Little Shell recognition heads to president

Montana’s U.S. senators announced today a bill that includes federal recognition of The Little Shell Tribe of Chippewa Indians passed Congress and is on the way to the president for his signature.

Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., successfully added recognition of the tribe — something it has been seeking for more than a century — in the national defense authorization act.

Rep. Greg Gianforte, R-Mont., last session and this sponsored legislation to recognize the tribe. His bills passed the House but last year was shot down by by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, who blocked a vote on Little Shell recognition.

A bill sponsored by Gianforte this year again passed the House, but was not taken up in the Senate.

Gianforte voted for the defense authorization that include Little Shell recognition when it passed the House last Wednesday 377-48.

Daines and Sen. Jon Tester, D-Mont., whose first bill when he was elected to the Senate was to recognize the tribe, voted for the bill when it passed the Senate today 86-8.

Watch for more about the Little Shell recognition bill in Wednesday’s edition of the Havre Daily News.