By: Dennis G. Chappabitty, Esq., Project Facilitator
INTRODUCTION: I am pleased to present the 2007 Comanche Nation Consitution Review ("CNCR") Project Annual Report. I thank all of our Numunuu who have taken an active interest in our project! With your participation, we have guided the Project to this extremely crucial point in our Nation's great history. Your support will be needed to take the Project forward to success.
Overwhelmingly, our members want a new Constitution built upon the "separation of powers" principle. From responses to questionnaires and opinions voiced by our members in 2007, the Commission gained a clearer vision from the "people" of the Nation's direction for the future. They expressed their eagerness to participate in and promote positive change to our government:
"Change is the law of life and those who look only to the past or present are
certain to miss the future." - John F. Kennedy
In 2007, CNCR Project Commissioners met with our members in an effort to give each of them a genuine opportunity to voice their opinions, criticisms and concerns about how each new provision will function in this new system of government. Commissioners are Peggy Paddyaker, Harry Mithlo, Vernon Griffin, Errol Choney, Leslie Whitefeather, Paul Pahcheka, Roderick Whitewolf and lebert Taunah. Ms. Whitefeather resigned in October 2007 from the Commission. Her dedication to the Project while she was with us is commendable.
THE MISSION AND ROLE: The mission of the CNCR Commission is to conduct a review of the approved Constitution of the Comanche Nation, critically evaluate that governing document, identify areas of recommended change so that a new and more responsive constitution can be created and placed before Nation members for ratification. The role of CNCR Commission is to develop and undertake a public hearing process that creates an open atmosphere so that members of the Nation will have the opportunity to participate direcly in contributing to the content and writing of the new constitution.
VISION STATEMENT: Recognizing the need for our Nation's governance to reach and benefit all Nation members, the Vision of the Commission is that Nation's members will be well-informed about the value of the CNCR Project and the role of each member in developing a constitution that is responsive and effective in meeting the needs of the Comanche Nation and all its members.
The activities of the CNCR Project are Guided by the Principle of accountability and use of best business practices in CNCR Project operations and management.
First working Draft of New Constitution: In February 2007, the "First Working Draft" of the proposed new constitution was unveiled. The year 2007 ended with further refinement of the original document. Our approach was to aggressively seek out and engage the views of our Comanches where they live and work, explaining the purpose and content of reforms and how their implementation would affect the day-to-day operations of our Nation's government. The Commission explained how the structure of the new constitution would help to promote our Nation's overall governmental "accountability".
Comanche Nation Member Demographics and Findings: Numbers obtained from the City National Bank, Lawton, OK, in September 2007 gave the CNCR Project a very good picture of the geographical distribution of our 9,637 adult Comanche Nation General Council members. The CNCR Project examined these numbers and statistics in an effort to generate discussion among our members on how "voting districts" can be structured that will encourage equal representation in the affairs of our Nation.
CNCR Project Budget: General Council members are assured the overall CNCR Project Budget expenditures for the Fiscal Year ending September 30, 2007 did not exceed allocated monies.
2007 CNCR Project Meetings:
February 24 -
March 31 -
April 14 -
April 16 -
August 11 -
September 22 -
September 29 -
November 1 -
December 8 -
"Strategic Planning 2007" session, Quartz Mountain Resort Arts & Conference
Center, Lone Wolf, OK.
CNCR Commission review of First Working
Draft of New Constitution.
Presentation of First Working Draft at Comanch Nation College.
Facilitator met with Mumunu in New Mexico in Albuquerque, NM.
CNCR Commission met with New Mexico Comanches at the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute, Albuquerque, NM.
CNCR Commission met with Comanches at Museum of the Great Plains, Lawton, OK.
CNCR Project booth at the Comanche Nation Fair.
Informational Session, Norman Outreach Center, Norman, OK.
Focus Group Meeting for Comanche Citizens in Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
2007 Monthly Reports:
Monthly reports are printed and mailed to Comanches through the services of California Indian Manpower Program, Sacramento, CA. The average cost for mailing out 40 reports is $135.00 depending on the number of pages.
Monthly Reports are emailed in PDF format to Comanche groups in Oklahoma, Texas, Arizona, California, Washington, D.C. area and other places where individual Comanches reside.
2007 News Articles:
January -
February -
March -
April -
June -
August -
December -
Comanche Nation News - "Constitution Revision Committee Holds 3rd Commission Field Hearing in Sacramento, CA."
Comanche Nation News - "Constitution Revision Committee Sets Preamble, addresses Concerns."
Comanche Nation News - "Constitution Review Committee Drafts New Constitution."
Comanche Nation News - "Constitution Review Committee Gets Draft Ready."
Comanche Nation News - "Program Briefs."
Indian Country Today - "When is a Citizen Not a Citizen?" by Tim Giago.
Comanche Nation News - "Rervision Committee Produces Tribal Voting Statistics".
2007 Questionnaires:
March -
June -
June -
Questionnairs mailed to 782 Comanches living in Texas.
Questionnairs mailed to 212 Comanches living in New Mexico.
Questionnairs mailed to 98 Comanches living in Washington, D.C. area.
Advertisement announcing the CNCR Project website were published in 4 editions of "Indian Country Today."
A 14 page powerPoint titled "A New Vision - a New reality" was prepared and presented at Project meetings.
An advertisement on "Camp Crier" was established to link the CNCR Project website.
The CNCR Project maintained its website at www.cncrp.com
Continuing "Refinement" of Final Version of New Constitution: Further "refinement" of the new constitution will require more public meetings and distribution of information in the media and internet. Success at this stage in the CNCR Project will demand the participation of every "concerned" Comanche no matter where they reside. As I have stated time and time again, our Numunuu must grasp how a new constitution will make their daily lives better in some real and tangible way. We must continue ongoing discussion on "significant points of discussion" that have been identified. We must also develop reliable data on the cost of sustaining successful governmental operations under a different constitution.
Constitutional Convention: A constitutional convention provides a sovereign forum where a cross-section of citizens can legitimately decide important and often controversial issues. The advantage of organizing a constitutional convention is that it involves the Numunuu directly in formulating the foundation of their new government.
Steps toward organizing the constitution convention in October 2008 are taking place. Delegates will be selected to represent designated "districts" and Comanches living outside of the 7 county area in southwest Oklahoma.
We diligently kept with our Mission because the lives of our Comanche People, the problems they face on a daily basis, and the hopes and desires they charish for improvement in their existence should be the supreme concern of our government. Comanche monies budgeted for the CNCR Project by the General Council have been carefully spent in an effort to "gauge the pulse of the People." Your support for the continuation of this important Project by approving our budget is key to its success!
Original 2007 Annual Report in PDF