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Creek Indians

The ending of the Creek Indian Wars and falling of The Red Lance Warriors at Horseshoe Bend, Chief Billy Bow Legs wishes to make sure that history and lifestyle of the Creek Indians would not disappear from the face of Mother Earth. So he and other chiefs from the Southern Wolf Clans of the Creek Chickamaugan Indians formed a special band of Indians that would live only to save and teach the history of the people.

For over 190 years now, the Southern Wolf Clan of the Chickamaugan Creek Indians and our counterparts, the Chickamauga Cherokee Indians, have carried on the history and lifestyle of our forefathers.

The Make Up Of A Nation

The People: All the human beings under the same government, speaking the same language, or being of the same blood. A general term, it is used when the more exact term, Race, Tribe, Nation, or Language would be misleading.

Clan: A united group of relatives, or family, having a common ancestor, one hereditary chieftain, and the same surname. Related in only one line, the members of which do not intermarry, and having its own council, property, religion, etc. An exogamous subdivision of a Tribe, also called a Sib.

Band: A company of persons or family, who are associated, organized or bound together. A drove of moving animals, as horses, sheep, or people and usually with a herdsman, chief, a leader and other accompanying persons. To join or unite in a league or company, a confederation.

Tribe: A division class, or group of people, varying ethnologically, according to the circumstances from which their separation or distinction is supposed to originate. Among primitive people a tribe is made up of clans, bands, or subtribes, each having its own leaders and servicing the nation as a whole.

Nation:A people as an organized body, made up of clans, bands, tribes and politic. An aggregation of people of common origin and language, or the territory occupied by them.

We the people of The Indian Creek Band Chickamauga both Creek and Cherokee, as members, do believe our nation is made up of, the people, the clans, and the tribes. Each having a government body of its own in support of the nation as a whole. The Indian Creek Band Chickamauga Creek is only a band which is part of The Creek and Cherokee Nation as a whole.

Offices

(A) Registered Office and Registered Agent: The location of the registered office shall be determined by the council and shall be on file in the appropriate office of the state of its incorporation, pursuant to application provisions of law.

(B) Indian Creek Band Office: The Corporation may have such corporate offices anywhere within or outside of the state of its incorporation as the councils may from time to time appoint or the business of the Indian Creek Band may require. The principle place of business, principle business, or executive office of the corporation may be fixed and so designated from time to time by the councils.

(C) Records: The Indian Creek Band shall keep complete and correct books and records of all accounts for such fiscal or calendar year as the council shall elect and keep minutes or proceedings of the council and committees. The Indian Creek Band shall keep at its registered office of principle place of business, the records of its numbers, giving the names and addresses of all members. Any person who has been a member of record of the corporation at least six (6) months, may upon written demand stating the purpose therefore, have the right to examine the relevant books and records of accounts, minutes and records of members and may extract their form. This right of inspection shall not extend to any person who has used or proposes to use the information obtained other than to protect his interest as a member of the Indian Creek Band. This right shall also not be extended if the person has within the two (2) years preceding such demand, sold, offered to sell or otherwise disclosed a list of information concerning the members of the Indian Creek Band. This also included if he / she has aided or abetted any persons in producing any list of information for any purpose.

Members

(A) Enrollment: Membership in the Indian Creek Band shall be open to any persons who are Native American Indians and those interested in Native American culture and who desire to promote the goals of The Indian Creek Band. Members shall be admitted to the Indian Creek Band upon application to the council. The council shall vote on each application for membership and the application shall not be denied on the basis of race, color, religious affliction, nationality or for any other reason declared unconstitutional by the state or national constitution.

(B) Monetary Gains: No member can use The Indian Creek Band of its name, for his personal monetary gain. The council or the chief must approve of all fund raising. All use of the name ‘The Indian Creek Band’ or ‘The Chickamaugan Creek Cherokee Indian’ must be approved by the council and must be used as non-profit. The chief or vice-chief or duly appointed committee must be present to oversee any event.

(C) Special Meeting Of Members: Special meetings of the members may be called by any two (2) members of the council or any one officer of the Indian Creek Band and shall be held as a special meeting where and when specified in a timely notice of the meeting.

(D) Notice Of Annual Special Adjourned Meeting: Notice of each annual and special meeting of the members stating the time and place shall be given by the secretary of the Indian Creek Band or by its members of the council calling the meeting or in the case of an adjourned meeting by the secretary to each member not less than ten (10) days of, nor more than thirty (30) days prior to the meeting by receipted personal delivery or first class postage prepaid or by publication of the meeting in the newsletter.

(E) Quorum: The articles of the incorporation require a majority of the full membership for any particular matter or these bylaws shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. The act of majority of the members present at any meeting at which there is a quorum, except as may be otherwise specifically provided by statute, the articles of incorporation or these bylaws, shall be act of membership. Less than a quorum may adjourn a meeting successively until a quorum is present and no notice of adjournment is required.

(2) He or she shall have the principle responsibility to given or cause to be given notice of all meetings of the council and members, but this shall not lessen the authority of others to give such notice as authorized elsewhere by these bylaws.

(3) He or she will see that all books, records, lists and information is maintained at the registered office or other office of The Indian Creek Band or so maintained.

(4) He or she will perform other duties and have authority as may be prescribed elsewhere by these bylaws or from time to time by the Chief under whose direct supervision they shall serve.

(F) The Treasurer: Their responsibility as a treasurer of The Indian Creek Band is to be the chief financial and accounting officer of The Indian Creek Band. The treasurer will have the responsibility for the safekeeping or the funds and securities of the corporation and shall keep or cause to be kept full accurate accounts or receipt and endorsements in the books belonging to The Indian Creek Band. He or she will keep or cause to be kept all books or accounts and accounting records of The Indian Creek Band. They will deposit or cause to be deposited, all monies and other valuable affects in the name of and to be credited to The Indian Creek Band in such depositories as may be designated by the council and board.

(2) They will disperse or permit to be dispersed, the funds of The Indian Creek Band as may be ordered or authorized generally by The Chief and Council and will render to The Chief of The Indian Creek Band and council whenever they require it. And account of all his or her transactions as treasurer and those under his or her jurisdiction and of the financial condition of The Indian Creek Band.

(3) They will also perform other duties, responsibilities and authorities as may be prescribed elsewhere in the bylaws from time to time by the council and The Chief.

(G) The Shaman: The Shaman will run the ceremonies, special ceremonies and the Totem Ceremony held every four (4) times a year. He or She will hold Sweat Lodges for the men and women.

(1) He will hold healing ceremonies, the Cherokee Holiday and the Chief Ceremony. He can hold the special ceremony at any time he wishes as long as he follows beliefs og the Cherokee people.

(2) He has full power over what he permits in The Great Circle and who can go in The Great Circle. He will judge on when a person is ready to follow The Red Road and the ways of Totemism.

(3) The Shaman will also Council members who have problems and need help with these problems, as long as The Indian Creek Band is not made part of the problem and stays out of the problem. The Chief decides whether a person meets the counseling needed to participate in any ceremony.

(H) ________: The designated officer will sign all checks or instruments for the payment of bills and notes of The Indian Creek Band. If no such designation is made and unless belief otherwise provides, The Chief and Treasurer shall have the power to sign all instruments for and in behalf of and in the name of The Indian Creek Band that are executed or made in the ordinary course of The Indian Creek Band business.

(I) Conduct Of Affairs With Formal Meeting: All matters regarding the business, _____, affairs and management of The Indian Creek Band by the council, board members, executive committee, or sub-committee of the council may be undertaken with the approval of The Chief without formal meeting by the council or board members of the committee or sub-committee so long as there is written consent to such action of council or board member. Sub-committee is received by the secretary of The Indian Creek Band and filed in the minutes of The Indian Creek Band.

Men of the Sun Lodge

The men of the Sun Lodge look first at all proposed bills that come before the Indian Creek Band. They discuss making changes to a bill or vetoing a bill or submitting it to the Mothers of the Longhouse for final judgment.

Seven (7) men make up the Sun Lodge. One (1) of the men is a member of the Deer Clan. He acts as head of the Sun Lodge.

After being passed by the Sun Lodge and the Mothers of the Longhouse it is then passed to the Chief to accept or veto. If the Chief is to veto any bill from the Sun Lodge and the Mothers of the Longhouse, it will take a two-thirds (2/3^rds) vote of all members of the Indian Creek Band to override the Chief’s veto.

Mothers of the Longhouse

The Mothers of the Longhouse in the days of old, were the ones to judge how the laws were to be put to use, when to go to war or when not to go to war. The role of the Mothers of the Longhouse is to teach the ways of the forefathers, raise funds at the Chief and councils orders, as set down in the bylaws of the Indian Creek Band as a nonprofit group under the laws of the state.

The Mothers of the Loundhouse will help the members when they ask for help. They will work hand in hand with each other and try to keep order among a happy group of members. The Head Mother along with other mothers is to learn and teach the ways of old, so that people can live better in today’s world. The job of a mother is to keep the Indian Creek Band happy and to recruit new members and to teach new crafts to those members. A mother has the power to bring a problem to the council, however, all problems will be taken up by the Mothers of the Longhouse with the advice of the Men of the Sun Lodge. Any decision made by the Mothers of the Longhouse is final.

Breaking the Laws of the Indian Creek Band

(1) A member may be removed for breaking the rules and laws of the Indian Creek Band.

(2) For breaking of the nonprofit tax laws of the state or federal government.

(3) For making a false or misleading statement or fraudulent claim.

(4) For falsely obtaining money if found raising within the meaning of the statute providing for punishment of anyone receiving proceeds of fraudulent audit or payment.

(5) For any fundraising claims for service or materials not actually rendered or furnished.

(6) False representation of existing fact or condition by which party obtains property of the Indian Creek Band.

(7) The misuse of the names ‘Chickamauga Cherokee’ or ‘Indian Creek Band’ without written permission from the Chief or the Council of the Indian Creek Band.