Hannahville Indian Community

The Hannahville Indian Community is a federally recognized Potawatomi Indian tribe residing in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, approximately 15 miles west of Escanaba. The reservation lies mostly in eastern Menominee County, but a small section is located in adjacent southwestern Delta County. The 2000 census reported a resident population of 395 persons within its territory, most of whom were of Native American heritage. The tribe had an enrolled membership of 666 people, 344 of whom resided on the 22.21 km² (8.5755 sq mi) reservation as of early 2006.

History

The people of Hannahville are descendants of those who refused to leave Michigan in 1834 during the great Indian removal. [Bruce Vandervort. [http://books.google.com/books?id=VilwWL9RMywC&pg=PA25&lpg=PA25&dq=%22great+indian+removal%22&source=web&ots=cJhtMg-2TA&sig=2Tv_dVa-WtWDWL2PD0DKOzca2sA Indian Wars of Mexico, Canada and the United States, 1812-1900.] Routledge, 2006.]

They lived with the Menominee in Northern Wisconsin, and the Ojibwe and Ottawa people in Canada. In 1853, some returned to Michigan. It was at this time they settled along the Big Cedar River, on Lake Michigan.

Methodist Church records report that Peter Marksman was sent to the area as an assistant. During this time, he was credited with finding a parcel of land and moving the Potawatomi people to the current location. Some church records also report the Potawatomi people were very fond of Marksman's wife, Hannah, and named their community after her.

Community

Approximately 100 additional members live nearby and access services on the Reservation. The 12-member Tribal Council is an elected body that has been empowered by the community, through the election process, to act on behalf of the tribal members. Throughout the past ten years, the Tribe has been committed to developing environmental protection programs to ensure a healthy and safe environment for current and future generations.

Recent developments

The Hannahville Community has been seeking to develop a hotel-casino complex in Romulus, Michigan, near Detroit Metro Airport. In January 2008, the Bureau of Indian Affairs rejected the tribe's application for this project. ["Detroit News", January 11, 2008 p. 4B]

ee also

* Anishinaabe
* Council of Three Fires
* Potawatomi

References

* [http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/DTTable?_bm=y&-context=dt&-ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&-CONTEXT=dt&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_P001&-mt_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_P003&-tree_id=4001&-transpose=N&-redoLog=false&-all_geo_types=Y&-geo_id=25000US1410&-geo_id=27000US141026041&-geo_id=27000US141026109&-search_results=25000US1410&-_showChild=Y&-format=&-_lang=en&-show_geoid=Y Hannahville Community and Off-Reservation Trust Land, Michigan] United States Census Bureau

External links

* [http://www.potawatomilanguage.org Potawatomi Language Vocabulary, Audio & Video, Interactive Language Games, Online Language Courses]
* [http://www.hannahvilleschool.net Hannahville Indian School - Nah Tah Wahsh PSA]
* [http://www.hvl.bia.edu/Hannahville/HannahvillePotawatomi.htm Recollections of Earl J. Meshigaud, Sr.]
* [http://www.itcmi.org/thehistorytribal1.html Inter-tribal Council of Michigan's information on the Hannahville Potawatomi]