Constitution Committee Chair Ronette Stanton, right, discusses proposed changes to the Tribe’s constitution during the first of several meetings. Also pictured are committee members Logan Wik, Paul Shadura II, Sharon Isaak, Mary Ann Mills and Bernadine Atchison.
In June, the Tribe’s Constitution committee held the first of several scheduled meetings to discuss proposed changes to the Tribe’s Constitution.
“We are here to talk about some important changes to our Tribe’s Constitution, and to ask for input from our Tribal Members in helping us to update this important document that guides how we govern,” said Ronette Stanton, Tribal Council Secretary and Chair of the Constitution committee.
The Constitution of the Kenaitze Indian Tribe was first adopted in 1971 and has been amended twice, in 1997 and 2019. The most recent amendment removed the requirement for U.S. Department of Interior approval to make changes to the document.
The Constitution committee has been working for a number of years on proposed changes to language throughout the document.
In comments given during the meeting, Joel Isaak provided some historical context. Isaak noted that the Tribe, like many other tribes across the country, used a template provided by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. While the Tribe tweaked the document, it still is based on “termination era language,” Isaak said.
During the meeting, the committee was asked whether the proposed changes to the language in the Constitution would change the Tribe’s authority.
Committee member Paul Shadura II said the changes would not affect the Tribe’s sovereignty, but would better express it.
“For the first time, this is our document,” Shadura said.
The first meeting addressed changes to the Preamble, Article I (Name), Article II (Territory), Article III (Jurisdiction), and a portion of Article VI (Meetings and Elections).
Meeting participants asked questions and made suggestions for specific phrasing, as well as conceptual changes. For example, one proposed change is to replace “Tribal Member” with “Tribal Citizen.”
Other questions involved how specifically or broadly to define the Tribe’s territory and jurisdiction. Another suggestion was to incorporate more Dena’ina language into the document.
Stanton and other members of the committee said they appreciated the comments and suggestions.
“Your thoughts and ideas are really important as we work together to make sure the Constitution reflects who we are and what we need today. Let us have good discussions and make decisions that will be beneficial for all of us and for future generations,” Stanton said in her opening remarks.
Find the current version of the Constitution online at https://www.kenaitze.org/tribal-government/constitution/.
The next informational meeting is scheduled for July 29. Additional meetings are scheduled for Aug. 19, Aug. 29, and Sept. 16.
Stanton said that changes to sections of the Constitution that may spark more discussion have been scheduled for their own meetings. More meetings may be added if needed.
“The more comments and feedback that we have, the better and stronger this document will be. We want to hear all the information that you have to share,” Stanton said. “At this point, there is not a deadline to have this out to Membership to vote on. We want to make it right.”
For meeting information, contact Sasha Jackson, Tribal Council Office Manager, at sjackson@kenaitze.org or 907-335-7202.
Editor’s note: Paul Shadura II passed away shortly after publication of this article.
