1. The name of this organization shall be “Alaska Native/American Indian/Indigenous Women” Section 6 of the Society for the Psychology of Women, Division 35 of the American Psychological Association.

2. The purposes of this organization shall be:

a. To create a forum where Alaska Native/American Indian/Indigenous women can network and get mentoring and support from each other;

b. To provide outreach, guidance and mentoring to Indigenous students of psychology and related disciplines;

c. To promote the fundamental objectives of the American Psychological Association and the Society for the Psychology of Women;

d. To advance understanding of the psychology of Indigenous women within an Indigenous conceptualization of feminism;

e. To further the development of research methods, models of treatment and interventions that are ethnically, culturally and gender appropriate for Indigenous Women or feminists along the gender spectrum;

f. To advance the scientific understanding of features of ethnicity, culture and class among Indigenous women that pertain to the psychology of women;

g. To actively advocate for the importance of adequate education and training in service and investigative approaches related to Indigenous people;

h. To advocate on behalf of Indigenous women psychologists with respect to the formation of policies of Division 35;

i. To provide a systematic forum for the presentation of policy, clinical and research findings in the area of services to AN/AI and other Indigenous women, children, youth, and families at APA meetings.

1. There shall be four categories of membership in the Section on Alaska Native/American Indian/Indigenous Women: Member, Associate, Affiliate and Student.

2. At least 50% of the members of the Section must be Members or Associates of Division 35.

3. The minimum qualifications for Member shall be attainment of the category of Fellow, Member, or Associate of the Society for the Psychology of Women, Division 35 of the American Psychological Association.

4. Associates are defined as Members (psychologists) of the Section but not of Division 35 or APA; Affiliates are defined as non-psychologists who have an interest in AN/AI issues; Students are those attending undergraduate or graduate programs in psychology.

5. Membership in the Section may be multidisciplinary and open to psychologists and students in the mental health disciplines, including the professions involved in the development, interpretation, and implementation of policies affecting mental health research and services. Such professions include, but are not limited to, counseling, Native American studies, family studies, law, medicine (e.g., primary care specialties, psychiatry), administration, public health, social work, and sociology.

1. Members of the Section on Alaska Native/American Indian/Indigenous Women shall be entitled to the following:

a. To hold office and serve on the committees of the Section

b. To vote in regular and special elections 

c. To attend and to participate in the meetings of the Section

d. To receive the publications of the Section

2. Associates of the Section on Alaska Native/American Indian/Indigenous Women shall be entitled to the following:

a. To hold office of Secretary, Treasurer or other appointment except President Elect or President, and serve on the committees of the Section. 

b. To vote in regular and special elections

c. To attend and to participate in the meetings of the Section 

d. To receive the publications of the Section

3. Affiliates of the Section on Alaska Native/American Indian/Indigenous Women who do not meet criteria for Article II.3 or II.4 shall be entitled to the following:

a. To attend and to participate in the meetings of the Section 

b. To receive the publications of the Section 

c. To serve on committees of the Section

4. Affiliates may not hold office or vote in regular or special elections, but they may be voting members of committees upon which they serve.

5. Students of the Section on Alaska Native/American Indian/Indigenous Women shall be entitled to the following:

a. To hold office and serve on the committees of the Section

b. To attend and to participate in the meetings of the Section 

c. To receive the publications of the Section

6. Any Member, Associate, Affiliate or Student who is in arrears of the payment of dues or assessments for a period of two years shall be presumed to have resigned from membership in the section and shall forfeit all attendant rights and privileges.

1. The Executive Committee (EC) shall be comprised of the current slate of elected Officers of the Section. Elected officers shall be the:

a. President;

b. President-elect;

c. Past-President;

d. Secretary; and

e. Treasurer.

2. Besides serving as members of the Section, the elected officers shall fulfill the following duties:

a. The President shall have the responsibility to provide leadership in the programs and administration of the Section. Except as otherwise specified in these Bylaws, the President may appoint all committees, task forces, and working groups with consensus of the EC. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Section, and will be responsible for preparing an article for inclusion in The Feminist publication unless the article is designated to another Section officer.

b. The President-elect shall have the responsibility to provide leadership in establishing a vision for long-term development of the Section. In the absence of the President, the President-elect shall preside at meetings of the Section.

c. The Past-President shall chair the Awards Committee and the Nominations Committee or appoint a capable individual who will serve during the remaining term of the Past-President.

d. The Secretary shall record the minutes of the Section meetings. The minutes shall be distributed to the appropriate participants in a timely manner as determined by the President.

e. The Treasurer shall prepare a report of the Section finances at least twice per year, and will send annual dues notices to all members and affiliates.

3. The terms of office of the elected officers shall be as follows:

a. The President-elect shall be elected for a term of two years in that capacity followed by two years as President and two years as Past-President.

b. The terms of the other elected officers shall be three years.

c. The changing of officers shall take place on June 1 following the election.

d. No one may serve more than two terms as the holder of any particular elected office.

e. If an office other than President or Past-President is vacated because of the officer’s resignation, incapacitation, or death, an election to fill the unexpired term shall occur at the time of the next regular election of officers.

f. If the President-elect resigns, a special election to fill the remainder of the term shall occur as soon as is practical.

g. If the office of President is vacated the President-elect shall become President.

h. If the office of Past-President is vacated, the position shall remain open until the incumbent President’s term ends. The President shall designate a member at large to fulfill the tasks assigned by these Bylaws to the Past-President.

1. The Advisory Board is defined as the current elected officers of the Section (i.e., President, President-elect, Past-President, Secretary, Treasurer), and all Past Section 6 Presidents who hold current membership in the section.

2. Actions of the Advisory Board may be taken by a majority of members voting at a meeting held in person or by electronic means, or by a mail ballot. A majority of the Board shall be required for a quorum.

3. An Officer of the Section may be removed from office with a majority vote from the Advisory Board at a meeting held in person or by electronic means, or by a mail ballot. A majority of the Advisory Board shall be required for a quorum. Before the deciding vote is taken, the Advisory Board should first notify the officer of the “No Confidence / Remove” recommendation and provide the officer 7 days to respond.

1. The Executive Committee shall serve as the Nominations Committee to recruit and select a nominee for every voting office. Members are encouraged to nominate themselves or others for office. When convened as the Nominations Committee, the Past-President shall preside. The Nominations Committee shall seek to promote diversity of tribe, gender, geography, and profession in the leadership of the Section. Members of the Section will vote on the nominees for their respective offices at a Section meeting held in person or by electronic means, or by a mail ballot.

2. The Awards Committee shall identify and select the recipients of awards by the Section. The current President of the Section and the Past, Past-President shall be members of the committee to ensure continuity. The Past-President shall chair the committee. In the case that the Past-President is unable to do so, the EC shall appoint a Chair. The committee will also identify and help to nominate Alaska Native/ American Indian/Indigenous Feminists (AN/AI/IF) for awards from the Division and from APA. The purpose of this committee is to navigate the nominations of AN/AI/IF through the awards process in a timely manner. The Chair of the Awards Committee shall be a member of the Executive Committee with the privilege of voting. This committee shall maintain ongoing collaboration with other organizations representing AN/AI/IF. The Chair shall be responsible for recruiting committee members, with help as needed by the EC. The awards themselves shall be subject to the approval of the Executive Committee.

3. The Finance Committee shall regularly review and monitor the Section’s financial policies and procedures. The establishment of such policies and procedures, including setting of membership dues, investment of the Section's assets, and authorization of expenditures, shall be subject to the approval of the Board.

4. The Executive Committee may appoint a Membership Chair. If so, the Membership Chair shall be a member of the Executive Committee with the privilege of voting. The term of the Membership Chair shall be established by the Executive Committee.

5. The Executive Committee may appoint a Director of Social Media. If so, the Director of Social Media shall be a member of the Executive Committee with the privilege of voting. The term of the Director of Social Media shall be established by the Executive Committee.

6. In addition to the elected and appointed members of the Executive Committee, the Executive Committee may appoint a student member-at-large, who shall serve for one year and shall have the privilege of voting. The Board shall establish procedures for the selection of the student member. The student member shall be enrolled as a graduate student or a postdoctoral fellow in a recognized training program in a mental health discipline, as defined in Article II.5.

7. The President may establish such other committees, task forces, or working groups as s/he chooses to create or as the Advisory Board may suggest, in each instance consistent with the Section’s purpose and policies. The Executive Committee may grant those appointees voting rights on the Executive Committee on a case-by-case basis. The Executive Committee will review these ad-hoc groups or positions yearly and may vote to continue the group or position.

8. The additional voting members of the Executive Committee shall be known collectively as the Extended Executive Committee.

The election of officers shall occur annually in April by electronic ballot of all voting members of the Section. The deadline for receipt of ballots shall be at least 30 days from the date of electronic posting.

These Bylaws shall take effect upon ratification by the majority of Section members who cast a vote by electronic ballot.

These Bylaws may be amended upon ratification by the majority of Section members who cast a vote by electronic ballot.