You don't seem to understand my post at all. I'm not talking about statutes, I'm referring to the tribal council as a governing institution that acts on behalf of the people. Some tribal councils have long sought to function according to democratic principles (separation of powers, legislative body, legal precedents, etc.). These are socio-political hybrid structures that have contextually developed in the past several decades as attempts to interact with governing powers of the State and Federal government. However, the historical and authentic tribal government structures as recognized sovereign and self governing entities are coming more into vogue today and are based upon specific ethnic, religious and linguistic distinctions. This departure from the Greco-Roman government structures is in a sense a statement of protest itself and a return to authentic Native American tribal leadership.
That's why so many are puzzled when they read accounts indicating they don't have time to discuss the nickname issue or it's too expensive to bring the issue to a vote. Of course they have time and I'm sure if there was any willingness to change whatsoever the money would suddenly appear. But that is simply their way of publically "saving face" and retaining their "honor" and it essentially means they will NEVER, and I mean NEVER change their stance on the nickname. The UND constituency, and college sports (i.e. ice hockey) mean very little in terms of their intrinsic worldview. Make no mistake about it, they invoke their ancestor spirits and the answer has been deposited in their etheric soul which constitutes the core understanding of their ontology of self.
That's what basically happened in April with the following tribes.
LEADERS (not the entire tribes) of 11 out of the 16 northern Great Plains tribes or 69% also voted to reaffirm their support of the NCAA's policy calling for elimination of American Indian nicknames, logos and mascots at member colleges and universities. Nine of them are Sioux tribes in the Dakotas and Nebraska; and the other two are the Omaha and Winnebago tribes of Nebraska.