(a) Persons possessing one-sixteenth or more degree Eastern Cherokee Indian blood and born after August 21, 1957, may be enrolled in either of the following manners:

(1) An application to have the person enrolled must be filed by or on behalf of the person by the parent or recognized guardian or person responsible for his care, which application shall be accompanied by the applicant's birth certificate or by other evidence of eligibility of the applicant for enrollment that the Tribal Enrollment Office may require.

(2) In the absence of such application within 6 months after a person's birth, the Tribal Enrollment Office shall be authorized and encouraged to obtain evidence relating to the eligibility of the person for enrollment in the Eastern Band, and present an application in his behalf to the Enrollment Committee which may proceed to enroll the person if the evidence submitted meets the criteria.

(b) A person adopted in accordance with applicable laws by either tribal members or nonmembers, shall be considered for enrollment as a tribal member if the person otherwise meets the requirements for enrollment.

(c) A person born to an enrolled member of the Band and an enrolled member of another Tribe, and said person is enrolled in the other Tribe, may be transferred from the rolls of the other and added to the rolls of the Eastern Band if he meets the general requirements for enrollment and, in addition:

(1) A death certificate or other acceptable evidence of the death of the parent enrolled in the other Tribe is received and the surviving parent who is a member of the Eastern Band makes application for enrollment by way of transfer.

(2) Upon receipt of divorce documents in the Tribal Enrollment Office, there is evidence of custody of the minors being awarded to the parent who is a member of the Band and the parent awarded custody makes application for enrollment of the minors with the Eastern Band by way of transfer.

(d) In order for a child to be enrolled under paragraph (b) or (c) of this section, either:

(1) An application to have the child enrolled must be filed on behalf of the child by the parent or recognized guardian or person responsible for his care, which application shall be accompanied by the child's birth certificate or by other evidence as to the eligibility of the child for enrollment as the Enrollment Committee may require, which application must be filed within one year from the date of birth of such child, or

(2) In the absence of such application, the Tribal Enrollment Committee may on its own motion, proceed to enroll any eligible child upon receipt by it of such evidence as shall satisfy the Committee as to the eligibility of the child to be enrolled, within one year from date of birth of such child.