The Board of Commissioners establishes policy and overall guidance for GLIFWC's work in the Ceded Territory. Each member tribe holds a seat on the Board of Commissioners, which meets regularly throughout the year. Two standing committees provide guidance and input to tribal leaders on the GLIFWC Board of Commissioners. The Voigt Intertribal Task Force focuses on the inland portion of the 1837 and 1842 Ceded Territory. The Great Lakes Indian Fisheries Committee deals with tribal harvest and management of the Great Lakes—primarily Lake Superior—and its tributaries.
Ojibwe treaty tribes created the Voigt Intertribal Task Force following the 1983 LCO Voigt decision. Its 10-member tribes review natural resources issues in the Ceded Territory and provides policy recommendations to the Board of Commissioners.
GLIFWC member bands located along Lake Superior provide representation on the Great Lakes Fisheries Committee. Comprised of five-bands, the committee monitors the status of the subsistence and commercial fishery in Great Lakes treaty waters. Representatives also track the status of Great Lakes tributaries with a focus on sea lamprey control and lake sturgeon stewardship.