The Call For First Native American Continental Convention
The United Confederated Native States of America
The First Native American Continental Congress will issue “A Resolve to the National Native Tribes and Reservations
(here known as United Confederated Native States of America); Adopt a policy of succession from the United Sates government,
further the Native American Continental Congress; Adopt such a Unity government of sovereign tribal nations as shall, in the
opinion of the representatives of the Native American people, best conduce to the safety and happiness of their constituents
(people) in particular and American in general. The National Native Tribes adopt a Articles of Confederation and perpetual
Union between National Native Tribes and Reservations. What will result will be the most extensive documentation of the powers
of Native American governments and the rights of the Native people that the United States government has ever witnessed.
These Confederated Native States constitutions will display a remarkable uniformity. Proposals will consist of a prefatory
Declaration of Rights, and all containing the same civil and criminal rights, based upon the very same natural and traditional
rights found in Indian Country.
The primary purpose of these declarations and bills will be to outline the objectives of our Confederated Native States government:
to secure the right to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness for Native American people. The government to
be chosen to secure these rights will declare universally to be "a representative confederacy of independent Native American
governments."
________________________________________
Article I. The Stile of this Confederacy shall be "The United Confederated Native States of America."
Article II. Each Native State retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right,
which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United Confederated Native States, in Congress assembled.
Article III. The said Native States hereby severally enter into a firm league of friendship with each other, for their common
defense, the security of their liberties, and their mutual and general welfare, binding themselves to assist each other, against
all force offered to, or attacks made upon them, or any of them, on account of religion, sovereignty, trade, or any other
pretense whatever.
Article IV. The better to secure and perpetuate mutual friendship and intercourse among the people of the different Native
States in this Union, the free inhabitants of each of these Native States, paupers, vagabonds, and fugitives from justice
excepted, shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of free citizens in the Native States; and the people of each
Native State shall free ingress and regress to and from any other Native State, and shall enjoy therein all the privileges
of trade and commerce, subject to the same duties, impositions, and restrictions as the inhabitants thereof respectively,
provided that such restrictions shall not extend so far as to prevent the removal of property imported into any Native State,
to any other Native State, of which the owner is an inhabitant; provided also that no imposition, duties or restriction shall
be laid by any Native State, on the property of The United Confederated Native States of America, or either of them.
If any person guilty of, or charged with, treason, felony, or other high misdemeanor in any Native State, shall flee from
justice, and be found in any of the United Confederated Native States of America , he shall, upon demand of the Councils or
executive power of the Native State from which he fled, be delivered up and removed to the State having jurisdiction of his
offense.
Full faith and credit shall be given in each of these Native States to the records, acts, and judicial proceedings of the
courts and magistrates of every other Native State.
Article V. For the most convenient management of the general interests of the United Confederated Native States of America,
delegates shall be annually appointed in such manner as the legislatures of each Native State shall direct, to meet in Congress
on the first Monday in November, in every year, with a power reserved to each Native State to recall its delegates, or any
of them, at any time within the year, and to send others in their stead for the remainder of the year.
No Native State shall be represented in Native Congress by less than two, nor more than seven members; and no person shall
be capable of being a delegate for more than three years in any term of six years; nor shall any person, being a delegate,
be capable of holding any office under the United Confederated Native States of America, for which he/she, or another for
their benefit, receives any salary, fees or emolument of any kind.
Each Native State shall maintain its own delegates in a meeting of the Native States, and while they act as members of the
committee of the Native States.
In determining questions in the United Confederated Native States of America in Congress assembled, each Native State shall
have one vote.
Freedom of speech and debate in Congress shall not be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Congress, and the
members of Congress shall be protected in their persons from arrests or imprisonments, during the time of their going to and
from, and attendance on Congress, except for treason, felony, or breach of the peace.
Article VI. No Native State, without the consent of the United Confederated Native States of America in Congress assembled,
shall send any embassy to, or receive any embassy from, or enter into any conference, agreement, alliance or treaty with any
State; nor shall any person holding any office of profit or trust under the United Confederated Native States of America,
or any of them, accept any present, emolument, office or title of any kind whatever from any foreign State; nor shall the
United Confederated Native States in Congress assembled, or any of them, grant any title of nobility.
No two or more Native States shall enter into any treaty, confederation or alliance whatever between them, without the consent
of the United Confederated Native States in Congress assembled, specifying accurately the purposes for which the same is to
be entered into, and how long it shall continue.
No Native State shall lay any imposts or duties, which may interfere with any stipulations in treaties, entered into by the
United Confederated Native States of America in Congress assembled, with any State, in pursuance of any treaties already proposed
by Congress.
Vessel of war shall be kept up in time of peace by any Native State, except such number only, as shall be deemed necessary
by the United Confederated Native States of America in Congress assembled, for the defense of such all Native States, or its
trade. Each Native State shall garrison their Warriors as necessary for the defense of such Native State; but every Native
State shall always keep up a well-regulated and disciplined Warrior militia.
No Native State shall engage in any war without the consent of the United Confederated Native States in Congress assembled,
unless such Native State be actually invaded by enemies, or shall have received certain advice of a resolution being formed
by some nation of enemies to invade such Native State, and the danger is so imminent as not to admit of a delay till the United
Confederated Native States in Congress assembled can be consulted; nor shall any Native State grant commissions to any ships
or vessels of war, nor letters of reprisal, except it be after a declaration of war by the United Confederated Native States
of America in Congress assembled, and then only against the Native State and the people thereof, against which war has been
so declared, and under such regulations as shall be established by the United Confederated Native States of America in Congress
assembled, unless such Native State be infested by anarchy, in which case vessels of war may be fitted out for that occasion,
and kept so long as the danger shall continue, or until the United Confederated Native States in Congress assembled shall
determine otherwise.
Article VII. When land forces are raised by any Native State for the common defense, all leaders shall be appointed by the
government of each Native State respectively, by whom such forces shall be raised, or in such manner as such Native State
shall direct, and all vacancies shall be filled up by the Native State which first made the appointment.
Article VIII. All charges of war, and all other expenses that shall be incurred for the common defense or general welfare,
and allowed by the United Confederated Native States in Congress assembled, shall be defrayed out of a common treasury.
The taxes for paying that proportion shall be laid and levied by the authority and direction of the Councils of the many Native
States within the time agreed upon by the United Confederated Native States of America in Congress assembled.
Article IX. The United Confederated Native States of America in Congress assembled, shall have the sole and exclusive right
and power of determining on peace and war, except in the cases mentioned in the sixth article — of sending and receiving
ambassadors — entering into treaties and alliances, provided that no treaty of commerce shall be made whereby the leadership
power of the respective Native States shall be restrained from imposing such imposts and duties on foreigners, as their own
people are subjected to, or from prohibiting the exportation or importation of any species of goods or commodities whatsoever
— of appointing courts for the trial of felonies committed outside the United Confederated Native States of America
territory, provided that no member of Congress shall be appointed a judge of any of the said courts.
The United Confederated Native States in Congress assembled shall also be the last resort on appeal in all disputes and differences
now subsisting or that hereafter may arise between two or more Native States concerning boundary, jurisdiction or any other
causes whatever; which authority shall always be exercised in the manner following. Whenever the Council or executive authority
or lawful agent of any Native State in controversy with another shall present a petition to Congress stating the matter in
question and praying for a hearing, notice thereof shall be given by order of Congress to the Council or executive authority
of the other Native State in controversy.
All controversies concerning the private right of land claimed under different grants of two or more Native States, whose
jurisdictions as they may respect such lands, and the Native States which passed such grants are adjusted.
The United Confederated Native States in Congress assembled shall also have the sole and exclusive right and power of regulating
the alloy and value of coin struck by their own authority, or by that of the respective Native States — fixing the standards
of weights and measures throughout the United Confederated Native States — regulating the trade and managing all affairs
with the United States government, not members of any of the Native States, provided that the Council right of any Native
State within its own limits be not infringed or violated — establishing or regulating post offices from one Native State
to another, throughout all the continental United States, and exacting such postage on the papers passing through the same
as may be requisite to defray the expenses of the said
The United Confederated Native States in Congress assembled shall have authority to appoint a committee, to sit in the recess
of Congress, to be denominated 'A Committee of the Native States', and to consist of one delegate from each Native State;
and to appoint such other committees and civil officers as may be necessary for managing the general affairs of the United
Confederated Native States under their
The United Confederated Native States in Congress assembled shall never engage in a war, nor grant letters reprisal in time
of peace, nor enter into any treaties or alliances, nor coin money, nor regulate the value thereof, nor ascertain the sums
and expenses necessary for the defense and welfare of the United Confederated Native States, or any of them, nor emit bills,
nor borrow money on the credit of the United Confederated Native States, nor appropriate money, nor agree upon the number
of vessels of war, to be built or purchased, or the number of land or sea forces to be raised, nor appoint a commander in
chief of the army or navy, unless three quarters of the Native States assent to the same: nor shall a question on any other
point, except for adjourning from day to day be determined, unless by the votes of the majority of the United Confederated
Native States in Congress assembled.
The Congress of the United Confederated Native shall have power to adjourn to any time within the year, and to any place within
the United Confederated Native States, so that no period of adjournment be for a longer duration than the space of six months,
and shall publish the journal of their proceedings monthly, except such parts thereof relating to treaties, alliances or military
operations, as in their judgment require secrecy; and the votes of the delegates of each Native State on any question shall
be entered on the journal, when it is desired by any delegates of a Native State, or any of them, at their request shall be
furnished with a transcript of the said journal, except such parts as are above excepted, to lay before the Councils of the
Native States.
Article X. The Committee of the Native States, or three quarters of them, shall be authorized to execute, in the recess of
Congress, such of the powers of Congress as the United Confederated Native States in Congress assembled, by the consent of
the three quarters of the Native States, shall from time to time think expedient to vest them with; provided that no power
be delegated to the said Committee, for the exercise of which, by the Articles of Confederation, the voice of three quarters
of the Native States in the Congress of the United Confederated Native States assembled be requisite.
Article XI. Canadian Native First Nations acceding to this confederation, and adjoining in the measures of the United Confederated
Native States, shall be admitted into, and entitled to all the advantages of this Union; but no other Native States shall
be admitted into the same, unless such admission be agreed to by three quarters of the Native States.
Article XII. All bills of credit emitted, monies borrowed, and debts contracted by, or under the authority of Congress, before
the assembling of the United Confederated Native States, in pursuance of the present confederation, shall be deemed and considered
as a charge against the United Confederated Native States, for payment and satisfaction whereof the said United Confederated
Native , and the public faith are hereby solemnly pledged.
Article XIII. Every Native State shall abide by the determination of the United Confederated Native States in Congress assembled,
on all questions which by this confederation are submitted to them. And the Articles of this Confederation shall be inviolably
observed by every Native State, and the Union shall be perpetual; nor shall any alteration at any time hereafter be made in
any of them; unless such alteration be agreed to in a Congress of the United Confederated Native States, and be afterwards
confirmed by the Councils of every State.
________________________________________
And Whereas it hath pleased the Creator of the World to incline the hearts of the Councils we respectively represent in Congress,
to approve of, and to authorize us to ratify the said Articles of Confederation and perpetual Union. Know Ye that we the undersigned
delegates, by virtue of the power and authority to us given for that purpose, do by these presents, in the name and in behalf
of our respective constituents, fully and entirely ratify and confirm each and every of the said Articles of Confederation
and perpetual Union, and all and singular the matters and things therein contained: And we do further solemnly plight and
engage the faith of our respective constituents, that they shall abide by the determinations of the United Confederated Native
States in Congress assembled, on all questions, which by the said Confederation are submitted to them. And that the Articles
thereof shall be inviolably observed by the Native States we respectively represent, and that the Union shall be perpetual.
In Witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands in Congress. Done at the First Native American Continental in the Native
State of ______________, and in the first year of independence from the United States of America.
|