Case Study: The Coeur D Alene Tribe

Coeur d'Alene Tribe
The Coeur d'Alene Tribe is located in the upper panhandle of Idaho, approximately 15 miles south of the city of Coeur d’Alene. The Coeur d' Alene Tribe operates under a democracy form of government. The tribal members have the right to elect their tribal government representatives on the first Saturday in May of each year. The three candidates receiving the highest number of votes will hold office for three years. The two candidates that get the next highest votes hold office for two years. The next two candidates receiving the next highest votes hold office for one year. Therefore elections will be held every year for two candidates. Any enrolled member of the tribe over the

age of twenty-one years old will be able to vote.
Through this process of voting, tribal members are regularly given the ability to hire or fire their representatives. The tribal government, by majority vote, may expel or suspend any of their members for neglect of duty or gross misconduct. Before any vote is cast a member of the office must give written notice of charges against the person. By doing this they have the right to answer any questions or the opportunity to discuss charges before a final decision is made.
The structure of the tribal government and its functions are as follows. Any member of the tribe is eligible for election. They must be a tribal member and must live on the reservation for one year prior to running for council. The tribal council has full authority to judge the qualifications of the members. The Chairman is elected from membership and acts as the executive branch. The Chairman attends meeting of the tribal council and of the tribe. In the event of a tie, only then is he allowed to vote. Also serves as the spokesperson for the tribe and performs all duties of a Chairman.
Tribal council that is elected of seven members holds the legislative branch. Tribal government has the powers and limitations imposed by the Constitution of the United States. The Tribe is to represent and negotiate with outside agencies to conduct business. They are to administer all tribal property by ordinances only by approval of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. The tribe is able to borrow money but only of approval by the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. They can levy license fees and taxes on members through the adoption of ordinances that are subject of approval of the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. Also to employ legal counsel and the choosing of an attorney the Secretary of the Interior has to approve and authorize the representative.
The tribal council elects from the membership the Chairman, vice-chairman and the secretary-treasurer.

They are elected internally by the council to one-year terms. The Chairman presides over meetings and only votes if there is a tie. The Vice-Chairman performs the duties of the Chairman in the absence of the Chairman. The Secretary-Treasurer keeps a complete record of all matters during council and tribal meetings. They also have the duties to account for all funds coming into the Tribal Council.
The tribal court system holds the judiciary branch. They handle all matters pertaining to the tribal members disputes and criminal activity. The tribal court has two full time judges, a Chief Judge and a Associate Judge. Both judges are appointed by the tribal council and they decide the length on their contracts. The Tribal Council has the power to enforce law and order of membership within the tribe through the Tribal Court system.
Tribal citizenship qualifications are you must obtain one-quarter Indian blood and your parents must be a Coeur d'Alene tribal member. This is in effect to maintain tribal

affiliations.
The tribal government compared to the U.S. government are the similarities of the Constitution and how the people are governed. The tribe can only enforce law and order within the reservation boundaries, we conduct a census roll and membership eligibility. The difference between the U.S. government and the Coeur d'Alene Tribe government are the terms of offices they hold and the checks and balances that take place. In the United States each office is held accountable by the others. The Coeur d'Alene Tribal Council takes in account for their own checks and balances within the office. If a member is not fulfilling their duties they can be expelled or suspended by Council vote. Tribal Council acts as the "Legislative" branch, and they are in charge of their own checks and balances.
The effectiveness of the Coeur d'Alene Tribal government is not a well oiled machine.

The constitution is organized under a constitution approved by the Bureau of Indian Affairs on September 2, 1949. The tribe has never adopted their own constitution and government the tribe as it was pre Columbian times. As a result the tribe is in disarray in my eyes. There is not unity among the members. The tribal court is a joke and not easy to work with. Tribal Council hires and fires judges and attorneys if they go against a popular families and uphold the law. Tribal Council is ran by people that were ordinary people that once in office became famous and no longer belonged to the general membership. It is as if every tribal member is for

themselves.
The suggestions I have for improvement is for the tribe to adopt their own constitution that goes back to how things were ran in the beginning. I believe this would bring some change to the reservation. It would bring us together as a whole once our values are back in order. The next generation is growing up quickly and from what I see there is a lot of brain drain happening. People are leaving the reservation to obtain education and not coming back. I would like to see unity among the tribal membership. With a large majority of people that come together they can make a great change on the reservation and in the United States.