Final Draft Good Standing Policy Thirty-Day Comment Period

Jun 5, 2018

AKWESASNE — The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Clerk’s Office has received a Final Draft Good Standing Policy that will be forwarded to the Tribal Council for enactment following a thirty (30) day written comment period from Ohiarí:ha/June 6, 2018 to Ohiarihkó:wa/July 5, 2018. At the conclusion of the comment period, the proposed policy will be implemented through a Tribal Council Resolution, with a least two of the three chiefs voting in favor of its adoption.

“The purpose of the Good Standing Policy is to protect the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s resources and ensure the viability of tribal programs by establishing consistent and clear guidelines for the collection of outstanding accounts owed by tribal members and others; such as for daycare, traffic fines, or other services,” explained the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe’s Assistant Executive Director Starr Thomas.

In advance of the policy’s development, three consultation sessions were held in 2016 with community members to discuss what good standing means and to brainstorm mechanisms to help address non-payment of individual accounts. The sessions were held on Kenténha/October 5, 2016; Kenténha/October 26, 2016 and Kentenhkó:wa/November 9, 2016 and proved productive.

The brainstorming sessions with the community provided a clearer understanding on what good standing represents for individual tribal members. It also provided an understanding on how non-payments have financially impaired the ongoing provision of tribal services and programs. As a result, the engagement sessions led to research and an internal review of processes to determine the feasibility of developing a Good Standing Policy.

In 2017, a Draft Good Standing Policy was developed that included feedback and input received from community members that attended the consultation sessions. In accordance with the 2013 Tribal Procedures Act, the draft policy was presented at three public meetings that were held on Kentenhkó:wa/November 14, 2017; Tsiothóhrha/December 5, 2017 and Tsiothohrkó:wa/.January 4, 2018. Copies of the draft policy were also available to tribal members upon request at the Community Building’s main reception desk.

A thirty-day comment period is being provided to receive additional feedback and input prior to the proposed policy being forwarded for final enactment by the Tribal Council. Following its implementation, the proposed Good Standing Policy will apply to community members, customers, vendors, employees, potential employment candidates, elected officials and others that receive services or engage in a business, contractual or employment relationship with the Tribe.

Copies of the Final Draft Good Standing Policy remain available upon request from the Community Building’s main reception desk or the Tribal Clerk’s Office, all located at 412 State Route 37 in Akwesasne, New York. It is also available electronically by emailing the Communications Department at communications@srmt-nsn.gov.

Please drop off all written comments to the Tribal Clerk’s Office, or mail to:

Re: Final Draft Good Standing Policy
Office of the Tribal Clerk
412 State Route 37
Akwesasne, New York 13655

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The Saint Regis Mohawk Tribal Council is the duly elected and federally recognized government of the Saint Regis Mohawk People