Catawba fall 100 votes short of adopting new constitution

Efforts to adopt a new constitution for the Catawba Indian Nation fell short of the needed turnout in a Saturday election.

Most of the tribal members who voted, either by mail or in person at the Longhouse on the Catawbas’ York County reservation, were in favor of adopting the new document to govern the South Carolina tribe, said Catawba spokeswoman Elizabeth Harris. But the election did not reach the necessary threshold required under a 1993 agreement between the tribe and the federal government.

The Catawbas have repeatedly tried to adopt a revised constitution since the tribe regained federal recognition as an organized Native American nation in 1993, and the adoption of one was required by the settlement agreement that ended a lawsuit brought by the tribe against the U.S. government and the state of South Carolina.

That same agreement also sets a 30 percent turnout requirement for any vote to change the tribal constitution, or 665 out of more than 2,000 eligible Catawba voters. While final numbers were not available Sunday, Harris said turnout fell about 100 votes short of meeting that goal.

The tribal government will instead continue to operate under a 1975 constitution adopted when the nation reorganized itself but prior to becoming a federally recognized tribe.

Catawbas were also voting for tribal officers on Saturday. Chief Bill Harris was re-elected to a second four-year term, as were Assistant Chief Wayne George, Secretary/Treasurer Rod Beck and executive committee member Sammy Beck. Dean Canty won the second at-large seat on the tribe’s executive committee, replacing Jason Harris, who ran unsuccessfully for the chief’s office.

This story was originally published July 26, 2015 at 12:25 PM with the headline "Catawba fall 100 votes short of adopting new constitution."