Assertion and Adoption of Constitutional Amendment
Article XVIII – Economic Sovereignty Protections
Affirmation of Inherent and Treaty-Protected Tribal THCA & Hemp Sovereignty under 1856 Treaty Rights

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

BE IT KNOWN TO ALL PERSONS, GOVERNMENTS, AND JURISDICTIONS:

On this 30th day of November, 2025, the Agency Tribal Nations (ATN), a federally recognized sovereign Indian tribe exercising its inherent rights of self-government and in full possession of all powers reserved by the Treaty of 1856 and all subsequent treaties and agreements with the United States, hereby gives public notice of the lawful assertion and adoption of Article XVIII – Economic Sovereignty Protections to its Tribal Constitution.

Article XVIII unequivocally affirms and protects the Tribe’s inherent and treaty-reserved right to cultivate, produce, process, distribute, and engage in commerce involving hemp and tetrahydrocannabinolic acid (THCA) in all its forms free from federal regulatory interference that exceeds the limited authority delegated to the United States under the 1856 Treaty and the United States Constitution.

Key Provisions of the Newly Asserted Article XVIII

• Recognition of hemp and THCA-containing cannabis as traditional and sacred plants integral to the cultural, medicinal, ceremonial, and economic practices of the Tribe since time immemorial;
• Reaffirmation of full tribal jurisdiction and exclusive regulatory authority over all hemp and THCA-related activities occurring within the Tribe’s Indian country;
• Declaration that the 2018 Agricultural Improvement Act (Farm Bill), the 2024 Farm Bill updates, and any subsequent federal legislation shall be interpreted and applied in a manner that honors and upholds—rather than diminishes—the Tribe’s pre-existing treaty rights to cultivate and commercialize THCA-rich hemp;
• Assertion that THCA, as a naturally occurring compound in raw and living hemp plants, falls squarely within the Tribe’s treaty-protected traditional agriculture and commerce, irrespective of post-harvest conversion potential;
• Prohibition of any federal agency action that attempts to regulate, license, tax, seize, or otherwise interfere with tribal THCA and hemp commerce absent the express, written consent of the Tribal Council;
• Declaration that any such non-consensual federal interference constitutes a violation of the 1856 Treaty, the federal trust responsibility, and the Tribe’s right to economic self-determination.

This constitutional amendment was duly asserted by the sovereign authority of the Agency Tribal Nations (ATN) Tribal Council and is effective immediately upon adoption. The full text of Article XVIII is published at:
https://www.agencytribalnations.org/constitution.html

All federal, state, and local officials, agencies, law enforcement entities, financial institutions, and private parties are hereby placed on formal notice of the Tribe’s treaty-protected THCA and hemp sovereignty and are cautioned against any actions that infringe upon these rights.

Let all who receive this notice govern themselves accordingly.