The approval of of the states was needed to ratify the constitution.

The approval of nine of the states was needed to ratify the Constitution.

Explanation:

On September 17, 1787, the Constitution was completed in Philadelphia. Benjamin Franklin then delivered a speech in which he spoke of unanimity, although only nine states were required to ratify the Constitution for it to enter into force.

After arduous struggles for ratification in several states, New Hampshire became the ninth state on June 2, 1788. Once the Confederation Congress received news of the ratification of New Hampshire, it set dates for the Constitution to enter in force, and the government created by the Constitution began operating on March 4, 1789.

it was certainly a debatable decision, mainly because it was based primarily on political - and not on legal or social - views. since the congress at that time was led by members of the republican party, and the territory that the tribes wanted to turn into an exclusively indian state was predominantly democratic, the proposal (as expressed in the constitution) did not succeed, but the constitution itself proved to be of crucial importance in the creation of the state of oklahoma, and, most importantly, it guaranteed the involvement of representatives of the indian tribes in the government of the future joint state.  

as a member of congress, i would have voted to ratify the constitution, or at least to have it tabled. ignoring it was an interested and partial decision.