Cherokee Nation '99 Constitution Incorporated Older Ideas

Producer
Tahlequah Daily Press
Year

Before the Cherokee Nation 1999 Constitution was ratified by voters in 2003 and recognized by the federal government in 2006, the tribe was governed under different laws that required extensive input and oversight by Cherokees when they decided to rewrite the document in 1995.

Under the 1975 Constitution, the tribe was required to ask its citizens in 20 years whether the law should be amended, edited, or reworked through a constitutional convention. After it was overwhelmingly endorsed by CN citizens, the tribe created the Constitution Convention Commission in 1998 to discern what changes should be made.

Native Nations
Resource Type
Citation

Crawford, Grant D. "CN '99 Constitution Incorporated Older Ideas". Sept. 8, 2019. Tahlequah Daily Press. Retrieved from https://www.tahlequahdailypress.com/news/cn-99...

Related Resources

Image
Special White Earth Constitutional Reform Issue

As the White Earth Nation prepares for a referendum election to approve or reject the proposed constitution, the Reform Committee has implemented a series of citizen engagement activities that includes a special issue of the tribal newspaper to inform citizens of the election date, proposed changes…

Image
The Crown's Constitutional Duty to Consult and Accomodate Aboriginal and Treaty Rights

The Crown’s duty to consult and accommodate Aboriginal and treaty rights is a fundamental matter of social justice that invokes very solemn legal obligations. Reconciliation and win-win situations can be achieved with good faith negotiations if the federal and provincial Crown immediately…