Karuk Tribal Members Code of Conduct

The purpose is to provide guidelines for Tribal members, Descendants, and visitors to the Karuk Tribe’s lands and facilities, to follow when interacting with Tribal employees, and the Tribal Council.

Table of contents

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Purpose

The purpose of the Code of Conduct (Code) is to provide guidelines for Tribal members, Descendants, and visitors to the Karuk Tribe’s lands and facilities, to follow when interacting with Tribal employees, and the Tribal Council.

The Karuk Tribe values its employees and the Council, and strives to provide them with a safe and harmonious work environment free from intimidation and harassment from our Tribal members.

The Karuk Tribe has zero tolerance for the harassment and intimidation of its employees and the Council by Tribal members.

Conduct Guidelines:

Those who interact with the Tribe’s employees and the Tribal Council shall treat employees and members of the Council with respect at all times and shall refrain from abuse of any kind. These guidelines apply to in person interactions and behavior conducted online and on social media. This includes but is not limited to:

  1. A. Verbal abuse, including but not limited to yelling, swearing, the use of threatening language, verbal intimidation, language aimed at belittling an employee, language that sexualizes or sexually harasses an employee.
  2. B. Threatening an employee by a Tribal member that the Tribal member will file a frivolous complaint against the employee with the employee’s supervisor or the Tribal Council in an effort to cost the employee their job.
  3. C. Threatening to sue or bring any sort of action in a Court of law against an employee of the Tribe or the Council in a manner that is frivolous or without merit in an effort to intimidate or extort an employee or a member of the Council.
  4. D. Physical abuse such as unwanted touching, shoving, invading one’s physical space, showing physical aggression through movement towards another person, hitting, slapping, etc.
  5. E. The starting and spreading of unfounded rumors regarding an employee or the Council that may cause the employee or the Council harm to their reputation.‍

‍Consequences‍

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Those that engage in the above behaviors will have their access to the Tribe, its employees, and the Council limited in some or all of the following manners.

  1. A. Depending on the severity of an offense a person may immediately be suspended from attending Tribal events and receiving benefits from the Tribe. For example, acts or threats of violence.
  2. B. Depending on the severity of the offense, if a person violates any of the above-mentioned guidelines, they may for a first offense receive a letter from the Tribe’s General Counsel outlining their unacceptable behavior, and warning them that they may lose access to Tribal benefits, and be unable to attend Tribal events in the future.
  3. C. If a second offense occurs, depending on the offense, a person may receive from the Tribe’s General Counsel a letter detailing their unacceptable behavior, and suspending them for a period of no less than 30 days from attending Tribal events and receiving benefits from the Tribe.
  4. D. If a third offense occurs, depending on the offense, a person may receive from the Tribe’s General Counsel a letter detailing their unacceptable behavior, and suspending them for a period of no less than 90 days from attending Tribal events and receiving benefits from the Tribe.
  5. E. If a fourth offense occurs, depending on the offense, a person will receive a letter from the Tribe’s General Counsel a letter detailing their unacceptable behavior, and advising them to attend a hearing before the Council where the Council will consider excluding them for a year or more from attending Tribal events and receiving benefits from the Tribe.

    At no time will a person lose access to health care, or their housing as long as they are complaint with the terms and conditions of those programs due to a violation of this Code of Conduct.
  1. Appeals‍
    A person may appeal a decision of the General Counsel by attending a Council meeting and directly appealing to the Tribal Council. To do so a person must follow the Tribe’s procedures for appearing on the agenda of the next regularly scheduled Council meeting following their receipt of a letter from the General Counsel. All decisions reached by the Tribal Council are final and there is no right of appeal or reconsideration.

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