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The Shoalwater Bay Tribe’s Responsibility to Defend Tribal Member Rights, Safeguard the Peace and Safety within Our Community and Support the Welfare of Our People.

All members of Tribal Council have the Constitutional responsibility for maintaining a peaceful community and workplace, protecting the safety, and promoting the welfare of all people within the tribe’s jurisdiction. The Tribe’s Constitutional responsibilities are to "preserve peace and order in our community, promote the general welfare of our people and our descendants, protect the rights of the Tribe and its members."

Preserving Peace: Equity, fairness, and the maintenance of a peaceful work environment are not the rule on the reservation, it is the exception. On the reservation we are more likely to experience hopelessness and despair while living within an environment of widespread drug and alcohol use. A difficult environment that is often intensified because of unchecked favoritism, strife, intermittent animosity and undue political pressure from competing administration, community member conflicts, and business interests.

Health, Safety, and Welfare: All members of Tribal Council are required to uphold the Shoalwater Bay Constitution and our laws when they are sworn into office. Under the Constitutional powers of Tribal Council the leadership must use their authority to “protect the safety and welfare of all persons within the Shoalwater Bay Tribe’s jurisdiction.” To achieve these goals our ancestors and several generations of leaders have created political, business, social, educational, legal, emergency management and medical institutions. At the heart of each tribal institution is a mandate to maintain the health, welfare, and safety of each of our members by providing opportunities, jobs, education, healthcare, benefits, and protecting the rights and peaceful existence of tribal members for a healthy workplace and community.

Tribal Member Rights: The Shoalwater Bay Constitution does not give authority to Tribal Council to violate the rights of tribal members to free speech and open discussion even if a Tribal Council member, administrator, WBE Board member or CEO, strongly disagree. Powers of Council are not designed to discipline tribal members for their beliefs, perspectives, or for bringing issues to light. The focus of our Constitution throughout is on tribal leadership’s responsibilities to maintain tribal member rights. Holding tribal institutions accountable, including the administration and business institutions, fall under the Constitutional powers and responsibility of a proactive Council.