The Constitution and By-Laws of the Blackfeet Nation

 We, the adult members of the Blackfeet Indian Tribe, pursuant to the authority vested in us by Section 16 of the Act of June 18, 1934 (48 Statutes at large, page 986), and amendments thereto, do hereby organize for the common welfare of said tribe and the members thereof, and for such purpose do adopt the following constitution for the government, protection, and common welfare of the said tribe and members thereof. 

 The jurisdiction of the Blackfeet Tribe shall extend to the territory within the confines of the Blackfeet Reservation boundaries as defined in the agreement of September 26, 1895; and to such other lands as may be hereafter added thereto under any law of the United States, except as otherwise provided by law. 

AMENDMENT III

Section 1. The members of the Blackfeet Tribe shall consist as follows:

(a) All persons of Indian blood whose names appear on the official census roll of the tribe as of January 1, 1935.

(b) All children born prior to the adoption of this amendment to any blood member of the Blackfeet Tribe maintaining a legal residence within the territory of the Reservation at the time of such birth.

(c) All children having one-fourth (1/4) degree of Blackfeet Indian blood or more born after the adoption of this amendment to any blood member of the Blackfeet Tribe.
(AMENDMENT III APPROVED AUGUST 30, 1962)

Section 2. The tribal council shall have the power to promulgate ordinances, subject to review by the Secretary of the Interior, governing future membership and the adoption of new members.

AMENDMENT IV

Section 1. The governing body of the Blackfeet Tribe shall consist of a council known as the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council.

AMENDMENT IX

Section 2. The Blackfeet Tribal Business Council shall consist of nine (9) members duly elected from the four (4) districts of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation which are designated as follows: Browning District, Heart Butte District, Seville District, and Old Agency District.

The election of all Tribal Council members shall be submitted to the entire electorate of the Reservation, provided that no one shall be elected as a councilman who has not resided within the exterior boundaries of the Blackfeet Reservation for a period of 1 year immediately prior to being a candidate and who has not resided in the district from which he or she is a candidate at least six (6) months immediately prior to the time when he or she shall become a candidate for such office.

(AMENDMENT I & IV SUPERSEDED BY AMENDMENT IX

APPROVED APRIL 28, 1978)

Section 3. In lieu of the districts herein described the tribal council shall have the power to establish communities, and the basis of representation on the tribal council from such communities, subject to popular vote.

Section 4. (a) The tribal council so organized shall elect from its membership: (1) A chairman; (2) A vice chairman.

(b) The tribal council shall elect from within or outside of its own membership: (1) A secretary; (2) A sergeant-at-arms; (3) Such other officers and committees as may be deemed necessary.

AMENDMENT X

Section 1. At the first General election following the adoption of this amendment, the candidate from each District having the largest total vote shall be elected for a term of four (4) years. The candidate elected to a position from each District having the second largest total vote shall be elected for a term of two (2) years, except that the candidates elected to positions in the Browning District and having the second and third largest total votes shall be elected for a term of two (2) years. In all General elections thereafter, members of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council shall be elected for a term of four (4) years by the eligible voters of the Blackfeet Tribe.

Section 2. Members of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council shall be elected to specifically enumerated positions as follows: Positions one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight and nine. Positions one, two and three shall be from the Browning District; positions four and five shall be from the Heart Butte District; positions six and seven shall be from the Seville District; and positions eight and nine shall be from the Old Agency District.

Section 3. (a) A Primary election for membership on the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council shall be held on the first Tuesday in June of even numbered years, commencing in the year 2000.

(b) The two (2) candidates receiving the largest and second largest number of votes for each of the positions enumerated in Section 2 shall be certified as to their nominations as candidates for the General election by the Blackfeet Tribal Election Board within seventy-two (72) hours of the closing of the polls of the Primary election. In the event of a tie in any one position, those candidates tied with one of the top two shall be certified as to their nominations as candidates for the General election.

Section 4. (a) A General election for membership on the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council shall be held on the last Tuesday of June in even numbered years commencing in the year of 2000.

(b) The candidate from one of the positions in each District having the largest total number of votes shall be elected for a term of four (4) years; the candidate or candidates who is elected to a position in each District and has the second largest number of votes shall be elected for a term of two (2) years, except that the candidates who are elected to positions from the Browning District and have the second and third largest number of votes shall be elected for a term of two (2) years. In all General elections thereafter, members of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council shall be elected for a term of four (4) years by the eligible voters of the Blackfeet Tribe.

(c) At the first General election following the adoption of this Amendment, the Blackfeet Tribal Election Board shall, within seventy-two (72) hours of the closing of the polls, certify the candidates from the positions as set forth in Section 4(b) as having been elected to the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council for either a two-year or four-year term.

(d) In each General election held thereafter, the candidates shall be certified within seventy-two hours of the closing of the polls of the General election as having been elected to a four-year term on the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council.

Section 5. (a) At the first General election following the adoption of this Amendment, the terms of office of the candidates in each District receiving the largest number of votes shall expire in four (4) years, on the second Thursday of July in an even-numbered year. The terms of office for the candidates who are elected to a position in each District and receive the second largest number of votes shall expire in two (2) years, on the second Thursday of July in an even-numbered year. Provided, however, that the terms of office of the candidates elected to a position from the Browning District and receiving the second and third largest number of votes shall expire in two (2) years, on the second Thursday of July in an even-numbered year.

(b) All candidates shall thereafter be elected for a term of four (4) years and the terms of office shall expire on the second Thursday in July of even-numbered years.

(AMENDMENT IV & IX SUPERSEDED BY AMENDMENT X
APPROVED OCTOBER 19, 1998)

Section 6. (a) Each qualified candidate for the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council shall file a notice of candidacy with the Blackfeet Tribal Election Board at least twenty (20) days prior to the primary election and shall at that time declare the one position sought.

(b) The list of primary election candidates shall be posted by the Blackfeet Tribal Election Board in at least ten (10) conspicuous locations on or near the Blackfeet Indian Reservation not less than ten (10) days prior to the primary election.

Publication in a newspaper of general circulation on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation shall constitute two such postings.

(c) The list of General election nominees shall be posted by the Blackfeet Tribal Election Board in at least ten (10) conspicuous locations on or near the Blackfeet Indian Reservation not less than ten (10) days prior to the general election.

Publication in a newspaper of general circulation on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation shall constitute two such postings.

Section 7. All elections shall be held in accordance with the rules and regulations laid down by the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council or by an Election Board appointed by the Tribal Council.

Section 8. Voting places shall be designated by the Tribal Council, or, if so authorized by the Council, by the Election Board.

Section 9. All elections shall be by secret ballot.

Section 10. Any member of the Blackfeet Tribe eighteen (18) years of age or older shall be eligible to vote when he or she presents himself or herself to the polling place wherein he or she is assigned to vote.

(AMENDMENT II & VIII SUPERSEDED BY AMENDMENT IX
APPROVED APRIL 28, 1978)

(AMENDMENT IX SUPERSEDED BY AMENDMENT X
APPROVED OCTOBER 19, 1998)

(AMENDMENT XI - APPROVED OCTOBER 19, 1998)

ARTICLE V - VACANCIES AND REMOVAL FROM OFFICE

Section 1. If a council member or official shall die, resign, permanently leave the reservation, or shall be removed for cause, the council shall declare the position vacant and shall elect to fill the unexpired term, provided that the person elected to fill the unexpired term shall be a resident of the district in which the vacancy occurred.

Section 2. The Blackfeet Tribal Business Council may expel a member for cause by two-thirds (2/3) or more members of the entire Blackfeet Tribal Business Council voting for expulsion. Before any vote for expulsion is taken on the matter, such member shall be given an opportunity to answer any and all charges at a designated council meeting, and the decision of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council shall be final.

Section 3. Any member of the Blackfeet Tribe who has ever been convicted of a felony in any court for which he has not received a pardon or a restoration of civil rights shall be ineligible for office and any tribal council member or other tribal officer found guilty by the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council of gross neglect of duty, misconduct reflecting on the dignity of the tribe or Blackfeet Tribal Business Council, habitual drunkenness, or repeated unexcused absences from official functions shall be expelled from office and shall be barred from holding any tribal office for the next succeeding term.

Section 4. Upon a petition to the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council by at least twenty percent (20%) of the total eligible voters of the Blackfeet Tribe, a recall election shall be held within thirty (30) days of the submitting of the petition to the Tribal Council to determine whether a member of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council shall be recalled and removed from office. The vote of a majority of the qualified voters voting in the recall election shall be conclusive and binding.

If a majority of the qualified voters voting in a recall election vote to recall a member of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council, the member of the Tribal Council shall be recalled and removed from office upon certification of the recall election by the Blackfeet Tribal Election Board. The certification of the recall election shall occur with seventy-two (72) hours of the recall election.

If a majority of the qualified voters voting in a recall election vote not to recall a member of the Blackfeet Tribal Business Council, the member of the Tribal Council shall remain in office and continue to perform the duties and responsibilities of a member of the Tribal Council.

(AMENDMENT IV APPROVED AUGUST 3, 1964)
(AMENDMENT IV SUPERSEDED BY AMENDMENT XI
APPROVED OCTOBER 19, 1998)

At natives4justice, we believe in giving back to our community. Through our outreach programs, we work to empower and uplift marginalized groups while promoting cultural awareness and understanding.

At natives4justice, we believe in giving back to our community. Through our outreach programs, we work to empower and uplift marginalized groups while promoting cultural awareness and understanding.

At natives4justice, we believe in giving back to our community. Through our outreach programs, we work to empower and uplift marginalized groups while promoting cultural awareness and understanding.

At natives4justice, we believe in giving back to our community. Through our outreach programs, we work to empower and uplift marginalized groups while promoting cultural awareness and understanding.

At natives4justice, we believe in giving back to our community. Through our outreach programs, we work to empower and uplift marginalized groups while promoting cultural awareness and understanding.