FOREWORD
NOTE:
This has been posted to check for typographical errors and to double check that all approved content has been included in the format and order that it was approved.
This is a work in progress and is not completely transcibed yet...
please send possible corrections that you detect to the
email address
constitutional.cherokee(at)gmail.com
please for the editors to review
additional note: a committee is to be appointed to create a more concise history and to verify its accuracy and to provide documentation for its cited source material. This committee is to be announced at the convening of the next national assembly.
another committee is set to be selected by the next national convention (as provided for in this constitution) to provide typographical corrections, To correctly Number and order the sections, to choose a font and the appearance of the documents, to remove redundancies, to insert omitted material, and to clarify the language and to harmonize the policies with the original documents.
This committee is to be announced at the convening of the next national assembly.
With the exception of the grammatical and typographical corrections, all change are to be be submitted to the national assembly for approval by ballot.
In the interim, this document “Handbook of the Constitutional Cherokee” shall serve as the official constitution and by laws of the Constitutional Cherokee.
A Handbook committee is to be appointed by all fully organized and incorporated state chapters to work together for the collection of documents from the websites, blog sites, emails, papers, documents and google docs in order to complete the compilation of the handbook to be ratified at the next regular national assembly that is the first to be convened since the removal era.
The committee shall not substantially alter the Handbook, Constitution or Bylaws except for the summarizing of the Historical Statement, Nor shall the Handbook committee make any changes of any kind to any of the Articles (other than typographical corrections) but rather shall seek that all OTHER aspects of the HANDBOOK are comprehensive, coherent, complete and in harmony with the intention of the original document and are supportive and explanatory of the Articles.
Thereafter, the handbook shall only be amended or altered in accordance with the Handbook, subject to approval by the regularly convened national assemblies every seventh (7th) year.
NOTE: Our Cherokee Ancestors had a complex and highly developed political and spiritual system in place that was NOT understood by the invading governments. Those invaders tended to simplify our system and rename parts of it to correspond with their own. In some cases, they totally ignored our system and put their own idea of government in its place, refusing to deal with any of our traditional leaders. This is obvious in the explanations of the encounters with Moytoy and also with the way our women were disregarded and the men who did not own the land were consulted for the purpose of trading the land. This Handbook seeks to rectify those misconceptions.
Our primary purpose is to Unite all Cherokees.
We are united in our past (all are Cherokee descendants);
We are united in our present (working together) for clearly stated purposes:
1. Recognize and accept all descendants of any Cherokee person that lived.
2. Unite all descendants into one governing body.
3. To encourage and promote socioeconomic development aimed at national and individual self-sufficiency in order to bring all the Cherokee people home and to aid in their return.
4. To support the preservation of traditional Cherokee culture, language and values because if we do not live as a Cherokee, there is no purpose in retaining the title or identity.
5. To improve education and training opportunities for all enrolled members while seeking documentation and histories for all prospective members.
6. To seek improved health care for our people with particular emphasis on children and elders.
7. To encourage our people to develop, as individuals, their talents as artists, craftspeople, dancers, musicians, scholars, states persons, healers and writers.
8. To continuously strive to maintain the dignity of the Cherokee People by always treating all Cherokee people with the utmost respect and courtesy.
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NOTE: The primary repository of records is the local or community group.
The Community Chapter is where you would make your application for membership.
These groups meet for prayer circles and potlucks.
Originally, these were mostly relatives and family groups meeting for prayer and potluck.
Once they begin meeting, they are to incorporate under the Constitution and Bylaws in this handbook. They are responsible to verify all documentation of members and to preserve not only original applications but also to produce electronic documents that may be sent to the state chapter.
Once there are 2 (two) or more local chapters, they are to work together to unite and organize and incorporate a state chapter and hold a state assembly annually thereafter. The state assembly is to be responsible for annual auditing of financial statements and of membership applications.
Once there are four or more organized and incorporated state chapters, they are to unite together and hold a National Assembly which shall then assemble every seven (7) years thereafter.
The National Assembly is to have a council that meets in the interim for business and to organize new state chapters in states of the historic homeland that do not yet have one and to be responsible for an audit every 7th year of the financial records and membership rolls.
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