Detroit committee advances transfer of Fort Wayne burial mound to Potawatomi tribe

The Detroit City Council Neighborhood and Community Service standing committee moved a proposal to transfer a Native American burial mound at Fort Wayne to the Natawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi to formal session with a recommendation for approval after hearing a presentation from the city and remarks from tribal leaders.

The transfer request covers roughly 0.58 acres containing the Fort Wayne mound (part of the historic Spring Wells Mound Group), and would include easement access for the tribe to perform ceremonial uses, cultural interpretation and land stewardship. Crystal Perkins, director of the General Services Department, said the city fenced the mound and has surveyed the site; past excavations confirmed the presence of human remains dating back to about AD 750.

The committee’s action moves the item out of committee and onto the council’s new business calendar for a formal vote. “Line item 6.1, we move to formal session with recommendation for approval,” the chair said after no objections were raised.

Why it matters: the Fort Wayne mound is an archaeological and culturally significant site. Federal historic-preservation rules and tribal consultation played a central role in the proposal. Perkins told the committee the city completed Section 106 consultation under the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 with multiple tribal entities and identified the Natawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi as the appropriate steward for the site.

What the committee heard - Crystal Perkins, director of the General Services Department, described the mound as part of the larger Spring Wells Mound Group and said the city has fenced the mound, completed surveys and asked the council to transfer the parcel and grant easement access to the tribe for ceremonial and interpretive uses. Perkins also reported that a $100,000 study that council members put in the budget was published as an RFP: “It was approved. We have put that out for bid. I can double check where we're at in the RFP process, but that RFP was published.” - Dori Rios, identified to the committee as chairwoman for the Natawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi, thanked the city for government-to-government collaboration and said the transfer would return stewardship of ancestral lands to her community: “chi miigwech, a big thank you…This is long overdue.” - Bruce Goldman, representing the city’s Law Department, told the committee the city does not grant warranty deeds and instead will use a quitclaim (sometimes called a quick-claim) or similar instrument because of legal and title limitations stemming from how the city acquired the property. Goldman said the property was received from federal sources in tranches from roughly the 1940s through the 1970s and that the city previously agreed to and now enforces strict deed restrictions and a declaration of covenants and restrictions negotiated with the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO), tribes and the National Park Service. According to Goldman, those restrictions are intended to run in perpetuity. - Several council members pressed for written guarantees about long-term stewardship and access to on-site facilities. Vice Chairman Galloway said the tribe should get “written guarantees that are actually etched in stone if possible,” expressing concern that future administrations could reverse commitments. Member Benson sought a formal, verifiable commitment that the tribe would have access to shelter or building amenities for ceremonies; city staff said an adjacent building could be made available and that a future, formal agreement could be drafted once the tribe’s needs are defined.

Context and background The city took management responsibility for historic Fort Wayne in 2006, and staff described earlier phases of planning: a strategic plan and deed/siting work in 2020, an interpretive plan in 2022 and stabilization efforts in 2021. Perkins said the department has pursued outside funding and applied for restoration or conservation support programs, and that community partners and volunteers have provided maintenance in the past.

Legal and procedural notes Committee members discussed the deed type and the legal mechanisms that would protect tribal ownership. The Law Department emphasized there are statutory and title-based limitations on the city’s ability to convey warranty deeds and said the city replaced earlier federal deed restrictions with local covenants and restrictions designed to restrict future uses and protect the site. The committee did not take a final vote on transfer terms; rather, it advanced the item to formal session with a recommendation for approval so the full council can consider an ordinance, deed or related instruments.

Next steps The committee’s motion sent line item 6.1 to the council’s formal session and new-business calendar for a full vote. City staff said they will work with tribal representatives to formalize agreements on access and facilities and will provide follow-up information about the RFP and any proposed written agreements. The committee and tribal representatives signaled they expect additional administrative work and documentation before final conveyance.

Ending Committee members and tribal leaders described the day’s action as a step toward restoring tribal stewardship and protecting a burial site of cultural and archaeological significance. The item will return to the council’s formal session for a final decision.