ADOPTED - NOVEMBER 24, 2009

Agenda Item No. 15

Introduced by the Finance Committee of the:

INGHAM COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS

RESOLUTION HONORING FRANK ETTAWAGESHIK

RESOLUTION #09-393

WHEREAS, Frank Ettawageshik, formerly of East Lansing, served as Chairman of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians for fourteen years; and

WHEREAS, Frank has made many personal sacrifices to enable him to fulfill his life-long passion of improving the quality of life of those, not only within the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, but all tribes across the State of Michigan; and

WHEREAS, Frank has been an enlightened and thoughtful ambassador for the Michigan Anishinaabek, serving as a leader on numerous tough issues such as the Great Lakes Compact, which earned him the Great Lakes Guardian of the Year award for 2007 from Clean Water Action Michigan; and

WHEREAS, as a nationally renowned, highly respected leader, Frank has testified before Congress on numerous occasions regarding the Great Lakes Compact and also appeared as a guest on CNN to discuss Congressional apologies to American Indians; and

WHEREAS, Frank has been an outstanding leader, under his administration, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians’ gaming compact was renegotiated and the Odawa Casino was developed and built; and

WHEREAS, he played a key role in the intergovernmental relations and economic development with the State of Michigan, and was very instrumental in his tribe receiving federal reaffirmation -- on September 21, 1994, President Clinton signed Senate Bill 1357 (Public Law 103-324) giving the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, Federal recognition through Reaffirmation; and 

WHEREAS, Frank’s current tenure as Chairman of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians has come to an end on August 23, 2009.

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Ingham County Board of Commissioners hereby honors Frank Ettawageshik for the many contributions he has made to the nation, the state and the over 4000 citizens of his tribe, many of whom reside in Ingham County.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Board expresses it sincere appreciation to Frank for his unselfish devotion to helping others realize a better and more equitable quality of life – he is truly a great modern day warrior for tribal sovereignty!

FINANCE:  Yeas:  Grebner, Nolan, Bahar-Cook, Davis, Dougan

     Nays:  None             Absent:  Tennis         Approved 11/18/09