The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Chippewa Indian Community is located at Watersmeet, Michigan in the western most region of the Upper Peninsula, approximately 45 miles northwest of Ironwood, Michigan in Gogebic County. The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Chippewa Indians is one of twelve bands known as the Lake Superior Bands of Chippewa Indians and one of the three located in Michigan along with L’Anse Band and Ontonogan Band which were later united as one under the Keweenaw Bay Chippewa Indian Community. The remaining nine bands are located in northern Wisconsin and Minnesota and they were all party to the same treaties. The current tribal government was established as stand alone in and re-cognized as a tribe for purposes of federal protection and services in 1988. Their service area includes the reservation and tribal members living adjacent in Gogebic County. The Lac Vieux Desert Band was the sixth tribe to join the Inter-Tribal Council of Michigan.