Governor Gretchen Whitmer is a lifelong Michigander. She is a lawyer, an educator, former prosecutor, State Representative and Senator. She was the first woman to lead a Senate caucus. But the most important title she boasts is MOM. Governor Whitmer was elected to the House of Representatives in 2000 and elected to the Michigan State Senate in 2006 where she served as the Senate Democratic Leader.
Michigan is home to twelve federally recognized Indian tribes, each a sovereign government with an inherent right to self-governance and self-determination. Each of these tribes has its own governing structure, culture, traditions, laws, regulations, and policies which it uses to exercise jurisdiction.
The State of Michigan shares a responsibility with Michigan’s federally recognized Indian tribes to provide for and protect the health, safety, and welfare of tribal community members. This responsibility is deeply important and calls for open communication and robust collaboration. To this end, on October 31, 2019, Governor Whitmer signed Executive Directive 2019-17. This Executive Directive builds on the Government to Government Accord of October 28, 2002 entered into with each of Michigan’s tribes, and it requires that each state department and agency adopt a formal tribal consultation policy.