Tribal Constitutions

The Native American Constitution and Law Digitization Project is a joint project of the University of Oklahoma Law School, the National Indian Law Library of the Native American Rights Fund, and Native American tribes. The following Tribal Constitutions can be found on this outstanding site.

1. People of Bill Moore's Slough
2. Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation
3. Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma
4. Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma
5. Chickasaw Nation
6. Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
7. Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewas
8. Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians North Dakota(1962-1997)
9. Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
10. Native Village of Fort Yukon, Alaska
11. Native Tribe of Huslia, Alaska
12. Kialegee Tribal Town Oklahoma(1941)Still in effect as of 2002
13. Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas
14. Native Tribe of Koyukuk, Alaska
15. Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
16. Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
17. Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
18. St. Regis Mohawk Tribe
19. Muscogee (Creek) Nation
20. Nez Perce Tribe (1999 Revised)
21. Otoe-Missouria Tribe of Oklahoma(1984)
22. Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe
23. Little River Band of Ottawa Indians of Manistee, Michigan
24. Sipayik Members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe (Draft of August 9, 1990)
25. Citizen Potawatomi Nation
26. Forest County Potawatomi Community Wisconsin(1982)
27. Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma(1999)
28. Ely Shoshone Tribe of Ely, Nevada
29. Tunica-Biloxie Indians of Louisiana
30. Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Reservation in Oregon
31. Southern Ute Indian Tribe of the Southern Ute Indian Reservation Colorado(1975)
32. Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah)
33. White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation Arizona
34. Yavapai-Apache Nation

The National Indian Law Library (NILL) has posted the following Constitutions:

1. Constitution and By-laws of the Akiak Native Community
2. Constitution and Bylaws of the Bay Mills Indian Community
3. Constitution of the Big Lagoon Rancheria
4. Constitution and By-Laws For the Blackfeet Tribe Of The Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana
5. Constitution of the Blue Lake Rancheria
6. Constitution and Bylaws of the Rancheria, Modoc County, Cedarville, California
7. Constitution and By-Laws of the Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma
8. Constitution and Bylaws of the Chitimacha Tribe of Louisiana
9. Constitution of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
10. Constitution and Bylaws of the Cold Springs Rancheria, Fresno County, California
11. Constitution and By-Laws of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
12. Constitution of the Comanche Nation
13. Constitution of the Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians
14. Constitution of the Coquille Indian Tribe
15. Constitution of the Eastern Shawnee Tribe of Oklahoma
16. Constitution of the Elk Valley Rancheria, California
17. Ely Shoshone Tribe Constitution
18. Articles of Association of the Fort Independence Indian Community, California
19. Constitution and Bylaws of the Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe, Nevada
20. Constitution of the Fort McDowell Yavapai Nation
21. Constitution and By Laws of the Fort Sill Apache Tribe of Oklahoma
22. Constitution and By-Laws of the Confederated Tribes of the Grand Ronde Community of Oregon
23. Constitution of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
24. The Constitution of the Ho-Chunk Nation
25. Constitution and By Laws of the Hoopa Valley Tribe, Hoopa Valley Indian Reservation
26. Constitution of the Karuk Tribe
27. Constitution of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
28. Constitution of the Lower Sioux Indian Community in Minnesota
29. Constitution and Bylaws of the Makah Indian Tribe of the Makah Indian Reservation
30. Constitution of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
31. Revised Constitution and Bylaws of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota [As Published in the Mille Lacs Band Statutes Annotated]
32. Revised Constitution and Bylaws of the Minnesota Chippewa Tribe, Minnesota
33. 1999 Revised Constitution and Bylaws of the Nez Perce Tribe
34. Constitution and Bylaws of the Nisqually Tribe of the Nisqually Indian Reservation
35. Constitution and By-Laws of the Oglala Sioux Tribe of the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Pine Ridge, South Dakota
36. Constitution and By-Laws of the Pawnee Indians of Oklahoma
37. Constitution of the Pit River Tribe
38. Constitution of the Poarch Band of Creek Indians
39. Constitution of the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation
40. Constitution and Bylaws of the Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
41. The Constitution of the Redding Rancheria
42. Constitution and Bylaws of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of South Dakota
43. Constitution of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe ON-KWA-IA-NE-REN-SHE-RA (our laws)
44. Constitution and Bylaws of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of the Flathead Reservation, as Amended
45. Constitution of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians
46. Constitution of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians of Oregon
47. Constitution of the Sipayik Members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe
48. Revised Constitution and Bylaws of the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Tribe, South Dakota
49. Constitution of the Skokomish Indian Tribe [and Related Documents]
50. Constitution and By-laws of the Stockbridge-Munsee Community, Wisconsin
51. Susanville Indian Rancheria Constitution and Bylaws
52. Constitution and Bylaws for the Swinomish Indians of the Swinomish Reservation, As Amended
53. Constitution of the Te-Moak Tribe of Western Shoshone Indians of Nevada
54. Constitution of the Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians, Torres Martinez Reservation, California
55. Constitution and Bylaws for the Tulalip Tribes of Washington
56. Constitution and Bylaws of the Tule River Indian Tribe of California
57. Constitution and Bylaws of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians North Dakota
58. Constitution and By-Laws of the Ute Indian Tribe of the Uintah and Ouray Reservation
59. See Minnesota Chippewa above.
60. Amended Constitution of the Yankton Sioux Tribal Business and Claims Committee
61. Constitution of the Yavapai-Apache Nation

The National Tribal Justice Resource Center has a Searchable Database of Tribal Constitutions and has also posted the following Constitutions and By-laws: 

1. Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Indian Reservation
2. Bay Mills Indian Community
3. Blackfeet Tribe of the Blackfeet Indian Reservation of Montana (Last Amended 1978)
4. Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma (Revised 1975)
5. Cheyenne-Arapaho Tribes of Oklahoma
6. Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe (Amended 1992)
7. Chickasaw Nation
8. Chippewa Tribe of Minnesota
9. Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
10. Citizen Potatwatomi Nation
11. Comanche Indian Tribe of Oklahoma
12. Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians
13. Confederated Tribe of Colville
14. Confederated Tribe of Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon Tribal
15. Coquille Tribe
16. Crow Tribe of Montana
17. Duckwater Shoshone Tribe of Duckwater Reservation, Nevada
18. Ely Shoshone Tribe
19. Forest County Potawatomi Community of Wisconsin
20. Fort Belknap Indian Tribe of the Fort Belknap Reservation Montana
21. Fort Belknap Indian Tribe Corporate Charter
22. Fort McDermitt Paiute and Shoshone Tribe
23. Fort McDowell Yavapi Nation
24. Fort Peck Indian Reservation
25. Grand Ronde Confederated Tribe of Oregon
26. Grand Traverse Band Of Ottawa And Chippewa Indians (March 29, 1988)
27. Ho-Chunk Nation
28. Hopi Tribe Constitution (proposed)
29. Iroquois Nation
30. Kialegee Tribal Town of Oklahoma
31. Kialegee Tribal Town of Oklahoma Corporate Charter
32. Kickapoo Tribe of Texas Tribal
33. Little River Band of Ottawa Indians
34. Lower Brule Sioux Tribe
35. Lumbee Tribe of North Carolina
36. Miami Tribe of Oklahoma
37. Miccosukee Tribe
38. Minnesota Chippewa Tribe
39. Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians
40. Muscogee (Creek) Nation
41. Native Tribe of Huslia, Alaska
42. Native Tribe of Koyukuk, Alaska
43. Native Village of Fort Yukon, Alaska
44. Native Village of Fort Yukon, Alaska Corporate Charter
45. Nez Perce (Revised 1999)
46. Oglala Sioux (Last Updated 1996)
47. Oneida Tribe of Indians of Wisconsin
48. Otoe Missouria Tribe of Indians
49. Pawnee Indians of Oklahoma
50. Poarch Band of Creek Indians
51. Red Cliff Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
52. Sac and Fox Nation
53. Saint Regis Mohawk
54. Salish & Kootenai Confederated Tribes of the Flathead Reservation
55. Sault Ste. Marie Tribe Of Chippewa Indians
56. Seminole Tribe of Florida
57. Seminole Tribe of Florida Corporate Charter and By-Laws
58. Siletz Indians of Oregon Confederated Tribe
59. Sipayik Members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe
60. Skokomish Indian Tribe
61. Southern Ute Tribe of Indians
62. St. Regis Mohawk
63. Tunica Biloxie Indians Articles of Incorporation
64. Turtle Mountain Band Of Chippewa Indians of North Dakota
    (Including 1962, 1975, 1990, 1992, 1995 And 1997 Amendments)
65. Umatilla Confederated Tribes of the Reservation of Oregon
66. Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head
67. Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon
68. Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon Tribal Corporate Charter
69. White Mountain Apache Tribe of the Fort Apache Indian Reservation of Arizona
70. Yankton Sioux
71. Yavapai-Apache Nation
72. Yavapai-Apache Nation of Fort McDowell

Comparison of the 1976 and 1999 Cherokee Nation Constitutions

The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes of Montana have posted their Constitution.

The Sipayik members of the Passamaquoddy Tribe has posted their Constitution.

The Grand Ronde Nation web site posts a version of the Grand Ronde Constitution.

The Stockbridge-Munsee Community provides the on-line version of the Stockbridge-Munsee Constitution and Tribal Law as a service to the Tribal members, and as a courtesy to other Internet users (this on-line version is not official).

Jamestown S'Klallam Nation has posted S'Klallam Nation Constitution.

The Tulalip Nation has a posted copy of the Tulalip Constitution.

The Hoopa Valley Tribe in California has posted the Hoopa Constitution and Bylaws and Hoopa Valley Code.

The Chickasaw Nation has posted the Chickasaw Nation Constitution.

TheCaddo.com, an unofficial website concerned with the Caddo Tribe of Oklahoma, has posted Several Tribal Documents, including the Constitution and Bylaws of the Caddo Tribe of Oklahoma.

Developing Effective Processes of American Indian Constitutional and Governmental Reform: Lessons from the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma, Hualapai Nation, Navajo Nation and Northern Cheyenne Tribe by Eric Lemont
Over the past several decades, numerous American Indian nations have been revising their constitutions to create more legitimate, effective and culturally-appropriate governments. However, successful processes of reform have been hindered by a variety of universal challenges, including political obstacles to changing the status quo, difficulties in achieving effective citizen participation and insufficient mechanisms for resolving conflict ...

The First Nations Environmental Law Program at Vermont Law School (VLS) has launched the Tribal Environmental Law Virtual Library to make tribal laws and regulations in the field of environmental law available through the internet. In addition to codes that have been enacted and regulations that have been formally adopted, the virtual library will also include other kinds of documents, such as "model" or "template" codes and analytical papers by scholars and practitioners. VLS is building this virtual library in cooperation with the National Tribal Environmental Council (NTEC), the National Indian Law Library (a resource of the Native American Rights Fund), and other organizations.