General Assembly

Composition of the General Assembly

The General Assembly is composed of all Citizens. Every Citizen is eligible to attend and participate in any meeting of the General Assembly. A Citizen who is at least 18 years of age is entitled to vote at any meeting of the General Assembly at which the Citizen is present.

At a meeting of the General Assembly, each Citizen:

  • has equal authority and rights, subject to subsection (3) of the Constitution; and
  • may participate in accordance with the rules of procedure adopted for that meeting.

Powers of the General Assembly

The General Assembly may:

  • review the progress of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation in realizing the vision reflected in the Preamble and Chapter 1 of this Constitution;
  • review the status of the recommendations made at previous General Assemblies;
  • review, and make recommendations, regarding any report submitted by any other branch of Kwanlin Dün First Nation;
  • establish general policy guidelines, or develop general mandates statements, to be considered by any other branch of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation;
  • recommend the development of laws;
  • recommend any changes to the current or proposed budget of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation;
  • recommend changes to resolutions adopted, or actions taken, by the Council; and
  • recommend to the Council the names of persons to be considered for appointment to any committee, commission or board.

Meetings of the General Assembly

The Council:

  • must convene an Annual General Assembly before the end of October in each calendar year;
  • must convene a Special General Assembly within a reasonable time, if 50 or more Citizens have signed a Citizens’ order calling for a Special General Assembly and submitted it to the Council; and
  • may convene a Special General Assembly at any time in accordance with this Constitution and any rules of procedure adopted for such Assemblies.

 

At least 14 days before the first date of a meeting of the General Assembly, the Council is responsible to give notice of that meeting, with the proposed agenda for the meeting by:

  • posting the notice at all Kwanlin Dün First Nation administrative offices;
  • publishing a copy of the notice in a newspaper having circulation in Yukon; and
  • causing the notice to be broadcast by radio or television in Yukon.

 

Every meeting of the General Assembly must be held in the Traditional Territory.

The Council may postpone a scheduled meeting of a General Assembly in case of death in the community, or a natural disaster.  In that case, the General Assembly will meet as soon as practicable.

A General Assembly may not be called to order, or continue, unless, in addition to the Chief and members of Council, there are at least 40 Citizens present, each of whom is at least 18 years of age.

If, at any time during a meeting of the General Assembly, the requirements of subsection (5) are not met, the Chief may continue the meeting with the Citizens present, for the purpose of information and discussion, but such a continued meeting may not conduct any business of the General Assembly until the requirements of subsection (5) are again fulfilled.

 

The Council is responsible to:

  • arrange and facilitate meetings of a General Assembly;
  • prepare an information package for each General Assembly at least seven days before the first meeting of that Assembly; and
  • make the information package available to Citizens at the Kwanlin Dün First Nation administration offices at least seven days before the first meeting of that Assembly; and at each meeting of that General Assembly.

 

The information package prepared for an Annual General Assembly must include copies of:

  • The Kwanlin Dün First Nation budget for the current fiscal year;
  • the most recent audited financial statement of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation; and
  • each resolution passed by the Council since the previous Annual General Assembly.

 

Kwanlin Dün legislation may establish:

  • procedures for convening and giving notice of a General Assembly; and
  • rules of procedure to be followed at a General Assembly.

Business at a General Assembly

  • The Chief presides at a meeting of a General Assembly.
  • Each member of the Council must attend each meeting of the General Assembly, unless excused by the Chief for reasonable cause, and must report to the Assembly in accordance with the rules of procedure.
  • During a General Assembly, a period must be scheduled for an open forum, during which Citizens may ask questions of, or present proposals or recommendations to, members of the Council.
  • A General Assembly must attempt to decide matters by consensus.  If consensus cannot be achieved, the General Assembly may pass a resolution if 60 percent of the Citizens present and voting support the resolution.  Upon the request of any Kwanlin Dün Citizen, such a vote must be conducted by secret ballot.