Amending and Updating Tribal Enrollment Requirements
Governing

Many tribes across the country are finding that their constitutions contain antiquated enrollment provisions. These constitutions, many of them from the IRA era, and their enrollment bylaws could potentially cause problems for the tribe. Enrollment is a complex and emotionally and politically charged topic, which can make the revision process much more difficult. Enrollment decisions made today will affect your tribe for generations to come.

This class will provide you with valuable tools for moving forward with revisions and adoption of enrollment provisions. You’ll learn about current trends in enrollment policies, as well as trends in modern tribal governance. We’ll examine case studies of tribal membership disputes and discuss constitutional amendments and the drafting of enrollment ordinances. We’ll also address questions to consider on actuarial population forecasting and tribal demographics and look at participatory governance practices and processes for implementing enrollment changes with a focus on consensus-building.

Expert instructor Joseph Paiement* has many years of experience as an Indian Country lawyer and will offer practical lessons from his work helping tribes craft forward-looking enrollment provisions. Don’t miss this training opportunity — register today!

*Instructor subject to change.

Topics that will be covered include:

Modern Forms of Tribal Governance Trends in adopting non-IRA constitutions General councils Role of tribal courts Trends in Enrollment Policies Implications of antiquated enrollment provisions Revising old constitutions and ordinances to reflect changes in enrollment and membership Shift from blood quantum to lineal decent Roles of Federal and Tribal Courts in Enrollment Issues Limited role of federal courts Responsibilities of tribal courts Trends in tribal government/tribal court relationships in enrollment decisions Overview of Various Approaches to Enrollment Blood quantum Direct decent Lineal decent Implications of various approaches

Overview of Actuarial Population Forecasting Tribal membership forecasting considerations Enrollment Disputes Case studies Role of tribal courts Accuracy of base rolls and other documents Neutral third parties Participatory Governance and Consensus-Building Directives for change Public forums and meetings Surveys and other information gathering Transparency of process Practical Lessons from Ongoing Enrollment Revisions Sharing experiences Practical information and considerations Enrollment Revisions Workshop Bring your tribe’s constitution and enrollment ordinances. Discuss potential revisions with other participants and get advice from our expert instructor.