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MESSAGE OF CONCERN AND EXPLANATIONDear Tribal Leader:

The Lummi Sovereignty & Treaty Protection Office has voiced concerns about the Tribal 

Government Welfare Exclusions Act of 2014- as regards “ceremonial activities” specifically. 

We believe tribal leaders and the IRS must design a system that functionally preserves the 

intended tax exclusions as broad as possible. Keep in mind that traditional tribal ceremonialists

do not trust federal agents or agencies as regards releasing information about their traditional 

practices, ceremonials, and beliefs. As a guiding “policy” document, we should review the United 

Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples per traditional, spiritual, ceremonial, 

cultural recovery & reconciliation concerns. However, the major work product for IRS/Tribal 

Consultations would be based on the traditional knowledge of the tribal ceremonialists.

We have to make sure the IRS does not interpret the TGWE Act to narrowly. The IRS should 

seek our “free, prior, and informed consent” especially as so much applies to ceremonial activity.

The results will impact tribal/IRS implementation actions. Consultation should seek to make sure

“tax collection activity” does not damage or hamper traditional ceremonial practices. Remember, 

our tribal people have the worse socio-economic conditions in the nation. We have endured 

generations of termination, assimilation, enculturation, and even genocidal practices, policies, and 

laws. We must defend our peoples’ ceremonial rituals, since these practices preserved our 

collective tribal cultural integrity during our most challenging times. 

While tribes and the IRS seek to reconcile the thresholds of “lavish and extravagant” with tribal 

general welfare activity (Miccosukee Case), we will continue to see tax-collection problems over 

ceremonial activity. In the IRS system a 1099 Form flags the alleged “miscellaneous taxable 

income” of the ceremonialist. The system is set up to assure the 1040 Tax Return Form (per W2)

recognizes the 1099 Income. When this reconciliation does not happen then the tribal Indian faces 

failure-to-pay tax challenges. Armed with the power of “tax court precedence” the IRS is sure to 

win against tribal people that are too poor to hire specialized tax lawyers. These lawsuits were 

always between the “citizen Indian” and the “United States” and tribes were excluded.

We really hope tribal leaders recognize that many, many different types of “ceremonial activity” 

could be taxed if we allow the IRS to interpret the new law narrowly. The IRS Notice (2015-34,

Rev. Proc. 2014-35, on page 3) addressed the need for government payors and recipientsto k eep 

thorough books to track the funds, as burdens placed upon the tribal individuals and tribal 

government. Consequently, we need to have a “Tribal Registry of Ceremonial Activities” system. 

This is to govern & control the 1099 Form associated with the ceremonial activity. Instead of the 

IRS receiving it, it would go to the tribe for registration and tracking. This system should register

the W9, any checks (or other evidence), and the 1099 for the ceremonialist. This will require 

consultation. And, once agreed, we would need the IRS to issue a Guidance that advocates the 

process. We would IRS and Tribal training to be developed and offered.

As we seek to clarify this process, we should argue we are self-determining, self-governing, selfaccounting, self-certifying, self-regulating, self-reporting, and self-policing. Tribes do not want 

the IRS just coming in and auditing their records without cause. The “Notice” (p.14) adds the 

word “nominal” to help define what qualifies Ceremonial Activity exclusions. This limiting word 

“nominal” does not reflect the value we put on our culture and our extensive list of ceremonial 

activities. This is an ambiguous term and interpretation by the IRS is sure to cause hardship for 

Indian Country. We should have it removed in the long-term- whenever congressional oversight

may happen. In the mean while, it could be used as justification for IRS intrusion- as it seeks to 

keep the exclusion at “nominal” levels. 
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It is our tribal duty to unite on what is cultural, traditional, ceremonial activity. The definitions

will help determine what is excluded from taxation and not gross income. The IRS does not 

know our traditional cultures or ceremonies. Most modern tribal leaders have difficulty defining 

this area for their tribe; mainly because they were victims of the enculturation and assimilation 

policies of the United States, and forced into public schools to learn civic duties to outside 

authority. No matter what, the IRS should not be left alone to define what are ceremonial 

activities. The IRS could only resort to stereotypical, narrow definitions. When a tribal Indian is 

conducting traditional, cultural, ceremonial practices & activities then it is not taxable!” This 

must be our basic position. The law says that “Ambiguities” are to be resolved in our favor of the 

tribe or tribal Indian.

There are other concerns that should be “advised upon” by the Treasury Tribal Advisory 

Committee, especially through our representatives from Indian Country. Otherwise, we need to 

consider pressing for oversight hearings for Indian Country on tax exclusion matters. Every 

successful exclusion gets us closer to the intended status of “excluding (tribal) Indians not taxed,” 

as found in the U.S. Constitution. Let me give examples of other 1099 problems. 

IRC Section 7871 (Tribal Governmental Tax Status Act) has not been completely clarified to 

assure “tribal non-profits” are protected from taxation. Per Section 7871, we provide funding for 

modern (e.g., baseball, basket ball) and traditional (e.g., Lacrosse, Canoe Racing, Horse Racing) 

youth sports activities. When we release funds to the Coach, the payment (in check form) is 

reported (1099) to the IRS and the coach then faces a personal income tax, since it appears to be 

a part of his gross income (on a 1040 form) and taxable under Section 61 IRC. But, the funds 

covered the team expenses and was not private income to the coach. With a simplified “How 

to...” agreement with the IRS on a tribal process for accounting for the exempted activity, we 

should be able to keep this “reported income” as tax excluded for non-profit youth activity, so the 

coach is not liable and he is acting as an agent of the tribal process. This requires tribal control of 

the 1099. In a visit to Lummi, the Seattle IRS agents said it is a matter of how we (the tribe) 

manage and regulate the records and payments for these otherwise tax excluded activities. There 

has never been any agreed upon training of tribal accounting and IRS field agents on this matter.

But if we can get an IRS Tax Guidance addressing “Ceremonial Activities” then it might good to 

clarify the exclusions for Section 7871 Activity and 1099 problems at the same time. This would 

be a part of the same “Registry” system.

Please take notice that tribal accounting staff have no alternative. They process the 1099s and 

these get filed with the IRS, as required by law. There is no IRS Guidance that says, keep the 

1099 if the tribes issues it or if another entity issues it then mail it to the respect artist’s tribe and

simply register it in their tribal registry office - in case there are tax evasion questions; otherwise, 

the 1099 should not be forwarded by tribal personnel to the IRS. This is why we need a tribal 

registry office for Ceremonial or other tax exempt activities (as per IRC Section 7871, 7873, and 

139D as well as 139E). This 1099 problem impacts tribal accounting personnel- who seek to 

comply with U.S. Tax law and processes, as a matter of accountability. Tribal members become 

upset because the action results in tax liabilities they face.

We should take notice that there are many times that tribal people are representing “tribal fishing 

rights” (Section 7873) and advocating tribal concerns about fish conservation and protection of 

fish habitat. As speakers they may receive a stipend or honorarium. But, this gets reported on a 

1099 and then they face “tax challenges.” And, many times ceremonial cooks and ceremonialists 

are actively engaged in tribal community or intertribal community gatherings and end up with 

1099 problems for their performance. We should consider addressing the 1099 problem for 
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Section 7873 as well. This could be a part of the tribal registry system as well. Keep in mind, the 

Nooksack Tribe was sued over Section 7873 claims, and lost. The problem is lack of training on 

the section exclusions and a tribal registry system to intercept respective, valid 1099s.

And, in the near future, we should work to expand the tax exclusions of Section 7873 to all 

income derived from the processing, harvesting, transporting, and marketing of protected natural 

resources of Indian Country- whether protected by treaty, executive order, or act of congress. If 

other natural resources protected by federal law are included then the damages of the Cotton 

Petroleum case (state taxes) and Squire case (federal taxes) go away. This leaves those “taxes” for 

tribal governments. As regards the tax excluded activities of the “Indian Fishing Rights” industry, 

all parts that are tax exempted are performed by qualified “tribal Indians.” This is a good example 

of how “Excluding Indian not taxed” should work under modern political alliances of the tribes

with the United States.

There was a lesson learned from the Section 7873 campaign ran by the Lummi Treaty Protection 

Task Force that is important. First, most all involved tribal lawyers wanted to negotiate with the 

IRS and get an exemption that complied with the “Squire Case”(1956). The Task Force rejected 

that solution. We sought complete exclusion of the whole treaty resource industry for tribal treaty 

fishers and other tribal participants. The lawyers said this large exclusion could never be won. We 

won in three years (1986-89). The IRS then sought to limit the language scope by going after 

Indian fishers in the Great Lakes area. We organized with the Great Lakes Tribes. We hired a 

national law firm for guidance. We secured the broadest interpretation of the language possible, 

with the blessings of (late) Senator Inouye- then Chairman of the Senate Committee on Indian 

Affairs. We recognized the treaty fishing industry had sixteen parts to it. We got all sixteen parts 

exempted from taxation. The Squire Approach would have exempted only 1/16th. 

Additionally, we recommend a new tax law (amendment or clarification to Section 139E if 

needed) that provides: “All individual, tribal, or tribal corporate donations made to a lawfully 

qualified inter-tribal charity shall be exempted from Section 61 IRC as income, the same as a 

Foreign Tax Credit; provided, such donations are for financial assistance to any qualified tribal

student’s education or scholarship needs, or forintertribal health care facility or urban Indian 

health care clinics in need of financial assistance for operation costs, staffing, and supplies for 

the benefit of qualified tribal or urban Indians in dire need of physical, mental, behavioral, 

dental, and health care assistance; Provided, that this language does not limit the rights of 

qualified urban located enrolled tribal persons to receive assistance from their tribe under the 

TGWE Act (Section 139E) or Medical Benefits (Section 139D).”

Hereunder, we provide our (attached) paper arguing for the development of the “Booklet on 

Ceremonial Activity” per IRC Section 139E. Keep in mind, it could be expanded to cover the 

1099 problem for other respective Indian Country exclusions or exemptions. Please consider our 

opinion for the consultations with the IRS. In getting back to our primary purpose here, we need 

the broad definition of what is qualified ceremonial activity. For example, if the IRS questions a 

distribution, then the tribe and the IRS can refer to this document and locate where the ceremonial 

activity is defined and therefore protected by the tax exclusion. But, this completed document 

would require an IRS Tax Advisory Guidance - for use by the tribes, the IRS, and other 

respective parties. The consultations should call for the development of the Tribal Tax Exclusion 

Registry System would protect ceremonial activities from taxation. The Guidance would advise 

any lawful entity that would normally file a 1099 with the IRS that if it is for ceremonial activity 

then the form is mailed and filed with the respective Tribal Registry Office and not the IRS. As 

indicated above, with diligent work in consultations, this process could incorporate the processing 
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of other 1099s associated with implementation of IRC Sections 7871, 7873, 139D, and 139E. The 

overall goal is tribal control, accountability, and prevention of fraudulent tax evasion.

INTERTRIBAL BOOKLET ON CEREMONIAL ACTIVITIES

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE 

Each of the federally recognized Native American Nations recognize that the tribe, as a 

whole, and its membership, have suffered historical & intergenerational trauma due 

imposed federal Indian law and policy, and the racist and religious influences of nonIndian society that had sought to destroy our indigenous cultures, ceremonial knowledge,

and identity as tribal collectives, and as individual tribal persons. In this light, the Indian 

Nations (hereafter) seek to re-establish, establish, re-store, preserve, encourage, & protect 

those that traditionally, ceremonially, and culturally share, transmit, transfer, and teach 

each generation that seek to learn, understand and follow tribal traditional ceremonial

practices, and preserve traditional knowledge. Hereunder, we address example

ceremonial activities that the tribes, in common, seek to protect and preserve through 

time. These are important components and parts of tribal traditional knowledge and

ceremonial, cultural practices & rituals. 

 In tribal work to protect, preserve, recover and transmit traditional cultural activities 

and knowledge to the following generations, it is a national disgrace for the U.S. Internal 

Revenue Service to tax any finances, funds, revenues, scholarships, honorariums, or other 

gifts of property made to tribal Indians- no matter what the form has been transmitted,

within tribal cultural settings, and as necessary to ceremonials and established protocols

& practices. Tribal leaders recognize that we do not limit “ceremonial activity” to only a 

“shaman” or “medicine man.” Tribal traditional culture has a massive amount of 

ceremonial activity associated with their survival as a culturally correct tribal society. 

And, important that tribal nations mutually work to prevent any and all governments, 

domestic or foreign, from taxing any part or portion of activity associated with traditional

cultural practices and ceremonials.

PROTOCOLS ON TRADITIONAL CULTURE:

This is not a thorough, comprehensive review of all aspects of traditional tribal 

ceremonial activities. However, traditional practices in all tribal communities require 

tribal members to comply with rules of respectful conduct and practice. We can call these 

“protocols” on the knowledge necessary to be a practicing member guided by traditional 

knowledge. This knowledge is transmitted from the womb to the grave. It an unending

form of traditional education and extremely important to tribal practices and efforts 

toward traditional ceremonial preservation. There are unmentioned or unaddressed 

additional matters or practices that tribal traditionalists may or may not disclose during 

consultations. However, this limited disclosure is intended to assist and protect the right 

of tribal children and uninformed tribal members to learn about, practice, understand, and 

engage in traditional practices based on the transmittal of traditional knowledge within 

each tribal community- without suffering federal taxation due to their participation in 

ritualistic practices. We seek to maintain and protect, to revitalize our traditional culture 

and ceremonials as foundational to our cosmological understanding of our place in 

creation and in association to our relationship with the world around us.
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PREAMBLE: 

We, as Indian Nations, with our own individual and collective cosmology, mythology, 

and Spiritual Understandings of Creation and the Earthly Environment shall always seek 

to protect the rights of our indigenous People(s) to not be oppressed and encroached upon 

by foreign powers and non-native society or religious practices. We seek to preserve the 

right of our native societies to be self-determining, self-governing, self-regulating, selfdefining, self-accounting, self-policing in accordance to our inherent sovereignty and 

traditional knowledge and ceremonial practices, and in compliance with modern tribal 

laws, and federal laws- as may be applicable. However, it is a predominant orientation 

common to traditional cultural practitioners that no government may interfere with the 

inherited and inherent right of the individual and tribal collective to practice their 

religious and spiritual beliefs.

 It is the belief and understanding of the intertribal Indian Nations that any attempt by 

an outside entity, government, or branch of government to tax an inherent, reserved, or 

protected ceremonial right or practice of the tribes and their people(s) is an attempt to 

destroy that right, and is, therefore, an unacceptable attack upon the inherent and modern 

sovereignty of the Indian Nations, and a breach of government to government protocols 

and laws of respect and recognition between nations (treaties-made). It is the tribes’ 

anguish that such external interferences are acts of cultro-cide and has genocidal 

implications when any law is applied that brands us as incompetent or non-competent.

CAVEAT: 

For the purposes of our debate hereunder, we declare the following: Under each of the 

parts, subparts, articles, or sections of the language below, it is understood that someone 

is guiding or performing for another tribal person or tribal entity- whether or not those 

receiving such knowledge are young or old does not matter since the latter is a student or 

pupil or initiate that is being informed, taught, trained, and guided in cultural ceremonial 

activity that is traditionally associated with the knowledge practiced, preserved, and 

transmitted within the tribal community or shared between tribal communities over 

generations and millenniums. As teacher or student, ceremonialist or initiate, one or the 

other may receive some form of recognition that has a monetary value, in modern tax 

parlance (i.e., otherwise federally defined as includable value under the term “Gross 

Income”), but this “transfer of property in any form” is a part of the traditional cultural

Ceremonial Activities. It is understood and intended that such activities are not to be 

considered taxable. It is not to be included as any part or form of gross income under 

Title 26, U.S. Internal Revenue Code, Section 61, and considered as specifically 

protected by the Tribal Government Welfare Exclusions Act of 2014 (as General Welfare 

Benefits or Ceremonial Activities). It is assumed that any such transfer of property or 

income or revenue or stipends, or otherwise, that may take place is protected by the tribe 

from disclosure to any private or governmental entity or agency- unless specifically

authorized by applicable law or otherwise agreed after consultations between the tribes 

and the IRS. It is, further, understood that the Indian Nations are self-determining, selfgoverning, self-regulating, self-accounting, self-policing, and self-disclosing (as may be

required by appropriate law) over all non-taxable cultural ceremonial activities. The 
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Indian Nations, further and mutually, declare that any such property transfer, as 

associated with or directly connected with any of the listed activities (below, herein), do

not amount to a transference of property or income that would qualify as exceeding the 

“Lavish or Extravagant” limitation imposed by the TGWE Act of 2014 in regards to 

qualified General Welfare type benefits. 

In recognition of the above mentioned concerns, we provide, hereunder, the Table of 

Contents on what classifications of Ceremonial Activities should the subject matter of 

Tribal/IRS Consultations on the application of the Tribal General Welfare Exclusions Act 

of 2014, as follows: 

INTERTRIBAL BOOKLET ON CEREMONIAL ACTIVITIES

TABLE OF CONTENTS- OUTLINED 

PART I. PROTECTION OF TRADITIONAL SPIRITUALITY & CULTURE

Article 1. Protection of Native Language

Article 2. Protection of Native Knowledge of Aboriginal Land & Territory

Article 3. Protection of Spiritual Societies- All Seasons

Article 4. Protection of Identification of Intertribal Spiritual Practices

Article 5. Protection of Traditional Songs

Article 6. Protection of Traditional Dances

Article 7. Protection of Traditional Ceremonials

Article 8. Protection of Traditional Sacred Knowledge

Article 9. Protection of Traditional Tribal Collective

Article 10. Protection of Traditional Regalia & Clothing

Article 11. Protection of Sacred Philosophy/Cosmology

Article 12. Protection of Traditional Intergenerational Relationships

Article 13. Protection of Sacred Contract with Creation

Article 14. Protection of Traditional Rules of Conduct

Article 15. Protection of Traditional Mythology

Article 16. Protection of Intertribal Marriage Rights

Article 17. Protection of Sacred Sites and Places

Article 18. Protection of Traditional Plants and Medicines 

Article 19. Protection of Native Genetic Code

Article 20. Protection Against Extinction of Ceremonial Foods

Article 21. Protection of Relationships with the Elemental

Article 22. Protection Against Ceremonially Accessing Contaminated Sites

Article 23. Protection of Traditional Subsistence Foods

Article 24. Protection of Traditional Housing Constructs

PART II. PROTECTION OF TRADITIONAL HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS

Article 25. Protection of Inherent Gifts

Article 26. Protection of Sacred Union of Couples 

Article 27. Protection of the Traditional Family
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Article 28. Protection of the Traditional Extended Family

Article 29. Protection of the Traditional Community

Article 30. Protection of Intertribal Relationships 

Article 31. Protection of Traditional Rights to Become Spiritual Practitioner

Article 32. Protection of Respect for Other Tribes’ Leadership

Article 33. Protection of Trans-boundary Rights as Indian Nations

Article 34. Protection of Respect for the Elderly

PART III. PROTECTION OF THE TRADITIONAL CHILD

Article 35. Rights of the Child

PART IV. PROTECTION OF TRIBAL RIGHTS TO DEFINE REALITY

Article 36. Protection of Traditional Measurement of Reality

PART V. PROTECTION OF TRADITIONAL LAWS OF BALANCE

Article 37. Protecting Basic Laws of Balance

PART VI. PROTECTION AND RECOVERY FROM NON-INDIAN INFUENCES 

UPON TRADITIONAL TRIBAL COLLECTIVE

Article 38. Historical Trauma, Historical Truth, and Native Science

Article 39. Right to Express Indian View of History 

Article 40. Nation’s Right to Represent the Tribal Collective

Article 41. Right to Develop Indigenous Institutions

Article 42. Protection of Traditional Clusters of Knowledge

CONCLUDING REMARKS

IDENTIFICATION AND PROTECTION OF TRIBAL CEREMONIAL 

ACTIVITIES- A BOOKLET AGREED TO BY THE CONSULTED TRIBES AND 

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY/IRS

FOUNDATIONAL DECLARED PURPOSE:

The participating Indian Nations mutually declare the following Declaration on

Traditional Cultural Ceremonial Activity Preservation, as a stated policy outline essential 

to addressing Government-to-government Consultation with the Indian Nations- as 

expresses tribal concerns for overcoming imposed damages caused by the colonialization 

experience associated with tribal historical relationships with the United States.

As noted, above, this version of the Booklet on Ceremonial Activities is written 

in light of the General Welfare Exclusions Act 2014 for Indian Country, and the 

recognition that the U.S. Treasury Department and the IRS will need to consult Indian 

Country on how to interpret the act (Title 26, US Code, Section 139E) in regards to its 

applicability to traditional teachers and spiritual practitioners- involving the transmission 

of ceremonial knowledge & practices inter-generationally to youth and community 

members- tribally and inter-tribally.
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 Activities addressed below are addressing traditional cultural ceremonial processes 

essential for individuals over-coming trauma, historical trauma, socio-economic 

marginalization, anomic depression, and correlated suffering associated with Indian 

Country – as it continues to experience and endure the shortest life-expectancy, poorest 

housing, poorest health care, highest poverty, lowest educational attainment & vocational

training or rehabilitation, highest unemployment & underemployment rates, highest 

teenage suicide rates, highest rates of infant mortality in the Unites States.

Generally, most all Indian tribal communities are suffering severe anomic depression, as 

a tribal collective, presently. Studies have shown there are tremendous healing powers in 

reinstituting, supporting, and rewarding the preservation or sharing of culture & 

ceremonial practices with socially & psychologically or psychiatrically dysfunctional 

tribal members. This phenomena is recognized in Indigenous communities worldwide.

 Participating Indian Nations seek to exercise self-determination, self-government, selfregulation, self-policing, self-accounting, and self-reporting on these cultural & 

ceremonial matters as a reflection of inherent and treaty-reserved rights. Their 

participation in consultation dialogues with federal departments and officials is a 

manifest necessity- due to the historic attempts of the US to destroy traditional tribal 

governments, tribal communities, extended tribal family systems, and the modern 

incapacity of youth and membership to identify as “tribal persons” or “indigenous 

persons” or “native persons” or “aboriginal persons.” Because of historic US attempts to 

destroy native traditional cultures and spiritual practices, the tribes have had to design 

specific and special initiatives to train tribal members and youth in the process and 

importance of traditional tribal civic culture and politic, as so much is essential in their 

individual and collective capacity to survive socially, economically, traditionally,

culturally, spiritually, and as indigenous collectives. In addition, tribes have needed to 

protect the activities of their traditional spirit societies, and initiate training institutions.

Such training is essential to overcoming the tragic experiences that U.S. institutionalized 

racism has had upon the Native American individual and collective identity and capacity 

to survive as ceremony-based tribes.

 In addition, the re-institution of traditional culture, knowledge, spirituality, 

ceremonialism, symbology, mythology, medicinal knowledge, and traditional approaches 

to health & wellness, and performance of living cultural arts are essential to building up 

the youths’ and membership’s sense of self-worth, self-love, self-respect, positive 

identification as native, indigenous persons or peoples, and most importantly their will to 

live, and will to survive and succeed as “traditional tribal Indians.”

 This Booklet on Ceremonial Activities advocate for the right of the tribe(s) to be selfdetermining, self-governing, self-regulating, self-policing, self-preserving, self-defining, 

self-serving, self-preserving, self-disclosing and self-reporting, in accordance to our 

traditional and modern forms of governance and inherent sovereignty and traditional 

collective knowledge and practices, in regards to any challenges or concerns originating 

within the U.S. Department of Treasury- Internal Revenue Service. And, the tribal leaders 

recognize the importance of developing and implementing a Tribal Ceremonial Activity 

Registry System and Office to receive and maintain associated records on W-9 Forms, 

Checks issued, and 1099 Forms associated with the activities.
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DECLARING that the participating Indian Nations mutually recognize that the modern 

native child has suffered as a direct and indirect result of the Historical Trauma that has 

been superimposed upon Native American Indian Tribal Populations due to the 

experiences and negative influences of the processed ‘Colonialization of the American 

Indians’ enforced as a matter of laws and policies of the United States, and realizes the 

resulting marginalization of the tribal reservation collectives has had and continues to 

have long-term impacts that must be addressed in the Process of Recovery of the tribal 

collectives and individual tribal members- psychologically, socially, familially, 

physically, spiritually, economically, politically, and environmentally.

RECOGNIZING that the individual tribal members, their immediate families, and 

extended families, as tribal social institutions have suffered tremendously as a direct 

result of the ‘dysfunctionality’ superimposed upon the tribal and Indian family 

institutions by the federal government and various religious organizations - in their joint 

attempts to acculturate, assimilate, terminate, exterminate, and dominate over tribal social 

structures and tribal persons, and knowing institutionalized racism focused upon 

destroying the inherent forms of self-determination and self-government and traditional 

spiritual knowledge that were practiced within the tribes. These concerted actions sought 

to break-up of the tribal collective system, and focused upon breaking up the traditional 

family & extended family systems that were prevalent within the tribal communities, 

with federal & church boarding schools playing major anti-tribal roles (“Kill the Indian 

to Save the Man”).

UNDERSTANDING that the ‘Colonial Experience’ is not unique to Native American 

Indian Populations and that ‘Indigenous Peoples’ from around the world have 

experienced the same through the laws, policies, and programs instituted by occupying 

foreign governments that have claimed superior right to own and govern over the 

territories, homelands, and natural resources aboriginally owned by the indigenous 

populations found therein. And, that this alleged superior right was originally founded 

upon rights secured to the Kings and Queens by Papal Bulls issued by the Vatican of the 

Catholic Church, and that the residual affects has been the creation of modern State laws 

that hold Native People, as individuals and tribal collectives, are to continue to be 

classified as inferior, incompetent and non-competent as a matter of national law of 

modern nation-states. Further, that the residual affects and effects of the said Papal Bulls 

can no longer be justified as foundational to international law and jurisprudence and must 

be addressed for the sake of the Indigenous American Native societies and peoples, in 

light of the international common experience of all indigenous peoples of the world. 

That, new international law should be advocated by the United States as a role-model; 

that such efforts should further delineate and establish a workable format of the “Sacred 

Trust of Civilization” duty and responsibility owed to the indigenous, native peoples. 

And, that the development of such jurisprudence should be advocated in consultation 

with the Native Nations at the United Nations level.

CONCERNED that the United States, as a colonial superpower, will not address the 

complete Human Rights and Indigenous Rights of Native Americans, as provided for and 

advocated by the United Nations, the participating Indian Nations mutually seek to give 
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institutional recognition to the United Nations Universal Declaration on Human Rights, 

the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and the Declaration on the Rights of 

Indigenous Peoples, as vehicles to state and declare that we are full fledged members of 

the Human Race, and that as Indigenous Nations we deserve to be recognized, respected, 

and acknowledged within our own Aboriginal Territories based on our own traditional 

cultures and spiritual/ceremonial practices and cosmological traditional knowledge.

STATING clearly that as aboriginal Indian Nations, we had entered binding governmentto-government treaty relations with the United States all to often, and had ceded vast 

aboriginally-owned land and natural resources as the consideration for the United States 

to bind itself to respecting its duties & responsibilities associated with the treaty(s)

commitments, and calls for the implementation of the ‘Sacred Trust of Civilization’ owed 

to the Indian Nations and Peoples, and that these commitments are owed in perpetuity to 

the current and future generations of children of the Nations. And, finally, that the treaty 

commitments and agreements never intended or required that the Indian Nations ever 

surrender their inherent rights or reserved rights to be Self-determining, Self-governing, 

and practitioners of traditional & cultural ceremonial relationships with each other and 

the earth. And, that the United States is obligated, by national and international law, to 

work with the Indian Nations cooperatively to assure and guarantee that they, as 

indigenous nations, can over-come and remedy the damages imposed upon their nation(s)

and people(s), with the indigenous child being a specific focus for healing.

ACKNOWLEDGING that the aboriginal Indian Peoples, as indigenous tribal 

collectives, have each evolved within the limits of their portion of the earth and sky, and 

all aspects of creation, in such a manner that the relationships had developed a traditional 

culture and pool of collective knowledge that is commonly shared with other indigenous 

nations as a direct result of intertribal marriages and other forms of social, political, 

economical, cultural, traditional, spiritual, ceremonial exchanges. And, that the mutually 

shared traditional knowledge of the participating tribes (via songs, dances, ceremonials, 

sacred & traditional knowledge, as found within bordering territories) has value to the 

present and future of both the Indian and non-Indian communities. And, proclaiming that 

the Indian Nations in the continental United States have never surrendered their inherent 

rights to practice and preserve their traditional understandings of the sacred and the 

spiritual within their reserved or ceded territories.

AS PERTAINS TO THE ABOVE, In pursuit of this protection of traditional 

ceremonial practices, the Tribes recognize and understand that they may provide 

stipends or honorariums for elders or traditional teachers that are focusing on helping 

tribal members, especially the youth, on how to understand and over come historical 

trauma from the colonial experience, addressing damages imposed psychologically, 

socially, familially, physically (as in depression), economically, politically, and in 

regards to cultural changes in the traditional relationships with others and the 

environment. Youth or Initiates or Students or others may be provided stipends or 

honorariums for attending the training sessions. Other undisclosed tribal people may be 

recognized for participating, witnessing, or assisting the workers or students. And, the 

tribes mutually advocate that the U.S. Department of Treasury/IRS come to terms with 
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this understanding and accept it as foundational to the protection of Ceremonial 

Activities.

NOW, THEREFORE, the participating Indian Nations mutually proclaim the following 

Focus upon the Traditional Healing of the Nations and their Progeny, as so much is 

integral to the continued intergeneration advocacy for the protection Native Traditional 

Culture, Spiritual Practices, and Ceremonial Observances that binds the tribal collectives

to their natural environments and to tribal society.

In pursuit and summary of the efforts to secure protection of ceremonial activities 

advocated above and below, the participating Tribes recognize and understand they, and 

other lawful entities, may provide stipends and honorariums for tribal members, elders, or 

traditionalists that are involved in teaching the passage of traditional knowledge, culture, 

spiritual practices, and ceremonial observances are a means to solidify social cohesion 

and participation of the youth and current & future generations and members of culturally 

unique and identifiable native communities, as well as cross-cultural education and for 

public benefit to others. Transference of such knowledge, teachings, and training cannot 

be accomplished in the standard public school setting and is not correlated to the colonial 

system of ruling or controlling indigenous tribal communities and governments. It must 

be transferred within the culture-specific social system of the tribal community by elders 

or traditional teachers to successive generations. And, anything shared with “cultural 

others” must be based on these traditional systems of knowing. Such activities may 

covered by traditional sharing of stipends or honorariums to the teachers and students

sharing or experiencing the transfer of knowledge or training. Other undisclosed people, 

or legal entities, may be recognized for participating, witnessing, or assisting the workers 

or students. 

 In addition, participating tribes recognize that they are qualified to self-certify and 

determine those persons or traditional groups of persons that are fully or partially 

qualified to train, teach, educate the current or next generation of youth, leadership, 

membership, family or extended family, tribal or intertribal community membership, as 

relates to their traditional culture, society, spirituality, and ceremonial relationships or 

any such manifestations by language or symbology, or living cultural arts and 

performances.

 And, the tribes recognize that their “professional” (if you may) traditionalists and 

cultural protection entities and personalities are fully qualified to appraise and evaluate 

what is traditional, ceremonial activity- because of the fact that these practices, and 

associated traditional knowledge, has evolved over thousands of years and generations.

 And, consequently, we believe the participating tribal governments or other entities

may self-certify that they had issued a non-taxable stipend or honorarium to a person, 

persons, or group or groups for transmission of traditional & ceremonial knowledge and 

teachings to specific youth or membership that are troubled- psychologically, 

psychiatrically, emotionally, socially, physically (as in addictive behaviors), culturally, 

spiritually, and behaviorally. And, said tribes are qualified to extend this “registry 

system” to other legal entities or institutions that may issue such non-taxable matters 

stipends, honorariums, or commissions to qualified tribal members, as a means to prevent 

the unnecessary 1099 system as could be applied to ceremonial activities.
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 The participating Indian Nations recognize that the activities below are examples of the 

types of “Ceremonial Activities” that the tribes must openly recognize, in order to protect

such activities from federal (and state) taxation. And, the tribal leadership recognize that 

this resulting Booklet on Ceremonial Activity may be enlarged as traditional 

ceremonialist may disclose concerns not currently incorporated in the booklet. And, the 

tribes and tribal accounting office personnel, other corporate or institutional entities so 

advised, must be trained to not issue any tax reports (1099 forms) on such activity to any

other entity except the respective ceremonialist’s tribal registry office- unless otherwise 

authorized or required by tribal or federal law (IRS Guidance). And, that any cash, 

honorariums, income, property, or revenue transferred to, given to, or paid to any such 

traditional, ceremonial cultural person or persons for ceremonial activities are

confidential matters of tribal governance, and protected from disclosure to any entityunless otherwise required by IRS, and shall be filed the tribal registry office.

For simplification, the intent of this potential “Booklet on Ceremonial Activities” 

is as follows: Tribes and traditionalists are not likely to disclose private or ceremonial 

knowledge to outsiders. The respect for the deep traditional culture is a primary concern 

of all tribes, due to past federal actions of suppression and attack upon ceremonialists. 

For analogy, think of the listed component parts (below) as “bones in the skeleton.” You 

can name the bones individually but this does not address the “meat” that surrounded the 

bone. So, we can name one bone “song” and another “dance” and another “regalia” as 

examples. Saying or using these “words” does not disclose anything about the deeper 

ceremonial and traditional knowledge associated with the “word.” The retained 

information (meat around our metaphorical bone) is the traditional knowledge protected 

by the individual, family, extended family, tribal community, or intertribal or intersocietal community. This information is not disclosed by simply identifying parts of the 

“ceremonial activities” excluded from taxation under this booklet system. This proposed 

system identifies key categories of ceremonial practices and the transmission of 

ceremonial knowledge hereunder that is excluded. Any demands for additional 

information would have to be submitted to the tribe or persons that are the practitioners, 

if the IRS believes it is ambiguous or possible fraud in believed. This, then, activates an 

IRS request to review the registry information/files. 

With dedication and determination, we should be able to identify missing parts of 

this “ceremonial skeleton.” Once those parts are identified then they can be added to the 

list of protected activities. Our goal is simplicity. We need to create a “guiding 

document” that can be used for creating a tribal registry of tax-exempted ceremonial 

activities. It is important to repeat the idea that once we create the “Booklet on 

Ceremonial Practices” then tribes can develop a simplified, recommended “Tribal 

Ceremonial Practices Registry Office.” Once found acceptable through consultation(s), 

we will need the IRS to issue a “Guidance for Compliance with Ceremonial Activities 

Exemptions/Exclusions” that advises involved parties to file respective W9s, copies of 

issued checks, and 1099 forms with the tribal ceremonial registry office. The goal is to 

divert this information (1099s) that is tied to ceremonial practices to tribal offices rather 

than the IRS. Included in this process is a goal to provide a tracking (registry) systemjust in case there surfaces allegations of fraud or corruption. This is essentially a “log” 

system to identify key information and locate support documents (files, unless just 

electronically filed and kept, in order to eliminate paper work build up).
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The final outcome of such an organized tribal registry system would place the 

“tribes” in control and compliance with the federal laws and policy on tribal selfdetermination and self-government. 

BOOKLET OF CEREMONIAL ACTIVITIES & PRACTICES

PART I. PROTECTION OF TRADITIONAL SPIRITUALITY & CULTURE

The participating Indian Nations, as aboriginal collectives of indigenous peoples, 

recognize that their aboriginal spiritual understandings and cosmologies incorporated 

forms of spiritual practices and beliefs that are commonly referenced as a ‘Mother Earth’ 

forms of Spirituality & Ceremonials; although often referenced as ‘Native Religion.’ 

And, that songs, dances, ceremonies, sacred & traditional knowledge & practices of the 

tribal collectives formed the ‘spiritual umbilical cord’ that bond tribal societies, and 

people, into sacred (ritualistic) relationships with all humans and all non-human aspects 

and elements of Creation. These relationships were developed over thousands of years, 

and governed over by traditional teachings. The example protocols, below, are 

understood by the participating Indian Nations as simplified examples of common 

concerns about ceremonial knowledge, practices, and intergenerational transmission and 

teachings of tribal social respect for cosmological order. This composes a simplified

listing of basic practices needed or used to preserve and protect our tribal and intertribal 

transmission of ceremonial knowledge, guided by traditional protocols to successive 

generations .

 In regards to any of the types of traditional knowledge and ceremonial practices being 

identified below, it is understood that: In pursuit of this protection, observance, and 

participation in traditional ceremonial practices, the Tribes recognize and understand

that the tribe, tribes, tribal Indians, and other participating entities may provide 

stipends or honorariums for elders or traditional teachers that are focusing on helping 

tribal members, especially the youth, understand and overcome historical trauma from 

the colonial experience- addressing such damages imposed that caused psychological, 

social, familial, physical (as in depression), economical, and political, suffering. These 

damages manifest because of forced socio-cultural changes in the traditional

relationships with others and the environment. Youth or Initiates or Students or others 

may be provided stipends or honorariums for attending the training sessions. Other 

undisclosed tribal people may be recognized for participating, witnessing, or assisting 

the workers or students initiates, other participants.

Article 1. Protection of Native Language

A. Native Language- General:

The participating Indian Nations recognize they have their own names and 

systems of communicating in their native language. Their traditional native language is

an essential connection to each other and sacred places and relationships with creation. 

All tribal children should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this

traditional language knowledge from the womb until death. The tribal child, student, or 
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initiates are expected to learn this communication system subpart, governed by specific 

rules of conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

B. Native Language- Sacred Aspects of:

The ability of the native individuals and collectives to comprehend the concepts 

of the sacred, believed in and understood by their ancestors and elders, cannot be readily 

translated from the native language into words of modern American English (or Canadian 

French or Mexican Spanish), and that the latter can only closely approximate but not 

completely translate the intent, purpose, and reasons for being associated with the various 

facets and aspects of Native Spirituality and traditional ceremonial culture. Therefore, 

preservation of the sacred aspects of the Native Languages is a central component of 

preserving traditional cultures and spiritual ceremonial practices. All tribal children 

should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this knowledge from the 

womb until death. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to learn this 

communication system subpart, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their 

relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

C. Traditional Speech and Communication Systems:

The participating Indian Nations have their own communication systems that are 

dependent upon Respect for the Speaker. The speakers have traditional rights that must 

be honored, once they take the ‘floor/earth’ to address the listeners. They are held to the 

Tradition of Trust (expected to speak on the truth) and resort to witnesses (to verify what 

was spoken, if ever needed). The whole participating audience bears witness to the truth 

and honor associated with the speech and always gives the speaker their full attention, 

patiently waiting for the proper time and manner in which to respond. A response is 

through a chosen speaker and always carefully transmitted to avoid conflict, fault, and 

avoidance of transmitting non-facts or non-truth and to not unnecessarily challenge the 

speech content or intent. Our children have the right to know and understand this 

communication subsystem of our oral history, from the womb until death. The tribal 

child, student, or initiates are expected to learn this communication system subpart, 

governed by specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers 

and others.

D. Non-verbal Communication:

The participating Indian Nations have their own non-verbal communication 

systems that are closely affiliated with who they are as a tribal collective within their 

geographical boundaries. Theses systems deserve to be respected and preserved. The 

greatest example is the use of Indian Sign Language and Speech Hand Gestures. These

systems help in the maintenance of the tradition of respect for the speakers and 

participants or listeners. Body language can be insulting and disturbing, or encouraging 

and kind to the speakers or can relay that same intent of the speakers to the audience. 

Specific Sign Language, Hand Gestures, or Body Language gives additional or deeper 

meaning to the speech given and is engrained in oral history recitations. Our children 

have a right to this traditional knowledge, from the womb until death. The tribal child, 

student, or initiates are expected to learn this communication system subpart, governed 

by specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Article 2. Protection of Native Knowledge of Aboriginal Lands & Territory:
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The participating Indian Nations are aboriginally located throughout the 

continental United States (and some are border tribes that historically moved back and 

forth into modern Canada or Mexico) and are an indigenous peoples closely & 

specifically associated with their territories; which included the marine waters, lakes, 

ponds, creeks, and riverine system, for others it included coastal lands and island 

networks (e.g., San Juan Islands of Pacific NW or the West Coast, East Coast, or Gulf 

Coast), and associated mountain or plains or desert ranges, with associated lands, natural 

resources, minerals, floral and faunal life, elemental and environmental aspects thereof. 

All tribal children should have the guaranteed right of access to, knowledge about, and 

protection of this collective knowledge associated with said land & territory, from the 

womb until death. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to learn this 

information from the tribal collective or elders, governed by specific rules of conduct, in 

their relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Article 3. Protection of Spirit Societies- All Seasons:

The tribal Indian People of the participating Indian Nations believe in the spiritual 

manifestations of creation and the Great Spirit and strict, ancient observances were and 

still are taught and exercised in their ‘traditional spiritual societies.’ Some Spiritual 

Societies are associated with different seasons or geographical areas or locations and all 

are equally relevant and deserving of protection because of their transmission of 

traditional knowledge and ceremonial practices, and use of traditional medicines and 

foods. All tribal children should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of 

this knowledge, from the womb until death. The tribal child, student, or initiates are 

expected to learn how to become respectful members or participants in such societies, 

governed by specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers 

and others.

Article 4. Protection of Identification of Intertribal Spiritual Practices:

Indian Nations are not isolated and alienated from all other Indian Nations within 

their geographic & aboriginal territories and often consequently shared traditional culture 

ceremonial practices and advocated traditional knowledge associated with their incommon territories and its composition (faunal, floral, elemental, landscapes

waterscapes, air-scapes). This type of sharing of cultural traditional knowledge and 

spiritual practices can be found amongst the Pacific NW tribes, the Plains Tribes, the 

tribes near modern international borders for example. Other examples of sharing systems 

may be the modern Pow Wows, the Sweat lodges, the Peyote Church, the NW Shaker 

Churches (blending Christianity with Native Spirituality). All tribal children should have 

the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this knowledge, from the womb until 

death. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to learn how to participate in 

such practices, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to their 

traditional teachers and others.

Article 5. Protection of Traditional Songs:

The use & applications of Traditional songs are important aspects of Native 

Spirituality and reflect the sacred breathe of life and creation, and are used to create 

harmonic relationships with creation, in tribal society, and within oneself. All tribal 
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children should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this knowledge , 

from the womb until death. The tribal child or initiates are expected to learn and gather 

such songs The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to learn to gather and learn 

information from the tribal collective, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their 

relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Article 6. Protection of Traditional Dances:

The use of Traditional Dance(s) are important aspects of Native Spirituality and 

reflects the sacred relationship and dependence upon Mother Earth and Father Sky, and 

All of Creation by tribal society. Traditional Dance blends and merges the tribal dancer 

with the heart beat of the earth and the Children of the Earth. All tribal children should 

have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this knowledge , from the womb 

until death. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to learn traditional dances, 

governed by specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers 

and others.

Article 7. Protection of Traditional Ceremonials:

The use of Traditional Ceremonials are important aspects of Native Spirituality 

and reflects the sacred relationship between human beings, their ancestors, their progeny, 

their tribal collective. The honor and respect owed, as a part of the sacred contract with 

Creation binds the human potentials with all of creation and the spiritual. Traditional 

Ceremonials allow the person or persons to access the powers of infinite creation. All 

tribal children should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this 

knowledge, from the womb until death. The tribal child or initiates are expected to learn 

traditional ceremonials, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to 

their traditional teachers and others.

Article 8. Protection of Traditional Sacred Knowledge:

The use of Sacred Knowledge is an important aspect of Native Spirituality and 

intergenerational transfer of individual and collective knowledge is central to 

preservation of songs, dances, ceremonials, and the sacred relationships with all of 

Creation as One Spiritual Family, and for these reasons the tribal child cannot and must 

not be separated from the elderly and wise. Such elderly knowledge, as advice and 

teachings, help stabilize the individual tribal practitioner. All tribal children should have 

the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this knowledge , from the womb until 

death. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to gather, learn, and protect 

Sacred Knoweledge derived from the tribal collective, governed by specific rules of 

conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Article 9. Protection of Traditional Tribal Collective:

The use of the Tribal Collective(s) are important social and spiritual vehicles to 

transfer sacred and ceremonial knowledge to both the individual and other components of 

the tribal collective as a traditional society. And, the tribal individual cannot exist without 

the tribal collective, nor can the collective exist without all of its individual parts (tribal 

person). The traditional knowledge and practices composes the social glue the binds 

tribal people into a sovereign entity, guided by ceremonial practices. All tribal children 
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should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this knowledge, from the 

womb until death. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to gather and learn 

information from the tribal collective, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their 

relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Article 10. Protection of Traditional Regalia and Clothing:

The use of traditional regalia and clothing, made from the natural products of 

nature, is a part of the respect and honoring of ancestral knowledge and sacred 

ceremonial cultural teachings. Our tribal children, their families, and extended families, 

have a right of access to the traditional knowledge associated with traditional regalia and 

clothing that are significant to performances of ceremonials, deeply relevant to gender 

and age differentiations, from the womb until death. The tribal child, student, or initiates 

are expected to learn to gather, harvest, use, make, prepare, repair, and protect every 

aspect of traditional regalia and clothing, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their 

relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Article 11. Protection of Sacred Philosophy & Cosmology:

A. Sacred Philosophy of Life.

The understanding that all things was created by a power above and beyond the 

comprehension of the individual and the collective is central to the Native American 

Cosmology and Sacred Philosophy and that songs, dances, ceremonials, sacred 

knowledge, sacred medicines, and dependence upon the native language(s) were social 

vehicles to assure that such knowledge and understanding was transferred from one 

generation to the next. All tribal children should have the guaranteed right of access to 

and protection of this knowledge, from the womb until death. The tribal child, student, or 

initiates are expected to learn this philosophy of life, governed by specific rules of 

conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

B. Symbols Associated with the Sacred:

Individuals, families, extended families, tribal groups, and intertribal groups are 

very protective of certain symbols used and associated with gear and regalia, clan or 

tribal identification and affiliations with specific spirit societies or systems of knowing, 

and they have the right to have this sacred knowledge, and often times private 

knowledge, protected. Much of this formation and recognition of the symbolic is tied to 

ceremonial knowledge and practices. Our children have a right to be taught about these 

rights, from the womb until death. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to 

learn about these symbols sacred uses, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their 

relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

C. Rights to Artistic Expressions:

Individuals, families, and extended families, as well as tribal groups and 

intertribal groups, will often display symbols tied to private or group knowledge in 

association or for incorporation of the symbolic aspects of the sacred through their artistic 

expressions. Such persons or groups have an inherent and ancestral right to have the use 

of these symbolic & artistic expressions protected. Such symbols made be made for 

public display or for personalized use. Simply classifying such expressions as 

manifestations of ‘arts & crafts’ does not relieve the artist of a duty to recognize its 
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sacred value to the aboriginal owners and the necessity of following ceremonial and 

prayerful practices to assure the sacredness of the artistic expressions. All tribal children 

have a right to know and understand these teachings, from the womb until death. The 

tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to learn and appreciate these expressions as 

important to the tribal collective ways of knowing, governed by specific rules of 

conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Article 12. Protection of Traditional Intergenerational Relationships:

The knowledge that each and every individual child has the potential to manifest 

inherent, inherited, and experiential skills and abilities that may contribute to the longterm preservation of the sense of tribal collective knowledge and community is central to 

traditional society. Each and every child’s ability to pay respect to, give recognition to, 

and acknowledge the honor of others is a part of the social glue of tribal society. Tribal 

children are guided by their elders in how to experience the sacred. Such children are 

encouraged to give traditional tribute to all those that taught them as well as will follow 

them. They, each and everyone of them, are expected to become the elders that shall 

teach others about the tribal collective and share with them the experience of the sacred 

via the guidance (traditional rules and regulations included) they shall provide through 

their assumption of ceremonial leadership as elders. All tribal children should have the 

guaranteed right of access to and protection of this knowledge, from the womb until 

death. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to learn and utilize their inherent 

and inherited gifts, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to their 

traditional teachers and others.

Article 13. Protection of the Sacred Contract with Creation: 

The use of sacred knowledge is essential to teaching each and every child to pay 

respect to, give honor to, and give tribute to the sacred contract humanity has with all 

non-human aspects of creation, the environment, the world. The use of song, dance & 

ceremonial teachings are a part of this traditional knowledge system that recognizes our 

obligations to creation. Such persons learn to give special tribute and value to experiences 

of sacred visions and dreams, and encounters with the sacred. The tribal collective 

provides rules of conduct and process for accessing the spiritual via ceremonial 

preparations, ceremonial strengthening practices, use of ceremonial regalia and gear, use 

of certain & specific ceremonial types of rituals, and access to sacred places and spaces 

within the natural environment is an essential component of the ritualistic practices. All 

such preparations and activities bind the ritualistic initiate to a sacred relationship with 

nature or creation or the earth & sky. All tribal children should have the guaranteed right 

of access to and protection this knowledge, from the womb until death. The tribal child, 

student, or initiates are expected to learn about this sacred contract through their 

participation in traditional ceremonialism, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their 

relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Article 14. Protection of Traditional Rules of Conduct:

The use of special traditional rules of conduct and observance is directly taught to 

the tribal child and individual that purposely chooses to become a practitioner of the 

ceremonial observances and practices of the tribal collective, or for the tribal child that is 
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being cultivated to preserve the traditional knowledge of the tribal collective or individual 

family or extended family network. The teachings of the traditional elders and tribal 

society is that the chosen child or youth must learn to strictly observe, honor, and 

maintain the traditional rules of conduct and ceremonial protocols associated with 

traditional knowledge and ceremonial observances. These children are taught that the 

rules help the tribal collective maintain the sacred contract it has with Creation, since the 

time the knowledge was transferred to humans. Such Initiates or students or children 

learn the power of “fasting” and “perseverance.” For these reasons, traditional society 

attempts to limit undue influences from religious or spiritual practices that are not 

indigenous to the Native Peoples and may interfere with traditional practices and 

indigenous ways of knowing. All tribal children should have the guaranteed right of 

access to and protection of this knowledge, from the womb until death. The tribal child, 

student, or initiates are expected to learn how to be governed by these specific rules of 

conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Article 15. Protection of Traditional Mythology:

The use of traditional stories, legends, and myths were special parts of the tribal

social institutions- that were specifically valuable for teaching the very young the 

relationships between humans beings, teachings about the sacred and profound, about 

relationships between humans and the animals, the mineral, the floral, the power of 

similarity and opposites, and many other attributes of the manifestation of one sacred 

creation existing in one world and one universe. And, such teaching systems were 

dependent upon oral traditions that incorporated the experiential and the potential, the 

cognitive and the emotional, as well as the secular and (spiritual) religious. All tribal 

children should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this knowledge, 

from the womb until death. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to learn as 

many myths as possible, as a part of their traditional knowledge, governed by specific 

rules of conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Article 16. Protection of Intertribal Marriage Rights:

The use and maintenance of the intertribal relationships between the native

Nations were manifested via the ceremonial observances, and especially linked by the 

arrangement of intertribal marriages to bind each tribal collective to the union of peace. 

And, therefore, there exists a traditional dependence upon each individual’s rights, and 

correlating rights of the tribal collective, to recognize, understand, and acknowledge the 

genetic connections between tribal families, extended families, communities, and 

intertribal relationships. All tribal children should have the guaranteed right of access to 

and protection of this knowledge, from the womb until death. The tribal child, student, or 

initiates are expected to learn this important adult aspect of tribalism as is governed by 

specific intertribal rules of conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers and 

others.

Article 17. Protection of Sacred Sites and Places:

The use of, access to, and maintenance & protection of sacred sites, places, and 

spaces is central to traditional observances and ceremonial practices. Traditional 

knowledge tied to such ‘places’ is key to teaching each generation of children the tribal 
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collectives knowledge of itself, its relationship with nature, its relationship with Creation, 

and their relationship with Ancestors (as in the case of singular burial sites or ancestral 

cemeteries). Other sites are central to vision questing, meditation, fasting, sweat baths, 

ceremonial baths, storage of sacred regalia, power quests, unification sites, birthing sites 

and other observances associated with the specific unchanged, unmolested, undamaged 

attributes of a sacred site that still has its environmental integrity in tact. Such sites are 

known and believed to be empowered by the Great Spirit since the time of original 

creation. All such places have power and song, knowledge and meaning. All tribal 

children should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this knowledge, 

from the womb until death. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to learn 

about the necessity, access, protection, preservation, and respect for such sites and places, 

governed by specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers 

and others.

Article 18. Protection of Traditional Plants & Medicines: 

The use of traditional food plants and medicines deserve special recognition in 

that over the many millenniums the Native American communities and social collectives 

have had the opportunity to formulate a pharmaceutical knowledge that taught 

individuals and collectives how to use various plants and herbs for their healing and 

recovery values or health maintenance. It is known by tribal people that ritual is an 

integrative part of traditional medicine and harvest practices. Knowledge of plant 

medicinal benefits is very much sought after by the non-Indian pharmacology industry 

and must be protected as intellectual property of the various tribal collectives as shared 

through the traditional knowledge system. All tribal children should have the guaranteed 

right of access to and protection of this knowledge, from the womb until death. The 

tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to learn about traditional medicines and their 

collective ownership as indigenous ways of knowing, governed by specific rules of 

conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Article 19. Protection of Native Genetic Code:

The genetic structure of Native American Children and their code value for the 

protection against or resistance from certain inherited diseases, or future potential 

diseases, has gained greater amounts of attention, especially in light of the individual’s 

and industry’s ability to ‘patent’ the codes without any authorization required from the 

individual or tribal collective that evolved with the genetic code segment, and that the 

stealing of the genetic materials and code segments is a crime or should be a crime of 

exploitation that deserves to be guarded against as genocidal unless secured through 

prior, informed consent through consultation. Native American genetic code segments 

were and are tied to the evolution of their relationship with each other and their natural 

environment- for example, at the time of contact all “native blood” was Type O (the 

international donors blood type). All tribal children should have the guaranteed right of 

access to and protection of this knowledge, from the womb until death. The tribal child, 

student, or initiates are expected to learn about the inherited specialness of their people, 

governed by specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers 

and others.
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Article 20. Protection Against Extinction of Ceremonial Foods:

The specific use of and access to certain types of animals (faunal) and plants 

(floral) for ceremonial food (or medicines), as a part of the system to maintain

physiological balance, is a central part of tribal collective knowledge and deserves to be 

protected. The rapid extinction of specific ceremonial animals and plants has had a direct 

impact upon the physiology, psychology, sociology, familial structure, and culturespiritual balance Native traditionalists practice via ceremonial observances that 

incorporate traditional foods or medicines. The various components of use of specific 

ceremonial animals or plants are strictly guided by traditional rules of use and conduct 

and denial of access and use of the same is a form of cultro-cide. Protection of the 

environment or habitat, and maintenance of the same in aboriginal conditions is a high 

priority of traditional people. Conflicts over use of the same environments and habitat by 

competing non-Indian socio-culturo-economic uses is rapidly depleting the said resources 

and destroying the balance of nature. All tribal children should have the guaranteed right 

of access to and protection of this knowledge about care for the natural environment, 

from the womb until death. The tribal child or initiates are expected to learn how to 

participate in the protection of such food sources, governed by specific rules of conduct, 

in their relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Article 21. Protection of Relationships with the Elemental:

The practices associated with various exposures to and use of the elemental forces 

(earth, air, fire, and water) of nature are important attributes to being Native American 

traditionalists and ceremonialists. Access to various marine, riverine, lake, creek, pond, 

waterfall bathing sites, or vision questing sites, or fasting sites or other ceremonial sites in 

the mountains to the plains and deserts have specific meaning and value to the native 

communities. Such practices are inhibited by the dominant societies development of such 

land/terrain sites and water systems and has resulted in severely impacting the ability of 

the traditionalist to practice their belief systems and spiritual & ceremonial observances 

without molestation by non-natives or due to severe damages to the site/elements 

potential (e.g., acid rain, clear cut forests, dammed up rivers). In association with this 

practice is access and use of mineral deposits and gathering sites that are critical to native 

practices. Such sites must be located and protected for all future generations before manmade contaminations or activities ultimately destroy their value. All tribal children 

should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this knowledge, from the 

womb until death. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to learn the 

importance of this element knowledge, governed by specific rules of conduct in their 

relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Ceremonial sites needed per practices associated with ceremonial observances, as 

so much is tied to the changes of the Seasons, must be protected. Such timing and use of 

such sites is private, familial, or community knowledge that cannot be disclosed to 

outside social forces, except within the appropriate traditional settings and with the 

appropriate practitioners permission, and within the appropriate information exchange 

boundaries set by the elders or the respective tribal collective.

Article 22. Protection Against Ceremonially Accessing Contaminated Sites:
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The use of and access to sites of land, air, and waters that were or are 

contaminated by ancient and modern man-made products and practices has created a 

bleak future for the traditionalists that seek to practice in the way of the sacred

ceremonials. It has become a critical necessity that all such sites that have been 

permanently damaged by modern pollutants and contamination must be listed, mapped, 

and acknowledged so as to not interfere with the individual and tribal collectives attempts 

to exercise spiritual cleansing ceremonials at specific types of sites. All tribal children 

should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of knowledge defines what 

constitutes the contents of a sacred site versus what classifies it as a destroyed or 

contaminated site. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to learn how sites 

lose power and meaning, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to 

their traditional teachers and others.

Article 23. Protection of Traditional Subsistence Foods:

The use of and access to certain food types (floral, faunal, mineral, elemental) 

have evolved with the tribal collectives’ dependency upon their natural aboriginal 

environments and territories. The use of and protection of native traditional foods is 

critical to maintenance of the long-term health and life longevity of the Native American

Indians, as tribal people(s). The rights to fish, hunt, and gather within their usual and 

accustomed grounds, stations, and places are critical to the tribal People. Preservation of 

and recovery of traditional knowledge about said aboriginal foods and harvest sites is 

critical to all future generations. 

 Traditional diets, and the process of harvesting, storing, and preparing such 

foods for domestic or ceremonial meals are critical components to the physical, familial,

behavioral, social, mental, seasonal, and ceremonial health of the individual and 

community. Modern diets are closely associated with or the direct cause of much ill 

health and social discord (e.g., sugars and diabetes) within Indian Communities. All 

efforts shall be made to preserve and re-introduce traditional foods and diets back into the 

community. All tribal children should have the guaranteed right of access to and 

protection of this knowledge, from the womb until death. The tribal child or initiates are 

expected to learn the importance of the these traditional food sources utilized in their 

tribal territories, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to their 

traditional teachers and others.

Article 24. Protection of Traditional Housing Constructs:

The use of traditional shelters and housing constructs were and are critical to the 

protection of and recovery of the tribal collective as an indigenous culture. The right to 

design and build such traditional structures and to use them, even in contradiction to nonIndian housing standards, is a native right. The right of access to the materials essential 

to such construction projects is critical to the current and future generations. The interhuman relationships that evolved within these shelter/housing constructs are of vast 

importance in the child’s understanding of the overall tribal collective system and the 

preservation of the individuals’, families’, and social collective’s integrity. Such 

structures may be temporary or permanent, in the earth or above the ground, from teepees 

to hogans and longhouses, and many forms not listed here. All tribal children should have 

the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this knowledge, from the womb until 
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death. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to learn about the traditional 

values of their ancestral housing practices, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their 

relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

PART II. PROTECTION OF TRADITIONAL HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS.

The participating Indian Nations acknowledge that Human (Tribal) Relationships 

are central to the preservation of the tribal collective and the correlating preservation of 

the sacredness of its traditional, ceremonial knowledge, and, further, proclaims:

Article 25. Protection of Inherent Gifts:

It is a matter of traditional knowledge that every person is born with an 

individual, inherent gift. This gift is a part of a whole that is never complete until each 

individual contributes their individual gift or skills or knowledge to the tribal collective. 

Thus, all parents and all parts of the tribal collective and society is encouraged to help 

each and every child develop to their fullest potential, to share traditional knowledge & 

practices with every child that is willing to listen and learn. We understand that we must 

acknowledge that each and every child has been endowed with a spirit (soul) and a share 

of creation that is waiting to blossom and be appreciated through ceremonial practices, to 

find its place and to makes its contribution to the tribal collective. Not all children shall 

grow up to be leaders, but all can grow to be positive individuals that contribute to the 

whole. All tribal children should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of 

this knowledge, from the womb until death. The tribal child or initiates are expected to 

learn about their and others inherent gifts, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their 

relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Article 26. Protection of Sacred Union of Couples:

Every person is born as a natural result of the sacred union of the father and 

mother, whether married by modern law or tradition & custom, and that such unions are

sacred social contracts that once guaranteed that the child could, would, or should enjoy 

the joy of being raised by loving, caring, protecting and providing parents, and influenced 

by the extended family and tribal community. It is known or was known that each and 

every individual child was a natural born extension of their ancestors that continued to 

add to the knowledge and value of the tribal collective. Each child could become a leader 

by inherent or inherited gifts and teachings (advice). Every child should be guided and 

protected so as to not allow negative influences and forces to destroy their full human 

potential to be contributing members of the traditional tribal society. Those children that 

display the innate or learned potential to be leaders of tribal society or in ceremonial 

practices should be identified and cultivated for leadership responsibility. However, all 

tribal children should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this 

knowledge, from the womb until death. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected 

to learn about why marriage unions are sacred relationships, governed by specific rules of 

conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Article 27. Protection of the Traditional Family:

The traditional Family has the potential to preserve much, but not all, of the 

traditional sacred & ceremonial knowledge of the tribal community. The parents were the 
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first protectors and teachers experienced by the child. The protection and preservation of 

the tribal family system is a central aim of tribal government. Positive family systems 

must be encouraged and cultivated. The family system is the breeding ground for 

teaching children and the individual’s self-respect, self-esteem, cultural identification, a 

sense of self-worth, self-love, and an open personality that wants to be socially involved

and actively engaged within tribal society. The skills and attitude toward self-support and 

independence are taught in the traditional home, along with the teachings of how to be 

unselfish, self-sacrificing in time of need by others and the tribal community. The family 

can and should create a well-adjusted child that will and does grow into a healthy, 

contributive, socially outgoing individual adult that simultaneously takes pride in being 

Native American and continues to be a contributive member of tribal society. All tribal 

children should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this knowledge, 

from the womb until death. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to learn 

about the value of the traditional family system to tribalism, governed by specific rules of 

conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers and others.

Article 28. Protection of the Traditional Extended Family:

No family is a social island unto themselves, at least not within Indian Country 

and the concept of the tribal collective. Families were the first schools for the children, 

and the teachings (advice) were enriched under the extended family system. Families are 

bond together by marriage and the sharing of genetic materials and social & traditional 

ceremonial teachings. The same holds true to the extended family system that reaches 

into other tribal family systems. Peace was, at one time, maintained by intertribal 

marriages that further stretched the extended family system into other tribal collectives. 

This extended family system, then, added knowledge into the tribal collective that was 

gained from other tribal collectives as a direct result of the marriage relationships and the 

extended family relatives interacted with. The extended family system must be known, 

taught, and protected for all future generations. All tribal children should have the 

guaranteed right of access to and protection of this knowledge, from the womb until 

death. 

In a traditional family and extended family, there are roles that each and every 

person learns to perform. The tribal community must assure and guarantee to every child 

that no ‘person’ or ‘persons’ have the right to harm, hurt, violate, exploit, abuse, or injure 

their sacredness as persons with a soul or spirit. A traditional child must learn that their 

body is sacred and they have inherent personal sovereignty over it. A tribal child must 

learn that there are no reasons or justifications for abuse (physical, mental, social, sexual, 

or otherwise) of a child by an adult or person older than that child. The teachings of the 

extended family system reinforced this right.

In a traditional community, there must be clearly defined rules as to what are the 

social & legal expectations and limitations upon those persons that are or act as a sibling, 

brother, sister, father, mother, uncle, aunt, grandmother, grandfather, granduncle, 

grandaunt, great- grandfather, great-grandmother, mother’s or father’s first cousins, and 

various other extended family relatives. The primary rule must be to love, respect, and 

protection of the socio-spiritual-mental-physical integrity of the individual child as a 

healthy member of the extended family. The first rule is to always judge the situation, 

circumstances, activity via what is best for the child in light of the long-term health of the 
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tribal collective. The tribal child, student, or initiates are expected to learn about the value 

of the traditional extended family system for maintenance of teachings, values, moral, 

and ethical conduct, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to their 

traditional teachers and others.

Article 29. Protection of the Traditional Community:

All children and adult tribal individuals contribute to the concept of “ Traditional 

Community.” Children were taught in their families that they belonged to the tribal 

group. Potential participation of each person begins at birth and is enlarged over time of 

exposure to the family, extended family, and in participation in tribal social gatherings 

and ceremonial observances. Each child should be taught to value the contributions tribal 

society makes to their survival and the potential contributions they can add to the list as 

they mature into responsible tribal membership as adults and parents, as grandparents, as 

uncles & aunts, as in-laws, as extended family members, as community members in 

general. All persons have a role that they can play to contribute to the success of all tribal 

and community gatherings. A traditional community is a contributing community. All 

persons owe a duty to watch over each other’s children and to exercise the opportunity to 

share knowledge with and before the gathered community, as ceremonial leaders, 

workers, speakers, cooks, helpers, clean up crews, hunters, gatherers, fishers, and the 

many other contributive roles that make a traditional community successful. There was a

ceremonial job for everyone that was willing to step forward and participate or contribute

to the gathering. All tribal children should have the guaranteed right of access to and 

protection of this knowledge, from the womb until death. The tribal child, student, or 

initiates are expected to learn about the value of the traditional community to their 

individual integrity, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to their 

traditional teachers and others.

Article 30. Protection of Intertribal Relationships:

Traditional knowledge was structured to assure that all tribal children and 

adults recognized the importance of Intertribal Relationships of Respect and traditional 

knowledge about ceremonial entitlements. The guests were always welcomed, well 

received, treated with respect, given gifts, well fed, provided a place to sleep while 

visiting, and participated in the sharing of knowledge and confirmation as to the truth of 

knowledge given or shared. This sharing of ceremonial knowledge and practices were 

treated with respect and not suspicion. Leadership and their followers from other tribal 

groupings, that were visiting another traditional community, were addressed with due 

respect, honor, and treated in such a fashion as to protect their individual integrity and 

that of their family & tribal grouping. It has always been important for the tribal people to 

know which tribes were allies in peace and war. It was important for the tribal people to 

acknowledge and respect the rights and territories of the other tribes- in regards to 

primary rights of access and use or harvest. Intertribal agreements were essential to 

harmonious relationships and the intertribal relatives helped teach the rules of 

engagement or relationships in such manner as to not cause offence to one side or the 

other. All tribal children, students, or initiates should have the guaranteed right of access 

to and protection of this knowledge about intertribal relationships, from the womb until 

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Article 31. Protection of Traditional Right to Become Spiritual Practitioner:

All tribal people were expected and taught to respect and give due regard 

to the spiritual practices and beliefs of others. This was a basic teaching in the tribal 

family and extended family system. We did not, as a tribal collective, try or attempt to 

force our religious or spiritual systems upon those that were not willingly seeking such 

knowledge or membership or initiation practices. Honoring and never disrespecting the 

religious or spiritual beliefs and practices of other individuals or tribal collectives was a 

central tenet to the tribal spirituality and social collective system. All tribal children, 

students, or initiates should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this 

knowledge, from the womb until death. 

Rituals associated with the ‘coming of age’ or ‘attainment of puberty rituals’ and 

other such practices were inherent/inherited rights & rituals of the individual, family, and 

extended family and deserve protection as early preludes to introduction to the sacred & 

ceremonial aspects of familial, tribal, collective life.

Traditional ceremonials that celebrate the ‘sacredness of life’ or ‘end of life’ shall 

be protected and respected for all ages. The tribal child, students, or initiates are expected 

to learn about their inherent and inherited right to be spiritual practitioners, governed by 

specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers, and others.

Article 32. Protection of Respect for Other Tribes’ Leadership:

All members of the tribal collective were expected to pay respect and honor 

toward the leadership and elderly members of other tribal collectives. We did not exercise 

a right or privilege to force our opinions upon them as to whether or not we believed in 

their leadership skills as accepted by their community. Tribal people in tribal 

communities chose their leadership, and it was not our position to come in from the 

outside and question the choices of their community or people as pertains to their 

leadership choices. All tribal children should have the guaranteed right of access to and 

protection of this knowledge, from the womb until death. The tribal child, students, or 

initiates are expected to learn about respect for others leadership, governed by specific 

rules of conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers, and others.

Article 33. Protection of Transboundary Rights as Indian Nations:

By way of statement, we must clarify that all of the cross-border concerns of 

tribes located along the boundaries between Canada/USA and Mexico/USA are 

consistent. We recite, as example, concerns of the Coast Salish Indian Nations of the 

United States- who are genetically and culturally are related to the First Nations Peoples 

of British Columbia and Vancouver’s Island. You will find these same types of 

relationships along the north and south U.S. borders- from west to east coasts. The 

international boundary between the three countries was never intended to be a barrier to 

continuation of the traditional and ceremonial relationships between the traditionally 

allied tribal communities and nations on either side of the border. Nor should the border 

and the ‘citizenship’ demanded by each of the colonial powers (US & Canada & 

Mexico) prevent or stop or forbid the various Indian Nations and Tribal People from 

recognizing that they have children that are entitled to dual enrollment in each of the 

tribal collectives from either side of the respective borders. And, that tribal membership 
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is a right inherited from each of the traditional tribal communities that neither the United 

States or Canada (or the United States and Mexico) can interfere with as a matter of 

international law. Such membership shall always or should always be defined based on 

traditional and customary practices of the tribal communities involved. All tribal children 

should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this knowledge, from the 

womb until death. The tribal child, students, or initiates are expected to learn about their 

inherent right to be associated with all their relatives, governed by specific rules of 

conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers, and others.

Article 34. Protection of Respect for the Elderly:

Respect for the elderly, as the wise and experienced members of the traditional 

tribal collective, is an important and central aspect of tribalism. Not all ‘old persons’ have 

earned the right to be classified as “Respected Elders” of the tribal community. Those 

that have lived model life-styles and practiced a self-sacrificing life way, guided by 

traditional spirituality and ceremonial teachings deserve to be respected by the young, 

middle aged, and old alike as “Elders.” Elders preserve knowledge. Elders can contribute 

knowledge to the collective. Elders can confirm traditional knowledge. Elders are the 

oral historians of the tribal communities and nations. Elders can teach the young about 

ceremonials and sacred traditional knowledge. Elders are the schools of wisdom. All 

tribal children should have the guaranteed right of access to and protection of this 

knowledge, from the womb until death. The tribal child, students, or initiates are 

expected to learn about Respect for the Elderly, governed by specific rules of conduct, in 

their relationships to their traditional teachers, and others.

PART III. PROTECTION FOR THE TRADITIONAL CHILD.

Article 35. Rights of the Child- each of the rights advocated below have a traditional

character or aspect of ceremonial knowledge and practices tied to it. Non-Indian 

indigenous communities have similar traditional knowledge in their traditional societies. 

Each of the rights should be protected as a part of the overall inheritance over tribal 

children- to ensure they experience the traditional, modern, spiritual cultures with a 

balanced protection of these basic rights. The tribal child, students, or initiates are 

expected to learn about the Rights of the Traditional Child, as governed by specific rules 

of conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers and others:

All children, in a tribal society, have the inherent right to all the necessities to 

ensure their physical well-being and to lead a socially well-adjusted life style, and should 

be encouraged to develop to their fullest potential within the tribal community:

Every Child should be guaranteed the right to access clean and healthy air, as a 

matter of inherited right;

Every Child should be guaranteed access to clean and healthy water as a matter of 

inherited right;

Every child should guaranteed the right to clean and healthy food as a matter of 

inherited right;

Every Child should be guaranteed the right to clean and healthy shelter as a 

matter of inherited right;
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Every Child should be guaranteed a stable, supportive, protective, nurturing 

familial and social environment as a matter of inherited right; 

Every Child should be guaranteed the right of, access to, and enjoyment of a clean 

and healthy natural environment as a matter of inherited right;

Every Child should be guaranteed the right of, access to, and incorporation of 

their people’s traditional forms of culture and spiritual practices as a matter of inherited 

right;

Every Child is entitled to be raised by protective, functional, loving parents in a 

traditional family that are is not abusive or where the siblings or relatives are not abusers.

Every child has a right to be in a family where members, especially the parents, 

are not addicted to alcohol, drugs, or narcotics. Children in such abusive or addicted 

families are entitled to the protection of tribal law and may be assigned to other legal 

guardians that shall provide protective, nurturing custody in lieu of incompetent parents. 

Children have an inherent right to feel safe and protected during childhood;

Every Child is entitled to traditional forms of recreation, play, and provided 

access to cultural arts and crafts as a matter of inherited right;

Every Child is entitled to experience and learn their traditional culture and 

indigenous form of spirituality as a matter of inherited right;

Every Child has a right to live in a home and social environment that is alcohol 

and drug free as a matter of inherited right- ie, not contaminate their body & minds;

Every Child has an inherent and inherited right to the freedom of expression, 

freedom of thought, and freedom of assembly, and all other humans rights guaranteed to 

other children, as expressed in various national and international laws, conventions, 

treaties, agreements, and declarations;

Every tribal child has a right to be a member of their tribal group as they qualify 

in accordance to genetic inheritance or community acceptance as a matter of inherited or 

inherent or experiential right;

Every Child has a right to a traditional education within the traditional tribal 

community as a matter of inherited, inherent, or experiential right.

2. Tribal governments and societies all have the inherent sovereign right to work to 

develop projects and programs that teach the children of their inherited & inherent rights 

as members of the traditional tribal collective and to assure that all tribal children have 

equal right to enjoy and experience traditional ceremonials & spirituality that is directly 

relevant to their tribal existence and experiences, and compatible to their familial/social 

circumstances.

PART IV. PROTECTION OF TRIBAL RIGHTS TO DEFINE REALITY.

Article 36. Protection of Traditional Measurements of Reality:

Traditional, ceremonial tribal societies and teachers cultivated awareness and teachings 

about the inherited and inherent physical and social attributes of the individual that 

normally allows each person, throughout the tribal collective, to measure and judge their 

traditional perceptions, understandings, and measurement of reality, and its relevance to 

manifestation of the spiritual experiences that traditional ceremonial practices pave the 

way for. The tribal child, students, or initiates are expected to learn about these inherited 
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and inherent gifts, governed by specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to their 

traditional teachers and others, as follows:

Most all persons are born with the sense of sight to gauge attributes of creation 

and perceived reality;

Most all persons are born with the sense of smell to gauge attributes of creation 

and perceived traditional reality;

Most all persons are born with the sense of hearing to gauge attributes of creation 

and perceived traditional reality;

Most all persons are born with the sense of taste to gauge attributes of creation 

and perceived traditional reality;

Most all persons are born with the sense of touch to gauge attributes of creation 

and perceived traditional reality;

Most all persons are born with the innate power to speak about and with creation 

and perceived traditional reality;

Most all persons are born with innate cognitive powers and skills to live within, 

learn about, to experience and articulate about creation and perceived reality;

Most all persons are born with the innate ability to experience and feel their 

emotions and apply those to their perceptions and understandings of traditional reality at 

the moment and for guiding their life traditional relationships.

In addition, all tribal children have the right to assistance, care, and skill 

development essential to overcoming any developmental problems manifested by not 

being born with or having injury done to any of the above (1.a to 1.h).

PART V. PROTECTION OF TRADITIONAL LAWS ON BALANCE.

Article 37. Protecting Basic Laws of Balance:

Tribal Societies have, generally, cultivated some basic laws of harmony or balance that 

were introduced in, reinforced within, and shared amongst the traditional membership of 

the tribal and intertribal communities and essential to practicing ceremonial & ritualistic 

observances based on tribal spirituality. These laws were simple rules of conduct and 

relationship by which all others and oneself could judge their relationships with Creation. 

The tribal child, students, or initiates are expected to learn about these laws of balance, 

governed by specific rules of conduct, in their relationships to their traditional teachers

and others, as follows:

Law of Mental Balance: The traditional child is taught to always think good of 

themselves, others, and creation;

Law of Physical Balance: The traditional child is taught to take care of their body, 

to respect their body, to cleanse it inside and out, and to not contaminate it with poisons 

or unnecessary injury;

Law of Social Balance: The traditional child is taught to give due respect to all 

others, especially those that deserve and earned respect, and to avoid or not associate with 

those that would cause them undue injury or harm;

Law of Environmental Balance: The traditional child is taught to not give or do 

injury to the earth, the sky, or other parts of creation, and to not take more then you need 
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to exist. To preserve nature for the seventh generation has been a common summary of 

tribal teachings and intent;

Law of Sacred Space Balance: The traditional child is taught that we occupy a 

sacred part of the great cosmos, the great creation, and that we are to love, respect, and 

honor our place in creation, especially those places that we practice our spiritual 

observances within (which included inside and outside of our being);

Law of Time Balance: The traditional child is taught there is a time and place for 

all things, there is a order in the universe, and that how we use our time is suppose to be 

in accordance with respect for creation and observance of the ceremonial first and 

foremost. We are to make time for the sacred. There is a time for work, time for play, and 

a time for the sacred. We are to use our time wisely.

Law of Spiritual Balance: The traditional child is taught the spiritual way and 

understanding & knowledge of their ancestors and society. They are to practice the way 

of the sacred life, for our existence is a part of the sacredness of creation. We are only 

one part of the infinite creation, no greater than and no less than any other part. We are 

guardians and members of the whole family of creation.

All tribal children deserve to experience and learn about any of the above basic 

laws that help govern their understanding of and relationship with others and Creation. 

Tribal government and society should work together to overcome any shortfalls or lack in 

transference of traditional knowledge that teaches about any of the above.

PART VI: PROTECTION AND RECOVERY FROM NON-INDIAN 

INFLUENCES UPON THE TRADITIONAL TRIBAL COLLECTIVE.

Article 38. Historical Trauma, Historical Truth, and Native Science:

Historical Trauma has been endured by the tribal collective for multiple generations. The 

lost of aboriginal traditional knowledge, teachings systems, ways of knowing, traditional 

medicines, and ceremonial practices & rituals, and correlated languages and behaviors & 

expectations has been traumatic. The main concepts that kept tribal people members of 

the tribal collective had been the specific targets for destruction by the United States as a 

matter of law, policies, and public and religious institutions. The objective of destroying 

the ‘native traditional identity’ has been a central focus of the ‘colonialization process’ 

experienced by all tribal communities. Indigenous tribal societies have a right to reverse 

the trauma of historical experience, and the United States (under the Sacred Trust of 

Civilization Responsibility) has a duty to assist the Nation in this effort to overcome. The 

tribal child, students, or initiates have as right to know and understand which areas of 

their traditionalism and ceremonialism was impacted, governed by specific rules of 

conduct and learning protocols, in their relationships to their traditional teachers, and 

others:

Impacts caused to Native Society by forcing tribal people to change from a 

Traditional Circular Time Orientation to a Linear Time Orientation;

Impacts caused to Traditional Spirituality by forcing tribal people to become 

dependent upon Euro-American Christianity;

Impacts caused to Traditional Human Relationships by forcing tribal people to 

become Individually Oriented and practice the Nuclear Family Construct;
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Impacts caused to Traditional Relationships with Nature by forcing tribal people 

to become Dominate over Nature;

Impacts caused to Traditional Language use by forcing tribal people to become 

dependent upon American English;

Impacts caused to Traditional Foods, Medicines, & Health Practices by forcing 

tribal people to become dependent upon Modern Foods and acceptance of resulting 

Diseases & ill health;

Impacts caused to Traditional Housing Systems and forcing tribal people to 

become dependent upon HUD (toxic) Housing for Nuclear Families;

Impacts caused to Traditional Tribal Governance and forcing tribal people to 

become dependent upon U.S. delegated or created Tribal Governments;

Impacts caused to Traditional Work/Jobs and forcing tribal people to become 

dependent upon Modern Jobs and Materialistic Greed;

Impacts caused to Traditional Genetic Pools and forcing tribal people into a 

Blood Quantum & Mixed DNA System – by causing or stimulating the increase of mix 

bloods within tribal communities by federal laws and policies.

Historical Truth is of vital importance to the indigenous, tribal peoples, and the History of 

the Indian Nations as Tribal People(s) must be taught in the tribal and public school 

systems so as to not undermine the self-respect, racial pride, and cultural confidence of 

native students.

Native Science must be jointly taught to Native Students for the same reasons given 

(Article 39.2) above. Native Science eliminates the non-Indian government and public 

institutions presentations that Indian People only had ‘superstitious teachings and myths 

unfounded upon the truth of scientific principles and discoveries of ‘objective science’ so 

cherished by non-Indian society. Native Science is tied to tribal peoples’ interrelationships with the earth and creation and teaches respect for nature and order, and 

develops a living social system that mandates sustainable yield relationships with nature.

Article 39: Right to Express Indian View of History:

At Discovery the Sovereignty Kings/Queens and the Roman Catholic Church 

debated the ‘Status of the Indians’ and that Debate was used to justify the Conquista 

(Conquering of the Natives). Indian Children deserve to know the institutionalized racism 

and religious prejudices that structured the relationship between the races (Indian vs. 

Non-Indians) and the enormous damages done to Native American Spiritual Practices & 

Knowledge Transmission.

Indian Civilizations contributed to the world in foods and inventions and other 

sciences that expanded the non-natives ability to live longer, healthier, and to be able to 

feed themselves. Indian Children need to know this history.

Indian Confederacies were models for U.S. Constitutional Forms of Government. 

The ‘Sacred Vision of the Great Tree of Peace’ is behind the U.S. teachings and exercise 

of popular sovereignty and Union. This vision, and the value of popular sovereignty 

belongs to Indian Country as much as the rest of the world. The original vision was 

foundational to the creation of the League of Nations (after WWI) and then the United 
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Nations (after WWII) and the numerous democratic member States located all around the 

world. Indian Children need to know this history.

In 1832, the Supreme Court instituted a ruling that proclaimed the legal fiction of 

Indian “dependency” that lead to the statutory classifications that all Indians were 

“incompetent” or “non-competent” under federal law and policy. The status of Indian 

People is still based on the hypothesis of the inherent inferiority of the Indian people and 

their governments. Indian Children deserve to know the legal history of US/Indian 

Relationships and how these laws and policies dis-empowered us and prevent our ability 

to protect nature and sacred sites and places in general.

The United States has a government-to-government Relationship with the Indian 

Nations and Indian Children need to know this history, as so much contributes to and 

supports their understanding of inherent tribal sovereignty. And, Native Nations believed 

“Giving your word was Sacred because it was based on Sacred Breath and Traditional 

demands for Truth.” But, the USA failed to understand this and violated treaties-made.

The United States has received nearly four million square miles of land and 

natural resources from the Indian Nations, and for that reason they owe the Indian People 

the ‘Sacred Trust of Civilization.’ Indian Children need to witness, via history and maps, 

the lands ceded by the Indian Nations and their aboriginal locations. Indian Children need 

to know this history.

Indian Country has created numerous local, regional, national, and international 

organizations that advocate their rights and interests- legally, socially, culturally, 

spiritually, and ceremonially. Many are specialized organizations governed by Boards of 

Directors composed of Traditional Indian leadership. All these entities need to be 

understood by Indian Children as a part of the intertribal political system that they shall 

inherit as ‘leaders’ of Indian Nations for the protection of their traditional knowledge and 

Ceremonial Practices.

The tribal child or initiates are entitled to learn how national and international 

laws have impacted their rights as original peoples with their own cosmology, spiritual 

knowledge and ceremonial practices, as a facet of their traditional healing systems, 

governed by specific rules of conduct in their relationships to their traditional teachers, 

and others.

Article 40. Nation’s Right to Represent the Tribal Collective:

The Traditional Leadership of the Indian Nations have rights to work with local, 

regional, national, and international organizations that advocate the best interests of 

Indian Children and as members of traditional indigenous populations. The Indian

Nations have rights to enter treaties, agreements, conventions, and join in mutual 

declarations that advocate the best interests of the tribal children as human beings with 

human rights, as indigenous people with indigenous rights, and as a members of their 

specific Native American Nation with its own traditional culture and forms of spirituality, 

and traditional laws of balance.

The Indian Nations have Rights to teach the tribal children that their Nation has a 

legitimate expectation and right to demand that the United States honor and respect their 

inherent sovereignty that is based on native concepts of the sacred and cosmological.

The Indian Nations have rights to teach the tribal children that their Nation has a 

legitimate right to demand the United States honor the ratified treaty.
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The Indian Nations have rights to teach the tribal children that their Nation has an 

ancient and legitimate right to teach the tribal children about the theory and realities of 

Indian Self-determination and Self-government.

The Indian Nations have rights to teach tribal children that the ancient, 

traditional, spiritual laws of the Native Indian People, as tribal nations, is held higher than 

that of all modern ‘man-made laws.’

The Indian Nations have rights to teach the tribal children that they owe their 

allegiance to their tribe first and foremost, above any duty or obligations owed to the

individual state or the United States.

The Indian Nations have rights to teach the tribal children that they can only be 

expected to ‘volunteer’ to serve in the Armed Forces of the United States, and have 

inherited rights to simultaneously learn the ‘peace’ commitments their Indian Nation has 

with other Indian Nations or towards others.

Tribal children, students, or initiates have right to learn about traditional 

leadership and how it impacts or protects their rights as indigenous people, and affects 

their relationships with others.

Article 41. Right to Develop Indigenous Institutions: 

The Indian Nations, on behalf of their tribal children, can commit to the development of 

modern cultural/educational institutions- which would address the history of the Indian

Nations indigenous to the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The focus of the 

institutions would be the teaching and training of future ‘traditional’ leaders of the Indian 

Nations- so as to help assure their ‘traditional nations and cultures’ and ceremonial 

practices shall exist in perpetuity, with mutually coordinated efforts created by joint 

agreement and participation of indigenous nations in either Canada or Mexico, with their 

relative nations indigenous to the United States.

Such institutions would seek the participation and cooperation of tribal 

governments, tribal educational institutions, various non-tribal government institutions 

and education facilities, local to national archival centers, and other sources of historical 

documents (written, audio, video, etc.). All information on the respective Indian Nations 

and People should be sought after, purchased, and compiled into a singular library and 

archival center for the respective intertribal regions for study by Native Students, 

Researchers, and Tribal Leadership, especially as so much related to traditional 

knowledge, medicines, and ceremonial practices.

Such institutions would seek to finance and employ native, indigenous experts 

that shall help locate, copy, or secure permission to hold original documents, and receive 

published and unpublished manuscripts, and to store & research such documents in 

accordance to accepted library and archival sciences, as so much pertains to the 

preservation of traditional culture, knowledge, and practices.

Such institutions would seek to locate all published materials about the respective 

tribal people(s) and Nations in the areas of treaties, agreements, conventions, 

declarations, covenants, laws (statutes, national court cases, international court cases, 

etc.), politics, federal/national policies, economics, territory, land, natural resources, 

traditional cultures, languages, society, anthropology, archaeology, ethnology, ethnobotany, sociology, mythology, arts & crafts, performing arts, native science, oral & 

recorded histories, forms of past & current tribal governmental structuring, tribal 

membership roles (special collections), history & types & locations of native religious 
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movements and systems, impacts of non-Indian religious movements and organizations 

upon Indian Country, and other forms of documentations about impacts, history, and 

relationship with the Indian Nations and People.

Such institution could seek to develop and structure traditional curricula to train 

and teach future or potential tribal leaders to become ‘traditional speakers’ that are, 

further, cross-trained in the history, culture, traditionalism, ceremonialism, intertribal 

relationships, and intergovernmental relationships experienced and exercised by the 

Indian Nations over time. This training shall be coupled with teachings in the area of 

politics and law, as so much applies to Indian Country. Introduction to basic economics, 

accounting systems, and natural resource management shall be incorporated as well.

The Indian Nations should commit to working with other Indian Nations & 

leadership to design, develop, and finance the intertribal institutions. Intertribal 

agreements should be used to assure that each participating nation shall be guaranteed 

access to the institution records for their children, students, and leadership. The mutual 

agreements should work out details for providing scholarship funds for the students.

Such institution could teach new tribal leadership and students that they have 

sovereignty over their persons and freedom of education, and the right to practice selfdetermination and self-government. They would learn how to be participate and 

appreciate traditional tribal culture and ceremonial society, as new or future leadership 

involved in defense of the tribal collectives’ sovereignty. The long-term goal is to 

reinforce their self-esteem, self-respect, their traditional cultural identification and pride, 

make them more understanding and compassionate toward others, and instill a 

willingness to contribute their basic skills to the sense & preservation of tribal 

community & inherent sovereignty. Learning to become powerful speakers, to represent

their nations, shall be a key characteristic to be taught in the institute. The traditional 

child, or student, or initiate had to learn rules of conduct to govern their relationships 

with their ceremonial teachers and others. For example, classes could in: 

Basic Traditional Language Classes;

Basic Prayers in Traditional Language;

Traditional Role-models, Leadership, and Age Specific Conduct;

Traditional Gender Specific Activities and Participation;

Traditional Songs & Drumming;

Traditional Lessons in Respect and Honor with Indian Names & Ceremonials;

Traditional Canoe making and Pulling;

Traditional Horse training, keeping, and uses;

Traditional Arts & Crafts (beads, drums, dream catchers, mats);

Traditional Fasting and Meditation Ceremonials;

Traditional Foot Racing and Indigenous Games;

Traditional Carving or painting (plagues, masks, rattles, totem poles, boxes, shields);

Traditional Cooking Methods;

Traditional Fish/Meat Food Gathering, Preparation, Preservation:

Traditional Plant Foods- gathering, preparation, preserving;

Traditional Medicine Plants- gathering, preparation, healing usage;

Traditional Basketry- materials harvest & preparation;

Traditional Clothing and making;

Traditional Story Telling;
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Traditional Speech Making;

Traditional Leadership Practices;

Traditional Forms of Government;

Traditional of Warrior Societies and Practices;

Traditional Behavior and Conduct of Indian Youth;

Traditional Aboriginal Territory Identification;

History of Indian Legal (Religious Freedom) Actions;

History of Indian Reservation Lands and traditional uses;

Traditional Spirit Society Gatherings;

Visiting with Traditional Elders;

Tribal Genealogy - Tracing Family Trees and Names;

Studies in Cross border Histories- US/Canada/Mexico;

Introduction to US/Canada Treaty Law/Indian Law & Policies;

Introduction to International Indigenous People's Studies;

Study in Ancestor Cemetery Protection - Off-reservation sites & NAGPRA;

Study in Sacred Lands- Off-reservation (state and federal lands);

Study in American/Canadian/Mexican Indian Religious Freedom;

Study in Tribal Constitutional Governments & Govt-to-govt relationships;

Lessons in Youth Mental Health Initiatives;

History of the American/Canadian/Mexican Indians in North America.

Such institutions could develop specialized divisions that focus on ‘continuing 

education’ courses and conferences for teachers and leadership involved within the public 

education system. The focus shall be direct attempts to enculturate the participants 

toward a sensitivity for Indigenous Cultures, History, Law, Politics, Economics, Social 

Structures, etc.. Such an institution, hereunder, would draw upon specialized training 

organizations available to supplement the training curricula.

Article 42. Protection of Traditional Clusters of Knowledge:

Tribal Elders, leaders, advisors, families, extended families, traditional 

communities taught their children the traditional & ceremonial knowledge and practices

they needed to know, at one time, to be status tribal persons. And, Tribal Society, at one 

time, assured that all tribal people were involved in the care and teaching of each other’s 

children. A proper child of status was taught certain forms of ceremonial knowledge that 

would be vital to their understanding and participation in the traditional tribal 

community. This article deals with ‘Clusters of Traditional Knowledge and Advice’ that 

conveniently identifies the type of teachings the Traditional Child should have or could 

have learned at a minimal, in order to participate as a functional member of traditional 

society. The traditional child or initiate had to learn rules of conduct to govern their 

relationships with their teachers and other ceremonial participants.

A Traditional Children should be encouraged to live a mature, healthy, responsible 

traditional style, and modern tribal leaders should seek to guarantee that:

Successful, nurturing parents are involved, guided by traditional values & ethics;

Positive sibling relationships exist, guided by traditional values & ethics;
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Positive Behavior reinforcement is utilized, guided by traditional values & ethics;

Traditional Education encouraged and supported, guided by traditional values & ethics;

Traditional Sports and recreation encouraged, guided by traditional values & ethics;

Positive family communication skills are used, guided by traditional values & ethics;

Positive traditional family role models, guided by traditional values & ethics;

All necessities of life are met and provided for the family.

A Traditional Children should be taught by their parents, and elders in the family, about 

the various traditional & modern processes or institutions that they may depend upon to 

find traditional ‘enlightenment’ and learn religious/spiritual tolerance, guided by 

traditional values & ethics:

Access to and appreciation for traditional tribal spirit societies;

Access to and appreciative for traditional tribal healers;

Access to and appreciation for individualized native practices (e.g., meditation, vision 

questing, fasting, winter bathing, etc.);

Access and appreciation for Sweat Lodge ceremonies;

Access to and appreciation for the Sun Dance Ceremonials;

Access to and appreciation for the Peyote Church;

Access to and appreciation of other Native Belief Systems;

Appreciation of the limits of Catholic and other Christian Churches;

Access and exposure to traditional knowledge & practices of other Indigenous Peoples.

A Traditional Child should be exposed to and taught the traditional values & ethics

system of the tribal community, which may include:

Being taught and influenced by ceremonial leadership;

Being taught and influenced by ceremonial processes, practices, and protocols;

Being taught to appreciate the skills & knowledge of diverse ceremonial workers;

Being taught to understand the use and value of ceremonial gear;

Being taught to understand song and dance as a part of community ceremony;

Being taught to understand the value of tribal sacred knowledge;

Being taught to understand the value of sharing wealth & inherent or learned gifts within 

ceremonial settings or opportunities;

Being taught to understand the value of sacred time, space, and visions.

A Tradition Child must be taught the history of and value of the Traditional Tribal 

Society, which would include teachings about:

Traditional Self-government;

Traditional Spirituality;

Traditional Language;

Traditional Family & Community;

Traditional Foods & Diet;

Traditional Housing Systems;

Traditional Teaching Systems;

Traditional use of inherent gifts and work skills.
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A Tradition Child must be taught the history of and value of the Traditional Role 

Models, which would include teachings about:

Respect for Peace Time Leadership;

Respect for War Time Leadership;

Respect for Family Leadership;

Respect for Extended Family Leadership;

Respect for Gender Differences & Roles in Leadership

Respect for Ceremonial Leadership;

Understanding the Role of Youth in relationship to Leadership Figures;

Understanding the Proper Conduct of Leadership, Initiates, participants.

A Tradition Child must be taught the history of and value of the Traditional Tribal 

Society, which would include teachings about:

Different functions and types of ceremonial activity;

Proper Bodily Preparation for Ceremonial Particpation;

Proper Regalia or Dress for Ceremonial Participation;

Proper use of Artifacts for Ceremonial Participation;

Proper Control of Language/Speech in Ceremonial Participation;

Proper Listening and Attention Skills for Ceremonial Participation;

Proper Communication Skills for Ceremonial Participation:

Proper Gender Rules Observance for Ceremonial Participation.

A Traditional Child must be taught to respect and honor the traditional forms of 

spiritual practices and belief systems within the tribal community, in order to mature into 

a healthy member of a traditional tribal community. They must be taught to respect and 

understand:

Use and value of Traditional Knowledge;

Use and value of Traditional Spirit Houses, Lodges, Teepees;

Use and value of Traditional Ceremonials;

Use and value of Traditional Workers;

Use and value of Traditional Foods/Diets;

Use and value of Traditional Sacred Sites;

Use and value of Traditional Regalia;

Use and value of Traditional Healing Practices & Ceremonies, and Preparations.

A Traditional Child is exposed to and taught about certain values or ethics important in 

a traditional tribal society, such as:

Honoring others, creation, and the ceremonial;

Respecting others, creation, and the ceremonial;

Helping preserve and protect each other’s Integrity;

Learning to be Humble and contributive to traditional practices & ceremonials;
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Learning age specific proper communication skillsfor ceremonial practices;

Having Compassion toward the innocent, weak, sick, and elderly;

Understanding the tribal Protocols for recognition of others;

Learning to be Unselfish.

A Traditional Child should learn about their rights of access to, gathering of, and 

harvesting of culturally significant natural resources, such as:

Right to hunt game and non-game animals;

Right to Fish all species of marine, riverine, lake, creek fish;

Right to gather floral products of the mountains, forests, meadows, plains, deserts;

Right to gather ceremonial minerals or soils;

Right of access to and temporary use of ceremonial sites;

Right of access to and temporary use of creation sites;

Right of access to gathering or hunting sites for all species of birds or other species;

Right of meaningful access to bio-diverse sites that have integrity and are 

culturally/traditionally significant to practicing respect for the sacred.

A Traditional Child should learn the rules for preparing for the Sacred, such as:

Conducting and practicing external cleansing ceremonies;

Practicing use of ceremonial body paints and designs;

Practicing short or long-term body Fasting for internal cleansing;

Practicing controlled and clean Mind within oneself;

Practicing controlled and clean Social relationships with others;

Practicing constant prayer and Spiritual Meditations;

Practicing clean & controlled use of the five Senses;

Practicing controlled and proper use of the Emotions;

Practicing controlled use of the Body- speech, breathing, hands, feet, exercise.

A Traditional Child should learn, as he or she matures, what it means to be Initiated into 

Spiritual work and the duties and responsibilities of membership, such as:

Securing support from his family, parents, and elders;

Securing support from the leadership of the traditional society;

Securing support from the traditional workers of that society;

Assuring family and self are able to contribute resources to Initiation ceremonials;

Commitment to honor the Initiation sequences, rules, practices, and obligations;

Learn to accept traditional knowledge of the Society membership;

Learn to accept traditional intertribal knowledge;

Learn, as an Initiate, to constantly improve oneself, properly share advice received.

A Traditional Child is encouraged to learn and express certain attributes associated with 

a respectable tribal child, such as:

Child is taught to think good of themselves and others;

Child is taught to use their voices to speak only good of self, others, and creation;
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Child is taught to use their Eyes to see the good in creation, others, and the ceremonial;

Child is taught to Listen for good teachings;

Child is taught to control and properly use their Emotions;

Child is taught that use of their hands to do good Work;

Child is taught that their feet to go to good Places;

Child is taught to respect the sacred & spiritual in ceremonies and life.

A Traditional Child is taught lessons about relationships with Creation, such as:

Use and respect for the Floral and Plants aspects of Creation;

Use and respect for the Faunal (Avifauna, Piscifauna, Microfauna, Cryptofauna, 

Megafauna) aspects of Creation;

Use and respect for the Specific Symbolic Birds of Creation;

Use and respect for the Elemental (water, air, fire, winds) aspects of Creation;

Use and respect for the Matter/Material aspects of Creation;

Use and respect for the Environmental aspects of Creation;

Use and respect for the Sacred Knowledge that guides the relationship with the Sacred;

Use and respect for the Sacred Language/Songs used with the Sacred.

A Traditional Child is taught and learns to appreciate the healing powers of the tribal 

burial ceremonials, such as:\

Learning and accepting that Help brought to the grieving family;

Learning and accepting that Advice brought to the family;

Learning and accepting help from those that prepare the dead or burial site;

Learning and accepting contributions from fishers, hunters, gathers, ceremonialists;

Learning about proper foods for ceremonial feasts for living or the deceased;

Learning and accepting guidance of Ceremonial Leaders, Cooks and Assistants;

Learning and accepting Duties to Keep Ceremonial practices alive;

Learning and accepting Other’s supervision over minors during ceremonial work.

A Traditional Child is taught about and learns about the attributes and skills of the 

Traditional Ceremonial Speaker, such as:

Speaker appropriately attired & prepared for the ceremonial occasion.

Speaker has good, strong verbal skill & control in communication;

Speaker has good and strong use of non-verbal communication skills;

Speaker has good listening skills to assure facts and truth spoken about or witnessed;

Speaker has use of appropriate words, language, phrases and works diligently to not 

offend anyone;

Speaker has appropriate control and use of Emotions to express compassion, 

commitment, and empathy as needed;

Speaker has a solid foundation in ceremonial knowledge, awareness, and information to 

properly inform the listening public and guide the ceremony.

Speaker knows how to recognize and thank important persons tied to the event.
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A Traditional Child is taught to understand and appreciate the Teachings stored inside 

the traditional stories and creation myths of the tribal community, such as:

Stories/Myths will teach about relationships with nature and the environment;

Stories/Myths will teach about interpersonal relationships for good or bad results;

Stories/Myths will teach about values and skills favored by tribal society which are 

gender specific or neutral;

Stories/Myths will teach about the tribal collective dependence upon Creation;

Stories/Myths will teach about the consequences of behavior that is self-destructive or 

self-deceptive;

Stories/Myths will teach about consequences of violating accepted laws, customs, 

traditions, and sacred expectations;

Stories/Myths will teach about the necessity of respecting and honoring the sacred 

symbolically and ceremonially;

Stories/Myths will teach the means to access or secure the rights to utilize certain sacred 

or ceremonial forms of knowledge or gifts.

A Traditional Child is taught to understand the symbolic values and attributes 

associated with and used within traditional arts, and the supplemental knowledge used 

therein, as in totem art, such as:

Artist identifies the location of materials needed and conducts a harvest ceremony;

Artist arranges for harvest, transportation, storage, and preparation of materials to be 

used;

Artist identified the story lesson, or message that is to be depicted by use of symbolic art 

and forms;

Artist develops comprehensive design of the complete the art encrusted artifact;

Artist assures that primary, secondary, and tertiary art designs are properly used;

Artist assures the proper use and application of primary, secondary, and tertiary paints;

Artist assures that proper delivery of artifact to those who sought it for public or private 

ceremonials;

Artist takes all necessary measures to authentically restore prior works or artifacts.

A Traditional Child would be exposed to and taught about the use of Traditional 

Symbols within tribal society, such as:

Use of Birds (eagle, owl, hawk, raven, thunderbird, etc);

Use of Animals (bear, wolf, beaver, etc.);

Use of Water or Sea Mammals (Sea Otter, Killer Whale, Seal, etc.);

Use of Fish (Salmon, Halibut, Octopus, etc.);

Use of Cosmic Symbols (Individual Stars, Sun, Moon, Constellations, etc.);

Use of Human Figures (Male, Female, Adult, Child, Transforming);

Use of Reptiles or Amphibians (Snakes, Frogs, Dragon types);

Use of Regalia (War, Healing, Ceremonial).
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A Traditional Child would be exposed to and taught about various traditional tribal 

youth activities that they could be involved within, such as:

Traditional Arts & Crafts;

Traditional Ceremonials and Gathering of Sacred Knowledge;

Studying value of access to Traditional tribal territory;

Study Traditional Language and Speaking styles;

Study and participation in traditional sports & recreation;

Study of Traditional Family/Extended Family System & Ancestry;

Study traditional hunting, fishing, gathering techniques;

Study and sharing in traditional story telling.

A Traditional Child would learn the various techniques of preparing fish or meats for 

the family, such as:

Preparation and Use of Raw fish/meat;

Preparation and Use of Pit Steamed fish/meat;

Preparation and Use of Boiled Fish/meat;

Preparation and Use of Smoked Fish/meat;

Preparation and Use of Sun Dried Fish/meat;

Preparation and Use of Wind Dried Fish/meat;

Preparation and Use of Traditional Bar-be-qued Fish/meat;

Modern Preparation and Use via deep-fried, broiled, salted, and canned fish/meat.

A Traditional Child should learn to use the Native Language in a manner that is 

appropriate for the social/ceremonial settings that they are observing or participating 

within, such as:

Use of language in tribal government administration;

Use of language in tribal school system;

Use of language in tribal homes;

Use of language in tribal social gatherings;

Use of language in tribal ceremonial gatherings;

Use of language in extended family gatherings;

Use of language in intertribal gatherings;

Use of language per appropriate individual initiative.

A Traditional Child should learn to understand and appreciate the different roles that 

manifest inside tribal spirit societies and learn to accord proper respect and honor toward 

the same, such as:

Recognition of Male or Female Initiate;

Recognition that Initiate gains new brothers and sisters;

Recognition that Initiate receives new fathers or mothers;

Recognition that Initiate receives new grandparents or elders;

Recognition that Initiate becomes working & contributive member;
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Recognition that Initiate matures into working ceremonial roles;

Recognition that Initiate matures head worker status;

Recognize that Initiate matures into elder of the society.

A Traditional Child must learn to simultaneously live as a ‘modern child’ and that they 

must be able to distinguish the modern knowledge from the traditional knowledge, the 

modern life style from the traditional lifestyle, and that modernism impacts traditionalism 

or vice-versa, such as:

Modern tribal government is limited in influence and control over the traditional practices 

of the community and societies;

Modern Housing is not compatible to the traditional lifestyle & practices;

Modern Foods/Diets are most often detrimental to traditional health;

Modern Language is used but not all inclusive of the sacred understandings and 

comprehensions of traditionalists;

Modern Family is nuclear and contrary to the traditional system that depends upon the 

extended family and community;

Modern jobs are structured, strict, and may interfere with participation in traditional 

ceremonials and membership;

Modern Religions are not understanding or accepting of traditional spirituality;

Modern Education is valuable but has limitations within the traditional settings, 

processes, ceremonials, and relationships.

A Traditional Child will need to be taught the modern education to help them learn to 

work with others that are Indian and non-Indian leaders that could impact or influence 

protection of sacred sites or burial grounds on and off the reservation, and tribal rights 

of access to such sites, such as:

Modern tribal government control over reservation lands and sites;

Modern Reservations where shared intertribal sites may be located;

Private land owners control over such sites on their property;

Corporate owned lands and sites located thereon;

City owned lands and site located thereon;

County owned lands and sites located thereon;

State owned lands and sites located thereon;

Federally owned lands and sites located thereon. 

Concluding Remark:

This Booklet of Ceremonial Activities was created for the protection of 

traditional tribal communities, traditional tribal children, traditional ceremonial initiates,

and traditional teachings systems that preserved ceremonial knowledge and activities 

from one generation to the next.. The primary concern is to save the rights to traditional

ceremonialism as a means to Save Our Tribal Children. This booklet should be read in 

light of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People that was 

ratified by the United Nations in 2007, and accepted by President Obama as binding upon 

the United States. In addition, it should be considered in light of the Convention on the 
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Rights of the Child, the Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women (as 

well as the new domestic USA laws that seek to protect Native American Women). These 

papers are consolidated with the vision of establishing tribal governmental goals toward 

strengthening the traditional child, mother, father, and family within Indian Country. The 

participating Indian Nations should recognize the need to have this booklet subjected to 

tribal and intertribal review and correction or changes as needed. This is a skeleton on 

ceremonial activities and the final version will change as more traditional tribal leaders 

become engaged in the consultation movement and had an opportunity to review and 

suggest improvements, clarifications, additions, or restructuring of the whole document. 

Once completed, it should be submitted as the guiding document to be used by the tribes 

and the IRS for resolving any questions about the qualified tax exempt or exclusion status 

of traditional ceremonial teachers, students, initiates, or other participants that received 

qualified stipends or honorariums, or were actively engaged in supporting such 

ceremonial activity and have since learned about tax exclusions for all ceremonial 

activities.