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Statement by the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Tribal Chairperson, Winnay Wemigwase regarding the approvals of both the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) Threatened and Endangered Species Permit TE468 – Enbridge Line 5 Great Lakes Tunnel Project and the Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) draft permit. On behalf of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, I write in strong opposition to today’s issuances of the MDNR Threatened and Endangered Species Permit TE468 and the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Draft Permit. These permits authorize substantial disruption to a place of extraordinary ecological, cultural, spiritual, and historical significance to the Waganakising Odawak, fellow Anishinaabek peoples and all Michiganders who call the Straits of Mackinac home. The Straits of Mackinac are not merely a project site identified by coordinates on a permit. They are part of Gchi-Mikinaan, the Great Waterway, a place central to the identity, migration, lifeways, and ceremonies of our people since time immemorial. The State of Michigan is bound to honor the treaty reserved rights of the Little Traverse Bay Bands and other Anishinaabek nations. Those rights were not granted by the State; they were reserved by our ancestors through solemn treaties, and they remain the supreme law of the land. Any action that threatens the lands, waters, plants, fish, wildlife, and interconnected ecosystems upon which those treaty rights depend directly undermines the ability of Tribal citizens to exercise those rights today and into the future. As Waganakising Odawak, we understand our responsibility as one of stewardship, not ownership. Our duty extends beyond the interests of the present generation. We must consider the faces yet unborn and the condition of the world we leave to them. The decisions we make today will determine whether future generations inherit clean water, healthy ecosystems, and the ability to exercise the same treaty-reserved rights their ancestors fought to protect. Most importantly, our opposition is rooted in our sacred obligation to protect the waters of the Great Lakes. Water is life. The Straits of Mackinac sit at the heart of two Great Lakes and are among the most ecologically sensitive and culturally significant waters in North America. Any project that introduces long-term risks to these waters, whether during construction or operation, must be evaluated through the highest standard of protection. The burden should never be on future generations to bear the consequences of decisions made for short-term economic convenience. We also speak for those whose voices cannot be heard in administrative proceedings. We speak for the waters. We speak for the fish, plants, birds, and all beings that depend upon this place. We speak for the spirit beings that have inhabited and protected these waters since creation. And we speak for our ancestors, who entrusted us with the responsibility to safeguard these lands and waters so that future generations may continue to live as Anishinaabe people. The issuance of the permits fails to fully account for these responsibilities and elevates industrial development over the precautionary protection of irreplaceable natural and cultural resources. The Little Traverse Bay Bands strongly object to this authorization and urge the State of Michigan to reconsider actions that facilitate the continued expansion of the Line 5 Tunnel Project at the expense of treaty rights, ecological integrity, and the sacred responsibility we all share to protect the Great Lakes. For our ancestors, for our children, for the generations yet to come, and for all our relations, we must choose protection over risk and stewardship over convenience.
07/16/2026 7:33 AM
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11/26/2025 Living Wage Memo
Per Tribal Resolution #102619-05 Promotion of a Living Wage, the calculations for the Living Wage are as follows:
According to Rentdata.org for 2025, Fair Market Rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Emmet County is $1,154 per month and a three-bedroom apartment is $1,390, creating an average rent of $1,272.00.
Open Meeting Attendance
In accordance with Tribal law Waganakising Odawak Statute 2015-014 Open Meetings of the Tribal Council, “Public” means Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians Tribal Citizens and their immediate family members.
All others excluding official business of Tribal employees, and appointed officials who request attendance at any Tribal Council meeting must contact a Tribal Councilor who shall forward such request to all of the Tribal Council members.
Therefore when signing in to a Zoom electronic meeting of the Tribal Council or a Committee of Tribal Council Meeting, it is vital that you provide your full name at log in for meeting entry.
If the meeting facilitator does not recognize your name, you will be asked to identify yourself further. If you do not identify yourself further, or you do not meet the requirement for meeting entry, you will be subject to removal from the meeting. If you log in by telephone, you will be asked to identify yourself under the same guidelines.
If you log in under what appears to be a fictitious name, you will not be provided entry into the meeting room until such time as your log in is verifiable.
If you have any concerns regarding the above requirements, please contact the Legislative Office at 231-242-1404. Miigwech.