The court ruled in favor of the university , saying the lands were given as an outright gift ( due in part to the tribes ' affection for Father Richard ) .
The Michigan Court of Appeals upheld the ruling in 1981 .
The court ruled in favor of the university , saying the lands were given as an outright gift ( due in part to the tribes ' affection for Father Richard ) , and the Michigan Court of Appeals upheld the ruling in 1981 .