Founding Documents

PREAMBLE We, the Miami Indians of Oklahoma, for the purpose of preserving our cultural heritage, promoting the general welfare of our people and taking further advantage of the opportunities for self determination and economic independence, as provided under the Thomas-Rogers Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act of June 26, 1936 (49 Stat. 1967), hereby adopt the following […]

PREAMBLE We, the Creek Indians of the Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town, a recognized band of Indians composed of the former tribal towns of Alabama and Quassarte No. 1, in order to get the benefits of the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act, do adopt the following constitution and by-laws to govern our town. ARTICLE I—NAME The name of […]

Date of Constitution: 2002 Terminated in 1956, restored in 1983 PREAMBLE We, the Indians of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon, being a federally recognized Indian tribe pursuant to the Grand Ronde Restoration Act of November 22, 1983 (97 Stat. 1064) hereby adopt this Constitution in accordance with the Indian Reorganization […]

RATIFIED JUNE 12, 1941 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE WASHINGTON: 1942 PREAMBLE We, the members of the Kialegee Tribal Town, one of the former several Tribal Towns of the Creek Indian Nation, now of the State of Oklahoma, in order to promote our common welfare […]

PREAMBLE We, the, Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, consisting of the Chippewa Indians of the White Earth, Leech Lake, Fond du Lac, Bois Forte (Nett Lake), and Grand Portage Reservations and the Nonremoval Mille Lac Band of Chippewa Indians, in order to form a representative Chippewa tribal organization, maintain and establish justice for our Tribe, and to […]

PREAMBLE We, the members of the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Indians in recognition of God Almighty, in order to promote our common welfare, conserve and develop our lands and resources, and secure for ourselves and our descendants the rights, powers and privileges of self government do establish and ratify this Constitution for the Otoe-Missouria Tribe of […]

PREAMBLE We, the Native Tribe of Huslia, assert our freedom as a sovereign people in a historical relationship with the United States of America. In this assertion, we adopt and institute this Constitution to affirm our faith in fundamental Native rights and traditions and, to promote our tribes social, cultural, educational, economic and political progress […]

PREAMBLE WE, the SIPAYIK MEMBERS of the PASSAMAQUODDY TRIBE, People of the Dawn, adopt this Constitution in order to establish a democratic form of tribal government at the Pleasant Point Reservation; to protect our sovereignty and freedom of self-determination; to preserve our heritage and culture for our children and for our future generations; to insure […]

PREAMBLE We, the Native Tribe of Koyukuk, assert our freedom as a sovereign people in a historical relationship with the United States of America. In this assertion, we adopt and institute this Constitution to affirm our faith in fundamental Native fights and traditions and, to promote our tribe’s social, cultural, educational, economic and political progress […]

Constitution of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians We, the members of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians of Michigan, in order to organize for our common good, to govern ourselves under our own laws, to maintain and foster our tribal culture, to protect our homeland, to conserve and […]

Approved 07-14-1982 PREAMBLE We, the Wisconsin Potawatomies residing on lands reserved by the United States for Wisconsin Potawatomies in Wisconsin, grateful to Almighty God for his fostering care,  in order to continue our tribal organization, to conserve and develop our common resources and to promote the welfare of ourselves and our descendants, do hereby ordain […]

PREAMBLE We the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, sometimes designated as the Potawatomi Nation of Oklahoma, in furtherance of our inherent powers of self-government, in order to take advantage of the opportunities for economic independence and social advancement offered by the Thomas-Rogers Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act of June 26, 1936, (49 Stat. 1967), do hereby adopt this […]

PREAMBLE We, the members of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, invoking the will and guidance of Almighty God in order to promote the general welfare, to insure tranquility and to secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of our ancestral heritage, culture and tribal sovereignty, do hereby ordain and establish this Constitution for the […]

PREAMBLE We, the Eastern Shawnee Indians of Oklahoma, whose inherent sovereignty has existed since historic times, and who therefore hold those inherent powers to self-government that have not been extinguished by Congress, wish to develop a stronger self-determination policy in order to advance socially and economically, and to take advantage of the Thomas-Rogers Oklahoma Indian […]

PREAMBLE We, the people of the White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, Arizona, in order to form a more representative organization, to exercise the duties and responsibilities of a representative tribal government, to conserve and develop our tribal lands and resources for ourselves and our children, to provide a higher standard […]

PREAMBLE We the people of the Yavapai-Apache Nation, also called the Yavapai-Apache Tribe, of the Verde Valley, Arizona, do hereby, adopt this constitution in order to: (a) promote the common welfare of our tribe, (b) protect our people, land and natural resources now and in the future, (c) acquire additional lands for the benefit of […]

[NOTE – History: The Constitution of the Tohono O’odham Nation was adopted on January 18, 1986 in an election in which at least 30% of the Nation’s qualified voters cast their ballots in accordance with Section 16 of the Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 984), as amended, and was approved by […]

As Amended June 22, 1990 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 own form of government, do, in accordance with the first, second, fourth and seventh articles of the Treaty between the United States, the Choctaws and […]

PREAMBLE We the people of the Cherokee Nation, in order to preserve and enrich our tribal culture, achieve and maintain a desirable measure of prosperity, insure tranquility and to secure to ourselves and our posterity the blessings of freedom, acknowledging, with humility and gratitude, the goodness of the Sovereign Ruler of the Universe in permitting […]

(INCLUDING 1962, 1975, 1990, 1992, 1995, AND 1997 AMENDMENTS) PREAMBLE We, the people of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indian of Belcourt, North Dakota, in order to develop and enjoy the advantages of democratic processes and opportunities to promote our general welfare, education, and prosperity, to promote good and law-abiding citizens, do ordain and […]

PREAMBLE We, the members of the Seminole Tribe of Florida, in order to promote justice, insure tranquility, encourage the general welfare, safeguard our interests and secure the blessings of freedom and liberty for ourselves and for our posterity, do hereby form and organize a Seminole Tribal Council and we do ordain and establish this Constitution […]

PREAMBLE We, the members of the Sauk – Suiattle Indian Tribe, by virtue of our sovereign and aboriginal rights as an Indian Tribe, and pursuant to the authorities conferred by the Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 984), do hereby establish this constitution for the Sauk – Suiattle Indian Tribe for the […]