What is "chapter house"

Chapter \Chap"ter\, n. [OF. chapitre, F. chapitre, fr. L. capitulum, dim. of caput head, the chief person or thing, the principal division of a writing, chapter. See Chief, and cf, Chapiter.]

1. A division of a book or treatise; as, Genesis has fifty chapters.

2. (Eccl.)

   1. An assembly of monks, or of the prebends and other clergymen connected with a cathedral, conventual, or collegiate church, or of a diocese, usually presided over by the dean.

   2. A community of canons or canonesses.

   3. A bishop's council.

   4. A business meeting of any religious community.

3. An organized branch of some society or fraternity as of the Freemasons.
   --Robertson.

4. A meeting of certain organized societies or orders.

5. A chapter house. [R.]
   --Burrill.

6. A decretal epistle.
   --Ayliffe.

7. A location or compartment.

   In his bosom! In what chapter of his bosom?
   --Shak.

   Chapter head, or Chapter heading, that which stands at the head of a chapter, as a title.

   Chapter house, a house or room where a chapter meets, esp. a cathedral chapter.

   The chapter of accidents, chance.
   --Marryat.

alt. 1 A building attached to a cathedral, church, or monastery and used as a meeting place. 2 A building used by a sorority or fraternity as a residence or meeting place. n. 1 A building attached to a cathedral, church, or monastery and used as a meeting place. 2 A building used by a sorority or fraternity as a residence or meeting place.

A chapter house or chapterhouse is a building or room that is part of a cathedral, monastery or collegiate church in which larger meetings are held. When attached to a cathedral, the cathedral chapter meets there. In monasteries, the whole community often met there on a daily basis for readings and to hear the abbot or senior monks talk. When attached to a collegiate church, the dean, prebendaries and canons of the college meet there. The rooms may also be used for other meetings of various sorts; in medieval times monarchs on tour in their territory would often take them over for their meetings and audiences. Synods, ecclesiastical courts and similar meetings often took place in chapter houses.

A Chapter house is an administrative, communal meeting place on the territory of the Navajo Nation where residents have a forum to express their opinions to their Navajo Nation Council Delegate or to decide on matters concerning their chapter. As of January 2004, there were a total of 110 such meeting places in existence. However, the input given to the delegates during such meetings is not legally binding.

John G. Hunter, superintendent of the Leupp Agency, is generally given credit for the establishment of the Chapter system starting in 1922 in an effort to bolster Navajo self-determination and local governance.