Petition to the Kiowa Chairman to Call a Special Meeting of the Kiowa Indian Council

Our Kiowa people need a Special Meeting to discuss amending the new constitution as soon as possible. The recently enacted Kiowa Constitution states that the Kiowa Indian Council (KIC) Annual Meeting will not occur until April 2018. The current Kiowa Constitution has a provision for the KIC to call a Special Meeting.

ARTICLE V – KIOWA INDIAN COUNCIL
Section 3. Reserved Powers.
(a) The Council shall have the power to establish its own rules of order and procedure.
(b) The Council shall have the following powers; provided, that no such action of the Council shall become effective until the voters approve such matter in a subsequent election:
(iii) The Council shall have the power to initiate the process to amend the Constitution by voting to call a Special Election to place before the voters the text of a proposed amendment along with the question of whether such proposed amendment should be placed before the voters in a subsequent Special Election to be held within one year and following the requirements of Article XIV of this Constitution.
Section 4. Annual Meetings and Special Meetings
(b) Special Meetings of the Council may be called upon request of six Legislators or by petition signed by four-hundred Members of the Tribe who are eighteen years of age and older. The purpose of the Special Meeting shall be indicated in the request for the Special Meeting and no other business shall be conducted at the Special Meeting. The Election Commission shall validate petitions for Special Meetings. All requests for a Special Meeting shall be submitted to the Coordinator of the Office of the Council. Upon receipt of a request from the Legislature or a valid petition of the People, the Coordinator shall call the Special Meeting.
(c) The Coordinator shall provide notice of all Regular Meetings and·Special Meetings of the Council at least fifteen days before such Meeting.
ARTICLE XIV - AMENDMENTS
Section 1. Request for an Election. The Council may initiate the process to amend the Constitution by voting to take such action at a valid Council Meeting where the matter has been properly placed on the agenda. The Legislature may initiate the process to amend the Constitution by a unanimous vote calling a Special Election by law. The Election Commission shall call and hold a Special Election to amend the Constitution within ninety days of receipt of a request from the Council pursuant to approval by the voters or the Legislature.

Section 2. Requirements for Passage. The Constitution may be amended by a majority vote of the voters who vote in the Special Election; provided, that at least thirty percent .of the voters cast a vote in the Special Election. Amendments approved by the voters shall become effective immediately unless otherwise indicated in the amendment.