| Group: | Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi |
| Flag: | Flag of the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi Indians.PNG |
| Flag Caption: | Tribal Flag |
| Population: | About 1500 |
| Popplace: | Michigan |
| Rels: | Christianity, traditional tribal religion |
| Langs: | English, formerly Potawatomi |
| Related: | Other Potawatomi, Ojibwe, Odawa |
The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi (NHBP) is a federally-recognized tribe of Potawatomi in the United States. The tribe achieved federal recognition on December 19, 1995, and currently has approximately 1500 members.[1]
The Pine Creek Indian Reservation is located at 42.105°N -85.2611°W in Athens Township in southwestern Calhoun County in southwestern Michigan. It has a land area of a little over 199 acres. It has purchased an additional 230 acres of land for its use and operates a gaming casino in Battle Creek.
Despite the name, this band of Potawatomi has no direct connection with the unrelated Huron people. Rather, both "Nottawaseppi" and "Huron" refer to the band's historical location along the Clinton River in southeastern Michigan. This river was formerly known as the Nottawasippee River or the Huron River of St. Clair. The root Nottawa in Nottawasippee is an Ojibwe ethnic slur meaning "like rattlesnakes", referring to the Huron people, who inhabited the area prior to the arrival of the Potawatomi, Odawa and Ojibwe.[2] [3] [4]
In the 19th century, especially, the Potawatomi people and closely related tribes of Odawa and Ojibwe peoples of the Anishinaabe were affiliated as the Council of Three Fires. All these peoples were highly decentralized and bands operated independently. During the 17th and 18th centuries, numerous bands moved into what is now Michigan.
The Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi signed a treaty with the United States to cede much of its land in 1820, and was assigned a smaller portion of land as its reservation. It is located at 42.105°N -85.2611°W in Athens Township in southwestern Calhoun County.
In the 20th century, the 1934 Indian Reorganization Act was intended to encourage tribes to set up self-government. The nine historic bands of Odawa, Ojibwe and Potawatomi in Michigan were not covered by this act and later had to achieve federal recognition or reaffirmation as tribes independently, a process that continues.
The band organized to regain self-government, gaining reaffirmation of its status as a tribe in 1995 by Congressional legislation. Their homeland headquarters are in Wakeshma Township, near Athens, in the southwestern region of Michigan's Lower Peninsula. This is about 17 miles southwest of Battle Creek (about 22 miles by vehicle route).[5] Athens Township is within the major city's metropolitan area. The Band also maintains satellite offices in Grand Rapids, about 74 miles north of Fulton/Athens.[6] The service area of the tribe includes the reservation as well as members living in Kalamazoo, Calhoun, Ottawa, Kent and Allegan counties.[7]
The NHBP is governed by a written constitution and an elected 5-member tribal council. This includes the following executive officers: Chairperson, Vice-chairperson, Secretary, Treasurer and Sergeant-at-Arms.
The NHBP Tribal Court was established in 2006. It is run by a Tribal Chief Justice.
The NHBP administration is divided into departments for Administration, Bkedé O Mshiké, Communications, Culture, Finance, Environmental, Government Records, Human Resources, Information Technology, Legal, Membership Services, Planning, Public Works, Social Services and Tribal Historic Preservation Office.[8]
The NHBP own FireKeepers Casino, a 236000square feet casino with an attached 2,078-space parking garage on 78acres located in Battle Creek, Michigan. This operation is governed by a compact with the state of Michigan. The NHBP also owns Waséyabek Development Company, LLC, to foster economic self-sufficiency through non-gaming business acquisitions, developments and investments.