Herein is the charter for the establishment of An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach as established in 1995, and modified and ratified in 2003.
We, the children of Éireann, Manainn, and Alba who follow the Sinnsreachd faith, being Gael in Diaspora and in the Ancestral Lands, in order to see the recovery, preservation, and furtherance into the modern age of the indigenous Gaelic culture and faith, and to see the our culture, traditions, and religion develop into a separate, distinct branch of the Gaelic people, holding to and living by a faith and culture inspired by our Ancestors, do hereby resolve to commit our combined efforts to accomplish the following goals-
♦ The development of traditionally-inspired Sinnsreachd intentional communities which shall bring our people together and be a center for our tuatha, as well as providing an avenue for the development of our own internal agrarian infrastructure, and
♦ The establishment of a Sinnsreachd-oriented enterprise development program to help each member tuath build their own companies and industries in order to provide employment, pride, income and goods to their people, and
♦ The development of Gaelic cultural and language learning centers within each of the communities established by the member tuatha for the purpose of training newly-fostered persons, children, and specialized persons within each tuath, and
♦ The establishment of a common understanding of the Sinnsreachd faith, including the development of a religious codex based on a compilation of our tales, lore, and ethical teachings, the ordination of licensed clergy, development of places of worship and burial plots for each member tuath, and
♦ The spread of fluency and literacy of the Gaelic languages, Gaeilge and Gàidhlig, throughout our people as a whole, through the development of community-based Gaelic-language education programs, and
♦ The preservation, translation, de-Christianization, organization, and compilation of our indigenous tales, ethical poems and triads, laws, and recorded religious teachings and parables, and
♦ The establishment, development and growth of new tuatha and the reclamation of the diasporan population who seek to return to their traditions through the development of support programs and education resources to help those who seek to form a tuath in their task, and
♦ The fostering and growth of families, family values and community among our people.
To that end, we the tuatha of An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach, known in English as the Gaelic Tribal Confederation, do hereby ordain and establish this Bunreacht An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach (Charter for the Gaelic Tribal Confederation).
The Proscriptions
An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach sets forth the following standards of structure, intent, and agreements for potential members, each agreed upon and held to by the founding tuatha of An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach as well as subsequent member tuatha.
Part I: Membership Requirements and Relation to ACTG
1. In order to become a member of An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach, a dearbhfine or tuath must:
a. Maintain a family-based social structure, wherein family is the core of the tuath, and it is understood that a teaghlach (household), dearbhfine, and a tuath are familial and tribal entities, not social clubs or re-enactment groups.
b. Have a semi-loose occupational class system of at least the four main classes of persons: general population, craftsmen and artists, warriors, and spiritual functionaries and lore-keepers.
c. Elect from among their number a leader who will act as the representative of their kin, designated as such- dearbhfine: Ceann Fine, “family head”, tuath: Rí or Taoiseach “chieftain”, and maintain the understanding and adherence to the concept of sacral leadership, in that the ceann fine or rí/taoiseach is connected to the land and binds the people to the land so that as he or she leads, so does the tribe and land fail or prosper.
d. Support each of the above-stated goals, in addition to any of their own that do not violate the constitution, charter, or bylaws of An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach or the nations in which we dwell, and will bond together in the spirit of kinship with the other members of the confederation.
e. Recognize all agreed-upon member tribes as independent sovereign entities under their own self-rule, separate from the confederation except for the specific agreed-upon Agreements and Proscriptions within this charter.
f. Be Gaelic in cultural origin, holding to culture and structure of the Albanach (Scottish), Éireannach (Irish) and Manannach (Manx) peoples as defined by the indigenous pre-Anglo culture and language of the Gaelic peoples.
g. Determine their own membership requirements, organizational structure, financial contributions, and tribal laws based on the indigenous Gaelic culture as defined by the Fénechas, or Brehon Law, not to be infringed upon by the confederation except where subject to the agreed-upon Proscriptions.
h. Have members within a reasonably close geographic area to encourage personal contact and kinship.
i. Upon adoption of this Agreement, and before membership is granted, each new tribe shall declare their specific cultural descent (Albanach, Éireannach or Manannach) and tribal name, the number of dearbhfine within each tribe, and the Rígh or his or her duly appointed representative that will sit upon the Comhairle Ríthe. All member tribes agree to provide their tribe's laws and a tribal profile overview, as well as promptly updated contact data and any website URL's.
2. Member tuatha and dearbhfhinte shall not harbor anyone who is a fugitive from justice, whether a part of the Sinnsreachd faith or not, nor have among their members anyone who is a convicted sex offender, an insurrectionist or member of anti-government extremist organizations, or members of any hate group.
3. Neither An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach nor the tuatha and dearbhfhinte shall charge membership fees on behalf of ACTG, however voluntary donations are acceptable.
4. No tuath and dearbhfine shall practice a ritual of blood sacrifice in public, and shall follow all laws and regulations regarding humane animal slaughter and butchering when engaging in such privately. Laws regarding humane slaughtering and butchering are available in the various state and county law books.
5. An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach will have only an administrative role in the investiture of spiritual leaders, and will not enforce this upon member tuatha and dearbhfhinte. Those who fulfill the requirements of such a role are accepted by the entirety of their tuath and dearbhfine or community by consensus, and the administrative role of An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach is offered only as a voluntary service to allow for the ordination of clergy where such cannot be gained elsewhere or when it is preferred by the tuath and dearbhfine to be done through An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach.
6. No law shall be made prohibiting religious gatherings that may also occur during the Fire festivals.
7. New tuatha and dearbhfhinte asking for admission to An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach shall declare their tribal name, the number of hearths and extended families that comprise them, the rí or taoiseach that will vote in the Comhairle Ríthe, and submit their tribal laws to the Brithem Guild. These tuatha and dearbhfhinte will be admitted upon a two-thirds vote of the Comhairle Ríthe, and have full voting rights according to their membership status (dearbhfine or tuath) after a one-year probationary period. The rí or taoiseach of the tuath or dearbhfine must meet with at least one member of the Comhairle Ríthe face-to-face for consideration.
Part II: The Comhairle Ríthe, The Council of Ríthe
1. Each tuath shall have one vote in the Comhairle Ríthe, each voted counted as equal regardless of the size. Dearbhfhinte shall only be eligible to vote in general elections to the Comhairle Ríthe.
2. Each tuath shall designate one member, the Rí or Taoiseach, who shall sit upon the Comhairle Ríthe and vote for his or her tuath.
3. All votes, except amending the ACTG Charter, are decided by a two-thirds majority of the members voting.
4. The Comhairle Ríthe shall create sufficient rules and laws to ensure orderly conduct of any mail lists and web sites belonging to An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach.
5. The Comhairle Ríthe will select a tuath from those who place bids to host the triennial Dail and insure the Dails' successful operation.
6. The Comhairle Ríthe shall, upon request, help plan, organize and facilitate assemblies and conferences involving more than one tuath and/or dearbhfine, or where members of two or more tuatha and/or dearbhfhinte will be present.
7. The Comhairle Ríthe shall ensure that the religious and spiritual observances of all tribal holidays remain the free and independent right of the individual Confederation members and their respective tuatha and dearbhfhinte.
8. The Comhairle Ríthe shall create and be responsible for all rules and laws to govern interactions between the independent tuatha and dearbhfhinte and the interactions between the individual members of those tuatha and dearbhfhinte.
9. The Comhairle Ríthe may sanction a tuath or dearbhfine, up to and including ejection from An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach, by two-thirds vote. Reasons for sanction must include a violation of any part of this Charter or the By-Laws established by the Comhairle Ríthe.
Part III: Structure and Regional Areas
1. An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach shall be divided into seven regions, each defined by a geographic area. These shall be added to as more tuatha and dearbhfhinte are added to An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach from outside of these seven existing regions. These regions shall be:
a. An Iarthuaisceart- Incorporating the Northwestern United States, to include the states of Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Wyoming.
b. An tIardheisceart- Incorporating the Southwestern United States, to include the states of California, Hawaii, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico.
c. An Tuaisceart- Incorporating the North-Central United States, to include the states of North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Indiana.
d. An Deisceart- Incorporating the South-Central United States, to include the states of Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
e. An tOirthuaisceart- Incorporating the Northeastern United States, to include the states of Ohio, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Washington D.C.
f. An tOirdheisceart- Incorporating the Southeastern United States, to include the states of Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and the territory of Puerto Rico.
g. An Astráil Thiar- Incorporating the Western half of Australia, to include the state of Western Australia.
2. Each of these regions shall be administered by An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach directly in matters where An Cónaidhm na dTuath Gaelach as a whole is concerned, but are otherwise under the administration of the resident tuatha and dearbhfhinte
