Teen dating violence — teaching our children about healthy relationships - The Sault Tribe of Chippewa Indians Official Web Site

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Secretarial Election set to be held on or before Sept. 26

Sault Tribe members, mark your calendars. The Secretarial Election on proposed constitutional amendments establishing a three-branch government is set to be held on or before Sept. 26, 2026.

Once the Secretarial Election Board is formed, it will establish the official election date and election timeline. The Sault Tribe is accepting volunteers to serve on the board through July 3. The Board of Directors will randomly select one tribal citizen from each voting unit and two at-large tribal citizens during its July 7 meeting.
Tribal citizens interested in serving on the Secretarial Election Board are encouraged to submit their interest by emailing legal@saulttribe.net.

In May, the Sault Tribe Board of Directors unanimously voted to submit proposed constitutional amendments to the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), beginning the Secretarial Election process. The election is administered by the BIA and is required under federal law and Article X of the Sault Tribe Constitution.

When ballots are mailed later this summer or early fall, eligible tribal citizens will vote "yes" or "no" on whether to adopt the proposed constitutional amendments establishing three separate and equal branches of government.

To ensure ballots and election information are received, tribal citizens are encouraged to verify that their mailing address is up to date with Tribal Enrollment.

Constitutional Amendment Update

Resolution 2026-145 requests a secretarial election on proposed constitutional amendments and places the decision to update the tribe’s Constitution in the hands of Sault Tribe membership. The resolution will be sent to the BIA by June 19 and then the BIA will begin the federal election process. Linked below are the Resolution 2026-145 and the Attached Amended Constitution drafts. Please watch the tribe’s website and Facebook in the coming months for updates on this.

3 Branch Separation Amendments Attachment for Reso 2026-145

2026-145 Authorizing Amended Constitution Submission for a Secretarial Election

Notice: Opportunity to Serve on the Secretarial Election Board for the Constitutional Amendment Election

The Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians is seeking Tribal citizens who are interested in serving on the Secretarial Election Board for the upcoming Constitutional Amendment Election, which is expected to take place later this summer or in early fall.

The Secretarial Election Board will assist with duties related to the Secretarial Election process for the proposed constitutional amendments including setting deadlines for the election. The Tribe is seeking interested citizens from each of the five election units and representatives from the at large membership. The Board of Directors will select:

One tribal citizen from each unit, and two at-large tribal citizens.

Selection will be made by drawing names from the list of interested Tribal citizens. The drawing is anticipated to take place by the July 7 Board of Directors meeting.

Tribal citizens who are interested in being considered should submit their name, enrollment number, contact information, a letter of intent and the election unit in which they reside to legal@saulttribe.net . If selected you will be expected to be able to attend in person meetings in Sault Ste. Marie.

Interested citizens should submit their information no later than July 3, 2026.

For questions, please contact legal@saulttribe.net .

Miigwech to all Tribal citizens willing to participate in this important constitutional process.

Details: Category: ACFS; Published: 01 February 2017

Young love—a picture usually painted so perfectly, every teen wants to experience that first connection with someone. What often isn’t talked about is violence in teen relationships. Although it may be a tough subject to tackle with any teen, it is of the utmost importance that we teach our young people about healthy relationships, consent and respect. According to loveisrespect.org, one in 10 high school students has been purposefully hit, slapped or physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend. We need to start as early as possible to teach our children and teens about the dangers of dating violence and how to maintain healthy, non-violent relationships.

Some tips for teens on maintaining healthy relationships from loveisrespect.org:
• Speak up if something is bothering you.
• Respect each others wishes, feelings and values.
• Disagreements are natural; compromise.
• Be supportive and encouraging toward one another.
• Respect each other’s privacy; healthy relationships require space.
• Create healthy boundaries—an expression of what you want out of the relationship.

Having a healthy relationship with someone should not restrict these abilities:
• Going out with friends and spend time with family without your partner.
• Participating in hobbies or activities you enjoy.
• Not having to share passwords to your cellphone, email or other technology.
• Respect individual likes and needs.

There is never that perfect moment to talk to your teens about this issue, the time is now. We need to talk to them time and time again, let them know there is never an excuse for violence in a relationship, not even once.

If you or someone you know is a victim of teen dating violence, help is available. Please contact the Advocacy Resource Center for more information at 906‑632‑1808 or toll free at 877‑639‑7820.