| We, the People of the Klamath and Modoc Tribes and the Yahooskin
Band of Snake Indians, [hereafter referred to as the Klamath Tribe(s)] do
hereby establish and adopt this Constitution for the government of our General
Council in order to recognize our Tribes for the continued preservation of
its culture, identity, and to provide a responsible organization to carry
out the official business of the Tribe including our treaty rights.
By adoption
of this Constitution we act to clarify the misconceptions that exist regarding
the effect of the Klamath Termination Act (25 USC S 564 et. seq.) by stating
to all people that the Klamath Tribes never ceased to exist and that the effect
to termination was the eligibility of our members to receive services from
the federal government, through the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Therefore, Public
Law 99-398, was approved on. August 26, 1986 allowing for the Restoration
of Federal recognition for the Klamath Tribes.
By adoption
of this Constitution we hereby establish ourselves as a body which, along
with its appropriate committees, commissions, corporations and boards shall
act to represent the Klamath Tribes in its full relationships with the United
States government, the State of Oregon, other Indian tribes and associations,
and all other persons or bodies.
In adopting
this Constitution we recognize the authority of the Tribal Committees formed
by the General Council in April of 1975 to deal with the administration of
our treaty and other rights and we recognize the authority of our elected
Officials hereafter referred to as “Tribal Council.”
In adopting
this Constitution it is our goal and intent to provide a Constitution with
amendments to the Constitutions of February 3. 1950. Amendment dates are
April 13, 1996, August 17, 1996, November 21, 1998 and November 25, 2000
to adapt it to the Klamath Tribes. (Refer to Article XVII, Section II.)
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