Ottawa Tribe uses new map in fight for control of island

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) _ An Oklahoma Indian tribe that has been fighting for fishing rights on a northern Ohio island now wants ownership of it. <br/><br/>Based on a new interpretation of two treaties from

Monday, November 28th 2005, 6:07 am

By: News On 6

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) _ An Oklahoma Indian tribe that has been fighting for fishing rights on a northern Ohio island now wants ownership of it.

Based on a new interpretation of two treaties from the early 1800s, the Ottawa Tribe of Oklahoma claims that it should have the entire North Bass Island in Lake Erie.

It also wants the $17-million that the state paid two years ago to buy 87 percent of the land from Cleveland-based company.

Ute Dymon is a cartographer at Kent State University. She says the entire island was on the British side of the US-Canadian border at the time of two treaties in the early 1800s. That means the island was not subject to treaties with the United States when the tribe relinquished its ownership rights.

A spokesman for state Attorney General Jim Petro says the claim is unfounded.