About Us
OUR HISTORY
1600's
Early accounts of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians ("Tribe") date back to the 1600's, when French missionaries wrote of wintering with the Tribe. The Tribal members were recognized for achieving sustainability through fishing, hunting, and gathering natural foods.
1850's
After the treaty of 1854, a large portion of the Tribal members returned to their original village of Ketegitigaaning. When the ceded Indian lands were placed on public sale, the members of Ketegitigaaning pooled part of the yield of their winter hunting, and took the furs to the Public Land Office to purchase back the land they were living on.
1980's
Residing in Watersmeet, Michigan, the Tribe was previously recognized as a member of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community. In 1988, after more than two decades of effort by the Tribe, US President Reagan signed the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians Act 25 U.S.C. 1300(h), ("Act") granting status to the Tribe as a federally recognized Indian tribe. The Act officially recognized the Tribe as a separate sovereign nation apart from the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, governed by its own constitution and bylaws.
Today
Presently, the Tribe's reservation exists within the beautiful landscape of Watersmeet, Michigan. Aptly named, Watersmeet is home to the boundaries where three major watersheds meet: the Mississippi River, the Wisconsin River, and Lake Michigan. The inherent traits of such a destination made Watersmeet a natural travel and trade hub. As such, it has been a historically significant location for fur traders, explorers, miners, and loggers. Today, the Tribe strives to preserve the integrity of this land for future generations to enjoy.
OUR BUSINESS
The internet provides the Tribe with the ultimate resource and opportunity to spur economic growth and business development despite its geographic location.
Big Picture Loans was formed by the Tribe to enhance the Tribe’s self-determination and further diversify the Tribe’s economy. Big Picture Loans is an economic arm and instrumentality of Tribe that is organized and licensed under Tribal law and is located on the Tribe’s reservation.
Big Picture Loans’ online consumer loan business is specifically authorized by Tribal law. Big Picture Loans maintains a valid Financial Services License issued by the Tribal Financial Services Regulatory Authority (“Authority”). You can learn about the authority here http://www.lvd-nsn.gov/Content/Boards-Commissions-and-Regulatory-Authorities.cfm. Big Picture Loans provides a pathway to economic stability for the Tribe and its members while providing a vital service to Americans of all backgrounds who might otherwise be without access to the financial assistance they need.
NEWS ABOUT BIG PICTURE LOANS AND THE LAC VIEUX DESERT BAND OF LAKE SUPERIOR CHIPPEWA INDIANS
20 YEARS OF GIVING
For more than 20 years The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians has been contributing to their local community. Through a treaty agreed upon by the Tribe, they agreed to give 2% of the income derived from Tribal businesses to local causes. On Monday March 5, 2019 The Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa announced the presentation of nearly $140,000 to local townships and school districts. To read more about how LVD is helping local communities grow and thrive click here.
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Stop wasting time on other loans!
Choose Big Picture Loans and you could get the funds you need immediately after approval*, with no hidden fees.*
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT PROCEDURES FOR APPLYING FOR A LOAN - To help fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities and to comply with Tribal law and the spirit of federal law requiring all financial institutions to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each person who applies for a loan, we will ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us to identify you. we may ask for your driver's license or other identifying documents.
*Big Picture Loans reviews and approves all loans on Tribal land at its office located at E23970 Pow Wow Trail, Watersmeet, MI 49969. If your application is verified and approved we will attempt to send your funds using Real-Time Finding, which can provide instant funding, including on weekends. The exact time your funds appear in your account may vary depending on your bank’s processing times. If your bank does not accept Real-Time Funding, we will automatically send your funds by ACH, which usually posts the next business day (Monday through Friday excluding all federal banking holidays). Big Picture Loans does not charge a fee for Real-Time Funding; check with your banking institution regarding any fees they may charge. Although we work to process applications as quickly as possible, unavoidable delays may occur.
Loan approval and amounts are based on minimum income amounts, other credit criteria, and verification of the information provided during the application process. The Annual Percentage Rate ("APR") may vary based on when your first payment is scheduled, pay frequency, total loan duration, and the amount of your loan. Big Picture Loans, LLC (“Big Picture Loans ®”) will run credit checks on all applications and may review credit information from specialized credit bureaus. Please note submitting a loan application does not mean it was fully approved. If you choose to re-apply for a loan and your circumstances have changed, you may not be approved for the same loan amount.
Big Picture Loans is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tribal Economic Development Holdings, LLC, a wholly owned and operated economic arm and instrumentality of the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians (“Tribe”), a federally recognized Indian tribe, created for the benefit of the Tribe and operating pursuant to Tribal law. Big Picture Loans is a duly licensed Financial Services Licensee of the Lac Vieux Desert Tribal Financial Services Regulatory Authority, an independent regulatory body of the Tribe, and operates in accordance with the Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians Tribal Consumer Financial Services Regulatory Code, which can be found here: Tribal Consumer Financial Services Regulatory Code.
You can an contact us at support@bigpictureLoans.com or at PO Box 704, Watersmeet, MI 49969-0704. All communications with Big Picture Loans are deemed confidential. Any unauthorized reproduction, distribution, or disclosure is prohibited without Big Picture Loans’ express written consent.
Consumer Notice: Big Picture Loans should be used for short-term financial needs only, not as a long-term financial solution. Individuals with credit difficulties should seek credit counseling. For more information, please see our Financial Wellness page.
If Big Picture Loans approves your loan, it will be governed by Tribal law, applicable federal law and your loan agreement. The laws of your resident state may have interest rate limits and other protective laws that are more favorable. If you wish to have your resident state’s law apply, you should consider taking a loan from a licensed lender in your state. Availability of installment loans are subject to change from time to time as determined by Big Picture Loans. If you have concerns or complaints about your loan, please visit our Tribal Dispute Resolution Procedure page.
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