****************************************************************************** Sunday April 23, 2006 MTSU Honors Building 9:30 central The TNNAC Draft Agenda 1. Call to Order Prayer Roll Call John Smith, chair, Memphis tom kunesh, secretary Lynn Clayton, Jackson Norman Clayton, Jackson Doug Kirby, Middle TN Ed Vinson, Memphis Helen Vinson, Memphis Wally Leary, Chattanooga Cleata Townsend, Chattanooga Jo Nicholson, Jackson Cecilia Tolley, Nashville Dale Mitchell, Nashville Debbie Capino, Manchester Absent Vicky Garland, Middle TN (sick) Sandi Perry, Nashville (attending a wake) Charles Lawson, at-large Guests Sheila Leary, Chattanooga Chrissie Vogel, Nashville Geni Vogel, Nashville Otter, Nashville Agenda Review and Approval Approved as follows 2. Reports A. Sec.-Treasurer- Minutes Read minutes of last meeting Approved (post online) Treasury $136.31 as of 22 Oct 2005 Treasury $116.31 as of 23 apr 2006 [Paid annual report state fee: $20 fee] B. Chair Was sick, back pain C. Vice-Chair Status of HB3544 by *Kernell (*SB3455 by *Jackson) Boards and Commissions - Requires members of Tennessee commission of Indian affairs to be residents of area from which they are selected; clarifies that members must represent unique areas of the state. - Amends TCA Section 4-34-104. Received for passage if Amended by Sub-committee referred to State and Local Government Committee 4/18/06 Then on 4/19/2006 Placed on cal. State & Local Government Committee for 4/25/2006 Discussion of Section 3 as problematic John Smith with Rep. Kernell to make sure that Section 3 is deleted request Kernell write a letter to TNNAC saying they've rec'd? If it's not a done deal. D. Committees 1. Web Page Cte - Updated homepage, schedule for 2007 Delegates, officers # TNNAC Nominations to the State 2005 10 October 2005 # TNNAC letters to TNCIA Commissioners Van Lynch and Jimmy Reedy 16 July 2005 # TNNAC Nominations to the State 2003 14 October 2003 # State Attorney General Opinion 04-138, 24 august 2004, "Legal Relationship Between Tennessee Commission of Indian Affairs and Tennessee Native American Convention and Advisory Council of the Tennessee Indian Affairs" (Ie, that there is no legal relationship between the three organizations) [Pdf] Community calendar page - other meetings, pow-wows Link to Donna Smith's calendar webpage, ask? Approved with approval Doug, Dale - html calendar program? Ed - limit items to events in Tennessee 2. Attendance Cte - Vicky & Doug [TNNAC taken care of TNCIA & ACTIA - write to secretaries requesting meeting attendance records, notify that TNNAC attendance will be online as well, for community-edification purposes - tom draft, run by officers] Table to report at next meeting - git'r'done!! Lynn - it's important to show people who attend community meetings, for there to be a record of public involvement/participation Resumes available at conventions helpful Like page 7 of the TNNAC Nominations to the State 2005 (10 October 2005) E. Other Organizations TCIA 4 mar 06 mtg - Dale reported: first part like a public hearing, lunch, passage of 1990 Recognition Criteria - amended w/$20 fee, sent to state for review, approved resolution on TN's historical tribes, explained why they gave organizational recognition to a couple groups in the state, state attorney Sonja Hong told TCIA to extend org recognition to groups that had that type of recognition in the past since they had no one to report to when the Commission went out of existence; large group of Chickamauga, large group of Appalachian Confederated tribe. Public Hearing on 20 may 2006, 10am, Nashville http://www.tncia.org/2006PublicHearingNotice.htm ACTIA Next Meeting: Saturday April 29, 2006, 10:00 a.m. Room #210 Labry Hall, Cumberland University, Lebanon TN - http://www.actia.org/ The Alliance monthly meeting 2 weeks ago, held a collection for Ms Lynch $330 donation + $170 from treasury = $500 3. Old Business a. Alternate appointments C. appointment of alternates [two (2) Alternates instead of just one (1)?] Alice Henry, Memphis - (living, painting in Arizona) Shelley Allen, Memphis - Norm Clayton, Jackson* (appointed) Connie Conchra, Jackson - William Scott Lewis, Jackson Tommy Bivens, Jackson Christian Smith, Jackson Robert Cox, Jackson Cecilia Tolley, Nashville* NA studies doctoral program, UC Davis - starting in august Leaving ASAP Annette Lawson, Nashville* Bill Wells, Nashville Mark Tolley, Nashville Debbie Capino, Manchester* Floyd Ayers, Manchester + agreed - has to attend to be appointed Wally Leary, Chattanooga* David Walker, Chattanooga Kay Sweeton, Chattanooga Knoxville Knoxville Bruce Lemire, Greeneville Mary Lemire, Greeneville Vicky - git'r'done - contact by letter, move down the list, find somebody. A. Committee Appointments 3. Protocol and Ethics committee - TNNAC Code of Ethics - need alternates to sign John Smith - appointed Vicky & tom & Debbie Capino, to do a review, recommend changes - people can contact these 3 to offer opinions Doug - cte to do annual review Vicky gave new people a folder with ethics info Need more folders for new alternates - Norman, Wally Make sure we have their signed pledges 4. Investigation committee - [Chairperson (John Smith) absent - he usually appoints committees, table] Doug - probably only needs to be appointed on an as-needed basis (Not a standing committee) Motion: to be appointed on an as-needed basis. 2. Amend Quorum: "Quorum shall consist of two officers [-, at least one of whom is the chair or a vice chair,-] and one Board member who is not an officer." [- approved, unanimous Purpose: to create another officer position, 2nd reading/vote Approved - 6 ayes, 0 nays. Needs 1 more vote.] Approved as amended (amendment does not change meaning) B. Phone-In votes In case of no quorum at a regular meeting, the chair or vice-chair may cast his/her voice vote on a resolution by telephone, at the time of the vote, with his/her voting presence counted towards quorum for that vote. Purpose: vote to qualify as having a quorum Tabled from last meeting Tabled (need to work on wording, eg, "emergency", "urgency") Discussion stopped. No decision. Already approved vote that was taken C. Dale's proposal on Delegates Dale: consider possibility of having sub-caucuses so that persons from the far ends of the division caucus areas wouldn't have to travel great distances Increase number of delegates from 15 to 18 (the number 18 is divisible by 2 and 3 in case of 2 or 3 sub caucuses) Doug: this plan would keep us from having to re-district areas (based on 2000 census Indian population county totals) Dale: need plan, could be implemented on an as-needed basis Lynn: group in Olive Hill, West TN - 1.5 - 2-hour trip from Jackson, satellite caucuses, thinks it could be viable for West TN tom: Middle TN ought to come up with a plan to present at next meeting, including past TNNAC caucus & convention attendance, 2000 US census Indian population data. Doug: how people from different areas attend Commission meetings Approved D. By-Law Amendment Expand vice-chair position to two positions. (1) The board members of the Tennessee Native American Convention Shall elect a chairperson of the board, a first vice chair and a Second vice chair, a secretary-treasurer from among its board 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-chairpersons shall call and preside at TNNAC Meetings at which the chairperson is not present, in the order of first and then second vice chair. 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." Dale, seconded, approved. Purpose: to create another officer position, 2nd reading/vote Approved 3rd & final reading: moved, seconded to approve: unanimous E. Nominees for Second Vice Chair- Lynn Clayton - would rather not because of her eyes, Jo Nicholson, Cleata Townsend, Dale Mitchell ñ declined secret ballot during lunch. - LUNCH - 12.50 - 1.30 Vote for second vice chair: Lynn Clayton, Jo Nicholson, and Cleata Townsend Cleata elected. 4. New Business A. Commissioner Knight-Allen's motion of changing the Commission Nominee requirement to only one (1) instead of two (2) if there is only the nominee. Motion withdrawn from Commission Dale: was discussed at public hearing section of the march Commission meeting. Vicky explained that such a motion should go through the referendum process. Ed: the answer is to explain in advance to more people the requirement. a. TNCIA's legislative sunset review (references to TNNAC, TNNAC response) Review on hold due to legislative ethics discussion That TNNAC write a letter requesting that the Sunset questionnaire be distributed immediately to Indian community, and public hearing in a timely manner be held to allow for community input prior to submission, and that TNNAC sponsor a referendum on the issue. Lynn, Ed, people who are affected by an issue should be informed about the issue TNNAC letter -and- referendum: approved Anything that comes to them about the Indian community should go to the Indian community for input, Approved Re. SB1423 by Harper, HB1443 by Kernell sunset status - call Doris & Vicky, Ask Vicky by email b. TNCIA recognition criteria proposal - recognition of individuals, Use in "Indian Preference" in TNNAC nomination process http://www.tncia.org/2006PublicHearingNotice.htm Compare & contrast current TNNAC criteria for Indian preference With TNCIA's recommended criteria With ACTIA's recommended criteria - should TNNAC adopt the state Commission's individual recognition criteria for TNNAC's validation of "Indian preference" - would TNNAC have adopted TNCIA's 1991-2000 recognition criteria? Generally "no" If TNCIA's criteria are more exclusive, can TNNAC's be more inclusive? If TNCIA's criteria are more inclusive, can TNNAC's be more exclusive? tom: 1990 criteria too loose, not enough certification of genealogy, takes too much time, recognition may become as arbitrary in their decision-making process as happened in 1990-91. tom: 1990 organizational recognition criteria - would TNNAC give "Indian preference" to Indian-members of organizations recognized as Indian by the Commission? Motion to table Legislatively state-recognized tribes - should TNNAC give "Indian preference" to members of legislatively state-recognized tribes - Governor-recognized tribes? Tribes can make members of anybody. Based on individual recognition criteria w/genealogical proof Wally - members of federally-recognized tribes? Motions to table get w/ACTIA & TNCIA to hash it out. And read up on what each org is proposing before we make our proposal. Passed c. TNCIA amendment proposal requiring 1 instead of 2 nominees to the state Reduction of nominees to Convention and to the state Original (2000/2002) proposal was to require 4 nominees Problem to change law to make it less inclusive TNNAC opposed Write a letter to all concerned parties - TNCIA, ACTIA, and Gov't Operations Ctes. We support existing law - unanimous B. a TNNAC meeting in Knoxville - we need to do something to grow Attendance in north East TN. but we don't want to lose the great Participation of Memphis & West TN No - don't sacrifice participation of West TN for East TN but if we could get 5-10 people from Knoxville-Greeneville-Kingsport areas A TNNAC mtg w/out West TN people a meet&greet, sit down & discuss what TNNAC does, what we've done in the past, Meet&greet in New Tazewell? Statewide Communication Committee - Debbie, Vicky [Brochure - tom Tri-fold display - tom Commissioners' meet&greets - Vicky] C. building a TNNAC 7-sided council house - just an idea to consider for the future - a permanent Convention site with a traditional council house Like up in Oconaluftee. a good idea for a future possibility. Approved D. Commission's recognition criteria proposal TNNAC may want comment on the current leadership crisis in The Commission and the problems that the proposed criteria create Attend the 20 may hearing exchange emails on opinions. Table til May meeting E. 2007 Convention schedule Convention on Saturday, 15 September 2007 Agreed: morning presentations/forums of candidates, afternoon Convention, with increased evening programming Friday & Saturday eg September 15 Convention Friday 6pm gathering Saturday 9am presentation of candidates 10am candidate forums 2pm Convention 7pm dinner & entertainment Discussed, accepted. F. Delegates will fill out applications also. Commissioners/ACTIA/TNNAC board members already do, so why not Delegates? Dale: delegates should not have to qualify as a delegate. No action. G. Vicky's proposal on Absentee Ballots. Otter: military deployment Known active members of the community Legitimate reason Absence through no fault of one's own Legitimate registered voter Doug: restricted only to caucus voting or open to Convention? Only undue circumstances Deployed military personnel TNNAC members working in a different caucus Health-related absentee ballots mailed in 2 weeks before caucus tom: problems: absentee criteria too problematic We're a private organization, not a public Gov't TNNAC could have members All sorts of questions and potential problems need to hear Vicky's proposal. Tabled H. general TNNAC publicity - need brochure! Next meeting. 5. Public comments Otter: where are TNNAC's rules for individual recognition? http://www.tnnac.org/applicants.html Lynn: article on Pinson Mounds in Nashville Scene - read article, distribute, and write to the editor. http://www.nashvillescene.com/Stories/News/2006/04/13/Mounds_for_the_Trees/index.shtml - Next meeting: Saturday, 22 July 2006, 9.30am 6. Closing Adjourn 16.54 ********************************************************************************