The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe became a reservation on March 2, 1889. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe was defined by the Act of March 2, 1889 including all right-of-way, waterways, watercourses and streams running through any part of the reservation and to such others lands as may hereafter be added to the reservation under the law of the United States. The United States Government works in three levels: Federal, State and Tribal. The Tribal Government have a government-to-government relation with the United States. The Great Sioux Nation signed 1851 and 1868 treaties with the United States which are binding documents that retain our rights as a government.
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe operates under a constitution approved on April 24, 1959 by the Tribal Council of Standing Rock Sioux Tribe. The Tribal Council consists of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, a Secretary and fourteen additional Councilmen which are elected by the tribal members. The Tribal Council Chairman provides leadership and administrative direction to the tribe. The Tribal Council Chairman and Council serve a term of four years. Six of the fourteen additional Council members shall be residents of the Reservation without regard to residence in any district or state. Each of the remaining additional council members shall be a resident of the district from which his is elected. The At-large Council members are elected by the district people as whole.
Regular Tribal Council meetings are the first Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday of the month. Committee meetings are held the second week of the month. The last Monday of the month is for gaming and other tribal business.
STANDING ROCK SIOUX TRIBAL GOVERNMENT
The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe stands by its right to self-government as a sovereign nation, which includes taking a government-to-government stance with the states and federal government entities. Having signed treaties as equals with the United States Government in 1851 and in 1868, which established the original boundaries of the Great Sioux Nation. The tribe staunchly asserts these treaty rights to remain steadfast and just as applicable today as on the day they were made. The Standing Rock Sioux Reservation was greatly reduced through the Act of March 2, 1889, also known as the Dawes Act and the Allotment Act. This opened up the reservations throughout the United States to settlement by non-Indian entities, thus creating checker-boarded land ownership within the Standing Rock Reservation. The tribe maintains jurisdiction on all reservation lands, including rights-of-way, waterways, and streams running through the reservation; this in turn leads to on-going jurisdictional disputes in criminal and civil court. Recent cases such as Nevada v Hicks have contributed to the contentious issues in this iron triangle between the federal, state, and tribal governments. The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe (Nation) operates under a constitution approved on April 24, 1959 by its own elected council members, under the auspices of the Indian Reorganization Act of 1934. The tribal government consists of a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, a Secretary, and 14 council members, consisting of a member elected from each of the eight districts, and 6 at-large council elected by the tribe. The Administration consists of the Chair, vice-chair, Secretary, an Executive Director (not elected), and 6 political appointees; Administration carries out resolutions and motions made by the tribal council. Note that there is no Treasurer, as the tribe has an excellent Finance Department which handles all of its accounting for payroll, business transactions, and bank reconcilement; this provides for adequate checks and balances. The Tribal Council passes legislation, makes budgets, approves of financial transactions, and makes major decisions affecting the tribe including:
* Managing the tribe’s real property, including trust lands.
* Engaging in business ventures.
* Passing and enforcing ordinances to serve the general welfare of enrollees, the environment, and the public safety of reservation residents.
* Entering into Contracts for business and for government needs.
* Makes and negotiates loans for tribal government and guarantees loans for tribal members.
That is to say, the tribe operates similar to a corporation, which may make business decisions, hires employees, grants business licenses, and operates corporate subsidies to develop tribal economy.
The tribal court hears and prosecutes civil and criminal complaints, where questions of jurisdictional remedies are exhausted before going to a federal court. These three branches of tribal government are meant to provide a balance of power, which, at this point, continues to evolve as it struggles to modernize its method of governance.
For the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Titles 18, 18-B, 19 and 20 click on link below.
(Title 18) (Title 18-B) (Title 19) (Title 20)
For the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Constitution click (HERE) to view (break down sample).
Or click on link below to view (full sample)
view pdf
