Thursday, May 31, 2012

Elizabeth Warren, Cherokee Wannabee Exposed by, you know, ACTUAL Cherokees

Our friends Hot Air continue to expose the issues with Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren of Bostonat http://hotair.com/archives/2012/05/31/video-deval-patrick-heroically-shields-elizabeth-warren-from-having-to-explain-her-ancestry-nonsense/

Our Friends David Cornsilk and Twila Barnes will stand in protest of her nomination.

Cherokees angered by Elizabeth Warren’s claims of Native American heritage said today they’ll stand in silent protest against the embattled Senate candidate during Saturday’s Democratic Convention in Springfield. “I believe we need a presence there. Warren hasn’t recanted her claims or apologized to the Cherokee people,” said David Cornsilk, a 53-year-old citizen of Cherokee Nation who co-created a group called “Cherokees Demand Truth from Elizabeth Warren.”

Twila Barnes, a Cherokee genealogist who said she has dug as far as 188 years into Warren’s heritage and found no Native American links, disagreed. “There are plenty of people from Massachusetts posting on our Facebook page who say they do care about that subject,” said Barnes, who is organizing tribal members to pressure Warren on her claims. “We Cherokees care about it, and we’re not going to stop talking about it until she tells the truth.”

Stay Tuned

More Evidence In Pala Disenrollments TRUMP Robert Smith's Phantom Evidence He Refuses To Show.

We have received two bits of information from the disenrollees of Pala. This seems to trump any evidence the Robert Smith says he has, but won't show. Mr. Smith, have you NO SHAME? Here is a link to the census documents: and here is the letter that was sent to Robert Smith, Chairman of PALA. Will New Evidence Make a Difference

If Pala and Pechanga will cheat their own people, won't they cheat their customers?

We have more on the Pala issue, included here is a filing by attorney Dennis Chappabitty showing that:

There is no evidence or proof cited by Robert Smith anywhere in this record on appeal to overcome the 1989 Final Decision noted in the Lucero Affidavit. Therefore, the Tribe's actions invalidate, without legal merit or moral cause, the historical entry on the 1913 Pala Allotment Roll verifying Margarita Brittain's 4/4 Indian blood status.

Here is that link: http://www.scribd.com/doc/95462633/Elsie-Lucero-Affidavit-Filing-5-30-12

IF Pechanga and Pala will CHEAT their own, won't they cheat their Customers??

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Trial of Robinson Rancheria Chair Tracey Avila Set For August: Grand Theft Alleged

The preliminary hearing of Robinson Rancheria’s tribal chair – alleged to have embezzled thousands of dollars from another Lake County tribe – has been set for August.

At a hearing last week, an Aug. 1 preliminary hearing date was set for 50-year-old Tracey Avila of Nice, according to Deputy District Attorney Rachel Abelson, the case’s prosecutor.

Avila was arrested last September on a felony charge of grand theft for allegedly taking more than $60,000 from Elem Colony of Clearlake Oaks.

She had worked for Elem as its fiscal officer from February 2006 to September 2008, according to case documents. Elem conducted its own investigation before contacting federal authorities to request assistance.

Case documents showed that the federal investigation ultimately led to Avila’s arrest last year.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Does the BIA have the Balls to Takeover Snoqualmie?

Qui laughing! If only we could believe the BIA had the guts to do anything.

The terms of office have expired for most members of the Snoqualmie Tribal Council, and an enrollment audit still in the works has revealed the chairman of the tribe and two members of its council aren't qualified under the tribe's constitution to hold office or vote.

Neither is the tribal member on the board of a new gambling venture in Fiji, in which the tribe has already invested $1.5 million.

The tribe hasn't had an election in two years, because of members' inability to agree who is qualified to vote or hold office, due to an ongoing tribal-membership dispute.

Stan Speaks, Northwest regional director for the federal Bureau of Indian Affairs, said the tribe is perilously close to a takeover by his agency if it can't muster the ability to hold an election.

"If they can't do that, they are hardly really a tribe," Speaks said. He said his agency is loathe to step in, but the tribe is increasingly at risk of losing control of its own self-governance.

It's an internal dispute with the potential to reach beyond the tribe.

For instance, the official offering memorandum issued to potential buyers of $330 million in bonds the tribe sold to pay for its casino in North Bend requires the casino to be overseen by a tribal Authority Board, the members of which are the same as the 11-member tribal council.

Rating agencies recently raised the casino's bond rating, based on improved revenues. The tribe also has caught up on financial audits that had been in arrears, and it received a clean bill of health for compliance with regulations by the Nation Indian Gambling Commission.

Whether the tribe's election impasse affects the casino is unclear. Rick Dey, of the Washington State Gambling Commission, said his agency is monitoring the situation. A call to the casino general manager was not returned. The chief of staff for the National Indian Gaming Commission declined to comment.

Nina Repin, 56, of Snohomish, is the only regular voting member of the council today whose term is unexpired and whose blood quantum also has so far been shown to meet the tribe's requirements to hold office.

Speaks, of the BIA, traces the trouble back to the time of the tribe's battle for recognition by the federal government. Once the federal government recognizes a tribe, it is up to the tribe itself to decide who is a member, using factors from degree of Indian blood to decendancy from treaty signers or a combination of characteristics. Tribes may also change those requirements when and however they like.

After it was recognized in 1999, the Snoqualmie Tribe was supposed to determine who, according to its governing documents, is a tribal member, and with what rights and privileges, such as the ability to vote.

"They have not addressed one major issue, and that is their membership, from day one," Speaks said. "The recognition group evidently did not look very carefully at their membership and the criteria for membership. That has carried over to where they are today. That has really been their downfall. They can blame anyone they want, but internally, that was their responsibility. They just didn't take care of it."

At Snoqualmie, the present constitution requires that anyone who runs for office or votes must possess at least one-eighth degree of Snoqualmie blood. A person may still be a Snoqualmie tribal member with less blood degree.

The tribe submitted a list of members during its petition for recognition but never corrected it for duplication, errors or even outright forgery, said Kenneth Tollefson of Shoreline, an anthropologist who worked on the recognition petition. "Even I am on it," he said.

Tollefson is a non-Indian but was adopted into the tribe.

Efforts ever since by the tribe to decide who meets the requirements to run for office or vote have foundered in disagreement. Some say everyone on the base roll is at least one-eighth Snoqualmie. Others want confirmation, by independent genealogical research, and even DNA testing. An enrollment audit is being prepared now for the tribe by an independent contractor to identify the Snoqualmie people on the tribe's base roll with at least one-eighth blood degree.

But the audit has come under attack by dueling families, and council members are talking about scrapping the audit before it has even been completed or submitted.

The enrollment issue came to a head in 2007 once the tribe moved to open its casino in North Bend, taking on $330 million in debt, the largest ever shouldered by a tribe to open a casino.

The tribe became consumed with infighting over its enrollment and election procedures that haven't let up since. The fight burst into the open when Jerry Enick overturned a 2007 election, igniting a dispute that culminated in a 2008 federal-court case over the banishment of nine Snoqualmie tribal council members, including the tribal chairman.

At that time, those banished cried foul, and Enick's use of his ceremonial title was criticized as an attempt to thrust his family into power. Before long, Enick was at the center of a showdown in which the validity of his position as a hereditary chief of the tribe has been questioned.

On May 20, another group formed an emergency tribunal that recalled the remaining two council members with unexpired terms, and empowered itself to convene the membership to hold an election in June. "We are going forward; we are going to have an election," said Carolyn Lubenau, head of the emergency tribunal.

But others say the tribe still has to create a list of qualified voters before any election can stick. "We need to hold on and be patient," said tribal member Marvin Kempf. "No one can vote until we get a clear genealogy and know who are the qualified voters."

Repin said she has worked for her tribe her whole life and is saddened by the current state of affairs. "I just want to see us work together for the good of all the people."

The BIA's Speaks said he had never seen such a breakdown of a tribe in all of the Pacific Northwest. "If they are at a point where they can't administer anything, we will step in, and we are getting close to it," Speaks said. "There has to be some kind of election conducted regardless of how that occurs. They need to do that. They have to get a viable, functioning government in place."

Sunday, May 27, 2012

On Memorial Day. Remember how Pechanga scrubbed Their Veterans Page?

Thank you to all our veterans, for serving our country.
The Hunter Family, recently disenrolled from the Pechanga Band after over 200 years of living in the Temecula area have many veterans who served in our military.

Pechanga Veterans

We salute our Pechanga Veterans for your courage, honor and commitment.

· Cuevas, Felipe - Army
· Cuevas, David - Army
Cuevas, Thomas - Army
· Harris, William A - Air Force
· Miller, Durio - Army
· Miller, John D - Navy
· Miller, Louie - Army
· Poole, Mary Ann - Navy
. Poole, Gregory - Navy
· Smith, Maltilda - Army
. Smith, Frank - Air Force
. Smith, Ernest - Navy
· Tavison, Ernest - Army

I'm sure I've missed a few. Thank you to all Pechanga people who have served. And shame on the Pechanga Tribal Council for staining the memory of these fine people above. We should honor their memory (and,for those still living) with our courage to maintain this fight to regain what is rightfully ours.
Please, if you have veterans you want to honor, our comments are open. Tell us about them.

Saturday, May 26, 2012

The Corrupt Chukchansi Fills Council Seats of Morris Reid and Dora Jones, Removing Them From Council


I'm putting the BULLSHIT money quote up top so you can see what crap the Chukchansi Tribal Council spews:

"We hope that our neighboring communities understand the complexities of a sovereign nation and the democratic process," wrote the group led by Lewis in a prepared statement. "As a sovereign nation, we have to take tribal membership and the leadership of the tribe very seriously. The actions of the tribal council are according to our laws and regulations and essential to ensuring the historical integrity of our membership."

OP:  Bear in mind that Chuckchansi has been pressuring the "neighboring communities to side with them against North Fork Rancheria.    
If they as a sovereign nation took membership OR leadership seriously, they wouldn't have terminated 70% of their citizens, and they would have accepted the tribes decision to seat Reid and Jones.   And they wouldn't have had to pay people to come vote.
The actions of their council CAN'T be according to the laws and regs because some people would be out.


Chukchansi tribal members Karen Wynn and Tracey Brechbuehl were appointed to fill the council seats of Morris Reid and Dora Jones during a meeting held May 17 at the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians.
The appointments were made after Reid and Jones were removed from council earlier this month for "neglect of duty" and "gross misconduct," according to the group led by Reggie Lewis, tribal council chairman seated at the Rancheria.
"They removed us, but they never sat us," Jones said, a winner of the Dec. 3 election whose swear-in for the new term, along with the other three winners, was not recognized by the Lewis group. "My question would be, 'How do they appoint someone to serve the remainder of my term then? ... Because there was such controversy over this election (Dec. 3), why wouldn't you put it back out to the tribal membership (to decide who will serve on council)?"
Of the 11 candidates that ran for four seats in the Dec. 3 election, Wynn and Brechbuehl were among the bottom vote-getters. Brechbuehl received 86 votes and Wynn got 110, far behind the winners: Reid (276 votes), Jones (262), Harold Hammond (228) and Dixie Jackson (175). These four winners, who have not been allowed to be seated at the rancheria, are against recent tribal disenrollments led by the Lewis group.
In 2008, Wynn and Brechbuehl were removed from the tribe's enrollment committee for ethics and enrollment ordinance violations, according to removal letters sent to them after tribal council hearings, signed by Reid, tribal council chairman at the time, and Joe Alberta, former tribal council secretary.
According to the removal letters, Brechbuehl's violations included inappropriate conversation involving sexuality with employees of the tribal enrollment department during work and sharing inappropriate pictures with employees of the enrollment department; collecting a stipend for meetings of the enrollment committee in which she was the only committee member present and permitting non-committee staff access to confidential enrollment information.
Wynn's violations included "participating in enrollment committee votes concerning the enrollment status of immediate family members," "falsifying enrollment records of family members" and placing enrollment files "without open disclosure and decisions on the record by the enrollment committee."
In 2008, both were barred for two years from holding a leadership position with the tribe and not allowed to attend tribal meetings for one year.
Last year, an appointment was also made to a fill a seat won in the 2010 election by Patrick Hammond, who was removed shortly after winning and replaced by appointee Nokomis Hernandez.
Although Reid and Jones have been holding separate meetings with the other Dec. 3 winners, they were "removed" from council because the group led by Lewis believed the council in place prior to the Dec. 3 election -- which included Reid and Jones -- should remain seated until a new election could be held for Hammond's contested seat -- won March 10 by Lewis.
Chance Alberta, who lost the Dec. 3 and March 10 election, has remained as treasurer and head of Chukchansi Inc.
http://sierrastar.com

The fate of the seat won Dec. 3 by Jackson, who was not on council during the prior term, remains in question.   OP:  Uh, it's almost JUNE, how STUPID is the Chuckchansi council?

Friday, May 25, 2012

How the Pala Dispute Gets Personal: Willie and Mel

One of the disenrolled Pala people tells what happens when disagreements get personal in our comment section. I have promoted this to a full post.  This one is reminiscent of how some treated our Pechanga elder, Lawrence Madariaga.  He and wife Sophie gave those in need diapers and milk and then, they grew up to turn their backs on them.








This is Willie Pink. Today I was sitting and talking with two TV producers who are working on a piece about Pala Veterans. 


Mel Lavato happened to be in the area as well so I invited my cousin Mel over so I could introduce him to them. I shook hands with Mel then he began to scold me in front of these two men. He kept accusing me of things I did not do. So Mel if you want it to your face here it is. I don't know how it is that you can call your father and your great aunts and uncles liars. 


They have all stated that my great grandmother Margarita Brittain was 4/4ths Indian. You tend to believe every lie your grandmother ever told you. However, when she tells the truth about her Yaqui blood you turn a deaf ear. Who are you to judge us. Were you there when this supposed white man lay with my great great grandmother and made my great grandmother?  If Margarita's father is unknown are you so racist that you assume White. 


Most whites were known in the area and if her father was white we would know his name but you and yours are so filled with hate you reach out and hurt anyone in your path.


There was a time when I stood over you to keep your nephew from killing you. There was a time when I tried to stop the harassment you received from the ones you defend now. These are the same ones that had you cowering in your cellar wondering when they might try to burn your house down. You suffered so much under these goons yet you defend them because your hatred for our family is so deep that you will sell yourself to them because the pain they are causing us pleases you. Do you remember how bad it was the way that your father treated you. I can tell you how bad it was. It was so bad my mother would talk to your dad about it and ask him to stop. She often told him that he did not realize how bad he was hurting his son. 


Our family has done more for you then you will ever know. That is the problem, you don't want to know. You know the truth about Margarita Brittain but your hatred for yourself and life guides you to hurt others. Enjoy your happiness from all the pain you have caused. You said I will have to pay. It is obvious that you are suffering and already paying. You are still my cousin and that is who we are. We don't spend our time looking to hurt people. I am not walking away from this like you did today. You were not even man enough to talk to me after everything I ever did for you.
We have a letter below, which you can copy and send to your congressperson.   Ask your neighbors and friends if you can send on in their name.   We have sent a lot of communications out this week and we need more to draw their attention.




Honorable Congressperson


I’m writing to you on my outrage of how congress has supported the tyranny and oppression these corrupt Indian gaming tribes have been committing on Native Americans.

The Illegal disenrollments are outside the tribe’s constitution and bylaws. They’ve happened over and over again under the blanket of sovereignty. It gives the blessing of congress by not acting on these crimes.

The Commissioner of Indian Affairs Delegation of Authority Regarding Tribal Enactments Section 18 needs to be enforced by congress.

Commissioner of Indian Affairs Delegation of Authority Regarding Tribal Enactments Section 18 Paragraph (3) states Tribal enactments disenrolling persons found not to meet the established enrollment criteria. The Commissioner’s approval of such action shall be subject to appeal to the Secretary of the Interior.

Paragraph (4) The Commissioner shall forward to the Secretary, with a recommendation, ordinances, resolution, or contracts which, in the opinion of the Commissioner are: Inconsistent with an act of Congress or with a treaty or with tribal constitution or charter under which the ordinance, resolution, or contract was adopted, enacted, or negotiated; or should be disapproved or rescinded for any other reason.

Paragraph (5) notwithstanding the provision of section 25 of this order, the Commissioner shall not redelegate the authority granted in this paragraph to any officer or employee who pursuant to a tribal constitution or charter passes upon ordinance, resolution, or contracts

This does not encroach on sovereignty because it does not change any tribal law, constitution or bylaws the tribe has in place. Nor can it be dismissed as a “just a membership issue”. What it does is protect tribal members from tyrants that under sovereignty steal and embezzle money and oppress its people disregarding tribal constitutions and by laws for their own personal gain of money and power with no checks and balances to hold them accountable. Using sovereignty as a club to beat the weak and helpless should not be acceptable under any circumstances.

The Commissioner of Indian Affairs Delegation of Authority Regarding Tribal Enactments need to be enforced with the provision that if the plaintive proves they meet the established enrollment criteria the tribe has to retro any and all benefits that the tribe wrongfully denied them while they were wrongfully disenrolled. If the tribe refuses to abide by the ruling congress will restore the disenrolled to full federal native status. This will include full health, education and any other benefits that the tribe gets. Federal funding will be cut off until an agreement can be met between the disenrolled the tribe and the dept of interior.   Please have your staff look into http://originalpechanga.com/ for more information on disenrollment.


Name

Address
Phone

Dear Robert Smith, You Civil Rights Abuser and Failure...From Disenrolled

Members of the disenrolled Pala Tribe, recently seen on the KCBS investigative report "Casino Tribes Outcasts" has written a letter to the current chairman of the Pala Band of Mission Indians, exposing his falsehoods.

A good way to help, would be to stop going to Pala and tell your friends and neighbors not to go.

Open Letter to Robert Smith

Comments are OPEN.

UPDATE: BIA Determines Eight Disenrolled From PALA Should be Re-instated

UPDATE: This is the determination that Pala Chairman Robert Smiths said was INVALID. He claimed the BIA spoke out of BOTH sided of their mouth, which most of us thinks is impossible, as the BIA usually has it's head up its.... uh, its head in the sand Great news today from the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  Although they have been sorely lacking at the Picayune Rancheria, they have come out with a recommedation for the Pala Band of Luiseno Indians.  Let's see how Robert Smith handles this situation.   They have been asked to give recommendations on the disenrollmentsof eight members of the Pala Band.

Here is the determination (click to enlarge):



"OUR RECOMMENDATION is to change its disenrollment decision of the eight individuals and to have them remain on the tribal membership roll of the Pala Band of Mission Indians."   ...as it has been proven that they possess the required degree of Indian blood.

Thursday, May 24, 2012

Snoqualmie People Look To OUST Corrupt Council That BIA Has Refused to Intercede After Constitutional Violations

The BIA has the authority to suspend recognition of tribes.   They have not stood for the rights of tribal citizens, standing idly by while corrupt tribal councils run roughshod over members.

Here is a letter to the BIA Regional Director Stanley Speakes and local Superintendent Judy Joseph on the plans to take back the tribe via LAWFUL elections.

I've embedded the 60+ pages for your review:

Snoqualmie BIA Information

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

OPEN LETTER TO PECHANGA CHAIRMAN MARK MACARRO

Dear Chairman Macarro,

I hope you were able to see the KCBS-TV investigative report on tribal disenrollments at Pala and Pechanga. I wrote to Chairman Robert Smith at Pala and wanted to take a moment and address you as well.

I wanted to give you notice that until our unconstitutional disenrollments are overturned, it is our intention to continue to expose the gross injustice that has occurred under your leadership. Your initial response on camera during the KNBC expose done by Colleen Williams and your refusal to be interviewed by Ms. Fajardo of KCBS continue to expose your lack of moral and courageous leadership.

In response to your letter to Ms. Fajardo, you claimed our due process rights were guaranteed and upheld. However, you failed to state that no attorneys were allowed at our hearings; we were never allowed to question our accusers and we were not granted the right to have an individual hearing. No oversight was given to the Pechanga enrollment committee and several members of that committee were allowed to make this critical decision about our family even though their membership criteria was also in question, and they had been removed from the committee just prior to this decision.

Historical documents were provided by the tribe’s own expert that proved we were from Pechanga and were certified. You continue to ignore the fact that the enrollment committee disenrolled the 125 members of the Hunter Family solely on hearsay evidence that was accepted from a child molester in prison. His statement included the straw man argument that some were allotted tribal land even though they were not Pechanga; however no substantiated evidence by even one credible source was ever given or confirmed this statement. Those who received an allotment were clearly identified as to their tribal affiliation, and throughout the history of the Pechanga reservation, this one identifying criteria had never been questioned except under your watch. Paulina Hunter was head of household, receiving 20 acres by a charter signed by President William McKinley. We still have our allotment after 117 years and shall never give it up. Can your family make the same claim?

Mr. Macarro, why were neither you, nor your brother listed on the 1979 original census? Hunter family members have continually had ties to Pechanga land since the founding of the reservation. Hunter family members have had enrollment numbers in the top 100. Your name does NOT appear, nor does that of your father. Did your family cut ties to the tribe, as the Pechanga enrollment committee accused Manuela Miranda of doing as a five year old? Current tribal members including former chairwoman Jennie Miranda and current councilman Russell “Butch” Murphy do not appear on that census either. The claim that we came after the casino is a “BLATANT LIE”.

Mark, you also stated that the moratorium was put in place to allow the overworked enrollment committee time to review files and ensure the integrity of the enrollment process is upheld. Is 15 years not enough time to review the legitimate applications that have been submitted? Why haven’t those records been corrected after all of these years? How can you legitimately keep out the Tosobol family, who has proof of lineage, land from an original allotment and relatives on the council? The enrollment moratorium should have been applied uniformly to all tribal members. How is it that former enrollment committee chair, Bobbi LeMere’s sisters were granted tribal membership. How could these women be granted membership if there was a moratorium? What did they have to do to be granted this privilege?

We will continue to inform civil rights groups of the blatant practices that you are subjecting our people to including our young and elderly by not allowing Hunter Family allottees to use basic amenities like the water fountains and public restrooms on the reservation that they share. You are practicing the same small minded tactics employed in the ‘Segregated South.” These are acts that I am sure the Democratic Party would not approve. We will make sure that the Party is aware of these issues as well as the Native American Caucus.

You have already lost an important water right's fight (HR 4285 and HR 5413). You, the council and your million dollar lobbyists, while staying at the finest accommodations in Washington D.C. were defeated by 3 of our family representatives who parked their car in front of their motel door. You tried to negotiate allottee rights to water, even when you never communicated your intent to do so. Committee members simply couldn’t stomach the subterfuge when confronted with evidence of lies and, unfortunately, Pechanga and its people lost millions. It's funny how you would try to use our family’s numbers to augment potential gains.

Finally, let’s finish by highlighting your acts as Pechanga Tribal Chairman:

• You allowed 25% of the tribe to be terminated on your watch.

• You abused tribal elders by taking away their heritage, their healthcare, and shifting those costs to the government of the United States and the State of California.

• You destroyed the futures of our youngest tribal members, and scarred several by sending troopers to forcibly evict them from their tribal school.

• You have threatened those living on the reservation with fines and banishment for using recreation facilities.

• You sent tribal rangers trespassing on private property to deliver the threatening letter about trespassing. • You have failed to defend the Pechanga Constitution.

• You have not protected the tribe from criminal activity, including misuse of tribal credit cards for family vacations.

• You were threatened with recall for hiring your wife’s lobbying firm without tribal approval • Most egregiously you have barred legitimate tribal members from being buried with their ancestors and/or visiting their deceased family member gravesites.

Chairman Macarro, we will continue to fight for our rightful return to the tribe. The Pechanga Tribal Council under you leadership has already cost the people millions of dollars that could have been used to uphold the promises that you made while fighting for tribal self reliance. It would be in the best interests of the tribe to bring all legitimate people including those unlawfully disenrolled and those caught up in the illegal moratorium, back where they belong.

The positive response to such an act of courage would be incalculable and it would turn the negative spotlight off of our tribe and onto other tribes that have been emboldened by your actions. The actions of Pechanga have not just affected us, but thousands of natives who have been wrongfully terminated from their tribes by corrupt tribal governments. While not the first, you are the most prominent violator of civil and human rights amongst California’s Indian Gaming country. It’s no wonder San Manuel doesn’t have Pechanga represented in their commercials.

We look to you for JUSTICE. Please look at the previous records of decision, your mistaken decision to not uphold the will of the people and DO THE RIGHT THING

Rick Cuevas
Original Pechanga’s Blog
http://originalpechanga.com/

Monday, May 21, 2012

Rebutting Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro's Weak Response To KCBS Report

Hunter cousin A’amokat watched the KCBS Investigative Report last night and he has a response for Mark Macarro. I am hearing that there will be a few more responses for Mr. Macarro
Pechanga tribal chairman Mark Macarro said in response to the KCBS investigative report, “Casino Tribe Outcasts” that aired 5/15/12, the following, “Though deeply painful for our tribe and the people affected, this correction was necessary to protect the integrity of the tribal government, our culture and our history,”

Deeply painful for you sir? After all, when two large extended families were disenrolled, which is losing their citizenship in their nation and is not being kicked out of some club, you and the rest of the tribe got a raise in your per capita profit share from the casino of about 25 percent because we were about 25 percent of the tribe.

Answer me this sir, will you have drain your resources in your old age to take care of a handicapped child because you lost your health insurance like a Hunter family elder has to now do?

Protect the integrity of the tribal government sir?
So how does allowing the very people to vote on our disenrollment case while serving on the enrollment committee who had accused our families of not being legitimate tribal members in the first place and who also were very close relatives of people who submitted statements against our membership protect the integrity of the tribal government and how is it not malice or prejudice against us? After all, the band’s constitution and bylaws is supposed to protect individual members from malice or prejudice against them.

Especially when those same enrollment committee members, the final votes on the committee against us, said, “it doesn’t matter what you turn in you are getting disenrolled anyway.” OP: That was presented as evidence during appeal


Also, how does it protect the integrity of the tribal government when you don’t follow your own tribal constitution and bylaws which require you to enforce and uphold duly passed laws such as when the people, the final authority in all matters of tribal government, voted in 2005 to outlaw disenrollments?
The new law stated that all people who were in the tribe at that time in 2005 would remain tribal members but you and your council ignored the wishes of the people by allowing us, the Hunters, to be disenrolled in 2006 in violation of the new law.


Article V of the Temecula Band of Luiseno Mission Indians constitution and bylaws, sometimes referred to as the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians, says the following:

"IT SHALL BE THE DUTY OF ALL ELECTED OFFICERS OF THE BAND TO UPHOLD AND ENFORCE THE CONSTITUTION, BYLAWS, AND ORDINANCES OF THE TEMECULA BAND OF LUISENO MISSION INDIANS; AND, ALSO TO UPHOLD THE INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF EACH MEMBER WITHOUT MALICE OR PREJUDICE.”

The problem in tribes such as Pechanga is if they don’t follow their own constitutions and bylaws and duly passed laws, who can make them do so?

Finally sir, protect the culture and history of our tribe?
It isn’t our culture to turn our backs on our own people by rewriting history to, retroactively, exclude people who have always been historically part of the tribe!

Sunday, May 20, 2012

Who WIl Defend Snoqualmie from Non-Indians.

Debora sends a second letter to the Snoqualmie people. She's an attorney who's been threatened for speaking out. What first amendment? My Relations and friends, I can’t take it any more. I am angry, tired, and sad. I am representing a group of Snoqualmie tribal people who can no longer let non-Indians run their Tribe and casino. The attacks are now directed at me. I have not received any money. All of my work is pro bono because I am sick and tired of watching these people hurt the Tribe. I am blessed that William Kastner and my co-workers are behind this effort. I will send you all supporting documents soon. I thought this predatory behavior somewhat ended in Indian Country. Please help me and the Snoqualmie people bring these despicable acts to Indian brother’s country. . I need your help. This destruction has occurred in secrecy. No more I am all in and I am asking you to share this information ....I will send you more I need my Indian brothers and sisters to stand with the Snoqualmie people. This situation needs the bright light of the Creator to shine. For the first time in my life, and as an attorney I am being attacked and threatened. I welcome Sunday, I need you. The People need you to know about and witness this historic event. I am all in. I am done with this crap. ... I could no longer live with myself and stand by and watch my Brother and Sisters ....and Respected Elders be treated this way anymore. Win, lose, or draw .. I know I made the right decision Please share and come help us Sunday. Documents on their way Yours, Debora Nah Too Yii M'sStitukie Holy Mountain Woman

Saturday, May 19, 2012

After Eliminating 15% of the Tribe, PALA Opens Enrollment. HURRY, offer Ends Soon!

Pala delivered the news to members this week.  They are opening enrollment!   Robert Smith must've said... HEY, let's cut our tribe, then add some more!!   We are sovereign, and we don't have to show evidence or explain.    I'm the CHIEF, I don't need to tell you what I spend tribal money on.....

Are you descended from Pala people?  If so, GET YOUR APPLICATIONS IN!

Here's the flyer that went out:


Notice of acceptance of Enrollment Applications


 Speaking of which...Pechanga created a moratorium so that the enrollment committee would have time to correct the records.   How long does it take?   15 years is a long time even for Frances Miranda and Ihrene Scearce.  

Friday, May 18, 2012

Tribal Disenrollment is PAPER GENOCIDE. Bloodless Destruction of It's Tribal People Is Still Harmful

It has been discussed that tribal disenrollments in Indian Country is nothing short of genocide of families.  It's nothing compared to the horrors in Rwanda or Armenia of last century, however, tribes are eliminating large percentages of their people.   Just recently, The Pala Band of Mission Indians in N. San Diego County eliminated 154 people, taking a cue from their relatives and neighbors at Pechanga.

The Picayune Rancheria, near Fresno, eliminated almost 70% of their tribe, and STILL Fresno State University accepted money from the tribe for their linguistics program!  Pechanga at about 25%.   The Redding Rancheria even terminated the family of their FIRST Tribal Chairman, Robert Foreman.   Tribes are small, so when you phrase it as 400 people, it doesn't sound so bad, if you equate that to say, 8 MILLION Californians or 78 MILLION Americans, you'd get a truer picture.  The Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma has done the same with their Freedmen population, and I'm sure many readers would be surprised to know the Cherokee took their SLAVES on the Trail of Tears, dragging them as property..  

We've taken an article from Genocide Watch that details the stages of genocide and used them to illustrate what went on at the Pechanga Reservation in Temecula California, the tribe is led by Mark Macarro.  There is an urgent need for the enforcement of the Indian Civil Rights Act.

Please check out the links as the provide additional information.

From GenocideWatch.orgGenocide is a process that develops in eight stages that are predictable but not inexorable (unalterable). At each stage, preventive measures can stop it. The process is not linear. Logically, later stages must be preceded by earlier stages. But all stages continue to operate throughout the process.


1.Classification:   The Pechanga Enrollment committee claimed that Hunter Family was from a different set of Temecula Indians, not Pechanga.  Pechanga claimed the Manuela Miranda (Manuelas) descendents had broken ties to the reservation, even though they served on tribal government committees. They are not us, they are "them" or "those people".  They similary marked people in the moratorium. saying they "didn't belong" or there were too many of them.

2. Symbolization:   Rather than calling Hunters and Manuela’s Pechanga, they claimed Hunter’s were “San Luis Rey” because one relation put that on a census form, disregarding the fact that so many other families did the same thing. San Luis Rey and Luiseno meant the same thing.  The separatists claimed that Manuela Miranda wasn’t Pechanga anymore, as she cut her ties to the tribe as a FIVE YEAR OLD CHILD.   Her mother died and she had to move in with an older relative who just happened to be Candarlaria Nesecat Flores, whose descendants are still in the tribe. Flores was NEVER listed on ANY Census in the 1800’s, as Paulina Hunter was. This disenrollment was targeted because of the numbers of voters, and because their family stood up for what was right, namely the enrollment of rightful members.

3. Dehumanization:   The separatist group Concerned Pechanga People (CPP) issued flyers saying Manuelas and Hunters were trying to “take over the tribe”. Which means they didn’t like the way we voted or rather, couldn’t control the votes. Hunters and Manuelas were no longer “We”, but “THEM”. “THEY” don’t belong. Hunters had been living on the reservation DECADES before chairman Macarro was born and raised in San Bernardino, CA.

4. Organization:   The CPP, includes adopted member Butch Murphy and gadfly Ed Burbee, pushed for disenrollments. Murphy had previously tried to splinter the tribe. Burbee was concerned about increasing his income from the stolen per capita. Mark Macarro, stacked the enrollment committee with those pro-disenrollment families, even allowing families to be brought up out of turn, so that more enrollment committee members could vote for disenrollment. Families who were cleared from disenrollment out of the order the cases were taken were cleared by only three members of the enrollment committee, less than a legal quorum of the committee so they were never lawfully cleared. Mark Macarro also overruled the will of the people, claiming a lawful petition was invalid.  The BIA should suspend recognition of the tribe for violations of federally approved Tribal Constitution.

5. Polarization: The CPP pushed for disenrollment with numerous flyers, saying Hunters were trying to "take over" the tribe and with vocal shouts at meeting of “you don’t belong here” even though Hunters had an allotment from 1890’s when the reservation was created and vaunted elder Antonio Ashman’s sworn deposition stated he knew Paulina Hunter as a tribal member. The tribe believed Ashman about the eviction of 1875, but did NOT believe him about Paulina Hunter, whom he KNEW personally. The Macarro-led tribal council did nothing to stop the tactics, not using the “bully pulpit” to bring the tribe together. They preferred the separatist view, because it meant more money for them.

6. Preparation: The enrollment committee forced all Hunter paperwork to be certified, yet accepted handwritten notes, not notarized as evidence against the family. They refused to answer when questioned if there was anything missing or were there any other evidence against us. They paid the highly respected anthropologist John Johnson to trace Paulina Hunter’s ancestry and he proved Paulina Hunter was Pechanga. They did not use his report.  There was a quid pro quo with enrollment committee member Bobbi LeMere, enrolling members of her family, despite a moratorium on enrollment.   They built a case to fit a pre-determined outcome.

7. Extermination:    Macarro’s goal was to wipe the opposition votes out, to control his chairmanship. Extermination of families was no big deal to this man, who was a member of the Democratic Party’s platform committee. While the genocide against the Manuela’s and Hunters is "paper genocide" the reality is there. His goal was to make sure the Manuela’s and Hunters no longer exist as Pechanga. We lost all voting rights, right to attend and speak at meetings, health benefits, educational assistance, per capita distribution, elder assistance. Tribal members, who get a huge per capita check per month (As high as $30,500 at one point)that went up each time families were disenrolled still get benefits from the federal government that they don’t even need, but we who need those benefits cannot get them because we were disenrolled.

8. Denial:  Macarro had stated that there would be “no more disenrollments” after the Manuela Mirandas were terminated. He also said “what goes on in the tribe is no business of the white man”. He claimed it was “not about the money” yet the total lost to terminated members is over $250 Million. Lost to terminated members, means “found” by those remaining. He claimed that all parties had due process, when if fact, we were herded into groups, denied writing implements, denied attorneys, denied copies of charges and denied the right to question our accusers. We were given 30 minutes to appeal and again were forced into groups.   While not the ovens of Nazi Germany, the implications were clear, we were exterminated.

Disenrollment is PAPER GENOCIDE.

Adapted from a 2009 post...

Open Letter to Snoqualmie People: Stand UP for YOUR Rights, The BIA is Worthless

Dear Snoqualmie Citizens, My name is Debora Juarez and I am an enrolled member of the Blackfeet Nation. I also act as legal counsel for my Tribe and many more: I have been a lawyer for 25 years. When was young I helped take over Fort Lawton, and in my teen years I helped take over Cascadia (old Indian hospital) and protested on the Puyallup and Nisqually River for tribal fishing rights. I am part of Frank's Landing community and I represent our Indian school, Wahelut as well. All my Relations are in Blackfeet Country, Yakama, Warm Springs, and Puyallup . I served as legal counsel to both Governor Mike Lowry and Gary Locke. I was one of the trial lawyers in federal court in "Bolt II - the Shellfish case". Which we won and was affirmed by the United States Supreme Court. And, many, many years ago I represented the 7 unrecognized Tribes, including Snoqualmie. I was at Evergreen Legal Services, Native American Project during that period where we also challenged Jude's Boldt's health and senility. In short, I am a part of and understand Indian Country.

I was asked to look at the injustices the Snoqualmie People have endured for many years, most recently the political and financial actions of an expired tribal council and their illegal participation, as voting members, on the Snoqualmie Entertainment Board (SEA). This invalid council has suspended tribal elections for two (2) years and they continue to exercise a power they do not possess: they are not a tribally elected council. They have been making discretionary decisions that go right to the the core values of the Snoqualmie Tribal government. This includes determining the financial and political matters of the Tribe. Think Fiji.

As legal Counsel, I have never directly addressed a tribal citizenry (except my own tribe), but I feel compelled to say something. My words come from my heart with all due respect and honor to your People and Ancestors. I am an outsider just watching all of this upheaval and pain unfold. I am speaking as an Indian Woman, Mother, Grandmother, who was born and raised on the reservation, and as an Indian citizen committed to the betterment of all Indian people.

I know tribal politics, greed, predatory non-members, and the sickness that the casinos have brought to Indian country. Tribal leadership is casino crazy. Many Tribal governments think sovereignty is a "magic wand" and they can do as they please. Often, there is no checks and balances and many tribal council's hurt and deny their own people their civil rights and dignity. We all know that is true.

In all my years of representing Tribes, I have never witnessed such a staggering case of greed, arrogance, mean-spiritedness, secrecy, and the vindictive and retaliatory behavior of this "elected tribal council". In addition, I have never witnessed a tribal council, with absolutely no checks and balances, use the tribal treasury as their own personal bank account, SUSPEND constitutionally mandated elections for two (2) years, dismantle a court system, fire judges that rule against them, shut down the tribal administrative building in order to ignore a court order, issue CRIMINAL trespass orders via resolution based upon the vote of the (without the "alleged wrong-doers" present), fire tribal members for "talking about tribal politics", pass Resolutions that nobody can sue the tribal council or their employees, fire people at will, allow two members to sit on Council who actually plead guilty to theft and "padding" their timesheets.

We all fought so hard for self-governance, sovereignty, tribal courts, tribal police, only to have our own tribal governments treat us worse than Anglo Courts ! These acts would never ever occur, let alone be attempted, in any Washington State court. Never. I am writing this because I just can't stand watching this anymore without doing something ! A handful of tribal members and non-members have high-jack your Tribe and do what they please with absolutely no consequences.

And, my favorite (which we have on tape) sit in council chambers and actually VOTE on who to bring criminal charges against (with legal counsel and the prosecutor present, and the "alleged defendants !) and vote who NOT to bring theft charges against, more recently, Matt Mattson (please see Judge Woodward's written opinion) - we also quoted the language of the judge in both our letters to the BIA. The BIAhas never responded. I could go on and on. It is unbelievable, and sad.

Now, you have Matt Mattson preparing to deliver a speech about your financial health to a bunch non-members ! That is outrageous and disgusting ! Matt Mattson doesn't believe he owes you anything, not even the courtesy to tell you how he spends your money. You are the shareholders, he is suppose to be addressing the People he works for: The Snoqualmie citizens.

I don't understand how this cancer grew and why it continues to swallow your dignity, spirit and pride.

The Snoqualmie People have a beautiful casino, but you have no land base, no burial fund to care for the families that have lost a loved one (like all tribes do), your Elders do not have health care or housing, no treatment facilities, you receive no per capita from your Casino, there is no designated college fund or trust fund set up for your minors, you are not allowed to use YOUR own suite at Safeco field, tribal members still go to the tribal food bank, their is no housing (which you need to bring your people home) and, if you are lucky, you may have a functioning court that day to hear your case or file an appeal, if the Council hasn't banned or placed (unheard of) "sanctions" against you or your family.

But I learned you paid for Matt's sailboat, his hockey team, his country club membership, his Oregon bar dues, his cigar club, the list goes on and on.

So, I ask you all to please come together and demand your tribal elections. Put your differences and suspicions aside for one day and do the right thing: Do what is best for your future and children. This has to stop.

Sincerely,

Debora

Nah Too Yii Misti'Stucki Holy Mountain Woman

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Opinion: Should Fresno State Accept Money From a Civil and Human Rights Abusing Tribe, Picayune Rancheria?

Here is my opinion piece in the Sierra Star News

The Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians recently announced it would give $1 million to Fresno State's Department of Linguistics. At first glance, it may seem like a good thing for all involved, but a closer look tells a different tale.


Let's look at Chukchansi's issues :

Chukchansi defaulted on its casino note in November 2011, looking to restructure the loan. They couldn't pay their bill, yet have a spare million to give to Fresno State?


Last September Chukchansi disenrolled 87-year-old Ruby Cordero, a fluent Chukchansi language speaker, as reported in the Sierra Star. Chukchansi wants to preserve their language, yet sheds an elder like used tissue.


Chukchansi has violated 75% of the culture they hope to preserve, by sending their elders into the cold, stealing their per capita payments and canceling their heating stipends. Is that where the $1 million came from, turning off the heat for their elders? Shame on them.

Fresno State's Dean of Arts and Humanities says: "We are deeply honored to support the efforts of the Chukchansi people to revitalize and preserve their unique and historically significant language."


Would Fresno State have accepted money from The Republic of South Africa during their apartheid period? There is apartheid being practiced at the Picayune Rancheria. Fresno State should loudly and publicly proclaim that they will not accept any money from Chukchansi while they segregate their people.


The time has come for our politicians and our schools to use their powers of moral persuasion to encourage tribes like Chukchansi, and in my own case, the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians from down south, to act like proper sovereign nations and not take the easy "but they are sovereign" way out. We stood up to South Africa, we should do the same to Chukchansi.


COMMENTS ARE OPEN

Interlude: Sad News Donna Summer Dead at 63

For those of a certain age, she was the dance icon. Sad news that she died today at 63.
Last Dance for Donna Summer

Noted Flip-Flopper Pechanga's Mark Macarro Upset that Tavaglione "Flip-Flopped.

POT meet Kettle: From Tribal Chairman Mark Macarro: "Pechanga is in it to kill the project until the end. The only thing that really changed in the voting outcome was Supervisor Tavaglione's position. No one else changed their vote. "We are profoundly disappointed in Supervisor Tavaglione's flip-flop and the certification of this inferior document." This was his comment in regards to Tavaglione's acceptance of an evironmental impact report on the Liberty Quarry issue.

Remember when Macarro lied to Congress?

According to its stated purpose at the time, the tribe wanted to maintain existing cultural resources and native vegetation of cultural significance to tribal life, Silver said. Pechanga asserted in its application that given the "vast occurrence of cultural resources found on the site, no development is proposed." Based on that assurance, the Bureau of Indian affairs concluded in March 2001 that the proposed annexation would not harm the environment. By early 2007, however, the tribe was building a golf course on a portion of the land, Silver said

Mr. Macarro, go pound sand....or rocks...

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Polly's Grandaughter: Time for Elizabeth Warren to COME CLEAN?

Looks like Elizabeth Warren is being called out by REAL Cherokees. Read the open letter from Thoughts from Polly's Grandaughter Blog: Dear Ms. Warren, I am writing this letter in the hope it will help end the current situation you have found yourself in. It seems you are being ripped apart in the media because of your claim of Cherokee ancestry and you don't like it. According to a recent article in the Boston Globe, you believe your opponent is "creating a distraction" by "ridiculously" attacking you "with questions that have already been answered." It seems you would like the "attacks" against your claims of Cherokee ancestry to stop so I thought I would offer some advice on how to make it stop. Tell the truth.

Read more:

Source: www.pollysgranddaughter.com

Sample Boycott Letter for Pechanga

IF you were disturbed by what you heard on KCBS/KCAL9 regarding tribal disenrollment, here is a sample letter you can use. This one is for Pechanga, but you can get PALA information and submit that.  They won't know why you aren't coming back if you don't tell them


Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians

PO BOX 1477
Temecula, CA 92593
Fax: 951- 695-1778


Dear Pechanga Council,

I was appalled at the story presented by Cristy Fajardo on KCBS this week.

As a concerned citizen, I will not support a tribal nation that profits from the abuse of its citizens. After learning more about tribal disenrollment, paper genocide and the apartheid practiced on your reservation, I can’t in good conscience continue to spend my dollars at your casino or hotel.

Your tribe’s violations of human and civil rights are abhorrent and reminiscent of the actions of South Africa .

I refuse to support your actions and will actively work to get more of my friends and family to do the same. While I can support sovereignty, I can’t believe sovereignty was designed to help protect a nation of abusers.

Until you change your ways, from putting elders into the street and onto the backs of taxpayers, you will not get my business. I will be writing my representative asking that they look into enforcing the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968.

Restore honor and dignity to your tribe, and your business should improve.





Sincerely

Does the BIA Have Fiduciary Duty To Protect Pala Disenrolled? A Federally Approved Constitution Gives Them That RIGHT.

In a supplement to the BIA, attorney Dennis Chappabitty argues that not only does the BIA have a fiduciary duty to protect Pala disenrollees from a corrupt government. THEY HAVE THE RIGHT to do so because Pala has a federally approved constitution. We have written before how tribes like Pala and Pechanga have violated their own constitutions. Their recognition should be suspended pending review. Will our Federal government do their duty?
Supplemental Fidiciary 5.10.12[1]

MONEY QUOTE:

Robert Smith and the Executive Committee feel they are above the law to  the point where they all believe they can violate the plain provisions ofthe Tribe's federally approved Constitution without suffering any consequences.

Appellants urge the BIA to strongly assess Appellants' position that it is acceptable for the Department ofthe Interior to admonish their Executive Committee ofits open violations oftheir ICRA rights as guaranteed under their federally approved Constitution and Articles ofAssociation that the United States ofAmerica is ultimately responsible for enforcing compliance.

The Department of Interior must stand firm with Appellants against the Pala Executive Committee who feels it is beyond the reach of law and morality where it does not have to respect the plain provisions of its own federally approved Constitution. III.

CONCLUSION

In closing, Chairman Smith and the Executive Committee are violating Appellants' I CRA rights by not recognizing the Savings Clause in the Constitution and disenrolling them without legitimate facts or reasons, all in blatant disregard to their human rights. Intrusion by the BIA into this debacle is justified as in the execution of the Federal Fiduciary's duty to correct violations by the Tribe of the federally approved Constitution.

Pala's Chairman Smith Uses McCarthy-like tactic

In last night's KCBS broadcast of disenrollments at Pala and Pechanga, Pala  chairman Robert Smith sounded eerily like Joe McCarthy, when he claimed to have paperwork on the Margaret Brittains descendents, yet refused to show it.     "I have here in my hands...." McCarthy said...
Smith said he didn't have to show it because Pala was sovereign.   Well, customers, maybe you should refuse to visit that sovereign casino....

Welcome New Readers and Thanks to KCBS 2 for Bringing Tribal Abuse of Their Citizens to Light

Greetings to all viewers of tonight's KCBS 2 Los Angeles  story of tribal disenrollments presented by Cristy Fajardo.

The story primarily concerns Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians and Pala because they are local, but the story is similar throughout California and other states.

Now as a casino customer, should you be concerned?  YES.  Simply put, if casino tribes will CHEAT their own people, can they be trusted NOT to cheat YOU?

For those of you who came here to learn about what's been happening, I've put together some links to articles and websites we've published the past five years. It not complete,but will give you a picture of what has happened.  Please, come back often, share this site with your family and friends and with social media.

First, let's get the "but they are a sovereign nation" meme out of the way.  SO WAS SOUTH AFRICA. They had the right to practice apartheid, just as the US had the right to NOT invest in South Africa, leading the way towards nudging them (moral persuasion) in the proper direction.  Some of what is going on is nothing short of TRIBAL TERRORISM  and tribes are using sovereignty as a club to beat the weak and helpless.


So read on, and click on the links to learn more of the stories.

PECHANGA:

Mark Macarro declined to be interviewed for this piece. We believe it's because he was afraid of some questions about an FBI investigation into corruption and their former chairwoman. Pechanga has stripped the citizenship from 25% of the tribe, the Apis/Manuela Mirandadescendenta and the Paulina Hunter family and is keeping out 100 more in an unconstitional moratorium…. Pechanga took the word of a child molester over their hired expert, using hearsay to overrule documented evidence. And check out how Pechanga's council violate their OWN Constitution

Pala:

The Pala Tribe, as you heard tonight just recently terminated 162 members and led to a federal lawsuit The BIA recommended reinstatement but it looks like that isn't going to happen.

Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians

If you thought the first two tribes were bad, they are pikers compared to Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians. They have eliminated 70% of their tribe. They have a Tribal Council Dispute, the BIA is pathetic here, saying they can't intervene The story at Picayune Rancheria got so bad even the New York Times noticed. The Times was 10 years late to the disenrollment issue.

Award winning reporter Carmen George of the Sierra Star News has the storyon tribal elections. Fresno Bee reporter Marc Benjamin has more: on their tribal council dispute    And get this, Chukchansi gave a million to Fresno State to preserve their language, yet disenrolled their Chukchansi Language Speaker RUBY CORDERO!

Snoqualmie

This Washington state tribe has had a lot of problems we detailed them Snoqualmie allowed by Worthless BIA... The tribal members sued, but the tribe refuses to abide by court order.

San Pasqual

A curious case at San Pascual. Former Secretary of Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk overruled his own regional directors who had ruled the Alito family belonged in the tribe. The Alito family sued and San Pascual and Larry Echohawk do not come off well

Redding Rancheria
This is the saddest case. The Redding Rancheriaterminated the family of their first chairman, Robert Foreman They forced his family to dig up their ancestor to prove their lineage via DNA. It came back at 99.8% positive, but the new council laughed it off. This is the man who brought Indian Health Care to Norther California. The Tribe should have a STATUE of him in front of their government center, instead, they eliminated the family.

Cherokee Freedmen
The Freedmen draw the most attention thanks to it's racist component. The Freedmen were slave descendent. When you heard about the "trail of tears" did you hear the portion about the Cherokee dragging their slaves along with them?

Read more on these tribes:

Jamul

Oneida Nation

Enterprise Rancheria

Robinson Rancheria

United Auburn Indian Community

We need enforcement of the Indian Civil Rights Act

Read how the Native American Caucus of the Democratic Party was against civil rights.

Read how the TRIBAL ALLIANCE OF SOVEREIGN INDIAN NATIONS treat each other's sovereignty

How to express your moral outrage? Call Pechanga at (951-770-6000) and Pala at (760-891-3500) to express your disapproval, let them know you are NOT coming back.


OUR COMMENTS ARE OPEN, join in the discussion.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

KCBS News To Air Story on Pechanga and Pala Disenrollments Tonight @ 11 p.m.

We just received word from reporter Cristy Fajardo that her segment of the disenrollments at Pechanga and Pala will air tonight on KCBS 2 Los Angeles

Pala Chairman Robert Smith is interviewed for this piece, Pechanga chairman Mark Macarro declined to be interviewed. Please watch and tell your friends to watch CBS tonight.

Open Letter to Pala Chairman Robert Smith and the Pala Tribal Council

Dear Chairman Smith and Pala Council,



As you know, KCBS will be broadcasting a story on your tribe's disenrollment, and the disenrollments happening in California's Indian Gaming country.

Because of your harmful actions in stripping the tribal citizenship from 15% of Pala people, you all have brought shame to your tribe, and you've made Pechanga think they look better.

Your actions are broadcast over our blog: http://originalpechanga.com or if you don't trust the link, simply Google Original Pechanga's Blog to find them. The comments are high on some of the Pala posts:


http://www.originalpechanga.com/2012/02/pala-terminates-154-native-americans-15.html
http://www.originalpechanga.com/2012/04/questioning-pala-chairman-robert-smiths.html
http://www.originalpechanga.com/2012/03/terminated-pala-members-sue-federal.html

All deal with Pala's disenrollment. This link to NCTIMES article should be checked multiple times per day to let the NCTIMES know there is interest in the story.

http://www.nctimes.com/news/local/sdcounty/pala-tribe-may-be-targeting-dozens-of-members-for-removal/article_e007b8c3-8d01-5a8c-b9ec-5d7dfbb7b637.html

The Department of Justice, Department of Interior, House of Representatives and BIA are regular visitors of our blog. You will not come off well in the interview, as what you have done, virtually copying what Mark Macarro of Pechanga and his crew have done, is reprehensible.

Your actions have sparked a resurgence of interest in disenrollments and you have helped fuel the desire for justice that has waned with time. I will thank you all for bringing more people to our fight, even though it's disgraceful how it came about.

I'm thinking you can only hope that the upcoming indictments at Pechanga will take some notice from you all. At this point your shameful acts of disenrollment will stand on its own.

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Good Grief: Chukchansi, Which Disenrolled One of Their 87 Year Old Language Speakers, Pledges $1 Million to PRESERVE Their Language?

You can't make this stuff UP.


To keep its language alive the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians, which has defaulted on its casino loans pledged $1 million to Fresno State’s College of Arts and Humanities for the Department of Linguistics May 7.

College faculty and students have been working with native speakers of the language since 2009 to devise a writing system and produce a dictionary. These funds will further that effort. Before now the language hasn’t existed on paper.

“This is a rare and exciting opportunity for the students and faculty of the Department of Linguistics,” said Dr. Vida Samiian, dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, in a statement. “We are deeply honored to support the efforts of the Chukchansi people to revitalize and preserve their unique and historically significant language.” She said this gift from the Picayune Rancheria will enable the language to be properly documented so it can be brought back into social and ritual use for future generations of Chukchansi people.
It should NOT be an honor to work with Chukchansi, the way they have mistreated their people. The College should THROW THIS MONEY BACK IN THEIR FACES!


Jane and Holly Wyatt are two of only a handful of remaining tribal members left who speak the language fluently. NO SHIT? Could that be because the have DISENROLLED some of their speakers?

Both were happy and a little emotional at the prospect of the language having such a bright future when they spoke to KFSN-TV.
Holly Wyatt said she learned the language from her grandmother, “who raised us… that’s what we spoke around the house,” she said.

In making the gift, the tribal council pointed out how important keeping the language alive is for sustaining their cultural identity.
OP: They could return ALL their terminated peple and THAT would sustain their cultural identity. Instead, they have an incredible shrinking tribe.

“We are proud to make this gift as part of our efforts as a tribe to preserve, protect, and revitalize our cultural identity and traditions,” said Tribal Chairman Reggie Lewis in a statement. “It is extremely important to us that the language of our ancestors is not lost and that future generations of Chukchansi are able to learn and speak our native language.



Read about Chukchansi Language Speaker RUBY CORDERO

UPDATE:KCBS Planning Interviews of Disenrolled Pala and Pechanga. Robert Smith Is Interviewed. Pechanga's Macarro Declines

UPDATED for Comment by Me (OP) 

We are aware of interviews completed with disenrolled native Americans from Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians and Pala . KCBS-TV Channel 2 in Los Angeles reporter Cristy Fajardo conducted the interviews. Paulina Hunter descendents were interviewed, as were family of Manuela Miranda, who descends from Pablo Apis, on whose land grant the Pechanga Casino is on.

We know that the topic of the Jennie Miranda inquest came up. Could that be a reason why Mark Macarro declined to be interviewed? It's tricky business to obfuscate on camera, and he failed miserably the last time he was interviewed for an NBC piece. They caught him lying in 16 seconds. There is fear from tribal members that the Casino could be shut down after the FBI investigation is complete and indictments unsealed.

We believe the piece from KCBS/KCAL will be up next week. Please stay tuned here for more information.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY! Mother's are STILL fighting for their rights in Indian Gaming Country

Happy Mother's Day to all our reader's who have raised children. I know my mother would be proud that we are still fighting for our rights and are exposing the corruption of tribes that have disenrolled many mothers, leaving them to struggle, while others gain at their childrens expense. From Pechanga, we have had family member's, mother's watch as tribal rangers physically removed their children from the tribal schools. At Robinson Rancheria, we've seen mothers lose their homes, the place where they raised their children, due to corrupt government. At Redding Rancheria, we've seen their council for a family to dig up their mother's GRAVE for DNA, yet not accept their 99.85% proof of lineage. We've seen many mother's walk a protest line for their children, and unfortunately, we've seen other, greedy mother's, like Ruth Masiel, Tracey Avila, Jennie Miranda, Dora Jones, Frances Miranda put other mother's in the street or on the state to help keep their kids healthy... THANK YOU MOTHERS, for staying in the fight.

Saturday, May 12, 2012

Robinson Rancheria Evictees Speak Out On Tracey Avila Led Evictions

Evicted former members of Robinson Rancheria met with Lake County Publishing Thursday to share their experiences of a Tuesday eviction from the reservation.


Law enforcement officers of the Robinson Rancheria of Pomo Indians of California evicted people who were alleged to be illegally occupying five tribal homes owned by the tribe located on the Robinson Indian Rancheria Reservation. A press release submitted by Tribal Attorney Lester Marston stated the Tribal Court ordered the tenants who failed to pay, to move out more than a year ago, but they refused to leave.

"When I came home, police handed me a paper that said I had to be out at 11 a.m.," Inez Sands said. "They gave me the paper at 10:20 a.m."

"I was told if I went back to the reservation, I would be arrested," she said. "My stuff is still there."

Attorney Joseph L. Kitto, Esq. who represents the evicted parties said they were long-term residents living in the same homes for nearly or more than 20 years under a Mutual Help and Occupancy Agreement (MHOA) through the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

"The MHOAs were originally managed by Northern Circle, but the Tribe sought and received the assignment of the agreements in 2001. Shortly thereafter, all the residents met and were told that the tribe would be giving them deeds to their homes and would be providing services. Relying on this representation, the residents began paying for services, but no deeds were ever issued," Kitto said.

Kitto alleges that residents collectively, including now Chairperson Tracy Avila, refused to continue paying since they were not assured of the status of their homes and since the services were sporadic.

Marston responded saying, "This is the biggest crock of lies since Hitler told Chamberlain he was only interested in Sudetenland (part of what was Czechoslovakia)."

Marston said the evictees are trying to get reader's attention, because some of those evicted are elderly.

"Even elderly people have to keep their word and pay their bills. The tribe has shown the utmost respect to these individuals," Marston said.

But, Rosalie Want said she was given 30 minutes to pack up and was told she could pick up the rest of her belongings later. She said she has multiple sclerosis and diabetes and wasn't able to take her medicine. "I needed to go back to get my medicine and was told we had to leave now."

Want's husband, Ruben, said they had to leave everything behind except what they could fit into their car. "We had to leave a dog behind," Ruben said.

Allan Harrison said he had to leave his cat behind.

The evicted allege Robinson Rancheria tribal leader Tracey Avila, housing director Stephanie Rodriguez and the Tribal Business Council wanted the families out of the houses.
The members allege the evictions stem from refusing to pay a $125 fee to the rancheria for services such as garbage, insurance and street lighting.

"They weren't providing the services," Rosalie Want said.

Sands said she was sent a notice on Aug. 8, 2011 that she owed approximately $2,000 in back fees.
Kitto said the home Sands lived in sustained fire damage that was never fixed.

Marston said he has all contracts and receipts proving the repairs were done and that the tribe had to pay her insurance since she was in arrears.

Tribal member E.J. Crandell said, "I have a document that says Stephanie Hanson (Rodriguez) owes $6,800 as of 2010," he said. "She's a homeowner and she's not being evicted.

Stephanie Rodriguez said Friday, "They're right, I was behind in my payments just like them. The difference is I was willing to pay off that old outstanding balance to avoid being evicted ... I understand they're upset and I sympathize. All the documentation on this issue is on record. The statements they've given are twisted dramatizations of the facts but in the big picture it was legal and its done. My focus is on the next five families who have been selected to live on the reservation in our short supply of affordable housing."

Karen Ramos said both she and her husband lost their jobs with the tribe.

Marston said those who lost their jobs were at-will employees, but were fired for cause with reasons such as stealing, drug use and wrongful conduct on the job.