Caddo Nation Tribal Council Establishes Caddo Constitution Commission

The Caddo Nation Tribal Council has recently completed appointments of citizens to serve on the Caddo Constitution Commission. The Tribal Council authorized the establishment of a Caddo Constitution Commission in January 2025 by Resolution. Excerpt from resolution: 

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: That the Caddo Nation Tribal Council authorizes the creation of the Caddo Consitution Commission, to be comprised of up to eight (8) members appointed by the Tribal Council and supported by the Project Coordinator, which within six months of its establishment will: hold regular Commission meetings, launch a citizen survey, hold at least seven (7) citizen outreach meetings, draft legally viable constitutional revisions based on citizen input and guidance from content experts, and oversee any resulting referendum election.

BACKGROUND

The authorization for a Constitution Commission followed the completion of the Caddo Constitution Project Phase 1: Research & Analysis, which was conducted by an Ad Hoc Committee over approximately five months. The Caddo Constitution Ad Hoc Committee was charged with conducting research on tribal constitutional revisions and recommending a revision process for the Caddo Nation. Based on their findings, the Committee recommended the Tribal Council activate a revision process that focuses on gathering input from Caddo citizens and utilizes content experts to support the Commission in proposing revisions/rewriting a Caddo Constitution that better reflects the Caddo Nation of today, the Tribe’s values and culture, and is structured to promote the economic success and well-being of the Nation for the next hundred years. Stacey Halfmoon, who is a Caddo citizen and consultant working for the Caddo Nation, has been serving as the Coordinator on the Caddo Constitution Project and will continue to serve as the Coordinator for the Caddo Constitution Commission.

The following is a list of the citizens appointed to the Commission, along with a brief bio (in alphabetical order):

James Cussen worked with the Indian Health Service for 34 years and retired as the Chief Executive Officer at Claremore Indian Hospital. He is also a United States Army Airborne Veteran (paratrooper) and served from January 1962 to December 1964. James holds a Master's Degree in Education from the University of Oklahoma. During his career, he served as the Director of Urban Indian Health Programs at IHS Headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, and as Acting CEO at the Tahlequah and Lawton Hospitals. He assisted Tribal Nations with contracting for Indian Health Service Programs under the Indian Self-Determination Act (Public Law 93-638) while serving in the Office of Tribal Development and Operations. He has been awarded the Recognition for Excellence by the Oklahoma State Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Department and the Indian Health Service for developing the EMS program in Indian Country in Oklahoma.

Shannon Freeman has worked for the Bureau of Indian Education since 2018 as an Education and Recruitment Specialist. She holds a Master of Human Relations from the University of Oklahoma and a Bachelor of Arts in Public Education. Her career spans work for the Oklahoma City Public Schools and the University of Oklahoma in positions dedicated to Student Services, family and child education, administration, and recruitment. At the University of Oklahoma she received a fifteen (15) year service award. She has also been awarded Native American Educator of the Year and Outstanding Native American Staff Member. 

Lauren Toho-Murrow Haupt holds a Master's degree and a Bachelor’s in Native American Studies from the  University of New Mexico, where she is also a current PhD candidate. Lauren has served as an instructor, a graduate teaching assistant, and a historic site advisor, among other roles. Lauren has also been involved in the project Reinterpreting the El Camino at Caddo Mounds. She has also worked as the Indigenous Curriculum Consultant for a National Science Foundation STEM Project. 

Amy Heath is a GIS specialist (Geographic Information System) who has worked for the Bureau of Indian Affairs Office of Trust Services since 2022. Amy holds certificates in Geospatial Information Sciences from the University of Maryland and Austin Community College. She received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Cameron University. Amy has also worked as a geospatial analyst for the City of Austin Public Works and been involved in GIS projects with the Texas Department of Transportation and the Capital Metro Transit Authority. She presented at the 2024 Oklahoma Archaeology Conference on Indigenous Views on Native American Historical Events in Texas.

Tracy Newkumet is the owner of NDN Regalia (est. 2009), which makes regalia for PowWows, Gourd Dances, and NAC. Tracy worked as a nurse in the health industry for 18 years before deciding to dedicate her work to making art and regalia. She has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Central Oklahoma. Through her work at NDN Regalia, she provides creative and innovative Tribal regalia. She has conducted research at the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., which allowed her to study historical methods of regalia construction. That experience, combined with years of hands-on practice, prepared her to teach regalia making to others. In addition, Tracy has also served as a Representative on the Caddo Nation Tribal Council and as a Trustee for the Caddo Heritage Museum Board.

Darcie Parton-Scoon is an Educational Psychologist and is the owner/operator of Darcie Parton-Scoon Investigations. She is a member of the International Association of Interviewers through which she received her Forensic Interviewer Certification. Darcie worked in law enforcement in the United States Marine Corps before attending college, where she received her Master’s in Educational Psychology, specializing in Disabilities and Trauma. Darcie is a member of the Marsey’s Law Advisory board and the State Chapter of the Oklahoma Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Board. She frequently testifies as an expert on various topics regarding missing people, trauma, violence, and policy change.

Becky Quinlan is a Caddo language learner, artist, business owner of Daku Arts, and geographer. She has a Master's Degree in Geography from San Francisco State University. In that line, she worked with Aleut International Association, working with Native villages in Alaska on a National Science Foundation grant related to indigenous knowledge and hunting practices. In her pottery practice, she engages traditional methods and both traditional and contemporary designs. In 2023, she attended the American Indian Language Development Institute, where she received a completion certificate. She regularly travels from Washington back to Oklahoma to participate in cultural events and membership activities.

Tabbetha Wright works with the Indian Health Service (IHS), where she has been for 35 years. While serving IHS, she has acted in numerous capacities, including her most recent appointment as the Acting Deputy Human Resources Officer, Southwest Region, located in Phoenix, Arizona. Tabbetha has held supervisory positions within IHS with Patient Business Service, Financial Services, Materials Management, Primary Clinic Practice Manager, and as a Position Control Manager. Her career with IHS started in December 1989 in Rockville, Maryland, the location of IHS Headquarters. While at IHS Headquarters, she was appointed to the White House Committee on Indian Education and the White House Committee on Indian Entrepreneurship under President Bill Clinton.