Governor Jennifer Granholm and leaders of the 12 federally-acknowledged Indian tribes in Michigan on May 12 signed an intergovernmental accord, stating their commitment to the Great Lakes ecosystem, and pledged to work together to clean up pollutants, eliminate exotic species, maintain and preserve diverse water resource habitats and prevent future contaminants, exotics and depletion of the waters.

Under the accord, the Governor's representatives and those of the tribal leaders will meet twice a year to review the quantity and quality of our water resources and develop strategies for protecting them. Those strategies will include recommendations for state, federal and tribal legislation and international treaties, coordination of permitting activities and cooperation enforcement of water protection laws.

The summit fulfills a commitment called for in a tribal state accord signed in December 2002. That accord called for annual meetings between the Governor and the tribal chairs.

"Water is the lifeblood of Mother Earth and is important to both our physical and spiritual beings," said Chairman Frank Ettawageshik of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians. "This agreement gave us a chance to further our traditional interests as well as to express our concerns for the environment in which all people live. It commits our governments, both tribal and state, to working together to protect this essential resource."

"Continually improving communications and understanding between our state and the 12 nations will serve us well in the years to come," Granholm noted. "Just as we have formalized relationships with our neighboring states and the federal government, so, too, is it imperative that we have a formal relationship with the tribal communities in Michigan who are an important part of our history, our culture and our future."

The accord outlines fundamental principles regarding the federally-acknowledged Indian tribes, including that the tribes are sovereign governmental entities, possess authority to exercise jurisdiction over their respective lands and citizens and possess the right to self-governance.