Sunday, October 20, 2013

Mark Macarro: LIAR! Pechanga's Golf Course on Land Macarro Told Congress Was Culturally Significant.

One of the meeting we had in Washington DC led to a discussion of the fact that land that Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro told Congress was culturally significant and need to be protected was now...A GOLF COURSE.   We've written about it before, but wanted to get it out front again, since Interior and The Department of Justice has been checking the site so frequently.

It's important because Pechanga is currently trying to steal water rights from allottees of the reservation and are lying ...again... to Congress.  We'd like to get a previous lie out front.


Below is a story about the Journey, a golf course built by the Pechanga Band on lands previously determined to be culturally significant. The golf course was cut through the Great Oak Ranch and adjacent property referenced in Chairman Macarro’s testimony to the House Resources Committee from April 17, 2002 regarding the Great Oak Ranch and the need to protect the resources they are on: 
Here is a preview of some of the most relevant testimony regarding the Great Oak Ranch and the invaluable resources that Tribe said it needed assistance in protecting from development.
We believe the resources found on the Great Oak Ranch should be 
preserved and remain within the Ranch. The sole purpose of the 

acquisition is the preservation and the protection of Luiseno people’s 

natural and cultural resources. The Pechanga Band is committed to 

protecting and preserving the invaluable and irreplaceable cultural 

resources of the Pechanga and Luiseno people. The cultural resources 

located within the Great Oak Ranch provide the Pechanga Band with the 
unique opportunity to protect and preserve such resources on property 
owned by the Tribe itself.


Once the Great Oak Ranch property is accepted into trust by the United States, it will become part of the Pechanga Reservation. TheTribe will exercise powers of self-government, including civil regulatory jurisdiction, to protect the unique archaeological,biological and cultural resources, as well as the historic and sacred  sites on the Great Oak Ranch.
Mr. Hayworth: “Chairman Macarro, does the Pechanga Tribe have any plans for development of any kind on the Great Oak Ranch property?”
Mr. Macarro: “No, we don’t. As stated in our application to Interior/BIA, we stated or have designated there is no change of use in the property, and the intended use and purpose is to preserve and protect the resources that are there. The cultural resources in particular are also very significant. Along the base of all the foothills there are
significant old village sites, dark midden soil area, cremation areas and associated sacred sites.”
Mr. Hayworth: “… Just one follow-up, and for purposes of the record, Mr.Chairman, does the tribe plan to use the Great Oak Ranch for gaming purposes or any purposes other than what you have just outlined?”
Mr. Macarro. “No, the tribe does not.”

Needless to say, the development of the golf course and other projects on land that was supposed to be free from impacts in no way reflects the “no change in use” testified to by Mr. Macarro. While the transfer of the Ranch property protected it from the proposed power line project, the transfer did not protect the Ranch or its resources from tribal development projects, including the golf course. 

“The transfer of the Great Oak Ranch and eventual development of the property is tragic,” stated John Gomez, Jr.* “If the golf course project, or any other development, had been proposed on private property as culturally rich and significant as this, you better believe that tribal officials would have taken every action, whether it be lawsuits or acts of Congress, to stop it. Unfortunately, the duty to protect and preserve does not apply to tribal projects that may add to the bottom line.” 

In addition to the impacts development has had on the cultural and archaeological resources on the Great Oak Ranch and the surrounding area, it appears that the tribal officials’ double-talk was reason enough for the City of Temecula and others to raise serious concerns regarding a recent bill sponsored by Congressman Issa to transfer additional lands to the United States government for the Pechanga Band.

The bill, HR 2963, which was passed in September, transferred land in Riverside and San Diego Counties for “the protection, preservation, and maintenance of the archaeological, cultural, and wildlife resources thereon”. Based on their experience with the Great Oak Ranch transfer, the City of Temecula and local residents sought and received language in HR 2963 that would restrict development. However, only time will tell if the bill language is enough to protect the invaluable cultural and archaeological resources from the development plans of tribal officials. 

In response, Pechanga's General Counsel John Macarro, wrote, "Once the land is placed in trust, a tribe has complete zoning and planning authority over it and can change land uses just as a county or city can change or update its general plan or zoning designations." Meaning: Just because we said we wanted to maintain cultural sites and don't propose development if you just give us the land free, doesn't mean we can't put a golf course there.
Memorable layout offers scenery and history
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE
November 18, 2008
TOD LEONARD / Union-Tribune
You’ll want to avoid the boulder-strewn brook on this hole at Journey at Pechanga.
TEMECULA – Southern California’s newest golf course is called Journey at Pechanga and its slogan is “10,000 years in the making.”
If that sounds a little gimmicky, like a freeway billboard for the opening of a new ride at Knott’s Berry Farm, give us a minute to put it into perspective.
One hundred and 33 years ago, the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians made the most significant journey in the 10,000 years they had lived in the Temecula Valley. Ranchers convinced a San Francisco District Court to evict them from their ancestral land, and a posse led by a San Diego sheriff forced the tribe into a small plot in the hills south of Temecula.
Seven years later, in 1882, despite objections from the California Legislature, President Chester A. Arthur gave the tribe back a small piece of its sovereignty when he issued an executive order setting aside 4,000 acres to create the Pechanga Indian Reservation.
It was a tiny slice of the vast area they once roamed, but it was, importantly, theirs.
So, understand, that this rather grand name, Journey at Pechanga, has a purpose. The tribe wants this to be more than a round of golf. This is about history, too.
“Everything we did was dictated by the culture of the tribe. It was important to respect that,” the course’s primary architect, Steve Forrest, said last week when Journey celebrated its grand opening.
Forrest likes to say that some of his most difficult challenges as an architect can produce the most satisfying results, and in the Journey he had one-of-a-kind issues he countered with wildly creative solutions. The result for golfers is one of the more memorable layouts in all of Southern California.
Be it working your ball around 900-year-old oak trees in the middle of the fairway, or counting the seconds of your drive’s free fall from a 200-foot cliff, the Journey is a unique experience shaped by the will of a people.
“It’s certainly one of the most exciting and dramatic pieces of land we’ve ever had,” said Forrest, who worked with partner Arthur Hills on the project for the past five years.
The challenges were many, including convincing the tribe to even build a golf course. For reasons cultural and economic, there was considerable resistance from some members.
“I was privileged enough to sit in on the vote,” Forrest said. “The whole tribe came in, and it was a very democratic process. Everybody went up to the front of the room to vote. The results were flashed up on a board immediately. And it wasn’t a sweeping majority who approved it, believe me.”
  The tribe’s restrictions did force Forrest into some odd circumstances. An oak in the middle of the ninth fairway couldn’t be moved, and it presents a rather large hazard in the heart of the driving zone. The par-5 11th – 463 yards from the whites – is a severe and narrow dogleg right around Pechanga Creek that all but demands three iron shots.
Evidence of Pechanga’s heritage is there at nearly every turn. To the right of the fifth green is a protected area with a crumbling adobe ruin. “Kiicha” huts, constructed by children in the tribe as a cultural education, punctuate the course’s landscape. Several elaborate, railroad-style wooden bridges provide an Old West ambience.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chairwoman Senator Maria Cantwell when asked Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians Chairman Mark Macarro and BIA Secretary Kevin Washburn how Pechanga allottees get just and equable allocations in S1219 The Pechanga Water Rights Bill While the Pechanga Band may have an interest in the water rights issue, that interest flows mainly from claims that it solely represents the Temecula Indians and Temecula Indian allottees in this issue. This is not true.

Mr. Washburn stated it is a remaining issue and concerns individual allottees. Furthermore he stated these things need to be resolved in order to be supportive.

Chairman Macarro tried to answer by saying the settlement shouldn’t affect our rights at all.
• The truth is it does affect our rights the bill states you need to be a federal recognized allottee member of Pechanga to be recognized for this bill.

The tribe is inserting language into the new bill that changes the definition of allottees to a tribal member, excluding those of us who actually HAVE an allotment on the reservation.


Anonymous said...

Mr. Macarro replied "it shouldn't effect our rights at all", "shouldn't", red lite alert! Karma is and will follow you Mark. Good things, good Karma. Bad things, bad Karma.

Anonymous said...

Sovereignty is not immunity to civil rights.

Anonymous said...

Now is the time for these United States Political Leaders to make a decision to stop these wrongful disenrollments altogether. One day the truth will come out about how they let these heinous crimes happen against the individual Indian by their own people, and how people like Kevin Washburn had the power to stop it. They will be remembered by how they did not act upon this situation that is growing rampant through out Indian Country. They will be known as weak, greedy leaders. They need to step up to the plate now and act. Protecting evil tribal leaders is not the way to go. No matter who is in charge the US still gets their money from the Casinos, and who does it hurt making the tribes re-enroll their members who have proof?, it hurts no one except the Corrupt Tribal Executive Committees. If others who are enrolled feel that it hurts them, then it is all about the money for them. For the disenrolled, getting them re-enrolled is justice, they would regain faith in the system and in themselves. They would be recognized again for who they were and know their heritage is strong. They would get back their pride and re-gain a sense of belonging. They would be able to relate to family like they used to, and be able to walk around with their heads held high.

'aamokat said...

If it isn't clear, Mark Macarro was testifying to the house resources committee on April 17, 2002 so these quotes are from the actual United States congressional record when he said that no development at all would take place on the Great Oak Ranch. We are not putting words in his mouth so unless golf has been culturally significant over the centuries, the tribe elminated real cuturally and environmentally significant resources forever in favor of golf after promising not to do so. This plege is also in the aplication for land transfer with the United States Dept. of Interior. Interesting that a lot of the same wording that was used to stop the gravel pit that Liberty Quarry wanted to put in. Not many know this but about 10 to 12 years ago the tribal leadership proposed having a gravel pit of their own on tribal land but it wasn't appoved by the people. As I remember it, it was because it wasn't econmically feasable so how it would have effected the land wasn't the overriding factor.

'aamokat said...

"“We believe the resources found on the Great Oak Ranch should be


preserved and remain within the Ranch. The sole purpose of the
acquisition is the preservation and the protection of Luiseno people’s
natural and cultural resources. The Pechanga Band is committed to
protecting and preserving the invaluable and irreplaceable cultural
resources of the Pechanga and Luiseno people. The cultural resources
located within the Great Oak Ranch provide the Pechanga Band with the
unique opportunity to protect and preserve such resources on property
owned by the Tribe itself."

Notice how Mark Macarro in his testimony to congress takes it upon himself to speak not only for Pechanga but also for the Luiseno people, which we, even though we are disenrolled are still considered. So he spoke for the other people considered Luiseno from Pala, Pauma, La Jolla, Rincon, Soboba, and San Luis Rey? Hardly! If he was really speaking for Luiseno cultural resources, instead of Pechanga's bottom line, which it turns out to be the case with the development of the golf course on the Great Oak Ranch, there wouldn't be a golf course there today.

Just as he isn't representing our interests for our water rights as allottees of the Pechanga reservation.

Anonymous said...

Some body take this crook out already along with Robert Smith I'm sick of them screwing over everyone their own people the government and getting away with it because nobody Congress,BIA, Washburn, DC will do nothing!! The people can't stop them without resorting to violence is that what they want when they say handle it at a tribal level ? It's just getting ridiculous how long are they gonna be allowed to walk around and get away with these things?

Anonymous said...

If the IRS or Feds read this Robert smith is using the casino ATMs to rip off the tribe the transaction charge goes into an account for himself and partners. Also look into the laundry Matt across from the mission. And he doesn't live in his house in Pala but claims to for tax purposes take a look.

Anonymous said...

Sounds like you have no faith in tribal cultural resource management. I would rather have tribal management of cultural resources that the State or some private entity that just destroys. I am pretty sure the cultural resources on that site have been properly saved. A tribe should be able to manage cultural resources on trust land, especially when developing that land.

Anonymous said...

We have allot of faith in tribal cultural resource management, as long as the leadership is willing to protect the bands cultural resources including respect for every members rights and cultural history. Elected officials who allow mismanagement of records, and people history, lies and misinforms others can not be trusted any more than State or private entities who bulldoze cultural sensitive sites, for personal gain.

Anonymous said...

We had faith in our tribal government too. Until Butch Murphy and his band of thieves tore our tribe apart.

One has to believe that the Pechanga government cares more about BONES, than they do living people?

The Tribal Council should have been working to protect the tribe and make it stronger.

Reinstatement_Restitution said...

I have no faith in the ability of corrupt tribal officers to protect the cultural heritage of native peoples. On the other hand I have the greatest confidence that they are stealing as much as they can from their own people, and both positions are supported by a great deal of proof.

Congress and the Courts are taking a pass at helping victimized citizens. Civil rights abuses abound, along with deceit, treachery, theft, discrimination, and boldfaced disregard of vows of office. Our dual citizenship status actually hurts us. The laws and government of our own nation will not protect us. The laws and government of Indian Nations eradicate us.

We did nothing wrong. We can prove our right to belong. As another poster insinuated, is the BIA inciting us to violence? Will we get immunity for taking action?

Once again, our dual citizenship hurts us. The police will protect the tribal leaders against violence and prosecute anyone who seeks remedy by taking it out directly on the those who perpetrate the crimes.

We are seriously backed up against a wall.

'aamokat said...

"Anonymous said...
Sounds like you have no faith in tribal cultural resource management. I would rather have tribal management of cultural resources that the State or some private entity that just destroys. I am pretty sure the cultural resources on that site have been properly saved. A tribe should be able to manage cultural resources on trust land, especially when developing that land.

October 23, 2013 at 8:53 PM"

Read again what Mark Macarro said if you haven't already done so.

"Mr. Hayworth: “Chairman Macarro, does the Pechanga Tribe have any plans
for development of any kind on the Great Oak Ranch property?”

Mr. Macarro: “No, we don’t. As stated in our application to
Interior/BIA, we stated or have designated there is no change
of use in the property, and the intended use and purpose is to
preserve and protect the resources that are there.
The cultural resources in particular are also very
significant. Along the base of all the foothills there are
significant old village sites, dark midden soil area, cremation
areas and associated sacred sites.”

Mr. Hayworth: “… Just one follow-up, and for purposes of the record, Mr.
Chairman, does the tribe plan to use the Great Oak Ranch for
gaming purposes or any purposes other than what you have just
outlined?”

Mr. Macarro. “No, the tribe does not.”

But the tribe promised to both congress and Dept. of Interior that if the land was put into trust and made part of the reservation that no development whatsoever was going to be done on this land. So no development means exactly that, no development no matter what lip service and token protection such as the removal and replanting of oak trees from areas where the golf course now stands is a slap in the face to the Luiseno people as no, this tribe does not speak for the Luiseno people most of whom, it turns out, had no voice in the matter. "A promise is a promise Lieutenant Dan!" But it means nothing to the Macarros though.

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Anonymous said...

Ok this is ENOUGH!!! I know this man since ive moved here to PECHANGA RESERVATION. You all need to stop complaining about things like this. What would the other people do as in everyone else in the world? It could have been a strip club area or a drug store. I bet more then 1 tribe leader says "for all of us that are Luiseno." So stop complaining about things and other people you probably DONT even KNOW so all of you can knock the " Im better then everyone act" ok? No one cares about being better then people who feel like they are better then everyone just because the feel sorry for themselves and wish they had a better life then what they have or because of the color of their skin or how they look or how they live or how much they make.