EXHIBIT B
to
March 11, 1998 Testimony of Mark A. Jarboe, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
COW CREEK BAND OF UMPQUA TRIBE OF INDIANS
TRIBAL LEGAL CODE
TITLE 70
ARBITRATION CODE
70-10 Authorization and Repeal of Inconsistent
Legislation.
The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians (the "Tribe") is
organized under the Indian Reorganization Act of June 18, 1934 (48
Stat. 984) and the provisions of the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe
of Indians Recognition Act of December 29, 1982 (P.L. 97-391), as
amended by the Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians
Distribution of Judgement Funds Act of October 26, 1987 (P.L. 100-139), and the Cow Creek Tribal Constitution, duly adopted pursuant
to a federally-supervised constitutional ballot, on July 8, 1991
(the "Tribal Constitution").
Pursuant to Article III, Section 1 of the Tribal Constitution, the
Cow Creek Tribal Board of Directors (the "Board") is the governing
body of the Tribe. Pursuant to Article VII, Section I(d) of the
Tribal Constitution, the Board has the authority to "administer the
affairs and assets of the Tribe . . ." Pursuant to Article VII,
Section I(e) of the Tribal Constitution, the Board has the
authority to "administer . . . all federal funds . . . and . . .
all funds from tribal business enterprises . . ." Pursuant to
Article VII, Section I(g) of the Tribal Constitution, the Board has
the authority to "[t]o manage all economic affairs and enterprises
of the Tribe . . ." Pursuant to Article VII, Section I(i) of the
Tribal Constitution, the Board has the power to "enact ordinances
and laws governing the conduct of all persons on tribally-owned
land; to maintain order and protect the safety, health, and welfare
of all persons within the jurisdiction of the Tribe; and to enact
any ordinances or laws necessary to govern the administration of
justice, and the enforcement of all laws, ordinances or regulations
. . ." Pursuant to Article VII, Section I(i) of the Tribal
Constitution, the Board has the power to "enter into loan
agreements, joint venture business partnerships, to assign business
or other income as collateral for loans, and to enter into other
financial arrangements as required for the development and
management of business enterprises or land acquisition, including
the enactment of such ordinances as are necessary or appropriate."
Pursuant to Article VII, Section I(t) of the Tribe's Constitution,
the Board has "such other powers and authority necessary to meet
its obligations, responsibilities, objectives, and purposes as the
governing body of the Tribe."
Pursuant to the foregoing and the Tribe's retention of the full
spectrum of sovereign powers, the Board has the authority to
establish, and the Board desires to establish, this Title 70 of the
Cow Creek Tribal Legal Code, Arbitration Code (this "Arbitration
Code").
Any prior Tribal regulations, resolutions, orders, motions,
legislation, codes or other Tribal laws which are inconsistent with
the purpose and procedures established by this Arbitration Code are
hereby repealed to the extent of any such inconsistency.
Source: Tribal Board of Directors Resolution No. 96-26, dated March 10, 1996.
70-20 Scope of Ordinance.
This Arbitration Code applies to any written contract,
agreement or other instrument entered into by the Tribe, or any
other person or entity entering into a transaction subject to the
jurisdiction of the Tribe, in which the parties thereto expressly
agree to settle by arbitration any controversy arising out of such
contract, agreement or other instrument and in which this
Arbitration Code is expressly and specifically invoked and where
the matter in controversy exceeds the sum or value of $50,000,
exclusive of interest and costs.
Source: Tribal Board of Directors Resolution No. 96-26, dated March 10, 1996.
70-30 Agreements to Arbitrate are Enforceable.
An express agreement in any written contract, agreement or
other instrument described in Section 70-20, above, to settle by
arbitration any controversy thereafter arising out of such
contract, agreement or other instrument or any other transaction
contemplated thereunder, including the failure or refusal to
perform the whole or any part thereof, or a written agreement
between two or more persons to submit to arbitration any
controversy existing between them at the time of the agreement,
shall be valid, irrevocable and enforceable.
Source: Tribal Board of Directors Resolution No. 96-26, dated March 10, 1996.
70-40 Law to be Applied.
a. In any contract, agreement or instrument described in
Section 70-20, above, the parties may agree upon the jurisdiction
whose substantive law shall govern the interpretation and
enforcement of the contract, agreement, instrument or controversy.
Such governing law shall be valid and enforceable, and not subject
to revocation by one party without the consent of the other party
or parties hereto, provided that the subject matter of the
contract, agreement, instrument or controversy, and at least one of
the parties thereto, shall have some contact with the jurisdiction
so selected.
b. In any proceeding under this Arbitration Code, whenever
the contract, agreement or other instrument sets forth a governing
law provision, the Tribal Court shall apply the procedural rules of
the Tribal Court and the substantive law of the jurisdiction
selected in such governing law provision; provided that no
procedural rule of the Tribal Court shall be effective to bar,
delay or impair any action, proceeding or remedy where such action,
proceeding or remedy would not be barred, delayed or impaired by
the procedural rules of the courts of the jurisdiction whose
substantive law applies.
c. In any proceeding under this Arbitration Code, whenever
the contract, agreement or other instrument does not set forth a
governing law provision, the Tribal Court shall first apply Tribal
law and applicable federal law and then apply substantive
statutory, regulatory and common law of the jurisdiction selected
in such governing law provision, but only to the extent that any
such substantive statutory, regulatory or common law does not
conflict with this Arbitration Code or other applicable Tribal law.
Source: Tribal Board of Directors Resolution No. 96-26, dated March 10, 1996.
70-50 Stay of Proceedings and Order to Proceed with
Arbitration.
a. If any action for legal or equitable relief or other
proceeding is brought by any party to any contract, agreement or
instrument described in Section 70-20, above, the Tribal Court
Judge presiding over the pending action or proceeding shall not
review the merits of the pending action or proceeding, but shall
stay the action or proceeding until an arbitration has been had in
compliance with the agreement.
b. A party to any contract, agreement or instrument
described in Section 70-20, above, claiming the neglect or refusal
of another party thereto to proceed with an arbitration thereunder
may make application to the Tribal Court for an order directing the
parties to proceed with the arbitration in compliance with their
agreement. In such event, the Tribal Court shall order the parties
to submit to arbitration in accordance with the provisions of the
contract, agreement or instrument and the question of whether an
obligation to arbitrate the dispute at issue exists shall be
decided by the arbitrator(s).
Source: Tribal Board of Directors Resolution No. 96-26, dated March 10, 1996.
70-60 Advice of the Court.
At any time during an arbitration, upon request of all the
parties to the arbitration, the arbitrator(s) may make application
to the Tribal Court for advice on any question of Tribal or other
applicable law arising in the course of the arbitration. The
advice of the Court upon such application shall be final as to the
question presented and it shall bind the arbitrator(s) in rendering
any award.
Source: Tribal Board of Directors Resolution No. 96-26, dated March 10, 1996.
70-70 Time Within Which Award Shall be Rendered.
a. If the time within which an award is rendered has not
been fixed in the arbitration agreement, the arbitrator(s) shall
render the award within thirty days from the date the arbitration
has been completed. The parties may expressly agree to extend the
time in which the award may be made by an extension or ratification
thereof in writing.
b. An arbitration award shall be in writing and signed by
the arbitrator(s). The arbitrator(s) shall provide written notice
of the award to each party by certified or registered mail, return
receipt requested.
Source: Tribal Board of Directors Resolution No. 96-26, dated March 10, 1996.
70-80 Application for Order Confirming Award; Record to be
Filed with Clerk of Court; Effect and Enforcement of Judgment.
a. At any time within one year after an arbitration award
has been rendered and the parties thereto notified thereof, any
party to the arbitration may make application to the Tribal Court
for an order confirming the award.
b. Any party applying for an order confirming an arbitration
award shall, at the time the order is filed with the Clerk of the
Tribal Court for entry of judgment thereon, file the following
papers with the Clerk: (1) the agreement to arbitrate; (2) the
selection or appointment, if any, of the arbitrator(s); (3) any
written agreement requiring the reference of any question as
provided in Section 70-50, above; (4) each written extension of the
time, if any, within which to make the award; (5) the award; (6)
each notice and other paper used upon an application to confirm;
and (7) a copy of each order of the Tribal Court upon such an
application.
c. An arbitration award shall not be subject to review or
modification by the Tribal Court, but shall be confirmed strictly
as provided by the arbitrator(s). The judgment confirming an award
shall be docketed as if it were rendered in a civil action. The
judgment so entered shall have the same force and effect in all
respects as, and be subject to all the provisions of law relating
to, a judgment in a civil action, and it may be enforced as if it
has been rendered in a civil action in the Tribal Court. When the
award requires the performance of any other act than payment of
money, the Tribal Court may direct the enforcement thereon in the
manner provided by law.
Source: Tribal Board of Directors Resolution No. 96-26, dated March 10, 1996.
70-90 Arbitration Award Not Appealable.
Notwithstanding any other provision of the Tribal Legal Code,
including without limitation, the Tribal Court Code, no further
appeal may be taken from an order issued by the Tribal Court
pursuant to this Arbitration Code enforcing an agreement to
arbitrate or an award issued by an arbitrator.
Source: Tribal Board of Directors Resolution No. 96-26, dated March 10, 1996.
70-100 Jurisdiction of the Tribal Court in Actions to which
the Tribe is a Party.
a. The Tribal Commercial Court shall have exclusive Tribal
Court jurisdiction over any action to enforce an agreement to
arbitrate, to compel arbitration pursuant to such an agreement to
arbitrate and to enforce an award made by an arbitrator pursuant to
such an agreement to arbitrate, contained in any contract,
agreement or other instrument described in Section 70-20, above, to
which the Tribe is a party; provided that the Tribal Board of
Directors has explicitly waived the defense of tribal sovereign
immunity in the contract, agreement or other instrument at issue.
b. The jurisdiction of the Tribal Commercial Court under
this Arbitration Code shall be concurrent with the jurisdiction of
any court of competent jurisdiction to the jurisdiction of which
the Tribal Board of Directors may have explicitly consented in such
contract, agreement or other instrument. Any consent to the
jurisdiction of any court of competent jurisdiction contained in a
contract, agreement or other instrument described in Section 70-20,
above, to which the Tribe is a party shall be valid and enforceable
in accordance with its terms.
Source: Tribal Board of Directors Resolution No. 96-26, dated March 10, 1996.
70-110 Severability.
If any section, or any part thereof, of this Arbitration Code or
the application thereof to any party, person or entity in any
circumstances shall be held invalid for any reason whatsoever by a
court of competent jurisdiction or by federal legislative
enactment, the remainder of the relevant section or part of this
Arbitration Code shall not be affected thereby and shall remain in
full force and effect as though no section or part thereof has been
declared to be invalid.
Source: Tribal Board of Directors Resolution No. 96-26, dated March 10, 1996.
70-120 No Waiver of Sovereign Immunity.
Nothing in this Arbitration Code shall provide or be interpreted to
provide a waiver of the sovereign immunity of the Tribe or any of
its governmental officers, employees and/or agents acting within
the scope of their authority.
Source: Tribal Board of Directors Resolution No. 96-26, dated March 10, 1996.
70-130 Amendment or Repeal of Arbitration Code.
After this Arbitration Code becomes effective pursuant to Section
100-140, below, this Arbitration Code shall not be amended or
repealed other than by passage of a Resolution approved by
unanimous vote of the entire Tribal Board of Directors. This
Arbitration Code shall not be amended to adversely impair the
rights of any party to any contract, agreement or other instrument
described in Section 70-20, above.
Source: Tribal Board of Directors Resolution No. 96-26, dated March 10, 1996.
70-140 Effective Date.
This Arbitration Code shall be effective upon adoption hereof by
Resolution approved by no less than eight (8) members of the Tribal
Board of Directors by roll call vote.
Source: Tribal Board of Directors Resolution No. 96-26, dated March 10, 1996.