The Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma does not have fishing rights in Ohio, the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today.

The tribe claimed a series of treaties reserved its right to fish on Lake Erie. The tribe also said it owned part of Bass Island.

But the 6th Circuit said the tribe gave up its rights when it was forced to leave Ohio. "We hold that, because the tribe, under these treaties, retained at most a right of occupancy to the lands in Ohio, and this right was extinguished upon abandonment, any related fishing rights it may have reserved were similarly extinguished when the Tribe removed west of the Mississippi," the decision stated.

Get the Story:
Federal Court Denies Oklahoma Tribe's Fishing Rights On Lake Erie (AP 8/18)

6th Circuit Decision:
Ottawa Tribe v. Ohio (August 18, 2009)

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