Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Land Claim Settlement Act of 2025
The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Land Claim Settlement Act of 2025 provides $33.9 million in compensation to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community for land taken by the federal government without just compensation within the L'Anse Indian Reservation in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Between 1893 and 1937, the federal government improperly transferred approximately 2,743 acres of reservation land to Michigan under the Swamp Land Act and an additional 1,333-2,720 acres under the Canal Land Act, despite these lands being guaranteed to the Community under an 1854 treaty. The bill acknowledges this constitutional violation under the Fifth Amendment's Takings Clause while simultaneously extinguishing the Community's claims to these lands and confirming current landowners' titles, who acquired the property in good faith.
Key Points
- 1Authorizes a one-time payment of $33.9 million to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community as compensation for approximately 4,000-5,500 acres of reservation land improperly transferred to Michigan and subsequently sold to private parties
- 2Extinguishes all tribal claims to the Reservation Swamp Lands and Reservation Canal Lands upon receipt of payment, providing clear title to current non-Indian landowners
- 3Allows the Community to use compensation funds for any lawful purpose including governmental services, economic development, natural resources protection, and land acquisition
- 4Explicitly prohibits use of settlement funds for gaming purposes or acquisition of land for gaming
- 5Resolves historical injustices dating back to 1850s land transfers that violated the 1854 Treaty with the Chippewa Indians, which created the L'Anse Indian Reservation as permanent tribal land