Blackfeet tribal members rejected a new constitution that would have changed their system of government for the first time in more than 80 years.
Unofficial results of Tuesday’s Secretarial Election were 1,279 for the new constitution and 1,644 against it. The result means that the tribe will maintain its current tribal council system.
Two years ago, a grassroots group led by tribal councilman Joe McKay started drafting a new constitution with executive, legislative and judicial branches. Proponents of the new system said it would prevent the dysfunction that had crippled the tribal government a few years ago. But opponents feared the new constitution would lead the way to open enrollment, a contentious topic on the reservation about who can and cannot be a tribal member. Proponents countered that the rules regarding membership were exactly the same in both constitutions.