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source: TNNAC SOP Version #: 2007.10.20 Pages 37 to 42 of 45


TNNAC Standing Rules

SECTION 1 - Nominations to the State

(a) The Tennessee Native American Convention shall prepare a list of at least two (2) nominees for each of the seven (7) positions on the Commission of Indian Affairs for submission to the State of Tennessee.
(b) Nominees shall be selected according to representational area:
    (I) four (4) from the metropolitan regions of Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga; and
    (II) three (3) from the "Grand Divisions" of the State- West, Middle and East.
(c) Each list of nominees shall include biographical information on the individual nominees, including tribal affiliation, if applicable, and a statement of each nominee's experience and involvement in Native American Affairs.
(d) The Tennessee Native American Convention shall submit to the State's representatives, as specified in State law, a list of Indian Affairs Commissioners nominees pursuant to prior subsections (a), (b) and (c) for each vacancy, including initial vacancies, on the commission. The State's representatives shall appoint a member to the commission from each areas list of nominees.


SECTION 2 - Biennial Convention
(a) The Biennial convention, organized by TNNAC, shall prioritize the persons to be presented to the State of Tennessee as nominees to the commission.
    (I)The convention shall prioritize four (4) groups of at least two (2) nominees from each of the four (4) largest metropolitan regions of the State, i.e., Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga.
    (II)The convention shall prioritize three (3) groups of at least two (2) Nominees from each Grand Division of the State, i.e., West, Middle, and East.
(b) The convention shall also collate and prioritize the issues, goals and objectives of greatest significance to Native Americans in Tennessee.
(c) Members of the convention shall elect a chair, vice chair, and secretary for such convention.
(d) The convention shall be held biennially on Saturday immediately preceding American Indian Day as set out in TCA Section 15-2-106.
(e) Move the Convention to the 3rd Saturday in September (October 22, 2005) [Tennessee Code, Annotated, Title 15 Holidays/Chapter 2: Days of Special Observance 15-2-106. American Indian Day (a) The fourth Monday in September of each year is to be especially observed in Tennessee as "American Indian Day, ..."]
(f) The convention shall, whenever practicable, take place outdoors at a historical Native American site.
(g) The convention shall rotate between the three (3) "Grand Divisions" of the State.
(h) Members of the convention shall not receive compensation for their service on the convention.
(i) Participation in the official business of the TNNAC convention is limited to caucus delegates and TNNAC members.
(j) Tie Breaking Formulas for convention: If the number one slot is filled and if the 2nd and 3rd nominees or the 3rd and 4th nominees do not receive a clear majority of the voters present then this will be the process used.
     1. 1st vote no clear majority
     2. 2nd vote for each nominee separate, if still no majority then
     3. 3rd vote for both the one who receives the most votes is the nominee from that area (January 13, 2007)
(k) Adoption of new permanent time line - Application period opens on the First of March; Closes the end of April; Caucuses will be held the 4th Saturday in June in election years; Convention will be held the 3rd Saturday of September in election years. (Jan. 21, 2006)


SECTION 3 - Biennial Caucuses
(a) Attendees of the seven (7) regional biennial caucuses, organized by TNNAC, shall elect at least two (2) nominees to the State Commission of Indian Affairs and fifteen (15) delegates and five (5) Alternates to represent the caucus and area Native Americans.
(b) Area caucuses shall be held in each of the four (4) largest metropolitan regions of the state, i.e., Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga, and in each grand division of the State, i.e., West, Middle and East.
(b1) Sub-Caucus for Middle Tennessee - Have two (2) polling places in middle Tennessee with the Vice Chair moving into the Chair position for the caucus area. Leaving Fourteen (14) delegates to elect and five (5) Alternate Delegates so each area would elect 7 Delegates and two (2) Alternate Delegates, and the Caucus area that has the most nominees as delegates from that caucus area would get to elect the last Alternate delegate West Middle Caucus counties: Dickson, Giles, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Lawrence, Lewis, Marshall, Maury, Montgomery, Perry, Stewart, and Wayne East Middle Caucus counties: Bedford, Cannon, Clay, Coffee, DeKalb, Fentress, Franklin, Grundy, Jackson, Lincoln, Macon, Moore, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, Trousdale, Van Buren, Warren, and White (Approved Jan. 13, 2007); with middle Tennessee voters either going to Lyles or McMinnville, their choice. (Approved April 29, 2007)
(b2) Sub Caucus for East Tennessee - East Tennessee will have two (2) polling places one (1) in Kingsport and one (1) in Huntsville Tennessee, divided delegates the same as Middle; with East Tennessee voters going to either Huntsville or Kingsport. (Approved April 29, 2007)
(c) (I) The TNNAC board shall consult with local area Native American community and obtain current Native American demographic information, to determine the location of the area caucuses to serve the areas of highest Native American population density.
    (II) Caucus meetings should be held at public non-sectarian locations where possible, and are subject to TNNAC board approval.
(d) Regional caucuses shall be held approximately one (1) month prior to the convention, but not less than two (2) weeks before the convention.(Amended 17 April 2004)
(e) Each regional caucus shall elect not less than fifteen (15) or more than twenty (20) delegates to the convention.
(f) Each caucus shall nominate a location for the next area caucus. Caucus meetings should be held at public non-sectarian locations where possible, and are subject to TNNAC board approval.
(g) Participation in TNNAC caucuses is open to all citizens of Tennessee over the age of sixteen (16).
(h) Registration of all participants in an area caucus is required.
    (I) All voting participants must show proof of current Tennessee residence, ergo, a TN driver's license or school ID card.
    (II) All participants will be required to register as being of Native American descent or not, tribe/nation if of descent, residence address.
(I) All area caucuses shall be held on the same date, and at the same time, and at least sixty (60) road miles from each other, in order to assure an individual's attendance at only one caucus and to prevent registration and participation at more than one caucus.
(j) Each individual TNNAC caucus is responsible for its own caucus expenses apart from those approved in advance by the TNNAC board. (August 28, 2005)
(k) Each individual TNNAC caucus is responsible for submitting a clear voting tally with no electoral ties. If electoral ties are submitted to TNNAC, TNNAC will list the names in any electoral tie by surname in reverse alphabetical order (Z-A) from the list submitted. (August 28, 2005)
(l) a. Each individual TNNAC caucus is responsible for providing TNNAC with at least two (2) nominees for the position of Commissioner of Indian Affairs in its scheduled election year.
    b. If less than two (2) commissioner nominees are elected by the individual TNNAC caucus, the TNNAC board shall determine an alternative selection process. (August 28, 2005)
CHANGE:
If insufficient Commissioner Nominees, TNNAC can approach Advisory Council Appointees from the area caucus to ask them to be Commissioner Nominees: (March 13, 2005)
(m) a. Each individual TNNAC caucus is responsible for providing TNNAC with at least one (1) nominee for the position of TNNAC board member each election cycle. (August 28, 2005)
    b. If no TNNAC board nominee is elected by the individual TNNAC caucus, the TNNAC board shall defer to that caucus' list of convention delegates and, starting at the top of the delegation list and in the elected order, shall invite a delegate to serve on the TNNAC board until a willing person is found and attends a TNNAC board meeting. (August 28, 2005)
    c. No person shall be seated on the TNNAC board who does not attend a TNNAC board meeting following his/her nomination to the board. (August 28, 2005)
(n) A TNNAC caucus is an open, public meeting that is duly advertised, and has been authorized by the TNNAC board, and is chaired by a TNNAC board member, for the specific purpose of democratically electing one or more of the following:
    A. nominees to the position of Commissioner of Indian Affairs;
    B. nominees to the TNNAC board (August 28, 2005)
    C. Time limit for public comments- 3 minutes (January 21, 2006)
(o) You can only vote in your own vaucus area and that when we have TNNAC staff working outside their areas that they be allowed to send in an absentee ballots. (June 5, 2005)
(p) Advisory Council Appointees do not have to go through the Convention process (March 13, 2005)
(q) Minimum of 16 years of age for caucus vote counters: (Mar. 13, 2005)
(r) Meetings will be held on rotating Saturday's and Sunday's (Oct. 22, 2005)


SECTION 4 - Commissioner Nominations
(a) All persons who wish to be considered by the area caucus and convention as a nominee to the position of Commissioner of Indian Affairs must submit a nomination form with valid personal information, including:
    (III) Full name
    (IV) Current address of residence and mailing address
    (V) Home and business telephone numbers
    (VI) Email address
    (VII) Date and place of birth
    (VIII) Tribal ancestry
    (IX) Status with the state- and/or federally-recognized tribes
    (X) Organizational memberships
    (XI) Current employment
    (XII) years of formal education
    (XIII) description of past and current Native American involvement, including Indian Affairs Commission, Indian Affairs Advisory Council, Native American Convention
    (XIV) a recent photograph ( analog or digital) of the nominee

This information will be made available to the public via the TNNAC website, www.tnnac.org, and at the caucuses.
Other information may be requested, such as an essay question on the individual's perception of what s/he can offer the State's Native American community.
(b) (I) All nominations must be made and seconded by at least two (2) Tennessee residents of Native American descent, with their signatures, printed names, addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, tribal ancestry and state or federally-recognized tribal status, and any membership in a Native American organization.
    (II)Nominations must also have the signature of the nominee as personal acknowledgement of his/her candidacy.
    (III)Nominees shall submit the names, signatures and addresses of twenty-one (21) registered voters from their respective grand division (West, Middle, and East) who support their nomination. Ten (10) signatures shall come from the nominee's own/home caucus area, and eleven (11) signatories shall come from outside the nominee's own/home caucus area but within his/her grand division. (17 May 2003)
(c) Two nomination forms must be mailed via the US Post Office: one (1) to the TNNAC official address or the TNNAC chairperson, and one (1) to the local caucus chairperson. These mailing addresses will be available at the TNNAC web site, www.tnnac.org.
(d) The time period for nominations shall be ninety (90) days, and shall open one hundred-and-twenty days (120) prior to the date of the caucuses and in the month of May.
(e) Nominations shall close thirty (30) days prior to the date of the caucuses in order to collate and publicly disseminate the nominee's personal information. Nomination mailings must be postmarked prior to end of the last day for valid nominations. No nominations will be accepted after that date.
(f) Invalid or false information will invalidate a nomination.
(g) Photocopies of the membership cards (front and back) for members of federally and State recognized tribes shall be submitted to the TNNAC secretary. The TNNAC secretary shall verify the information with the Tribal enrollment office and report the findings to the board. (August 28, 2005)
(h) We'll use the 1990 recognition criteria for proof, For Indian Preference a person should send a copy of their cards or if no cards, proving by genealogy; they can come before the TNNAC board at a regular meeting and with their proof to be verified. Closed session with no notes taken no pens, no nothing. If using genealogy it should be certified. (June 5, 2005)
(i) Candidates approved for Indian Preference in the past shall be given Indian Preference unless evidence to the contrary is submitted. (August 28, 2005)
(j) Unenrolled Commissioner Nominees requesting Indian Preference to come before the TNNAC board at a meeting with proof for verification.
    A. Personal Private Interview for unenrolled persons
    B. Individuals will have 30 minutes with TNNAC board in executive session (board No notes, No minutes, No copies)
    C. If genealogy is presented descendant chart must be certified by a professional/accredited genealogist. TNNAC Genealogy Committee will review genealogy, committee appointed by Chair (August 28, 2005)


SECTION 5 - Amendments

(a) These standing rules may be amended by a simple majority of the board members present, provided a quorum exists.


SECTION 6 - Members
(1) Resignations of TNNAC board members go directly to the chairman of the TNNAC Board. The Chairman will then discuss the resignation with the member prior to discussing it with others in order to assure that the reasons, timing, extent and terms of the resignation. (19 July 2003)
(2) Resignations from TNNAC may be in part or whole. Resignation of an officer's position and remain on the board, but resignation from TNNAC board removes person from caucus responsibilities. (19 July 2003)
(3) Board members shall be replaced after having missed four (4) meetings without just cause. A warning will be given after three (3) absences. If a board member does not attend the fourth meeting s/he will be replaced. (17 April 2004) REPLACED Board members shall be replaced after having missed three (3) Meetings without just cause. A warning will be given after two (2) absences.
If a board member does not attend the third meeting, s/he will be replaced. (Approve August 28, 2005)
(4) Alternates are temporary stand-ins for their caucus areas absent board members at board meetings only, and are not themselves board members. (August 28, 2005)
(5) Caucus area board members need to inform their alternate in advance of their absence from TNNAC board meetings. Alternates who miss four (4) TNNAC board meetings in their caucus area board members' absence may be terminated. Board members who know they will miss a meeting need to inform the TNNAC secretary and their alternate. (August 28, 2005)
(6) Each caucus area will have a Chair, Vice Chair and two (2) Alternates for each of the seven areas. (August 28, 2005)


SECTION 7- Meetings
(1) Meetings will be held on rotating Saturday's and Sunday's Saturday January 21, 2006 at 9:30 then the next meeting will be on a Sunday (October 22, 2005)
(2) Executive session parts of meetings will be omitted from the web page minutes (January 21, 2006)
(3) Have a First Vice-Chair and a 2nd Vice Chair (January 21, 2006)
(4) 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." (January 21, 2006)


SECTION 8 - Finances
(1) Expenses must be pre-approved by the TNNAC board, or approved by the Chairman and/or Vice-Chair, which will be taken into consideration for reimbursement (with receipts) at the next TNNAC board meeting. (6 September 2003)

TNNAC SOP Version #: 2007.10.20 Pages 37 to 42 of 45


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