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Article IV - Officers

Section 1. The officers of the National Congress of American Indians shall be a President, a First Vice President, a Second Vice President, a Recording Secretary, a Treasurer, and fifteen councilmen duly elected by majority vote of members of the National Congress of American Indians in convention. No present employee of the Bureau of Indian Affairs shall hold office in this organization. There shall be an executive council which shall have authority to act for the National Congress of American Indians between conventions. The Executive Council shall consist of the duly elected officers and not less than fifteen councilmen nor more than twenty-five councilmen. The councilmen shall serve for a term of three years, five to be elected at each convention. The councilmen shall serve from the adjournment of the convention where they are elected until the adjournment of the convention where their successors are elected. No member shall hold more than one office at the same time. Only persons of Indian ancestry shall hold office.

Section 2. The term of office of elected officers, other than councilmen, shall be for one year.

Section 3. Only dues-paying members and members of dues-paying chapters or tribe may hold office.

Article V - Executive Council

Section 1. Powers. The Executive Council shall exercise the following powers:

a. To organize for business and to regulate its own procedures. 

b. The Executive Council shall appoint an Executive Director from the membership of the National Congress of American Indians, and an attorney as counsel from within or without the membership who shall serve permanently or as long as their services are satisfactory to assure continuity of policies and consistency of action. It is not necessary that the attorney be of Indian ancestry and that wherever possible and when feasible give preference to an attorney of Indian ancestry, but the Executive Director must be of Indian ancestry.

c. To fix such salaries of officers and subordinates as may be necessary. 

d. To appoint all subordinate personnel, committees, and representatives.

e. To establish requirements for obtaining and holding membership in the National Congress, and to grant charters therefor.

f. To accept gifts, bequests, and contributions from any source except from known subversive organizations or individuals.

g. To appropriate funds of the National Congress for expenses of the officers, and for such other purposes as may be necessary for the successful conduct of the business of the National Congress or the Executive Council.