A reader, not a replacement for the law. Use these expandable sections to find the part you need, understand it in ordinary language, and open the original source. The short descriptions are educational summaries, not legal conclusions or certified section-by-section annotations.
Reference status: Initial guided index, October 31, 2026. Every future full annotation should include the verified text, citation, version/effective date, historical changes, source links, applicable published decisions, editor and review date.
Start here — authoritative source documents
- Northern Cheyenne Constitution and Bylaws (historical amended edition, through 1996)
- Northern Cheyenne revised Law and Order Code (adopted June 2, 2025; stated effective October 1, 2025)
- Northern Cheyenne judicial document directory
- Montana Code Annotated — official 2025 edition, website updated August 2026
- Montana Legislature — annotations and code-history research tables
Northern Cheyenne Constitution — browse by article
Article I — Territory
Describes the land and geographic jurisdiction addressed by the Constitution. Read the complete text and relevant federal law before making claims about a specific parcel.
Read the original Constitution and Bylaws PDF · Plain-language guide
Article II — Membership
Sets eligibility and enrollment-related rules. Later valid tribal enactments and procedures may matter.
Read the original Constitution and Bylaws PDF · Plain-language guide
Article III — Governing Body and Officers
Describes Council membership, districts and certain officers. For current office disputes, use the actual text and controlling decisions.
Read the original Constitution and Bylaws PDF · Plain-language guide
Article IV — Powers of the Tribal Council
Lists the Council’s powers and conditions. Section 1(f) concerns authorization and public records of tribal spending; always read the full section.
Read the original Constitution and Bylaws PDF · Plain-language guide
Article V — Bill of Rights
Describes listed rights of tribal members. Separate constitutional protections from any additional statutory rights.
Read the original Constitution and Bylaws PDF · Plain-language guide
Article VI — Elections
Addresses voting, candidacy and election administration. The Constitution also directs readers to election ordinances and resolutions; the current set of those rules requires separate verification.
Read the original Constitution and Bylaws PDF · Plain-language guide
Article VII — Removal and Vacancies
Contains different processes for forfeiture, removal, complaints and vacant positions. Do not combine these into one procedure.
Read the original Constitution and Bylaws PDF · Plain-language guide
Article VIII — Referendum
Addresses petitions and conditions for referendum votes. Check any threshold and other requirements in the original.
Read the original Constitution and Bylaws PDF · Plain-language guide
Article IX — Land
Addresses reservation land interests, leases and related authorities; individual land classifications require separate primary records.
Read the original Constitution and Bylaws PDF · Plain-language guide
Article X — Amendments
Explains how the Constitution may be amended. An ordinary resolution is not automatically an amendment.
Read the original Constitution and Bylaws PDF · Plain-language guide
Article XI — Separation of Powers
Addresses division of governmental authority; applying it to a particular case requires governing text and valid decisions.
Read the original Constitution and Bylaws PDF · Plain-language guide
Bylaws — browse by article
Article I — Duties of Officers
Duties assigned to officers and administrative roles.
Article IV — Salaries
Compensation provisions; investigate later amendments and appropriation instruments before asserting a current amount.
Article V — Meetings and Procedure
Council meeting procedures and quorum. Separate these from any later open-meeting policies or resolutions.
Article VII — Code of Ethics
Standards for official conduct, subject to applicable enforcement procedures.
Northern Cheyenne revised 2025 Law and Order Code — browse by title
Title I — General Provisions
Authority, interpretation and civil-rights-related rules. Section 1.1.3 addresses public availability of the Code.
Title II — Judicial Branch
Trial, appellate, constitutional courts and court-clerk structure.
Title III — Juvenile Code
Proceedings and protections involving children and families.
Title IV — Civil Procedure and Civil Code
Civil cases and substantive civil matters.
Title V — Criminal Procedure
Procedural safeguards and process in criminal matters.
Title VI — Evidence
Standards for what information can be admitted or considered, including certain rules touching custom and tradition.
Title VII — Criminal Offenses
Offense elements and penalties. For claims about particular conduct, read the exact section and check the current controlling version.
Title VIII — Domestic Relations
Family-law matters addressed by this revision.
Title X — Judicial Conduct
Judicial ethics, fairness and standards.
Additional Titles and Ordinances — Verification Pending
The linked 2025 consolidated PDF does not appear to include the full probate Title IX or property Title XI. The Tribe separately lists a Probate Code. A current election-ordinance compilation also needs authentication.
Montana law — research topics
Montana’s official website presently identifies the 2025 Montana Code Annotated, updated August 2026. For current-law questions, verify the wording, amendment history and effective date of each section, not just the publication year.
Montana Constitution and government (MCA Titles 1–7)
Official Montana Code and reference tables explain state government, courts and local government. For a claim, identify an exact section and effective date.
Search the official MCA · Look up official research tables and annotations
Elections (Title 13)
Election rules are codified here, but any recently enacted amendment or controlling order needs checking.
Search the official MCA · Look up official research tables and annotations
Taxes, budgets and contracts (Titles 15, 17 and 18)
Useful for accountability reporting; tax provisions and exemptions depend on exact statute and circumstances.
Search the official MCA · Look up official research tables and annotations
Education (Title 20)
State education laws; separate public schools, tribal schools, colleges and federal obligations.
Search the official MCA · Look up official research tables and annotations
Health, water, energy and environment (Titles 50, 75 and related law)
Locate the exact applicable Montana or federal permitting statute; do not treat a general title as proof of a project violation.
Search the official MCA · Look up official research tables and annotations
Crimes, courts and corrections (Titles 45, 46 and 53)
Criminal definitions, procedure and human services; distinguish statutory wording, case interpretation and agency policy.
Search the official MCA · Look up official research tables and annotations
How a verified annotation will work
- 1. Citation: exact article, title and section, with a stable original source.
- 2. Text and version: confirm amendments, issuing authority and effective dates.
- 3. Plain-English meaning: a short explanation clearly marked as commentary, not law.
- 4. Cases and history: verified relevant court decisions, amendment notes and cross-references, with dates.
- 5. Review and correction: name the reviewer, last verification date, unresolved questions and corrections.
Editorial safeguards: This is an independent educational project, not a tribal court or legislative publication. We will not present AI-generated legal text or case citations as verified without checking the original materials. We are not incorporating the undisclosed DOI/dispute files into this public reader while they remain under review.
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By Steven Bullcoming Haworth · Collaborator: Corry Bullcoming · © 2026 Steven Bullcoming Haworth & Corry Bullcoming. All rights reserved.