Article VIII - Admission of state recognized tribes
ARTICLE VIII:
ON the admission of state recognized tribes -
Membership within the Constitutional Cherokee is on an individual basis. However, we recognize the fragmentation done to our political entities in these post removal decades.
Therefore we realize that many state tribes were recognized within our homelands by the state governments within which Cherokee people resided. Unfortunately, some states recognized more than one tribe or band of people as Cherokee on the state level.
After close inspection of tribal documents, the Constitutional Cherokee will recognize any established state recognized tribe as a local community unless there is only one state recognized group within that state or the various state recognized entities within that state resolve their differences and unite together as one state chapter.
All individual members within any state recognized tribe that can document their ancestry to a historical Cherokee are encouraged to submit their applications for membership into the Constitutional Cherokee as a tribal entity provided that each individual member within that group meet all of the membership requirements of the Constitutional Cherokee. No exceptions to documentation will be allowed. Only individuals with a documented Cherokee ancestor who can meet all the membership requirements of the Constitutional Cherokee may join the Constitutional Cherokee.
The State recognized group that becomes amenable to the Constitutional Cherokee and who successfully petitions for inclusion will be allowed to operate and function under their constitution and by laws as a local community and retain their local leadership and governance as long as none of those laws and procedures are in conflict with the Constitution of the Constitutional Cherokee and also provided that statements be added to those documents that reflect that the organization is both under the authority of the Constitutional Cherokee state and national councils and assemblies and that they are amenable to the authority of the state and national assemblies and councils. Furthermore, all property held by the state recognized (local) group is to be deeded to the national body of the Constitutional Cherokee and may not be disposed of by either of those entities without the unanimous consent of both the local, state recognized community nor the national assembly.
All state recognized groups shall petition the national council of principal chiefs for inclusion. The principal chiefs on the national council will consult with any existing state chapter leadership and if after review it is determined that the individual members are indeed documented Cherokee descendants, then the group will be presented to the next state convention or assembly to have their inclusion in the Constitutional Cherokee voted upon and ratified by ballot from among the delegates at the state assembly or convention.
ALTHOUGH neither the National Council, nor the National Assembly, nor a REGIONAL CHAPTER may ever restrict membership to a particular quantum, a local chapter that is based on descendants of a particular historic roll (such as old settlers or 1924 Baker) may restrict their membership to a blood quantum of 1/4 or more as long as another chapter exists within that region that does NOT restrict their membership to a specific quantum.
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