We, the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin, residing on the St. Croix Reservation, in order to establish a tribal organization and assume a legal tribal status under the Indian ReorganIzation Act of June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 984), hereby adopt this constitution.

    This organization shall be known as "The St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin."

    The territory of this organization shall be the St. Croix Reservation as established by proclamation of the Secretary of the Interior on November 28, 1938, and all lands hereafter acquired by or for the St. Croix Indians.

    The membership of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians shall consist of:

    Section 1. (a) The St. Croix Indians whose names appear on the roll approved by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs on November 10, 1938, who are residing on the St. Croix Reservation at the time this constitution is submitted for ratification.

    (b) All children of one-half or more Indian blood born since November 10, 1938, to members residing on the St. Croix Reservation.

    Section 2. (a) The St. Croix Indians whose names appear on the roll approved by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs on November 10, 1938, and who are not residing on the St. Croix Reservation at the time this Constitution is adopted, shall become members by making application to the St. Croix Council, which Council shall cause the names of such applicants to be added to the membership roll; Provided, That applicants who may be enrolled with another tribe shall first relinquish such membership.

    (b) The Council shall adopt appropriate ordinances, subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior, governing the admission to membership of persons, not included in the foregoing, who are of one-half or more degree of Indian blood, and who apply for such membership.

    Section 1. The governing body of this organization shall be the St. Croix Council, which shall be composed of five members elected biennially by popular vote.

    Section 2. The St. Croix Business Committee elected in April 1939, shall serve as the Council until the next regular election on the second Saturday in June 1943.

    Section 3. The officers of the Council shall consist of a president, vice-president, and secretary-treasurer, who shall be chosen by the Council when properly convened. The president and vice-president shall be elected from the Council membership.

    Section 4. Members who are 21 years of age or over shall be eligible to vote at elections.

    Section 1. The Council shall have the following powers, subject to any limitation imposed by the statutes or by the Constitution of the United States:

    (a) To negotiate with federal, state and local governments on all matters affecting the welfare of the members of this organization.

    (b) To employ legal counsel, the choice of counsel and the fixing of fees to be subject to the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.

    (c) To veto the sale, disposition, lease, or encumbrance of tribal lands, interests in lands, or other tribal assets.

    (d) To adopt ordinances, which will be subject to approval by the Secretary of the Interior, providing for the use of tribal lands and the removal from the reservation of nonmembers whose presence or activities may be deemed injurious to the welfare of the tribe.

    (e) To advise with representatives of the Department with regard to all appropriation estimates or Federal projects for the benefit of the reservation prior to submission of such estimates to the Bureau of the Budget and the Congress.

    (f) To regulate its own procedure, to appoint boards or committees, and to delegate to such subordinate agencies such powers as may be necessary in the performance of the duties assigned to them, reserving the right to review any action taken by virtue of such delegated power.

    Section 2. The St. Croix Council may exercise, subject to popular referendum, such powers as may in the future be delegated to the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin by the Secretary of the Interior, or by any duly authorized official or agency of the Government.

    Section 1. Upon a petition by at least one-third of the eligible voters, or upon the request of a majority of the members of the Council, any enacted or proposed ordinance or resolution of the Council shall be submitted to popular referendum, and the vote of a majority of the qualified voters voting in such a referendum shall be conclusive and binding on the Council.

    This constitution and by-laws may be amended by a majority vote of the qualified voters, voting at an election called for that purpose by the Secretary of the Interior, provided that at least 30 percent of those entitled to vote shall vote in such election, but no amendment shall become effective until it shall have been approved by the Secretary of the Interior. It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Interior to call an election on any proposed amendment at the request the council, or upon the presentation of a petition signed by one-third (1/3) the qualified voters.

    Section 1. It shall be the duty of the president to preside at all meetings of the Council, to direct the work of its officers, and to exercise any authority delegated to him by the Council.

    Section 2. The vice-president shall preside at any meeting of the Council from which the president is absent.

    Section 3. The secretary-treasurer shall conduct the correspondence of the Council. He shall keep all Council records, and may be required to give bond acceptable to the Council and the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.

    Section 1. The Council shall assemble on the first Monday of the month.

    Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the president or by three members of the Council.

    Section 3. A majority of the members shall constitute a quorum.

    Section 4. No member shall cast a vote on any question in which he may have a personal pecuniary interest.

    This constitution and by-laws, when ratified by a majority vote of the eligible members of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians residing upon the St. Croix Reservation, voting at a special election called by the Secretary of the Interior, in which at least 30 percent of the qualified voters shall vote, shall be submitted to the Secretary of the Interior for his approval, and shall be effective from the date of such approval.

    Pursuant to an order, approved on July 20, 1942, by the Assistant Secretary of the Interior, the attached Constitution and By-laws was submitted for ratification to the St. Croix Chippewa Indians residing upon the St. Croix Reservation in Wisconsin, and was on August 29, 1942, duly adopted by a vote of 16 for, and 0 against, in an election in which over 30 percent of those entitled to vote cast their ballots, in accordance with section 16 of the Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 984), as amended by the Act of June 15, 1935 (49 Stat. 378).

                                                                                                                                                    LEE TAYLOR

                                                                                                                                                    MRS. LOLITA TAYLOR

    J. C. CAVILL
            Superintendent, Great Lakes Agency

    I, Oscar L. Chapman, Assistant Secretary of the Interior of the United States of America, by virtue of authority vested in me by the Act of June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 984), as amended, do hereby approve the attached Constitution and By-laws of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin.

    All rules and regulations heretofore promulgated by the Interior Department or by the Office of Indian Affairs, so far as they may be incompatible with any of the provisions of this Constitution and By-laws, are hereby declared inapplicable to the members of the St. Croix Chippewa Indians of Wisconsin.

    All officers and members of the Department of the Interior are ordered to abide by the provisions of this Constitution and By-laws.

    Approval recommended: October 23, 1942

    WILLIAM ZIMMERMAN JR.
        Assistant Commissioner of Indian Affairs Chicago, Illinois.

                                                                                                                                                OSCAR L. CHAPMAN,

    WASHINGTON, D. C., November 12, 1942