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(1) Relinquishment of Citizenship.

(a) Any adult citizen of the Samish Indian Nation over the age of 18 may relinquish citizenship in the Tribe upon written notice to the Tribal Council. Upon receipt of notice and verification by the Tribal Enrollment Committee, the Tribal Council, by resolution, shall direct the removal of that person’s name from the roll.

(b) Citizenship of an individual under the age of 18 who is enrolled as a citizen of the Samish Indian Nation may be relinquished only for purposes of enrolling in another Indian tribe. If the parent(s) or legal custodian(s) of a Samish minor desire to enroll such child in another Indian tribe, they shall submit a request for relinquishment in writing to the Tribe. The request shall be reviewed by the Enrollment Committee and Indian Child Welfare staff, which shall submit a written recommendation on the proposed relinquishment to the Tribal Council. The Tribal Council shall decide whether to accept or reject the relinquishment request. If the Tribal Council accepts the request, the child’s citizenship in the Samish Indian Nation shall be relinquished upon receipt or certification from the other tribe that such child is now officially enrolled as a citizen of that tribe.

(c) A citizen may only relinquish from the Samish Tribe once and return once; they will not be able to return after relinquishing for the second time.

(2) Loss of Citizenship.

(a) Grounds. The Enrollment Committee shall recommend to the Tribal Council removal from the official citizenship roll of any person who becomes ineligible for citizenship because of enrollment in another federally recognized Indian tribe or whose application, after approval, is found to contain certain false information that is material to the eligibility for enrollment of that person.

(b) Procedure. Prior to removal, a person shall be given notice in writing by the Enrollment Committee of the right to submit pertinent evidence and to respond to evidence against him or her, and to present his or her case to the Tribal Council at the next regular Tribal Council meeting after citizen’s receipt of notice of his or her proposed disenrollment.

(c) Tribal Council. The Tribal Council shall, by resolution, order removal from the roll of any person it finds to be ineligible for citizenship because of enrollment in another federally recognized Indian tribe or for filing a false application for citizenship. The removal shall be retroactive to the date of adoption of the resolution codified in this chapter or of enrollment in another Indian tribe, or upon entry on the roll of the name of any person based upon false application, whichever is later.

(d) If a citizen has been disenrolled, they must apply for enrollment pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

(3) Deceased Citizens and Name Changes.

(a) Death of Tribal Citizens. The death of a person on the official citizenship roll shall be noted with supporting written evidence. The Enrollment Officer shall keep a master citizenship roll of all living and deceased citizens of the Samish Indian Nation.

(b) Name Changes. If a tribal citizen has his or her name changed, the citizen’s name shall be changed on the official citizenship roll of the Samish Indian Nation and the Enrollment Officer shall issue a new citizenship card upon notification and proof of name change. A tribal citizen requesting a name change on the official citizenship roll must provide documentation which demonstrates the citizen has legally changed his or her name, such as a new driver’s license, new social security card, or court order.

(c) Name Change Responsibility. It is the responsibility of the individual whose name has changed to notify and verify with the Enrollment Officer within 90 days of said change. Failure of notification may result in loss of eligibility for tribal programs until the name change is verified.

(4) Blood Degree Corrections. Corrections of blood degrees on the official citizenship roll, or in supporting documentation, shall be initiated by the Enrollment Committee, which shall make recommendations from time to time to the Tribal Council with supporting reasons and evidence. The Tribal Council shall direct the Enrollment Committee to make such corrections as to blood quantum on the tribal roll as it deems necessary and proper. The corrected citizenship roll shall be the basis for evaluating all future applicants for tribal citizenship. Persons who are subject to adjustment of their blood quantum, as set forth in this section, shall have the right to a hearing as set forth in STC 2.10.070. Any change in blood degree shall be made by the Tribal Council following such hearing by resolution directing the Enrollment Committee to make such changes, subject to the appeals procedure set forth in STC 2.10.070.

(5) Publication. All additions, deletions, and corrections of the official citizenship roll shall be maintained by the Enrollment Officer. Enrollment information and documentation may be provided to other tribal employees as necessary to carry out their job responsibilities with written approval of their supervisor, but shall be kept confidential. [Res. 2023-09-003 § 1, 2023; Res. 2020-04-011 § 2, 2020.]