BARAGA — As actions by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers continues to dominate headlines nationally, concern is growing in Indian Country. Last week, Everett Ekdahl, Jr. president of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, issued a statement regarding recent ICE activity.

Eckdahl opened the statment by affirming the Community’s sovereignty and the “binding nature of the treaties entered into between our ancestors and the United States government.”

Eckdahul reiterated the treaties are not merely symbolic in nature but are “the supreme law of the land under the United States Constitution and remain in full force today.”

Ekhal states recent actions coupled with the increased presence of ICE in and around Indian Country raise serious concerns for his community. “The exercise of federal enforcement authority on or near tribal lands, without consultation, coordination, or consent of Tribal governments, undermines Tribal sovereignty and violates the spirit and letter of our treaties.”

The Tribal President states reservations are not simply geographic in nature but are “homelands governed by sovereign Nations.”

He said Tribal governments possess the authority to determine who enters their lands and how laws are enforced within Tribal jurisdictions. “Any federal action that disregards this authority threatens the government-to-government relationship that the United States is legally and morally obligated to uphold.”

Eckdahl wrote that historically, Indigenous peoples have endured generations of “broken promises, forced removals, and disregard for our rights.”

He said the negotiated treaties were meant to ensure the continued existence, self-determination and protection from exactly this kind of

unilateral federal intrusion. He said ICE actions ignore Tribal jurisdiction and perpetuate a harmful legacy which erodes trust.

“The Keweenaw Bay Indian Community calls on the United States government and its agencies, including ICE, to immediately respect Tribal sovereignty, honor treaty obligations, and engage in meaningful consultation with Tribal Nations. We demand adherence to established legal frameworks that recognize Tribes as distinct political entities not as extensions of state or federal authority.”

The KBIC offers advice to tribal members who are approached by ICE agents:

• Have your Tribal ID ready, and make sure the ID is updated

• If with a child please have their documentation available as well

• Remain calm to the best of your ability. Do not give them (ICE) any reason to escalate a situation.

• Advise ICE to contact Tribal Police that are in the treaty protected area

• Remember you have the right to remain silent

• Please contact the office of the (Tribal) President with factual information

• If contacted by ICE, record the interaction if possible

Eckdahl said the KBIC stands in solidarity with other Tribal Nations who share these concerns and reaffirm its commitment to protecting “our people, our lands, and our rights for future generations.” He concluded his statement with “Our treaties are not relics of the past. They are living agreements, and we will continue to defend them.”