Convention News:

August 25, 2024: Pawnee Nation Constitution Convention Delegates are continuing with work on Article VII. Discussing recommended revisions to Section 1, Forfeture and Section 2, Recall. At the next scheduled meeting (September 15th) the delegates will continue discussion on Sections 3, Suspension and 4, Removal.

The Delegates will also be continuing work on Articles VIII, Nasharo Council, Article XV, Severability, and XVI, Sovereign Immunity. Meeting minutes will be posted on this page for review once they are approved by the delegation.

December 4, 2023: The Pawnee Nation Constitution Delegates will continue work this weekend on Articles III, VII, VIII, X and XIII.  They are getting the Articles together to present to the Pawnee people.

March 20, 2023: Pawnee Nation Constitution Convention Delegates are continuing work on the following Articles: Article III – Membership and Article VIII – Nasharo Council.  Each of the workgroups have been working on surveys/questionnaires to send out to tribal citizens.  The surveys will be posted on the Convention website and a link will be sent on all social media.  The workgroups are working diligently to gather as much information they can from the tribal membership.  If you have not taken the first survey on membership, you may access the document on the Pawnee Nation website at https://pawneenation.org/government/constitution-convention/.

You may also view the recommended revisions for other articles that will be forwarded to the tribal membership for a referendum vote later this year.

Reminder for all Skidi Band members, on Thursday, March 23rd, the Skidi Band will hold their band meeting to talk about Membership.  Meeting starts at 5:30 pm at the Pawnee Nation Community Building.

The Delegates of the Convention will have their next meeting on April 15th, 2023.  This will be a Convention Floor, In-person meeting.  For more information on meeting schedules, please visit the website.

November 13, 2022:  The Pawnee Nation’s Constitutional Convention Delegates met November 12, 2022, in their scheduled virtual meeting to discuss issues brought up in the last Tribal Forum of October 22^nd. These issues will be discussed at the next In-Person Convention for possible amended changes. Article IX-Courts and Article X-The Bill of Rights were also discussed, as well as revising the calendar for the holidays. The Delegates are giving so much of their time to this process yet don’t want to lose momentum; so there will be one more Public Tribal Forum next Saturday at the Roam Chief Even Center from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm and virtually for those who cannot attend in person, this will be last Public Forum of 2022.

All Pawnee citizens are encouraged to contribute their ideas, recommendations, and concerns.  Your input will be taken to the next Delegate meeting of December 3^rd which will be the last virtual meeting of this year. The three workgroups; Article III-Membership, Article VII-Forfeiture, Recall, Suspension & Removal and Article VIII-Nasharo Council will bring back their revisions to the Delegate’s after the first of the year and another Public Forum will be held after that.  If you are a member of the Pawnee Nation and have an interest in these issues; please attend and let your delegation know your concerns.

October 25, 2022:  The Pawnee Nation’s Constitutional Convention delegates met October 8^th in their regular scheduled virtual meeting to discuss several issues, one the Pawnee Business Council giving an extension for the revision until, January, 2024. This is to allow for more participation from tribal members and more time to research the questions. The delegates voted to move Article V. Duties of the Pawnee Business Council and Article. VI. Vacancies to the Convention Floor as a recommended amendment. The Membership Workgroup gave an update on their findings of the surveys they received so far regarding changing the enrollment for tribal membership. If you are a member and would like to respond to the survey, please call the Executive Office of the Pawnee Nation at (918) 762-3621 to request one in mail, email or where you can find it on the Pawnee Nation’s website at: www.pawneenation.org/constitution-convention/.  These surveys will be helpful in drafting the amendment for Article. III. Membership.

The Public Forum of October 15^th was rescheduled to October 22^nd where delegates met in the morning for their regularly scheduled virtual meeting and then in the afternoon for the Public Forum. During the morning meeting, the delegates created two workgroups for two specific questions; Article. VII. Forfeiture, Recall, Removal, and one for Article. VIII. The Nasharo Council.  In the Public Forum that afternoon, the delegates met with the public at the Roam Chief Event Center and virtually for those who could not attend in person.  All Pawnee citizens are encouraged to contribute their ideas, recommendations, and concerns. The next Public Forum is scheduled for November 19, 2022 from 1-4pm. If you are a member of the Pawnee Nation and have an interest in these issues; please attend and let the delegation know your concerns.

October 3, 2022: The Constitution Convention is moving along. The Pawnee Nation’s appointed delegates held their first In-Person Convention Meeting on September 24^th at the Roam Chief Event Center. Using a delegate system, the purpose of the Convention is to identify and develop recommended changes to update, improve, and strengthen the Constitution. Delegates carry out that work in regularly scheduled working meetings, Convention meetings, and Tribal forums being held throughout this year and into early 2023.

At the September 24 meeting, delegates approved recommended amendments to the Constitution for: (1) the Preamble, (2) Article I (Name), and (3) Article II (Purpose). After completing their review of the entire Constitution, areas of consensus will be identified, and recommended changes will be compiled as proposed amendments to the Constitution; and ultimately those proposals will be presented for a referendum vote of the Pawnee people. As each recommended amendment is developed and approved, such as those approved September 24, it will be posted on the Nation’s website at: www.pawneenation.org/constitution-convention/. To stay informed, citizens can review those proposals on the website.

The next Tribal Forum is October 15 (1:00 pm to 4:00 pm) at the Roam Chief Event Center in person or on-line. It will focus on Article III (Membership) and Article IV (Pawnee Business Council). All Pawnee citizens are encouraged to contribute their ideas, recommendations, and concerns regarding Articles III and IV. Your input is important.

SEPT. 20, 2022—Delegates of the Pawnee Nation Constitutional Convention held the second of five tribal forums this past weekend at the Pawnee Nation Roam Chief Event Center. At the forum, updates on suggested revisions were provided to obtain input from tribal members.  These revisions can be viewed on the Pawnee Nation website at www.pawneenation.org.

The next Tribal Forum will be specific to Article Three “Membership” and is set for October 15^th from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm at the Roam Chief Event Center, in Pawnee, Okla. The Delegates of the Constitution Convention will hold their first in-person meeting this weekend, September 24^th and 25^th to approve revisions that are ready to be forwarded for the final version, which will be held by referendum vote of the Pawnee membership.

If you would like to tune into the Convention floor proceedings, please send a request to the Pawnee Nation Executive Administrative Manager, Jamie Nelson at jnelson@pawneenation.org or call at 918-762-3621.