We, the Caddo Indians of the Kiowa Indian Agency Jurisdiction of Oklahoma, in order to promote our common welfare and to secure to ourselves and our descendants the rights, powers and privileges offered by the Thomas-Rogers Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act (49, Stat. 1967), approved June 26, 1936, do establish this organization and adopt the following constitution and by-laws pursuant to that Act.

    The name of this organization shall be the "Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma."

    The membership of the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma shall consist of the following persons:
        SECTION 1. All persons of Caddo Indian blood who were enrolled, or were entitled to be enrolled on the official cenus roll of the Tribe as of January 1, 1937.
    SEC. 2. All children born of a marriage and since the date of said roll, both of whose parents are members of said Tribe.
    SEC. 3. Any child born of a marriage. between a member of the Caddo Indian Tribe and a member of any other tribe who chooses to affiliate with the Caddo Indian Tribe.
    SEC. 4. Any child born of a marriage between a member of the Caddo Indian Tribe and any other person, if such child is enrolled before attaining the age of five years. Where no such enrollment is made such child may be admitted by a majority vote of the Caddo Council.
    SEC. 5. Any illegitimate child whose mother is a Caddo Indian.
    SEC. 6. The Council shall have power to prescribe rules and regulations, subject to the review of the Secretary of the Interior, concerning future membership, including adoption, expulsion, and loss of membership.

    The supreme governing body of this organization shall be the Caddo Council. The membership of the Council shall be all the members of the Caddo Indian Tribe, 21 years of age and older, residing within the jurisdiction of the Kiowa Agency. All actions of the Council shall be determined by a majority vote of the membership present.

    The officers of the Tribe shall be the Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Secretary-Treasurer, and two Councilmen. The term of the officers shall be for four years, except as provided in section 1 of Article VII.

    SECTION 1. There shall be an Executive Committee which shall consist of the officers provided for in Article IV. This Committee shall have power to appoint subordinate committees and representatives to transact business and otherwise speak or act on behalf of the Caddo Indian Tribe in all matters on which the said Indians are empowered to act now or in the future. The powers of the Caddo Indian Tribe shall be set forth in detail in the corporate charter to be requested by the Executive Committee.
    SEC. 2. There shall be a Grievance Committee which shall consist of three members who shall be elected by the Caddo Council and shall not include any members of the Executive Committee.
    SEC. 3. All actions by the Executive and Grievance Committees shall be determined by a majority vote of the members present.

    SECTION 1. Annual meetings of the Council shall be held on the first Tuesday in June for the purpose of receiving reports and transacting any other business which may come regularly before the Council.
    SEC. 2. Special meetings of the Council may be called at the discretion of the Chairman, and shall be called by him upon the written request of a majority of the Executive Committee or upon the written request of 50 members of the Council; Provided, That at least ten days notice shall be given in each instance.
    SEC. 3. The principal object of a special Council meeting must be stated in the call for same and may include the words "and for the transaction of other business that may be presented." Unless these words are added no other business may be transacted except for the object stated in the call.
    SEC. 4. The regular meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held the first Tuesday in each month unless otherwise provided by resolution.
    SEC. 5. Special meetings of the Executive Committee may be called by the Chairman at his discretion, and shall be called by him upon the written request of three members of the Executive Committee.

    SECTION 1. Within 60 days after the adoption of this Constitution and By-laws, the Council shall hold an election of members of the Executive and Grievance Committees, under rules and regulations prescribed by the present Business Committee of the Caddo Indian Tribe. The Executive and Grievance Committee members elected at this election shall serve till the next regular election provided for in section 2 of this Article or until their successors are elected and installed.
    SEC. 2. Regular elections of officers and members of the Grievance Committee shall be held by the Council at its regular annual meeting on the first Tuesday in June, 1941, and on the first Tuesday in June of each fourth year thereafter.
    SEC. 3. Election shall be by roll call, a majority vote being necessary to elect. Where there are more than two candidates for an office and no one receives a majority vote, the low candidate shall be eliminated and voting shall proceed until one candidate receives a majority of the votes cast. The newly elected officers shall be installed immediately upon their election.
    SEC. 4. To be eligible for election under section 1 of this Article, notice of candidacy shall be filed with the present Business Committee 30 days prior to election. To be eligible for election under section 2 of this Article, notice of candidacy for an elective office must be filed with the Secretary of the Council 30 days prior to election. Such notice shall be valid if filed by a candidate himself or upon the petition of 15 members of the Council. No person shall be a candidate for more than one office at any one election.

    Vacancies in any elective office shall be filled for an unexpired term at any special or regular meeting of the Council.

    The Grievance Committee shall investigate complaints of misconduct in office of the members of the Executive Committee and upon proper showing shall call a special meeting of the Council to act on such complaints. The Council shall have power by a majority vote, after giving the accused a hearing, to remove him from office and to proceed to elect a successor.

    SECTION 1. All members of the Caddo Indian Tribe shall enjoy without hindrance, freedom of worship, conscience, speech, press, assembly and association.
    SEC. 2. This Constitution shall not in any way alter, abridge or otherwise jeopardize the rights and privileges of the members of this Tribe as citizens of the State of Oklahoma or the United States.
    SEC. 3. The indvidual property rights of any member of the Tribe shall not be altered, abridged or otherwise affected by the provisions of this Constitution and By-laws without the consent of such individual member.

    Amendments to this Constitution and attached By-laws may be proposed by a majority vote of the Executive Committee or by a petition signed by 30 per cent of the adult members of the Tribe residing within the Kiowa jurisdiction, and if approved by the Secretary of the Interior, shall be submitted to a referendum vote of the adult members of the Tribe, and shall be effective if approved by a majority vote.

    SECTION 1. Chairman.-The Chairman shall preside at all meetings of the Council and of the Executive Committee. He shall have general supervision of the affairs of the Council and of the Executive Committee and shall perform all duties pertaining to the office of Chairman.
    SEC. 2. Vice-Chairman.-In the absence of the Chairman, the Vice-Chairman shall perform the duties of that office.
    SEC. 3. Secretary-Treasurer.-The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep an accurate account of all proceedings and official records of the Council and of the Executive Committee and shall file a copy of same with the Superintendent of the Kiowa lndian Agency.  He shall be responsible for the prompt and efficient handling of all correspondence pertaining to the business of the Council and Executive Committee. All official records of the Secretary shall be open to the inspection of the members of the Council, in the presence of the Secretary, upon the order of the Grievance Committee. He shall keep a correct list of all members of the Council, shall certify all accounts or orders of the Council and in the absence of the Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall call meetings to order until a chairman pro tem is selected.
    The Secretary-Treasurer shall be the custodian of all funds in possession of the Council from any source. He shall keep an accurate record of all funds and shall disburse the same in accordance with the vote of the Executive Committee and shall file a copy with the Superintendent of the Kiowa Indian Agency. He shall keep all tribal money entrusted to his care in a special account. At any time that such an account shall amount to $50.00 or more, he shall file a bond satisfactory to the Executive Committee and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. The cost of such bond shall be paid out of tribal money. At the expiration of his term of office the records and all papers and funds in his possession shall be turned over to his successor.

    Any person elected to membership on the Executive and Grievance Committees shall not be less than 21 years of age and a member of the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma. At the time of election he shall be an actual resident of the territory known as the Kiowa Indian Agency jurisdiction. Any person holding an elective office removing from this jurisdiction for a period of six months or failing to attend monthly meetings for four months in succession shall automatically lose office.

    SECTION 1- All regular and special meetings of the Council shall be held at Riverside School unless some other point under the Kiowa jurisdiction is designated in the call or notice.
    SEC 2. All regular and special meetings of the Executive Committee shall be held in the Council Chamber, Federal Building, Anadarko, Oklahoma, unless some other place is designated.

    SECTION 1. Ninety members of the Council shall constitute a quorum to transact business at any meeting.
    SEC. 2. Three members of the Executive Committee shall constitute a quorum to transact any business.

    This Constitution and By-laws shall be effective when approved by the Secretary of the Interior and ratified by a majority vote of the adult members of the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma voting at an election called by the Secretary of the Interior under rules and regulations which he may prescribe pursuant to section 3 of the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act of June 26, 1936.
    I, Oscar L. Chapman, the Assistant Secretary of the Interior of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority granted me by the Act of June 26, 1936 (49 Stat. 1967), do hereby approve the attached Constitution and By-laws of the Caddo Indian Tribe o f Oklahoma.
                                                                                                                            OSCAR L. CHAPMAN,
                                                                                                                    Assistant Secretary of the Interior.
                                                                                                                                        [SEAL]
WASHINGTON, D. C., November 15, 1937.

    Pursuant to an order, approved November 15,1937 by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, the attached Constitution and By-laws was submitted for ratification to the members of the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma and was on January 17, 1938 duly accepted by a vote of 316 for, and 33 against, in an election in which over 30 per cent of those entitled to vote cast their ballots, pursuant, to section 3 of the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act of June 26, 1936 (49 Stat. 1967).
                                                                                             THE CADDO TRIBAL COMMITTEE,
                                                                                    By     MAURICE BEDOKA.
                                                                                              JESSE AHDUNKO.
                                                                                               STANLEY EDGE.
W. B. MCOWN,
        Superintendent, Kiowa Indian Agency.
 
 

AMENDMENT I.

    Article IV-Quorum. Section l of the By-laws shall be amended to read as follows:

    "SEC. 1. Forty members of the Council shall constitute a quorum to transact business at any meeting."

    Pursuant to an order approved on July 20, 1943, by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, the attached Amendment to the By-laws of the Caddo Indian Tribe was submitted for ratification to the members of the Caddo Tribe of Oklahoma, and on September 14, 1943, was duly adopted by a vote of 87 for and 1 against, in an election in which over 18 percent of those entitled to vote cast their ballots in accordance with Section 3 of the Oklahoma Indian Welfare Act of June 26, 1936 (49 Stat. 1967).

    Superintendent, Kiowa Agency.

    I, Oscar L. Chapman, the Assistant Secretary of the Interior of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority granted me by the Act of June 26, 1936 (49 Stat. 1967), do hereby approve the above amendment to the Constitution and By-laws of the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma.

    Approval recommended: November 17, 1943.

    WILLIAM ZIMMERMAN, Jr.,

    Assistant Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

    [SEAL]                                                                                                                                       OSCAR L. CHAPMAN,

Article II of the Tribal Constitution and Bylaws shall be amended to read as follows:

    SEC. 1. The membership of the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma shall consist of all living original Caddo allottees and the living direct descendants by blood of all original Caddo allottees, except the following persons:

(a) Those persons otherwise entitled to enrollment who elect to be enrolled with another tribe.

(b) Those persons otherwise entitled to enrollment who have received any payments in land or money by virtue of having been enrolled with some other tribe.

    SEC. 3. The Executive Committee shall prepare and maintain a current roll of the membership of the tribe based upon the rules set forth in Section 1 of this Article.

    SEC. 4. The Council shall have power to prescribe rules and regulations, subject to the review of the Secretary of the Interior, covering future membership, including adoption, expulsion, and loss of membership.

    I, Felix E. Wormser, Assistant Secretary of the Interior of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority granted me by the Act of June 26, 1936 (49 Stat. 1967), do hereby approve the above amendment to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma.

    Pursuant to an order approved on September 27, 1956, by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, the atttached Amendment II to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma was submitted for ratification to the adult members of the Tribe, and on November 23, 1956, was duly adopted by a vote of 145 for, and 13 against, in accordance with Article XI of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Caddo Indian Tribe of Oklahoma.

    Area Director, Anadarko Area Office