HARBOR SPRINGS (AP) -- A northern Michigan Indian tribal council has voted to recognize gay marriage.
The Petoskey News-Review reports that the legislative body of the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians made the decision Sunday. The tribe is based in Harbor Springs.
The 5-4 vote in favor of recognizing same-sex marriage sends the statue to the tribal chairman, who can either sign or veto it. The tribal council would need seven votes to override a veto.
At least two other U.S. Indian tribes recognize gay marriage. The Coquille Tribe in North Bend, Ore., began recognizing the unions in 2009, and the Suquamish Tribe in Suquamish, Wash., did so in 2011.
Voters approved a ban on gay marriage in the Michigan Constitution in 2004, but Indian tribes are self-governing.
(Copyright ©2013 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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