The enrollment committee is appointed by the Business Council, terms of office is for 2-years on a staggered basis.

PREAMBLE

We, the Indians of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, in order to establish a more perfect tribal organization, promote the general welfare, encourage educational progress, conserve and develop our lands and other resources, and secure unto ourselves and our posterity the power to exercise certain rights of home rule, in accordance with, and by the authority of the act of Congress of June 18, 1934,do ordain and establish this constituion and bylaws for the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation.

ARTICLE I.-NAME AND TERRITORY

Section 1. The name of this organized body shall be the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation, hereinafter called the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes.

Section 2. The jurisdiction of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes shall extend to the territory within the present confines of the Duck Valley Reservation boundaries, as set forth by Executive Orders of April 16, 1877, May 4, 1886, and July 1, 1910, and shall extend to such other lands as may be added thereto hereafter, under any law of the United States, except as otherwise provided by law.

ARTICLE II.-MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. The membership of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes shall consist as follow:
(a) All persons of Indian blood lawfully enrolled upon the Duck Valley Reservation whose names appeared on the official census roll as of January 1, 1935, provided that such roll may be corrected within 6-months after approval of this constitution and bylaws by the Shoshone business council with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.

(b) All children born to any member of the Shoshone-paiute Tribes who is a resident of the reservation at the time of the birth of said children.

Section 2. The business council shall have the power to promulgate ordinances, subject to review by the Secretary of the Interior, governing future membership and the adoption of new members, making any necessary adjustments of property rights.

AMENDMENT I

Article II of the Constitution, MEMBERSHIP, shall be amended in its entirety to read as follows:

Section 1. The membership of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation shall consist of the following:

(a) All persons whose names appear on the official census roll of the Western Shoshone Reservation as of January 1, 1935; provided,that such roll may be corrected at any time with the approval of the Secretary of the Interior.

(b) All natural children of any member; provided that such children born after the date of the approval of this amendment must possess at least 1/4 degree Shoshone and/or Paiute Indian blood to be eligible for membership.

Section 2. Notwithstanding the above membership criteria, no person shall be eligible for membership who has been allotted or possesses an assignment of land on any other Indian reservation or colony (this does not include lands acquired through inheritance), or who is enrolled with any other Indian group.

Section 3. The Business Council shall have the power to promulgate ordinances, subject to the approval of the Secretary, governing enrollment procedures, loss of membership, and the adoption of new members.

Section 4. Any person refused membership by the Business Council shall have the right to appeal to the Secretary of the Interior.

APPROVAL

I, Harry R. Anderson, Assistant, Secretary of the Interior of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority granted me by the Act of June 18, 1934 (48 Stat. 984), as amended, do hereby approve the attached Amendment I to the Constitution and ByLaws of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation.

Approval recommended:

/s/ Robert Bennett

Commissioner of Indian Affairs /s/ Harry R. Anderson

Assistant Secretary of the Interior (Seal)

Washington D.C.

Date: May 20, 1966

WHEREAS, the enrollment of persons as members of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation (hereafter Shoshone-Paiute Tribes) requires a determination of whether a person is eligible for membership in accordance with Article II of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes; and

WHEREAS, the authority to enact ordinances governing enrollment procedures is given to the Business Council by the above said Article II; and

WHEREAS, the Business Council desires to establish orderly enrollment procedures which will afford due process of tribal law to any person applying for enrollment as a member of the Shoshone- Paiute Tribes; and

WHEREAS, the Business Council seeks to protect the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes from dilution of Indian blood among its members; and

WHEREAS, the Business Council of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation of Nevada and Idaho passed and Enrollment Procedures Act which was subsequently submitted to the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the approval of the Secretary of the Interiror as required by Article II, Section 3, of the Constitution and By-Laws of the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes; and

WHEREAS, said Bureau of Indian Affairs had indicated that this Ordinance will be approved if Section 603(b) thereof is deleted; and

WHEREAS, the Tribe wishes to enact an Enrollment Procedures Act which will be approved by the Secretary and take effect as speedily as possible; and

WHEREAS, result is most easily obtained by adopting the same Ordinance without Section 603(b).

NOW THEREFORE BE IT ENACTED BY THE BUSINESS COUNCIL OF THE SHOSHONE-PAIUTE TRIBES AS FOLLOWS: (see following pages)

ARTICLE VI

ENROLLED MEMBERSHIP ELIGIBILITY

Section 601 OFFICIAL MEMBERSHIP ROLL

Any person listed on the Base Roll designated above in Section 501 is entitled to membership.

Section 602 CORRECTION OF BASE ROLL

Any person qualified to have been listed on the Base Roll is entitled to membership. The standards for testing whether an applicant is qualified to have been listed on the official census roll as of January 1, 1935; and therefore to have been listed on the Base Roll, are expressly not determined by this Ordinance, but shall be left to the discretion of the Business Council.

Section 603 CHILDREN OF MEMBERS

Any person who is the natural child of any party who is a member, or entitled to be a member under any other provision of this act, is eligible for membership; without regard to degree of Indian blood if said person was born before May 20, 1966. 

Section 604 BLOOD QUANTUM QUALIFICATION

Any person born after May 20, 1966, who is the natural child of any party who is a member or eligible to be a member under any other provision of this act, is eligible for membership if said person has at least one-quarter (1/4) Shoshone and/or Paiute Indian blood inherited from someone listed on or qualified to be listed on the Base Roll designated in Section 501 above.

Section 605 PREVIOUSLY ADOPTED MEMBERS

Any Indian who was adopted into the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes under that membership ordinance approved March 15, 1961, or any other adoption procedure at any other time from January 1, 1935, to the date of approval of this Ordinance, is eligible for enrollment as an enrolled member upon proof:

605-1 That the adoption procedures were substantially complied with and

605-2 that there was some recognition of such adoption by the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes. This section does not apply to persons who have received honorary membership at any earlier time under any standards inconsistent with the intent of this act to preserve the degree of Indian blood of members.

Persons enrolled under this section qualify to have their children enrolled under Section 603.

Section 606 DISQUALIFICATION BECAUSE OF OTHER MEMBERSHIP

No person, even though qualifying for membership under Section 601-605 above, shall be eligible for membership:

606-1 If such person has been allotted land or possesses an assignment of land on any other Indian Reservation or Colony (this does not include purchased allotments or lands of any type acquired by inheritance), or

606-2 who is enrolled with any other Indian group.

Section 607 ADOPTION AS FULL-MEMBER

Any person of at least one-half (1/2) Indian blood from whatever source may apply for adoption into the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes as a member. Application shall be made to the Enrollment Committee in the same manner as enrollment applications. A strong showing of close ties with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes must be made. Adoption is a matter of discretion with the Shoshone-Paiute Tribes and not a matter of right. Upon a two-thirds (2/3) vote, the Enrollment Committee shall recommend adoption to the Business Council who may by two thirds (2)3) vote in favor to adopt the applicant There is no right of appeal beyond the Business Council on adoption.

Section 608 HONORARY MEMBERS

The Business Council in its discretion may declare honorary membership by two-thirds (2/3) vote. Such memberships are ceremonial only, and shall not carry entitlement to any tribal rights, privileges, resources, property or voting rights, or others not mentioned. There shall be a list of honorary members kept separately from the enrollment list.

enrollment application

family tree