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BYLAWS OF THE TENNESSEE NATIVE AMERICAN CONVENTION (TNNAC) approved 23 november 2002, Lebanon TN ARTICLE 1. NAME The name of this organization is the Tennessee Native American Convention, hereafter referred to as "TNNAC". ARTICLE 2. PURPOSES The purposes of the Tennessee Native American Convention are to: (1) To create and sponsor the election process in which representatives from the Native American community are democratically elected to advocate Native American interests in and to the State of Tennessee. (6 September 2003) [deleted: (1) Democratically elect representatives from the Native American community to represent Native American interests in and to the State of Tennessee;] (2) Sponsor and cause to happen regional caucuses and a biennial convention; (3) Evaluate Native American population trends and demographics as needs are demonstrated; (4) Assist Indian and non-indian communities in choosing democratic Native American representation; (5) Promote recognition of, and the right of Indians to pursue political representation considered by them to be sacred and meaningful to Native Americans; and (6) Communicate with Tennessee's Indian communities and solicit communications from such Indian communities on the democratic process. ARTICLE 3. DUTIES It is the duty of the Tennessee Native American Convention to: (1) Study, consider, accumulate, compile, assemble and disseminate information on Indian demographics in the state of Tennessee; (2) Investigate representational needs of Indians of Tennessee and to provide technical assistance in the preparation of plans for the alleviation of such needs; (3) Confer with appropriate officials of local, state and federal governments and agencies of these governments, and with such legislative committees that may be concerned with the democratic process and political representation in Tennessee Indian affairs; (4) Encourage and implement coordination of applicable resources to meet the political representation needs of Indians in Tennessee; (5) Cooperate with and secure the assistance of the local, state and federal governments or any agencies thereof in formulating any such political representation programs; (6) Review all proposed or pending state legislation and amendments to existing state legislation affecting political representation of Indians in Tennessee; (7) Conduct public hearings on matters relating to political representation of Indians in Tennessee and to request any information or documents deemed necessary by the Convention; (8) Study the existing status of political representation of all Indian groups, tribes and communities presently existing in the state of Tennessee; (9) Establish appropriate procedures to provide for political representation of Indians in Tennessee to the state; (10) Conduct public caucuses and a convention on a biennial (every two (2) years) basis to select regional nominees for the state Commission of Indian Affairs; and (11) Nominate democratically-elected representatives to the state legislature's Speaker of the House and Speaker of the Senate for appointment to the state Commission of Indian Affairs. (12) Submit the list of commissioner nominees to the Governor and Speakers of the state House and Senate. (18 January 2003) (13) TNNAC must submit a list of at least two (2) names for each open position on the Commission of Indian Affairs for appointment by the State. TNNAC will, if sufficient nominees are not available from the caucus area, get other nominees names in the following manner.
ARTICLE 4. MEMBERSHIP (1) The Tennessee Native American Convention shall be governed by a board of directors that shall consist of no more than seventeen (17) members as follows: (a) Two (2) members from each of the four (4) largest metropolitan regions in the state, ie, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, and Chattanooga, selected by each region's caucus; and (b) Two (2) members from each of the three (3) grand divisions of the state: West, Middle and East, selected by each division's caucus. (c) Up to three (3) members at-large elected by the TNNAC board members.
(2) (a) Board members shall serve four-year terms. Upon expiration of a member's term, such member shall continue to serve until a successor member is elected by the caucus. (3) Any vacancy in a caucus' representation will be filled by alternate persons or delegates previously elected by the caucus from which the vacancy occurs. (4) Any person appointed to fill a vacancy shall be appointed for the remainder of the term of the former member. (5) In order to avoid any perception of a possible conflict of interest, no Commissioner of Indian Affairs shall be a member of TNNAC nor shall s/he be a caucus officer for the duration of his/her appointed two-year term. (6) Board members may be removed for lack of attendance or improper behavior of an election official upon approval of two-thirds (2/3) of the board's membership. ARTICLE 5. OFFICERS (1) The board members of the Tennessee Native American Convention shall elect a chairperson of the board, a vice chair, and a secretary-treasurer from among its members. (2) TNNAC officers shall serve terms of one (1) year, and may be re-elected. (3) Officers are elected by a simple majority of the board of directors at the first board meeting after the Convention in Convention years, and at the first board meeting after 1 October in non-Convention years, or at such times as there is a vacancy. (4) The chairperson of the board shall call and preside at all TNNAC meetings. The vice-chairperson shall call and preside at TNNAC meetings at which the chairperson is not present. The secretary-treasurer shall take and keep the minutes of all TNNAC meetings, including the Convention, and shall keep a record of and keep safe all TNNAC monies.
(5) Any TNNAC officer may be removed from his/her position as an officer by two-thirds (2/3) of the board members at a regular (not special) meeting: (6) The TNNAC board shall nominate the presiding officer/s of the biennial Convention whose responsibilities shall be to effectively preside and assist in the Convention's election of nominees to the position of Commissioner of Indian Affairs. ARTICLE 6. MEETINGS (a) The board of the Tennessee Native American Convention shall meet quarterly. (b) Notice of all regular TNNAC meetings must be given to all members by email, telephone or U.S. Postal Service, according to their individual preference, and posted on the TNNAC web site (tnnac.org), and emailed to all interested parties, at least twenty seven (27) days in advance of the meeting and include date, time, location, and agenda. (amended 12 July 2004) (c) Special meetings may be called by two (2) officers or four (4) members, and may be conducted by telephone conference or email. Any business conducted by email must be sent to every board member. (d) Notice of all special TNNAC meetings must be given to all members by email, telephone or US Postal Service, according to their individual preference, and posted on the TNNAC web site (tnnac.org), and emailed to all interested parties, at least seven (7) days in advance of the meeting, and include date, time, location, and agenda. (amended 12 July 2004) (e) Quorum consists of two (2) officers and one (1) other TNNAC board member.
(f) The standard order of business shall be: (g) All TNNAC meeting minutes shall be posted and maintained for public access on the TNNAC website (tnnac.org) after prior approval by two (2) officers and within twenty-one (21) days of the meeting. ARTICLE 7. AMENDMENTS (a) Proposed amendments to these by-laws must be submitted in writing and in final form to the three (3) board officers in advance of its first reading. (b) Amendments must be proposed at least one (1) meeting and at least thirty (30) days in advance of any vote on the amendment, thereby requiring a reading of the proposed amendment at two (2) different meetings. (c) Any changes to the original wording of an amendment shall be considered as a new proposed amendment. (d) Amendments may be approved only at regular meetings. (e) A quorum must be present for any vote on an amendment. Approval of an amendment to these by-laws requires a two-thirds majority (2/3) of the members present. ARTICLE 8. RATIFICATION These by-laws will be adopted upon approval and signature of at least one (1) caucus officer from each of the seven (7) caucus areas in the state: West, Middle, East, Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga.
Memphis: Cubert Bell Sr, Alice Henry (no contact), John Smith
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