodations has been made and local DNR staff is cooperative.

Relations with local non-Indian neighbors have been generally improving though there are some

prejudiced individuals. In other areas of the Eastern U.P. and northern lower peninsula,

discrimination and hostility occurs much more frequently, usually triggered by inflamatory

interpretations of Indian fishing rights.

Though struggling to overcome the cumulative effects of past neglect and discrimination, and

located in an area suffering declining fortune, Bay Mills is assuming a more prominent position as

a community in the Eastern Upper Peninsula.

19

Introduction

Land is an irreplaceable resource which has both potential and limitations in meeting the needs of

the Bay Mills Community. Development is inevitable but with proper planning it can occur in such

a way that the type community desired by Bay Mills can be realized. Since the land base and its

capacity for supporting development is limited, planning for the use of Bay Mills land is especially

important to insure protection of a quality community, environment and avoidance of conflicting

uses. The limited availability of suitable land within the existing land base of Bay Mills makes

acquisition of additional land a top priority in meeting future land use needs of the community.

To effectively plan the use of land within the existing land base or any additional land acquired,

many factors must be taken into consideration. The present and future land use section of the Bay

Mills Comprehensive Community Development Plan combines the community’s land use needs

with the environmental capacities of the land. Beginning with an environmental inventory of the

land of Bay Mills, the capabilities and considerations of this physical environment is integrated

with the community’s land use needs into a future land use plan.

The inventory includes geology, topography, soils, hydrology, vegetation, wildlife, climate as

well as existing land use for residental, recreational, community use, historical and cultural,

agricultural, commercial and transportation. Future land use projections are made for the areas

mentioned. Suitability by natural factors are dilineated, expansion recommendations made, and

finally general location recommendations are made, including administrative guidelines.

Also included is a brief presentation on Whitefish Bay. Although it is the major natural resource of

the Bay Mills Community, community information is sketchy and anecdotal. It is hoped this

section will encourage the pursuit and accumulation of the specific data necessary for the best

management of this substantial resource.

LAND USE ENVIRONMENTAL INVENTORY AND LAND USE CONSIDERATIONS

Inventory

The natural environment of the Bay Mills Community, in particular the soils, topography and

water systems, is a result of various geological processes which gradually shaped this area.

Cambrian red sandstone and Upper Cambrian and Lower Ordivician sandstone and sandy

dolomite constitute the igneous and metamorphic bedrock underlying Bay Mills. Deposits

overlying the bedrock here as well as in all of Chippewa County consist of several sedimentary

rock units formed 230,000,000 to 620,000,000 years ago when all of Michigan was invaded by a

succession of warm shallow seas. Following this marine period, four major glaciers altered and

formed the main physiographic features of the Bay Mills Reservation. Lake Algonquin, covering

this area during the last glacial stage, deposited a heterogenous mixture of rock debris or glacial

drift on the surface, extending to a depth of 50 feet or more.

The surface deposits of Bay Mills are of two types; lake plains and till plains. The majority of the

reservation, the lake plain areas, consist of layers of clay, silt and fine sand of low permeability

which contain layers of sand and gravel with relatively high permeability. The till plain areas,

located in a small portion of the reservation’s southwest end consist of areas with little surface

21

22

relief underlain by thin unstratified glacial drift consisting of clay, sand, gravel and boulders

intermingled.

(Map references: Bedrock Geology, Surface Deposits).

Environmental Considerations

The geological characteristics of the area are considered in determining future land uses primarily

because bedrock may pose limitations for development when too close (less than 10 feet) to the

surface.

No restrictions arise on the Bay Mills Community due to bedrock since it lies 50 to 200 feet below

the surface. However, the geological processes which occured here are important since they have

determined today’s soils, drainage patterns, topography and general physiographic

characteristics. The environmental capabilities and limitations of these resulting features are

discussed in following sections of the land use report.

TOPOGRAPHY

Inventory

Directly related to the glacial deposits is the surface configuration of the Bay Mills Community.

The elevation of the reservation varies from 600 to 700 feet above mean seal level, consisting of

generally very level terrain with a slope of 10% or less meaning that the land rises in elevation 10

feet or less for every 100 feet change in horizontal distance. However, extending north and south

along the western boundary of the reservation is Mission Ridge which enters the southwest corner

and a small segment of the northwest corner south of Spectacle Lake. Another small ridge in the

northeast corner near Gumshoe Lake and a dune area north of south pond are included in the

reservation. These three areas, with slopes of 20% to 60% add variety to the basically level terrain

found on the reservation. (Map Reference: Slope)

Environmental Considerations

Topographic characteristics of an area indicate how gradually or steeply the land rises or falls and

in extremely flat areas, where there is likely to be excessive water. Additional expense and other

limitations arise in areas of slopes greater than 12% which on the Bay Mills Reservation occurs

only in the three small areas mentioned above. Areas of relatively no slope are of greater concern

in relation to Bay Mills since there is a greater susceptibility to poor water drainage. This concern

is considered in greater detail in the hydrology section.

(Map Reference: Slope/ Suitability)

BAY /AILLS INDIAN COAMUNITY

BRIALEY , AICHIGAN SCALE |" ~ 1500!

NORTH

BEDROCK. GEOLOGY

Fol CA/NBRIAN @ED SANDSTONE

== LOWER. CAABRIAN AND LOWER

ORDOVICIAN SAN OSTONE AND

OLOAH SE

i DEPTH oF BEDROCK

PEQVE SER LEVEL SOOFT

VIZ

BAY /AILLS

NORTH

INDIAN COAMUNITY

BRIALEY , AICHIGAN SCALE 1" = 1500'

ard

609

SURFACE DEFOSHS

HEM LAKE FLAINS

UNPERLAIN BY PERPOSITS OF CLAN ,

sitt AND FINE SAND, OF Low

FER/INEABILITY WHICH CONTAIN LAYERS

OF SAND AND GRAVEL IN WUICH tHE

FERIKGABILITY Io RELATIVELY HIGH .

APPROX. THICKNESS J5OFT.

TILL PLAINS

LIMLE SURFACE RELIEF, UNVERLAIN

BY THIN THLE DerDSISs! Aay Wiel

ASL AMOUNTS OF WATER

DPPROX. THICKNESK |BOFT

BAY /AILLS INDIAN COAAUNITY

BRIALEY , AICHIGAN SCALE |" = 1500'

NORTH

609

VeZ

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