The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Chippewa Indian Community is located at Watersmeet, MI in the westernmost region of the Upper Peninsula, approximately 45 miles southeast of Ironwood, MI in Gogebic County.

The Lac Vieux Band of Chippewa Indians is one of twelve bands known as the Lake Superior Bands of Chippewa Indians and one of the three located in Michigan along with L’Anse Band and Ontonogan Band (now united as one under The Keweenaw Bay Chippewa Indian Community). The remaining nine bands are located in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota and they were all party to the same treaties.

The current tribal membership is 406 and in 1999 they reported an unemployment rate of 38% but with none of those employed living below the poverty level guidelines. Their current Tribal Government was established as a “stand alone” tribe, separate and distinct from the Keweenaw Bay Tribe, pursuant to P.L. 100-420, enacted on September 8, 1988.

During the period between 1795 and 1964, the Lac Vieux Desert Chippewas were party to a series of treaties that involved major land cessions in the Upper Great Lakes Regions of MI, WI and MN. By 1864 they were confined to living around the now Watersmeet, MI area. They did insist on provisions however in these treaties to secure their traditional means of subsistence, being: the right to hunt, fish and gather in the ceded treaty lands. They also harvested Menomin (Wild Rice) and were involved in Maple-Sugaring (Sisibakwat).

Their community was impacted by the allotment of Indian lands in the 1880s and 1890s. They have had a permanent village (odanah) community at Watersmeet since 1842, but the original village named Katakitigan, was listed as an Ojibwa village on Great Lakes area maps as early as 1810.

During the Indian Reorganization Act period the mid 1930s, the three Lake Superior Chippewa Bands in Michigan were accorded only the opportunity to reorganize as one and came to be known as the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, headquartered in Baraga/L’Anse, MI and consisting of the historic Lac Vieux Desert, L’Anse and Ontonogan Bands of Lake Superior Chippewas.

Despite the new alignment with Keweenaw Bay, Lac Vieux Desert continued to maintain close ties with the Sokaogon Mole Lake Chippewa Tribe as well, at fairly nearby Crandon, WI and intermarriage with them has been frequent.

Las Vieux Desert has, since their distinct separate recognition from Keweenaw Bay, continued to strengthened their infrastructure and expansion of community membership services; although they did not have to start from ground zero, because of their previous affiliation with Keweenaw Bay. The tribe has adopted a Constitution, By-Laws and Corporate Charter and their governing body consists of an elected tribal council of nine members, including the Tribal Chairperson and other officers.

In 1999, the tribe had 209.76 acres of federal trust status lands in the greater Watersmeet area where their tribal housing, administration and enterprises are headquartered. They have an additional 86 acres of trust land on waterfront property at Lac Vieux Desert (Lake View of Wilderness), sixteen miles south of Watersmeet. These lands are primarily used for cultural, spiritual and recreational community events.

Principle economic activities in this rural, isolated, sparsely populated area of northwestern Michigan include tourism, sports hunting and fishing, outdoor recreational activities (winter and summer) and various operations in the forestry industry.

The tribe operates a very successful casino/motel restaurant complex and supportive service industries. They have plans underway for the development of a museum, arts and crafts outlet and private sector development as it relates to retail and service enterprises.

The tribe offers an array of program services for tribal members, including Housing, Higher Education, Adult Education, Vocational Education, JOM Supplemental pre-12 Education Services, Clinical Health and Behavioral Health and Substance Abuse Services, Elderly and Youth Programs, among others.

Lac Vieux Desert has made tremendous positive growth and economic strides over the past thirteen short years. They have worked diligently and with vision to improve the lives of their people and have much to be proud of. In this short period, this tribe has proven that they might be small, but they are powerful and can hold their own with the best of them in the Great Lakes area.

However, they are aware of the old saying “that the reward for work well done, is more work to do!” They are readied and have their cultural, spiritual and language initiatives all in tact as well. They continue to proceed with their optimistic/can do attitude.


The Lesson
The Great Spirit (Gitchi Manito) called the people to himself from the four corners of the Earth. He gave the CHILD the medicine of SWEET GRASS, blessed him with the virtue of TRUST and send him to the East with the EAGLE to protect the AIR. He then gave the YOUNG Man the virtue of LOVE and the gift of CEDAR and sent him to the South to care for the WATERS with the help of MUSKRAT who brought earth back up to man after the Great Flood and Gitchi Manitou blew on the created TURTLE ISLAND (Michlimackinac). The WARRIOR, the Great Spirit sent to the West with the BEAR and blessed him with STRENGTH and the medicine of SAGE to guard the LAND. He gave the ELDER, WISDOM and the gift of TOBACCO and sent him to the North with the DEER to watch over THE GOOD PEOPLE (Anishnabek). AND the DRUM he gave to The PEOPLE and told them to hold on to the SONGS of the COMMUNITY and it would bring them together. On the drum is the PATH of the Sun from East to West, between the Land and the Sky. THIS is the PATH we all MUST travel – from TRUST to LOVE to STRENGTH and finally to WISDOM, before our lives are done.

“Grass Lake Images, Inc., 1997”