Indigenous Governance Database
Constitutions and Constitutions Excerpts
Coquille Indian Tribe Constitution
Location: Oregon Population: 968 Date of Constitution: 1991, as amended 2008 Preamble: Our ancestors since the beginning of time have lived and died on the Coquille aboriginal lands and waters. The Coquille Indian Tribe is and has always been a sovereign self-governing power dedicated to…
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon Constitution
Location: Oregon Population: 4800 Date of Constitution: 1979, as amended 1994 and 2008 Purposes: Oregon 4800 1979, as amended 1994 and 2008 We, the members of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon, being a federally recognized Indian tribe and the political successor in interest to…
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Constitution
Location: Montana Population: 7,000 Date of Constitution: 1935 Preamble: We, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, Montana, in order to establish a more responsible organization, promote our general welfare, conserve and develop our lands and resources, and secure…
Citizen Potawatomi Nation Constitution
Citizen Potawatomi Nation is located in Oklahoma with a population of 29,000 people. The constitution was enacted in 1938 and amended in 1985 and 2007. Preamble: We, the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, sometimes designated as the Potawatomi Tribe of Oklahoma, in furtherance of our inherent powers…
Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana Constitution
The Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana is located in Southern Louisiana with a population of 950 people. The constitution was enacted in 1970 and amended in 2009 and 2010. Preamble: We, the Chitimacha Indians of Louisiana, desiring to establish an organization for our common welfare and benefit,…
Chilkat Indian Village Constitution
The Chilkat Indian Village is located in Southeastern Alaska with a population of 140 people. The constitution was enacted in 2006. The village was involved in a famous cultural property case about Whale House rain screen and totem poles. Preamble: We, a sovereign community of Tlingit Indians…
Chickasaw Nation Constitution
Chickasaw Nation is located in Oklahoma with a population of 49,000 people. The constitution was enacted in 1983 and amended in 2002. Preamble: We, the people of the Chickasaw Nation, acknowledging with gratitude the grace and beneficence of God, in permitting us to make choice of our…
Blackfeet Nation Constitution
The Blackfeet Nation is located in Northern Montana at the Canadian border. It has a population of 16,500 people and the tribe was artificially divided by the U.S.-Canadian border. The constitution was enacted in 1934 and amended in 1962, 1978, and 1998. PREAMBLE: We, the adult members of the…
Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas Constitution
The Alabama and Coushatta Tribes of Texas is located in East Texas with a population of 1,000 individuals. Their constitution was ratified in 1938. The federal government terminated its relationship with the tribe in 1954 and restored federal recognition in 1987. Preamble: We, the Alabama and…
Klamath Tribes: Preamble Excerpt
PREAMBLE: We, the People of the Klamath and Modoc Tribes and the Yahooskin Band of Snake Indians, [hereafter referred to as the Klamath Tribe(s)] do hereby establish and adopt this Constitution for the government of our General Council in order to recognize our Tribes for the continued preservation…
Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians: Governmental Structure Excerpt
ARTICLE VI. ORGANIZATION OF THE GOVERNMENT A. Purpose, Fundamental Rights. We, the Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians, speak through this document to assert that we are a distinct nation of Anishinaabek of North America that possess the right to: self-determination; freely determine our…
Overcoming the Politics of Reform: The Story of the 1999 Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma Constitutional Convention
A pressing international challenge is developing processes of constitution-making that manage the politics of reform and produce legitimate and effective constitutions. This challenge is of special concern for numerous American Indian nations that have been embroiled in dual governments and…
Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina: Recall, Removal, & Vacancies Excerpt
Article IV. Recall. 1. The power to recall any elected official of the Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina who is in the second calendar year or later in his or her term is specifically reserved for the general membership of the Tribe. 2. A recall election shall be held when a petition…
Kaw Nation: Initiative & Referendum Excerpt
ARTICLE XII: INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM Section 1. The citizens of the Kaw Nation reserve unto themselves the power of initiative and referendum. Section 2. Initiative. Any issue shall be submitted for an initiative election pursuant to this section upon receipt of a petition containing…
Nez Perce Tribe: Legislative Functions Excerpt
ARTICLE VIII POWERS AND DUTIES OF THE NEZ PERCE TRIBAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Section 1. The NPTEC shall have the following powers, to be exercised in accordance with this Constitution and with the applicable statutes of the United States. (A) To represent the Tribe in negotiations with…
Hopi Tribe: Governmental Structure Excerpt
ARTICLE III-ORGANIZATION SECTION 1. The Hopi Tribe is a union of self-governing villages sharing common interests and working for the common welfare of all. It consists of the following recognized villages: First Mesa (consolidated villages of Walpi, Shitchumovi, and Tewa). Mishongnovi.…
Pueblo of Laguna: Elections Excerpt
ARTICLE III - THE PUEBLO COUNCIL, STAFF OFFICERS AND SETTLEMENTS Section 1. - The Pueblo Council. The governing power of the Pueblo shall be vested in the Pueblo of Laguna Council. The Pueblo Council, functioning as one (1) governmental entity, shall be composed of the following officials…
Sisseton-Wahpeton Oyate: Elections Excerpt
ARTICLE V - NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS SECTION 1. The first election of the Council under this Revised Constitution shall be called, held and supervised by the present Council within one hundred twenty (120) days after its approval. Successful candidates at this first election shall assume…
Haida Nation: Jurisdiction/Territory Excerpt
ARTICLE 1 HAIDA TERRITORIES A1.S1 The Territories of the Haida Nation include the entire lands of Haida Gwaii, the surrounding waters, sub-surface and the air space. The waters include the entire Dixon Entrance, half of the Hecate Straits, halfway to Vancouver Island and Westward into the abyssal…
Westbank First Nation: Jurisdiction/Territory Excerpt
2. Aboriginal Rights and Title 2.1 Westbank is part of the Okanagan Nation which has occupied and benefited from Okanagan traditional territory since time immemorial. 2.2 Westbank has never ceded, surrendered, or in any way relinquished aboriginal title and will continue to assert its interests and…