WHAT is the Caddo Constitution Project?
The Caddo Nation is in the first phase of a comprehensive process for reviewing, analyzing, gathering input, and, ultimately, proposing essential updates to the Caddo Constitution.
This first phase process includes:
o Research and analysis of the existing Caddo constitution
o Comparative analysis of other Oklahoma Tribal Nation constitutions
o Comparative analysis of other Oklahoma Tribal Nation’s processes for revising their constitution(s)
o Gathering of data and documents pertinent to the project
WHY undertake this project?
The Caddo Nation constitution, initially ratified in 1938, began as a generic constitution model created by the United States Department of Interior. The model was for Tribes to adopt and modify as needed when creating their own constitutions. However, many Tribal Nations adopted the language of the model without changing it to reflect their unique cultures, histories, or governments.
The action former Caddo leaders took to establish the Caddo Nation Constitution and By-Laws at that time is greatly respected. It is even more remarkable, considering it had been only 80 years since the Caddo people had arrived in Indian Territory after decades of turmoil and removal from homelands.
As the Caddo Nation has evolved and its citizenship has grown to 8,000 strong, it is time that the Constitution be assessed to ensure it reflects who we are and the needs of our Nation in the 21stCentury and those of future Caddo generations.
WHO is leading this project?
The Caddo Nation Tribal Council is the leader of this project with support from:
o Caddo Nation legal counsel & content experts
o Caddo Nation administration and staff
o Project Coordinator
o Council-appointed Ad Hoc Committee
o Additional support will be identified in future phases
WHEN will the project happen?
The project is currently in Phase I – Research and Analysis. This phase is tentatively projected to end by November 2024. The results of this phase will determine the best process for Phase II, which will focus on engaging citizens, collecting feedback data (survey), and identifying key revision areas.
HOW do we stay updated?
The Caddo Nation will share regular updates through all official Tribal channels: the Caddo Nation website, the Caddo Nation newspaper, and social media pages such as Facebook and Instagram. www.mycaddonation.com
Will u still be mailing the newsletter to our elders that don’t use Facebook?