Little River Band of Ottawa Indians breaks ground on new facility in Manistee

A new Tribal Government Center is being constructed by the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians at the intersection of US-31 and M-22 near Manistee.

The construction project, which will 54,000 square feet in size and cost approximately $10.2 million to build, is the largest construction project for the region since the new Manistee High School was completed in 2002.  

The Little River Band of Ottawa Indians has members from nine counties in Michigan and is the first and fourth largest employer in Manistee County with its businesses and government positions.

The center is being constructed to help the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians honor the traditions of the Anishnaabek, reduce operating costs, offer accessible facilities and provide opportunities for future growth and create a centralized location for the tribal government's operations.

"We want to create jobs, we want to generate the economy--it's one of our goals here to make sure that as much as possible the equipment, the material, the resources, (and) labor comes from Michigan," says Virgil Johnson, a member of the task force overseeing the construction project. "So, we're keeping the money here in Michigan."

The center is expected to be completed over the next 18 months.

Writer: Sam Eggleston
Source: Virgil Johnson, Little River Band of Ottawa Indians