Overview
For thousands of years, the term "Quinault" referred to the people who made their homes within the watershed of the Quinault River. To the north live the Queets, Quileutes, Hohs and Makahs; and to the south lived the Copalis, Humptulips, Wishkah, Chinook, and Chehalis. When people from theses tribes and others moved to the Quinault Reservation they were considered to be members of the Quinault Indian Nation.
Through its Constitution, today's Quinault Nation recognizes the multi-tribal heritage of its people. Any individual who can verify they are descended from at least one of the at least (Quinault, Queets, Quileute, Hoh, Chehalis, Cowlitz, and Chinook) tribes and can meet all other Constitutional eligibility criteria is entitled to be a member of the Quinault Nation so long as he or she is not a member of any other tribe.
On August 24, 1922 the Quinault people, for the first time, documented the shape and character of modern Quinault government in the BYLAWS of the Tribal Council of the Indians of the Quinault Indian Reservation. Under these Bylaws, the voting members of the Quinault Indian Nation established an elective government ruled by the Tribal Council constituting the Business Committee, made up of a President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer and seven council members.
Over the next 43 years, the organic document of the Quinault government continued to evolve. The Quinault Tribal Council formally ratified adjustments and amendments to its Bylaws and provided greater definition of the powers vested in the Business Committee. President James Jackson and Secretary Frederick Saux formally signed the new Bylaws on May 22, 1965. They have been amended over time.
The Quinault people adopted the Quinault Indian Nation Constitution on March 22, 1975, which has also been amended over time.
