Little Traverse Bay Bands Of Odawa Indians

Little Traverse Bay Bands Of Odawa Indians, a federally recognized tribal government headquartered in Harbor Springs, Michigan, operates exclusively as a federal grant recipient, with 92 percent of its 339 recent awards held as prime recipient status and 8 percent as sub-recipient through state and tribal pass-through intermediaries. The tribe does not pursue federal contracts and has no contracting vehicle positions; its federal engagement is entirely grant-based across 51 agencies.

The tribe's grant portfolio spans social services, environmental management, cultural preservation, youth services, employment training, and community development. Representative prime awards include a $546,353 Tribal Youth Program (CFDA 16.731) project grant from the Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance through October 2030 to provide wraparound support services for K-12 tribal students ages 6-18; a $525,000 Transitional Housing Assistance program (CFDA 16.736) award from the Office on Violence Against Women through September 2028 to operate ten scattered-site residences for survivors of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking; a $1,005,511 Economic Adjustment Assistance award (CFDA 11.307) from the Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration in April 2022 for economic diversification strategy development in response to COVID-19 tourism losses; and recurring formula grants for child care and development from the Office of Child Care (CFDA 93.575), elder nutrition and support services from the Administration on Aging under Title VI and the Nutrition Services Incentive Program, and food distribution from the Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (CFDA 10.567).

The tribe's customer concentration clusters around health, aging, and human services agencies. The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Children and Families anchors the prime portfolio with multiple recurrent awards in child welfare services, child care development, and family support programming. The Administration for Community Living funds elder and aging services grants. The Environmental Protection Agency represents the second-largest customer by award count with 21 awards spanning brownfields response (CFDA 66.817), solid waste recycling infrastructure (CFDA 66.920), and continuing environmental programs for water quality, air quality, and remediation capacity. The Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs and the Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration provide substance-abuse treatment courts, youth justice services, and employment and training programs for American Indian populations.

Activity has remained stable over the past five years, averaging approximately 19 awards annually, with 23 awards in 2024 and 21 in 2025. Twenty-six awards are approaching ultimate completion in the next twenty-four months, creating a recompete window for the tribe's grantor agencies. Sub-award activity concentrates among Michigan Department of Health and Human Services pass-throughs for public health emergency preparedness and tribal behavioral health initiatives, and university research partnerships including Michigan State University collaborations on cultural burning and ecological restoration in the Straits of Mackinac. The tribe reports $113.1 million in combined dollars obligated across all awards, reflecting a robust funded footprint across domestic and community development priorities aligned with federally recognized tribal governance and self-determination authorities.