The Thrilling History of the Gun Lake Tribe

The Gun Lake Tribe, also known as the Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish Band of Pottawatomi Indians, has a long and thrilling history. Original members of the Gun Lake Band were survivors of the Ojibwe, Ottawa, and Pottawatomi peoples who lived around the Great Lakes. Known as the Three Fire Confederacy, the Chief’s Band lived in the Kalamazoo River Valley with the main village at the head of the river.

Treaty of Chicago and Treaty of St. Joseph

In 1821, the Treaty of Chicago created a three-square mile reservation for the Band at the present-day downtown Kalamazoo. The Chief then signed the 1827 Treaty of St. Joseph relinquishing the reservation to the federal government in exchange for payment and a new home. It didn’t receive either. To avoid forced removal west of the Mississippi River it moved north instead and settled in various temporary locations.

It was only much later that the Gun Lake tribe was able to pursue economic development under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. In 2009, ground was broken for Gun Lake Casino, and in 2011, the opening of the casino improved the economic situation for the tribe. Today it also has an online casino called Play Gun Lake.

The permanent settlement near Gun Lake

The tribe briefly settled in Cooper, Plainwell, and Martin before it settled permanently in 1838 in Bradley, Michigan near Gun Lake. The settlement was originally called the Griswold Mission and was led by the Reverend James Selkirk of the Episcopal Church. Later it was known as the Bradley Indian Mission. By 1894, the mission was ‘dissolved’ by the church, and the land was divided and deeded to descendants of the Chief’s Band.

Federal recognition

The Gun Lake Tribe petitioned for federal recognition for many years. It was finally officially recognized on August 23, 1999, as a sovereign nation with powers of self-government. Its constitution was adopted in 2000 and a Tribal Council of seven popularly elected members had authority over tribal affairs.

Each Tribal Council Member was elected to serve a four-year term. Terms were staggered based on the voting district represented. After this, they had to run for and gain re-election to remain a member of the Tribal Council.

Since it was recognized, the tribe was assigned land in trust by the federal government in 2005.

Leadership of the tribe

The first chief of the tribe was Match-E-Be-Nash-She-Wish and his son Penasee was the next. He was followed by his first son who was known by his anglicized name, Moses Foster. The next Chief was David Foster, the brother of Moses. Charles Foster, David’s son, was elected as Chief in 1911.

In 2016, D.K Sprague retired after serving for 24 years as Chairman of the Gun Lake Tribe. He was first elected by the Bradley Settlement Elder’s Council in 1992 and led the tribe from pre-recognition to a successful modern Tribal Government. Sprague grew up in the Bradley area and remained there most of his life.

A vacation for history buffs in Michigan is likely to include learning more about the history of the Gun Lake Tribe and its different chiefs. The tribe is very proud of how far it has come in recent times. It now has a fully-fledged Tribal Government that functions from the government campus in Bradley, Michigan. The Tribal Council continues to provide education and information about the history and culture of the tribe. It wants the traditions and beliefs to be passed down to future generations.

Present and future

Today, the Gun Lake area is popular year-round for activities such as boating, swimming, fishing, horseback riding, and much more. It also offers great gambling opportunities at Gun Lake Casino, which has many slot machines and table games.

Furnished rentals in the area provide an ideal solution for various needs – from extended vacations to business relocations. New street signs featuring the old reservation boundary markers were installed in Kalamazoo.

The Gun Lake tribe has been acquiring property north of the casino on the east side of U.S. 131 in Allegan County. It plans to transform it into a development that includes retail, healthcare, housing, and manufacturing. It is a huge project and with it, the tribe hopes to draw more families into the area.