Chukchansi Tribal Council Issues Open Letter to Tribal Members, Want END to Sabotage Campaign

A four-member quorum of the Chukchansi Tribal Council, headed by Tribal Council Chairwoman Nancy Ayala, has mailed an open letter to the central California Tribe’s membership decrying what the quorum believes to be the bad faith negotiation tactics of three “rogue” Council members whom the majority believe to be conducting a “sabotage campaign” against the Chukchansi tribe’s best interests.

OP:  From a disenrolled Chukchansi:     It is well known that numerous financial improprieties against the welfare of the tribe have been committed by members of ALL THREE FACTIONS claiming "ownership" of the Picayune tribal government...OVERWHELMINGLY SO with the arbitrary and capricious DISMEMBERMENT of OVER A THOUSAND chukchanasi people since 1999, which is chukchansi indian blood on the hands of ALL THREE FACTIONS....

In the letter, the Council Quorum details its daily efforts to manage “critical Tribal business, including overseeing the Chukchansi Gold Casino & Resort and handling the everyday responsibilities of Tribal government.” The Council Quorum explains in the letter that negotiations with the minority faction, headquartered in Fresno, broke down “when word reached the Council Quorum that the (accused ''rogue'') group had cancelled the health insurance of dozens of Chukchansi Tribal members.”

“We continue to do the work of the Chukchansi people from our office on the Rancheria, fighting against the sabotage and wasteful spending of the minority group led by Reggie Lewis and Chance Alberta,” said Tribal Council Nancy Ayala. “The Tribe’s forensic audit also continues its work, every day uncovering more evidence of serious issues with how the Lewis-Alberta group has done business in their own self-interest.”

The text of the Council Quorum letter is as follows:

A Letter From The Tribal Council Quorum

Nancy Ayala, Chairwoman; Tracey Brechbuehl, Secretary; Dr. Karen Wynn, Treasurer; Charles Sargosa, Member at Large

As the majority group of the Chukchansi Tribal Council, duly sworn to uphold the laws of our Tribe’s Constitution, we write to you today to be as informative as possible about the ongoing political conflict that has made life so difficult for our Chukchansi people. As you know by now, three members of our Council left the Rancheria in February 2013. Shortly thereafter, Council Members Reggie Lewis, Chance Alberta and Carl Bushman set up an unconstitutional rogue Council headquartered in a $20,000-a-month office tower in Fresno.

Since then, the Lewis-Alberta Council minority has embarked on a relentless, distortion-filled campaign of sabotage meant to harm our Tribe, the economic engine that is our casino and the quality of life enjoyed by each and every Chukchansi citizen. In an effort to return stability to our people, your Council Quorum continues to work every day on the Rancheria, attending to critical Tribal business, including overseeing the Chukchansi Gold Casino & Resort and handling the everyday responsibilities of Tribal government.

We will continue to fulfill these responsibilities day in and day out in a professional manner. We will not be intimidated, nor will we be coerced into abandoning the Chukchansi people.

Recently, in an effort aimed at negotiating an end to this sabotage campaign, members of the Council quorum traveled to San Francisco and to Phoenix to meet with the Lewis-Alberta faction and its lawyers. While it was difficult to sit at the negotiating table with a rogue group that constantly puts its self-interest ahead of our Chukchansi brothers and sisters, we believed the stability and well-being of our people must be more important than personal sleights and past wrongdoings.

Sadly, the Lewis-Alberta faction did not negotiate in good faith, nor did they make a serious attempt to end a dispute that has placed our Tribe’s economy in serious jeopardy. Therefore, when word reached the Council Quorum that the Lewis group had cancelled the health insurance of dozens of Chukchansi Tribal members, and when we received forwarded copies of their lie-filled May 2013 newsletter, we felt there was no point in continuing talks that were premised on falsehoods and destined to fail.

What does this mean for you?

Unfortunately, it means that the business interests of our Tribe – the economic engine you rely on for per-capita payments and the security of your family – remains at risk. Because of the actions of the Lewis-Alberta group, relationships with casino vendors have been badly damaged, bills have gone unpaid or been paid late, and the bond indenture used to finance the casino stands in peril of default.

Your Council quorum, along with the lawfully empaneled Chukchansi Economic Development Authority and the lawful Tribal Gaming Commission, will continue to work to preserve our Tribe’s economy and our day-to-day business interests.

It’s likely, however, that the Lewis-Alberta faction will continue to follow their present self-serving course of action, using Tribal resources to harm rather than improve the lives of the families, elders and young people of our Tribe.

One such expenditure, estimated at more than $300,000 by the Tribe’s forensic audit team, is the illegal referenda put forward by the rogue group. This vote in no way followed the Chukchansi Constitution or the processes of our Election Committee. As Chairwoman Ayala explained in a recent opinion column in the Sierra Star newspaper (see attached), this latest Lewis-Alberta faction deception hired a ballot-processing operation (the so-called Indian Dispute Resolution Services) that employs a Lewis relative who worked on the referenda. More importantly, by offering a one-time per capita payments in return for votes, the referenda appears to have been nothing more than a bribe – one that apparently worked on only a bare majority of voters.

Again, your rightfully empanelled Council Quorum remains in place, undeterred by this sham effort. The four members of the Council Majority will continue to do the business of the Chukchansi people. What’s next on our agenda?

Per capita payments – By the time you read this letter, you will have received your most recent per capita payment. The Council Quorum will continue to fight to preserve this lifeline for our people.

Health insurance issue – As you read this, we are working to determine the extent of the health insurance cancellations caused by the Lewis-Alberta group. We will report back to you immediately with answers and potential resolutions.

Forensic audit – A team of experienced forensic auditors is at work probing the financial expenses made by Chukchansi, Inc. and other subsidiary entities that have long been controlled by Reggie Lewis and Chance Alberta. Because these expenditures involve millions of dollars and documentary evidence of Lewis-Alberta expenses, which are flimsy at best, this has not been an easy task. However, the audit teams has uncovered evidence of serious tax issues already being pursued by the State of California. When the investigators’ preliminary report has been prepared, we will get back to you with additional information.

Finally, the Council Quorum and our other lawful government entities remain in regular communication with the National Indian Gaming Commission and the California Department of Justice. We will do everything in our power, including taking legal action, to protect the interests and financial security of the Chukchansi Tribe.

On our watch, no individuals will be allowed to divert Tribal revenue and resources for their own personal gratification. That has never been the Chukchansi way and it cannot and will not be tolerated.

If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at the Rancheria offices at (559) 683-6633. Thank you.

I.R.S SLAMS Miccosukee Indians for $170 MILLION in Tax Liens For Failing to PAY

We wrote about this story in October 2012:Another Crack in the Sovereignty Dam
Now the IRS has lowered the book.

The Internal Revenue Service has slammed the Miccosukee Indians with a bill of $170 million for the West Miami-Dade tribe’s failure to report and withhold taxes from its distribution of gambling profits to tribal members, according to court records.

In a long-running battle, the IRS also has smacked hundreds of the tribe’s members with separate bills totaling $58 million for their failure to pay personal income taxes on those distributions during the same period, 2000 to 2005, records show.

The agency’s crackdown comes after years of fighting with the 600-member tribe over its refusal to pay taxes on the distribution of profits from its casino operation off the Tamiami Trail. The assessments for back taxes, interest and penalties, outlined in federal tax lien notices filed in Miami-Dade Circuit Court, reveal for the first time the sheer scope of the tribe’s tax problems with the IRS.

Without the extras, the tribe’s withholding taxes alone for 2000 to 2005 totaled $45 million, and individual members’ taxes amounted to $30 million for that period, according to the tax liens.

The tax obligations of the tribe and its members are expected to soar because IRS examiners also are auditing the Miccosukee’s gambling distributions for the years 2006-2010, when payouts to each member were as high as $160,000 annually.

Despite the audits, the Miccosukee Tribe continues to argue that it does not have to withhold taxes on the gaming distributions and that individual members do not have to pay taxes on the income derived from the Miccosukee’s bingo-style slot machines and poker.

“The Miccosukee people will continue to pay all applicable lawful taxes, as they always have, and we will continue our efforts to find a fair and workable solution to this dispute,’’ Chairman Colley Billie wrote in a statement to The Miami Herald Tuesday.

“The Miccosukee people, however, will not be intimidated or coerced by these tax liens into surrendering tribal sovereignty or principles for which so many of our ancestors have paid a very high price in blood, lives, and tears.’’

Read more HERE

HEY I.R.S.! Is a PO BOX on An Indian Reservation Good Enough To Not Pay State Taxes?

I'm just asking.     There are more mailboxes than households of people living on the rez.  What are the chances?  I mean, if a former tribal chairwoman takes a thousand slots worth, say $5,000 apiece and pays no taxes on that gain, isn't that a better place to look than, say...the TEA PARTY?

How many have mailboxes on the rez, but not their permanent residences?

Reporting Income Tax Fraud

If you believe an individual or company is not complying with California's personal income tax or corporate income and franchise tax laws, you can report that information to Franchise Tax Board (FTB). We do not offer rewards for reporting this information.

Income tax fraud is intentionally paying less tax than you owe.

Examples of income tax fraud are:
Failing to report all income received.
Claiming to be a resident of another state while residing in California.
Making false or fraudulent claims for refunds.
Not filing state income tax returns.
Questionable tax practitioner practices.
Opening and closing of new businesses to evade taxes.
Preparing documents, books, and records that understate the true income or overstate the expenses of a business.

Call: 800.540.3453, M-F 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. (PST)

CA Democrat Sen. Ricardo Lara QUICKLY CANCELS Out of State Fundraiser

Wow! That was FAST.  Looks like SHAMING works sometimes.  Guess we better follow how and where he gets this money recouped, don't you think?


A planned Station Casinos-hosted fundraiser in Las Vegas on behalf of a California lawmaker was abruptly canceled Tuesday after a Sacramento newspaper raised questions about the timing of the event, which would take place before a vote over an Indian casino project. 

The fundraiser, which included rooms at the Red Rock Resort and tickets to an Ultimate Fighting Championship event Saturday, was to benefit California State Sen.Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, and the Latino Caucus Leadership PAC. Eight Sacramento lobbyists were to fly to Las Vegas for the weekend.

Lara canceled the plans Tuesday after the Sacramento Bee reported on the fundraiser. He declined comment to the Bee. His office released a statement saying the event had been planned for more than a year.

The newspaper questioned the timing. Station Casinos is lobbying the California Legislature to approve a compact with the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians for a casino development near Fresno. Station Casinos has a management contract to operate the casino once the project is built.

“The unpredictability of our legislative calendar has created an unfortunate case of coincidental timing,” the statement said.

The $3,000 tickets to the fundraiser for Lara and the PAC included two receptions, entrance to the fight and accommodations at the Red Rock. Station Casinos and UFC owner Zuffa donated tickets, food and hotel rooms for the event.

Pechanga, Stung By Corruption in The Tribe, Looks For New Revenue With Bingo

After years of declining slot revenue, partially due to the bad publicity of their terrible treatment of their people, Pechanga is trying to find another revenue stream.

Bad Karma has followed Pechanga since they harmed so many of their own people via disenrollment.  Slot revenue is down, their former tribal chair absconded with slot machines.  FBI investigations, embezzlement.  Remember when they promised to help CA balance its budget?

The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians announced Tuesday it will be building a dedicated bingo hall at the Pechanga Resort & Casino, a move that should make the venue a mecca once more for dauber-carrying bingo fans.

The tribe last year offered bingo games during the summer on a trial basis to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the opening of its large resort and casino complex. The games proved popular with both elderly patrons who recalled playing at Pechanga in the 1990s, when games were held inside a tent, and younger folks who enjoy the new types of bingo games that are offered these days.

"We heard the enthusiasm and excitement from players loud and clear last summer for bingo at Pechanga,” Patrick Murphy, president of the Pechanga Development Corporation, said in a statement.

The new hall, which will offer bingo sessions every day of the week, will be built inside an existing 14,000-square-foot area of the resort across from the Pechanga Poker Room.

It's scheduled to open in July.

"This will not be your grandmother’s bingo hall. Guests can expect this to be one of the most innovative bingo facilities in the country," Murphy stated in the release

The room will offer tablet bingo gaming so guests may play multiple bingo cards simultaneously on an electronic device. Those who prefer the more "time-honored" experience of playing with paper bingo cards and daubers may also do so, according to the release.

Remember When Pechanga BEAT their Elderly Customers? 

Now they need them more than ever.  
Remember, IF PECHANGA WILL CHEAT THEIR OWN PEOPLE, they will CHEAT YOU.

CA Sen. Ricardo Lara (D) Head to LAS VEGAS for FUNDRAISER Sponsored By Station Casinos, which Stand to Gain MILLIONS with North Fork Rancheria's New Casino.

Any GUESSES which way he'll vote?  Free tickets, hotel rooms.    Lara holds his manhood cheap doesn't he?

A Las Vegas casino that stands to make millions if the California Legislature approves a gambling compact for a Fresno-area Indian tribe is hosting a fundraiser this weekend for a state senator who is about to vote on the deal.

The fundraiser to benefit Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, and the Latino Caucus Leadership PAC involves about eight Sacramento lobbyists who are flying to Las Vegas to attend an Ultimate Fighting Championship match Saturday and stay overnight at the swanky Red Rock Hotel.

Station Casinos, which owns the Red Rock, and its sister company Zuffa, which owns the mixed-martial-arts fighting league, have donated the hotel rooms, food for a reception and tickets to the fight - a gift of about $5,000, said Dan Weitzman, a political fundraiser who organized the event.

The Las Vegas-based casino company is lobbying hard to get the Legislature to approve a compact allowing the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians to open a casino along Highway 99 in Madera, more than 35 miles from the mountainous hamlet where tribal members live.

The deal calls for Station Casinos to operate the 2,000-slot machine facility for the first seven years and take 30 percent of its profits, according to a Station Casinos report to investors.

Read more here: DEMOCRAT Lara TAKES FREE STUFF

Cedric Sunray: Cherokee Nation Places Sovereignty At Risk

A law has no meaning unless it was rendered with morality, ethics, heart, and equity at its foundation.

Disenrollment, Baby Veronica, and countless other issues all share the common denominator of being brought to the proverbial card table of contention by none other than the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.

Legalese has determined “tribal sovereignty” the royal flush, while in all honesty the dealer manipulating the deck and the primary player holding the winning hand, the CNO, would better fit the image of the Joker.

The Indian Child Welfare Act was created in response to the massive theft of Indian children from Indian homes. Its contested resurrection is due to the multi-million dollar intervention of what is assumed to be the nation’s largest Indian tribe.

Defining an entity of over 300,000 individuals, which is primarily of white racial descent and scattered across every state in the nation and many countries abroad, a tribe, is another argument altogether; especially when the small, identifiable Cherokee cohesive communities which still exist within the CNO jurisdiction in Oklahoma have little access to the CNO Council’s power.

The Bureau of Indian Affairs pays out on numbers and when an entity such as the CNO is adding tribal citizens at such an astronomical rate, they tend to have the funds to pay massive lawyer fees, to take just about anyone and everyone to court, and to ensure successful lobbying campaigns second to none in the Halls of Power.

Unfortunately, the Cherokee Nation has convinced the rest of Indian Country to support their rhetoric which allows for a 3/256 “Indian” child to be the catalyst for defending ICWA under “tribal sovereignty," to allow the Indian Arts & Crafts Act which protects state recognized tribes to be marketed as for “federal tribes only” in order to protect “tribal sovereignty," and to hide their prejudicial truths of disenrolling tribal citizens with Black ancestry as protecting “tribal sovereignty."

To stop the acquisition of land by the United Keetoowah Band of Cherokee Indians (a federal tribe in Northeastern Oklahoma which requires ¼ or more blood quantum for enrollment ) in order to maintain their gaming monopoly as an act of “tribal sovereignty” is a further continuation of the sincere misuse of the term, especially when the dealer and winning hand holder currently enroll persons with blood degrees as low as 1/4,096.

Don't get me wrong, the argument is not about "who has more Indian blood", but it is definitely about a group with such enrollees being so two-faced in attacking the identities of others. The irony is so blatant that the only people missing it are those who are purposefully trying to suppress it.

Supporting the campaign of “tribal sovereignty” over tribal cohesiveness, cultural retention, close kinship connection, community involvement, and other factors which clearly identify Indian communities, bands, tribes, and nations is a fool’s game.

Buying into the “all or nothing” scam that is being thrown at Indian Country by the CNO is dangerous business. Which tribe reframed disenrolling tribal members as an act of “tribal sovereignty?" Which tribe sent a council member to last year’s National Congress of American Indians annual conference to declare that none of the twenty or so “non-federal” documented boarding school tribes ever attended Haskell Indian Nations University, just prior to NCAI unanimously drafting a resolution supporting them?

How does that look when the very Haskell alumni from these “non-federal” tribes are seated in the very same room where the fictitious attack is leveled? How dare a group with 1/4,096 blood quantum tribal members play identity police to anyone, at anytime.

The reason that historic, legitimate tribal communities can’t become recognized is because the super-sized CNO is receiving so many federal dollars, that the argument that the pie is to small to split becomes an actual economic reality. If the total of an entities identity and continuation rests in the confines of “tribal sovereignty” over previously mentioned factors, then “tribal sovereignty” becomes all there is left to cling to.

While tribes certainly have a diversity of experience and historical narratives to consider, those who choose the far off descendant model of enrollment as the only criteria have an ethical and moral responsibility to not impose their agenda on the rest of us.

It is time to let the CNO know that their political agendas fueled by their gaming revenues and massive federal allocations are not the responsibility of the rest of Indian Country to uphold. The CNO isn’t protecting our collective tribal sovereignty, they are continually placing it in jeopardy. Today the card game has come down to diamonds over hearts. Diamonds may have the power to force hands, but only have the “sincerity” to move the weakest of hearts.

Cedric Sunray can be reached at helphaskell@hotmail.com.

Shingle Springs Miwok Casino Negotiates Deal to Pay CA LESS MONEY.

In a time when CA is heavily in debt, our wonderful Senate has UNANIMOUSLY passed a bill that will allow us to get LESS money from a Casino Tribe.   Wonder how the campaign funds made out.

The state Senate has approved a revised agreement with a Sacramento-area Indian tribe that owns a struggling casino east of the state capital.

Gov. Jerry Brown negotiated the new compact last fall with the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians. The tribe owns the Red Hawk Casino, which officially opened in December 2008 just as a national recession began.

Sen. Ted Gaines, a Republican from Rocklin, said his bill will let the tribe restructure and refinance its debt while retaining about 1,400 jobs in El Dorado County.

AB1267 would let the tribe reduce its payments for several years before requiring that it eventually pay the state 15 percent of the casino's net winnings.

The bill passed unanimously and without debate Thursday, and now goes to the Assembly.

Riverside County Supervisors Do Pechanga's Bidding on North Fork Rancheria Casino

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday to go on record opposing state legislation that would allow an American Indian tribe in Central California to establish a casino on the outskirts of a city, away from its reservation.

In pushing for the stance, Supervisors Jeff Stone and Marion Ashley wrote in a report to colleagues that Assembly Bill 277 would create a "dangerous precedent."

Stone did not attend the meeting and did not vote.

"The proposed compact is the first foothold in an effort to push the limits of off-reservation gaming," Stone and Ashley wrote. "The North Fork Rancheria Band of Mono Indians has lands eligible for gaming but prefers a more lucrative location on the Madera city border."

The supervisors' districts are home to the Pechanga and Morongo casinos, two of the region's most successful gaming venues.

The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians and its portly leader Mark Macarro are well known for violations of civil and human rights.  Macarro was the subject of a recall attempt.  Tribal factions did not like that he hired his wife's company IETAN Consulting without bringing it before the tribe.   

Standoff at Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians ENDS in Multiple Arrests. Violent Action by Sheriffs End Standoff

A lengthy standoff at the tribal headquarters of the Berry Creek Rancheria of Maidu Indians in Oroville ended in multiple arrests Thursday afternoon.

Butte County Sheriff's media liaison Miranda Bowersos said approximately 15 to 20 tribe members, unhappy with a certain internal tribal process, locked themselves in the headquarter building off Olive Highway around 1 a.m.

Deputies later revealed the protesting members were disgruntled due to a vote taken to remove numerous members from the tribe and reservation.

Deputies established contact with the individuals through the door of the building and were trying to negotiate a peaceful resolution. However, after hours of unsuccessful negotiations, deputies set of a flash bang grenade and accessed the building through a rear entry point around noon, said deputies.

All individuals inside were detained and transported to county jail, deputies said.

Learn More on Disenrollment, Ethnic Cleansing in Indian Gaming Country at these Links:

Gaming Revenue Blamed for Disenrollment

disenrollment is paper Genocide

CA Tribal Cleansing

Tribal terrorism

TRIBAL TERRORISM includes Banishment

Nooksack Disenrollment

OBAMACARE To Penalize Half Million Native Americans. Pay for Insurance or Face FINES

Native Americans are entitled to free and subsidized medical care at some federally-funded health clinics, but 'Obamacare' will soon force many of them to buy insurance or else face hefty fines if they are not “Indian enough”.

“A lot of folks are going to get stuck with the bill,” Jay Stiener of the National Council of Urban Indian Health told the Associated Press.

Members of federally-recognized American Indian tribes have received government-funded health services since 1787. Throughout the US, there are 33 hospitals and 59 health centers that provide services including prenatal care, baby well-checks, dentistry and eye glasses to Native Americans.

The US government has treaty obligations to care for the well-being of Native Americans, but may soon abandon many of its legal responsibilities. President Obama’s health care reform will force thousands of Native Americans to purchase their own health insurance or pay a minimum fine of $695 to the Internal Revenue Service. Indian health advocacy groups estimate up to 480,000 people will be affected, AP reports.

Only those who can prove that they are “Indian enough” will be exempt from the mandate. Native Americans will have to show documentation that they belong to one out of 560 tribes that are federally recognized by the US Bureau of Indian Affairs.

There are more than 100 US tribes that are recognized by states, but not the federal government. Members of these tribes would no longer receive the free or subsidized healthcare that they are guaranteed by the Indian Health Service (IHS), which is a division within the US Department of Health and Human Services.

“This could lead to some tribal citizens being required to purchase insurance or face penalties even though they are covered by the HIS,” Rep. Tom Cole, a Republican congressman and member of the Chickasaw Nation tribe, told AP.

Additionally, Native Americans who do not have documentation of their tribe membership will be forced to purchase insurance or pay a fine. This becomes particularly troublesome for Native Americans under the age of 18, since many tribes only provide official membership to adults. Even if both parents of the minors are members, their healthcare coverage may not apply to their children unless they also have the proper documentation.

The health care reform would also complicate the situation for Native Americans who live in metropolitan areas or suburbs. Some tribal governments require members to live on the reservation to gain documentation, which few people do. Nearly two-thirds of American Indians and Alaska Natives currently live in cities, which hinders their ability to receive membership cards from their tribes.



Full Article on Obamacare and Native Americans

Ninth Circuit Overturns BIA Sloan Family Ruling On Laytonville Rancheria Disenrollment Case

  The 9th Circuit on Wednesday narrowly overturned a ruling that would have forced the small Cahto Tribe in northern California to re-enroll 22 members.

     The federal appeals panel in San Francisco said the tribe's governing documents do not allow the Bureau of Indian Affairs to review the tribe's decision to disenroll members.

     The Cahto Tribe of the Laytonville Rancheria has fewer than 100 voting members and occupies 200 acres in Mendocino County. In 1995, it voted to remove 22 people from its membership roll, all members of the Sloan-Heckler family.

     The tribe claimed the Sloan-Hecklers were ineligible for membership because they were affiliated with other tribes and/or accepted money from a settlement involving the Hoopa Valley Tribe and the Yurok Tribe.
     However, the family reportedly did not enroll with either tribe.

     Some speculated that the tribe wanted to shrink enrollment to boost payouts from its Red Fox Casino to existing tribe members.

     The tribe's attorney asked the BIA to "honor the action taken by the tribe ... and recognize the existing tribal members." The agency instead referred the matter to the tribe's executive council.
     It echoed this hands-off approach when disenrolled member Gene Sloan appealed the tribe's action in 1999.
     But in 2000, the BIA's superintendent and regional director said the agency would not recognize the tribe's decision to disenroll the Sloan-Hecklers.

     The Interior Board of Indian Appeals, which has jurisdiction over agency decisions, reversed, saying "BIA officials lacked decision-making authority in the circumstances."

     Nonetheless, the BIA explicitly took up Sloan's appeal in 2009. It refused to recognize the disenrollments and ordered the tribe to put the disenrolled members back on its membership roll.
     The tribe challenged the action in federal court, saying the BIA's involvement violated the Administrative Procedures Act.   
   
     A federal judge upheld the agency's decision as "not in excess of its authority," and the tribe appealed.
     "We hold that the tribe's ordinance is unambiguous and that it provides a right of appeal only for rejections of enrollment applications, not for disenrollment decisions," Judge Michael Hawkins wrote for the three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit.

     "Nowhere in the tribal documents is there a grant of authority to the BIA to review appeals from disenrollment decisions," the panel concluded.

Learn More on Disenrollment, Ethnic Cleansing in Indian Gaming Country at these Links:

Gaming Revenue Blamed for Disenrollment

disenrollment is paper Genocide

CA Tribal Cleansing

Tribal terrorism

TRIBAL TERRORISM includes Banishment