(AP) – An American Indian tribe whose members ended up scattered across the Northern Plains after being denied a homeland more than a century ago has been formally recognized by the U.S. government.
Recognition of the Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians was included in a defense spending bill signed into law Friday night by President Donald Trump.
Members of Montana’s congressional delegation sought the measure after the Department of Interior had denied the tribe’s repeated petitions for recognition.
The tribe claims more than 5,000 members. Most are in Montana but others live in Canada and the Dakotas.
