Constitution of the Ho-Chunk Nation

Amended: January 26, 2016, effective on February 11, 2016

The tribe makes their constitution available online. The link below will take you to the version of the constitution available on the tribe's website.

Ho-Chunk Nation Constitution (pdf)

Table of Contents

Preamble
Article I - Territory and Jurisdiction
Section 1. Territory
Section 2. Jurisdiction
Article II - Membership
Section 1. Requirements.
Section 2. Relinquishment of Membership and Re-enrollment.
Section 3. Re-enrollment by General Council.
Section 4. Membership Roll.
Section 5. Membership Code.
Section 6. Appeals.
Article III - Organization of the Government
Section 1. Sovereignty.
Section 2. Branches of Government.
Section 3. Separation of Functions.
Section 4. Supremacy Clause.
Article IV - General Council
Section 1. Powers of the General Council.
Section 2. Delegation of Authority.
Section 3. Powers Retained by the General Council.
Section 4. Excepted Powers.
Section 5. Annual Meetings.
Section 6. Special Meetings.
Section 7. Procedures.
Article V - Legislature
Section 1. Composition of the Legislature.
Section 2. Powers of the Legislature.
Section 3. Codes.
Section 4. Redistricting or Reapportionment.
Section 5. Compensation.
Section 6. Terms of Office.
Section 7. Qualifications.
Section 8. Meetings.
Section 9. Open Meetings.
Section 10. Executive Session.
Section 11. Quorum.
Section 12. Voting.
Section 13. Budget.
Article VI - Executive
Section 1. Composition of the Executive Branch.
Section 2. Powers of the President.
Section 3. Qualifications.
Section 4. Compensation.
Section 5. Term of Office.
Article VII - Judiciary
Section 1. Composition of the Judiciary.
Section 2. Composition of the Supreme Court.
Section 3. Composition of the Trial Court.
Section 4. Powers of the Judiciary.
Section 5. Jurisdiction of the Judiciary.
Section 6. Powers of the Trial Court.
Section 7. Powers of the Supreme Court.
Section 8. Qualifications.
Section 9. Terms of Office.
Section 10. Election of Supreme Court Justices.
Section 11. Election of Trial Court Judges.
Section 12. Compensation.
Section 13. Conflict of Interest.
Section 14. Right to Appeal.

Article VIII - Elections
Section 1. General Elections.
Section 2. Special Elections.
Section 3. Election Code.
Section 4. Election Board.
Section 5. Eligible Voters.
Section 6. Certification of Election Results.
Section 7. Challenges of Election Results.
Section 8. Oath of Office.
Article IX - Removal, Recall and Vacancies
Section 1. General Council Removal of Legislators.
Section 2. General Council Removal of the President.
Section 3. Legislative Removal of Legislators.
Section 4. Legislative Removal of Judges.
Section 5. Recall by General Council.
Section 6. District Recall of Legislators.
Section 7. Removal for Felony Conviction while in Office.
Section 8. Vacancies in the Judiciary.
Section 9. Vacancy of the Office of the President.
Section 10. Vacancies in the Legislature.
Section 11. Terms for Vacancies.
Article X - Bill of Rights

Section 1. Bill of Rights.
Article XI - Statutes and Resolutions
Section 1. Statutes.
Section 2. Resolutions.
Section 3. Form.
Section 4. Review.
Article XII - Sovereign Immunity
Section 1. Immunity of Nation from Suit.
Section 2. Suit Against Officials and Employees.
Article XIII - Amendments
Section 1. Requirements.
Section 2. Requests for a Secretarial Election.
Article XIV - Savings Clause
Article XV - Adoption of Constitution
Article XVI - Certificate of Adoption
Approval
Amendment Number I - Article II Membership
Amendment Number II - Article II Membership
Amendment Number III - Article VI Executive
Amendment Number IV - Article V Legislature
Amendment Number V - Article V Legislature
Amendment Number VI - Article IV General Counsel
Amendment Number VII - Article V Legislature
Amendment Number VIII - ArticleVI Executive
Amendment Number IX - ArticleVI Executive, Article V Legislature
Amendment Number X - Article XII Sovereign Immunity, Article IV General Counsel
Amendment Number XI - Article VII Judiciary
Amendment Number XII - Article VII Judiciary
Amendment Number XIII - Article V Legislature
Amendment Number XIV - Article XIII Amendments
Amendment Number XV - Article IX - Removal, Recall and Vacancies
Amendment Number XVI - Article II Membership

 

[Table of Contents created by NILL in April 2019, based on materials available on tribe's website.]