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TNNAC Meeting Minutes May 17, 2003 Middle Tennessee State University 3rd Floor Conference Room Murfreesboro TN Pursuant to due notice, the Board of Directors of the Tennessee Native American Convention (BoD), met in quarterly session at MTSU, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, on Saturday, May 17, 2003. The meeting was called to order at 10:15 AM. ATTENDANCE: TNNAC Board members: tom kunesh, Chair; Dale Mitchell, Floyd Ayers, Two Dogs Ron Williams, Cleta Townsend, Edna Fay, Joe McCaleb (acting secretary in absence of April Weller) Vicky SpitsFire Garland, Vice-Chair, was absent but had emailed her votes on some issues discussed. John Hedgecoth was also absent but had emailed his votes on some issues. Guests: Diane Caldwell, Lawrence Sampson.
Meeting called to order by Chair tom kunesh.
2. Discussion of caucus sites and potential nominees 3. Discussion of TNNAC members and continued willingness to serve on Board Noted that Tommy Veal had not been to meetings. MOTION made and seconded that Tommy Veal, vice-chair of Knoxville caucus, must be contacted within 7 days and asked if he intends to serve on the Board and to serve as the Chair of the Knoxville Caucus in place of John Hedgecoth, who has resigned. Additionally, TNNAC must hear back from Tommy Veal within another 7 days and he must attend the July 19th, 2003 meeting of TNNAC. Motion passed. MOTION made and seconded that upon Tommy's failure to respond or not attend in July the TNNAC BoD will vote on removal of Tommy at its July 19th meeting. (If Tommy Veal resigns, his removal is automatic and requires no vote of the BoD) In the meantime, TNNAC will accept Knoxville's recommendation of Lawrence Sampson as an alternate pending response from Tommy Veal. Motion passed. Noted that Man Many Trees, Over-hill Indian Nation - Cherokee Descendants, has also failed to attend TNNAC meetings. MOTION made and seconded to repeat the same procedure for Man Many Trees as will be followed for Tommy Veal. Decision to be made by the TNNAC BoD at its July 19th, 2003 meeting. Motion passed. MOTION made and passed that the TNNAC BoD solicit nominations from East Tennessee to fill vacancies on the TNNAC BoD. Motion passed. MOTION made and seconded that Leon Gilliam be asked to serve as an alternate for the Chair or Co-Chair of the East Tenn. Caucus. Motion passed. MOTION made and passed that the BoD Chair should draft a letter to each person removed from the BoD for failure to attend to confirm the removal in writing. Motion passed. Noted that entire West Tennessee caucus members have failed to come to TNNAC Board meetings and that same Motion applied to Tommy Veal and other like members should also apply to TNNAC members in West Tennessee. MOTION made and seconded, and passed. MOTION made and seconded that the West Tennessee caucus be asked to nominate delegates to TNNAC if those currently designated to serve decline or refuse to serve. Motion passed. 4. Genealogy Committee Report Application from Donna Bivens received by Cleta Townsend. TNNAC also received a copy of Teri Ellenwoods' Cherokee (CNO) Record Enrollment Card. BoD agrees that all genealogy information received shall be kept in the highest confidence and not shared outside the committee or the Board. Members of the Board present, verbally swore to secrecy regarding genealogy information received and reviewed. 5. Announcement The Chair reminded the Board that nominations for the new TCIA opened on May 24th, 2003 and closed on July 19th, 2003. He urged applications to be submitted. The Chair also announced a Knoxville Meet and Greet scheduled for July 12th, 2003 to meet proposed nominees. 6. Treasurer's Report Balance in the Treasurer account is $168.00. MOTION made and seconded that TNNAC pay $38.00 to Vicky Garland's brother for printing the brochures; and that $19.00 be requested from TNIAAC for its share of the cost. Motion passed. 7. Bylaw Amendments
Discussion to amend the present stated purpose of TNNAC to the following: 8. TCIA Nomination Forms Motion made and seconded that the nomination form should include a question about a person being nominated from West, Middle and East Tennessee, that is, the Grand Divisions of the state. Motion passed. Discussion about the language on the form requesting "any additional information you would like to add". Motion made and seconded that the language serves no real purpose and should be struck. Motion passed. Discussion about adding the following language to the nomination form: "Any false or misleading information will disqualify a nominee from the TNNAC election process." Motion made and seconded. Motion passed. General discussion and agreement that candidate information should be published on the web site after Convention. The chairman produced two signature forms. Motion was made and seconded to adopt the vertical form. Motion passed. 9. Other General discussion and agreement that the TNNAC BoD would seek and promote candidates for the TCIA; that 21 registered voters' names, signatures and addresses were needed and it is the duty of the caucus to verify signatures. Also generally agreed that the Caucus forms should be amended to add four (4) other Boards: General discussion that TNNAC should promote and take nominations to the other Boards discussed: Archaeological Advisory Council, State Historical Commission, State Arts Commission, and Human Rights Commission. Motion made and seconded that TNNAC take nominations to these Boards. Motion passed. Discussion that Caucus meetings should be held at public non-sectarian locations where possible subject to TNNAC BoD approval. Motion made and seconded. Motion passed. Discussion about whether TNNAC BoD should be composed of 51% Indian members based on 1990 TCIA rules (Indian descent). Note was made DNA could be used to prove Indian descent. Motion made and seconded. Motion passed. Vicky voted NO. Considerable discussion about whether TNNAC should limit or restrict its own members' membership on the TNIAAC and TCIA. Point of discussion was the potential conflict of interest where TNNAC members are commissioner-nominees or where caucus chairpersons are commissioner-nominees. Some argued that because participation was so limited, restricting TNNAC members to the Board only would severely limit persons in the Indian community who want to remain active at different levels. No majority decision was made. Motion made and seconded to pass this issue to the July 19th, 2003 meeting. Motion passed. Motion made and seconded that the Caucuses should be allowed to select up to five (5) delegate-alternates to the Convention in case delegates cannot come. Motion passed. Discussion of other possible at-large members to the TNNAC Board. Motion made and seconded that the Board should invite Toye Heape to serve on the Board as an at-large member. Two present at-large members are: tom kunesh and Joe McCaleb. Motion passed. The Chairman requested Floyd to prepare a Bylaw amendment or standing rule for the July meeting specifying that At-Large members serve staggered terms. General discussion on when Caucuses should hold "meet and greets" to meet and talk with candidates. Motion made and seconded that Caucuses hold "meet and greets" on or before July 14, 2003 for nominees to meet with the Indian community. Motion passed. No other business was discussed and a Motion was made and seconded to ADJOURN.
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