Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Land Claim Settlement Act of 2025
Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Land Claim Settlement Act of 2025 would authorize a one-time payment of $33.9 million to the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community (KBIC) as compensation for the United States’ taking, without just compensation, of two categories of land inside the L’Anse Indian Reservation: Reservation Swamp Lands (2,743 acres) and Reservation Canal Lands (about 1,333 to 2,720 acres). These lands were within the Reservation boundaries and had been conveyed to the State of Michigan under historic acts in the 19th century. The bill recognizes KBIC’s treaties and rights, acknowledges past actions that led to the taking, and seeks to settle those claims to avoid further litigation. In return, the bill extinguishes KBIC’s claims to those lands and clears titles for current non-Indian landowners. The funds may be used for a broad range of purposes (government services, economic development, natural resources protection, land acquisition) but cannot be used to acquire land for gaming, and the bill prohibits gaming-related uses for lands acquired with the settlement funds or for land taken into trust under this act.
Key Points
- 1Purpose and scope: The bill acknowledges an uncompensated taking of Reservation Swamp Lands and Reservation Canal Lands within the L’Anse Reservation and provides a settlement to compensate KBIC, while extinguishing KBIC’s claims to those lands and protecting current landowners’ title.
- 2Payment and use of funds: The Secretary must transfer $33.9 million to KBIC as soon as the funds are available; KBIC may use the money for governmental services, economic development, natural resource protection, or land acquisition, but not for land to be acquired for gaming purposes.
- 3Extinguishment and title: Upon payment, KBIC’s claims to the referenced lands are extinguished, and the titles of current non-Indian owners are cleared of any preexisting KBIC rights; this aims to provide clear title to current occupants and reduce lingering disputes.
- 4Definitions and scope: The bill defines the Reservation, Reservation Swamp Lands, and Reservation Canal Lands, and identifies the exact land areas affected within the L’Anse Indian Reservation boundaries.
- 5Non-gaming restrictions and federal role: The Secretary is not authorized to place land into trust for gaming as part of this settlement, and lands acquired with settlement funds cannot be used for gaming purposes.