By ROBERT JUMPER
One Feather Editor
CHEROKEE, N.C. – The Constitutional Convention meeting on Thursday, April 23 was convened with a roll call. Absent from the meeting were Elawodi (Yellowhill) Community Representative Shennell Feather, Aniwodhi (Painttown) Community Representative Shannon Swimmer, Pam Straughn, Randall Crowe, Chief Justice Brad Letts, Associate Judge Barbara Parker, Janet Arch, Lloyd Arneach, Peggy Hill, Raylen Bark, and Colby Taylor. In attendance were Chairperson Nancy Pheasant, Beloved Woman Carmaleta Monteith, and Jack Cooper.
With four committee members in attendance and only three entities represented, the committee failed to reach a quorum. A quorum is necessary for any voting and action by the committee. Votes on meeting minutes from March 26 and April 9 for approval could not be taken.
One tribal member, James Bradley, did address the committee during the public comment period. He asked that the committee include language in the proposed constitution that would provide penalties for elected officials who do not follow the law.
He said, “We need to have the ability to hold our government accountable.”
The meeting lasted 49 minutes with discussion including accountability, recallability, weighted vote, and other qualification issues. Chairperson Pheasant said that since the Community Club Council had not met since the last constitution committee meeting, she had not addressed the committee’s action for her to make inquiries for allotting time at Community Club Council meetings to educate and get feedback from communities on the proposed constitution.
Chairperson Pheasant stated that the members of the committee in attendance should do “homework”, meaning that for the questions that they had raised in the meeting, they should formulate answers themselves and be ready to discuss those at the next meeting.
The next two meetings of the Constitutional Convention are scheduled for May 14 and May 28. These meetings are open to the community.
