Indianz.Com > News > Pokagon Band signs government-to-government agreement with Indiana
Eric Holcomb and Matthew Wesaw
From left: Indiana Department of Natural Resources Director Dan Bortner, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, Indiana Department of Administration Commissioner Dr. Rebecca Holwerda, Chairman of Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians Mat Wesaw and Indiana State Parks Director Terry Coleman, take part in the dedication ceremony at Potato Creek State Park on December 3, 2024. Photo: Indiana DNR
Pokagon Band signs government-to-government agreement with Indiana
Monday, January 6, 2025
Indianz.Com

The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians is starting off the new year with a new government-to-government agreement.

Pokagon Chairman Matthew Wesaw signed an accord with Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb (R), according to a news release. The agreement provides a framework for the ways in which the tribe and the state will carry out their government-to-government relationship.

“As the first federally-recognized tribe in the state of Indiana, the Pokagon Band has been very pleased with the positive working relationship we’ve enjoyed with Governor Holcomb and his administration over several years,” Wesaw said on Monday. “This accord signifies another historic milestone in our partnership, and I would personally like to thank him for his willingness to complete this process before the end of his second term.”

“His contributions and accomplishments for all of the citizens of the great state of Indiana are part of a lasting legacy he can be proud of,” Wesaw said.

The Pokagon Band is headquartered in southwestern Michigan. The tribe was the first Indian nation to acquire trust land in the state of Indiana, with offices and a gaming operation in the city of South Bend.

“This accord provides a framework to work collaboratively for the mutual benefit of our citizens,” Holcomb said in the tribe’s news release. “I’ve sincerely enjoyed learning about Pokagon history and culture as well as getting to know and work with Chairman Wesaw.”

In early December, Wesaw joined Holcomb for the dedication of a cornerstone plaque< for a lodge at Potato Creek State Park near South Bend. The Indiana State Park system includes Pokagon Sate Park, a site that that was purchased from the tribe and named after Pokagon Chief Leopold Pokagon and his son, Simon Pokagon.
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