Sunday, November 1, 2015

Department of Justice WILL Investigate ONE Young Girl's ARREST for Civil Rights Violations, BUT WILL NOT Investigate the BIA: Letter to Attorney Gen. Loretta Lynch and The Civil Rights Department

We have all seen the horrendous video of a young girl's violent arrest in South Carolina, which resulted in the firing of the police officer involved.  The FBI and DOJ will be looking into the issue.  WHY THEN, does the DOJ REFUSE to look into the violations of over TEN THOUSAND Native American's Civil Rights?    Is the priority that which gets news coverage?   If so, we must increase our efforts to make news.....


It's time for AG Loretta Lynch to investigate the Bureau of Indian Affairs.  For failing to protect the rights of Native Americans, from abuse BY Native Americans.  Please fax a letter.
US Attorney General Loretta Lynch


The Honorable Loretta Lynch
United States Attorney General
Department of Justice Building
950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington, DC 20530
Fax: (202) 514-0293

Dear Attorney General Loretta Lynch:

I respectfully submit this letter urging the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division to commence a full-scale investigation into the gross civil and human rights violations which have infected Indian Country, including an investigation into wrongdoing or complicity by the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Throughout Indian Country, tribal officials have taken actions which have denied and/or stripped ten thousand individual Indians of their citizenship rights and privileges as tribal members and denied them access to federal benefits and programs in the areas of housing, education, health, voting and public works assistance.  Your predecessor was disturbingly quiet when asked for help.

The most recent egregious example is the of the Federated Tribes of Grand Ronde, which just terminated 85 members, living AND dead from the tribe.      


Pechanga, Pala, Redding, Snoqualmie, Nooksack, Chukchansi, Enterprise, San Pasqual are just a few tribes which have terminated the rights of their people, but it's certainly enough to generate an inquiry.

In some instances, the illegal actions occurred decades ago, however, there has been a marked increase since Indian Gaming has evolved into a multi-billion dollar business. Tribal leaders justify their right to systematically deny and/or strip basic rights and privileges from their citizens under the guise of tribal sovereignty. Sovereignty was not meant to be a club to beat the weak and helpless.  A gentle reminder: The Republic of South Africa was a sovereign nation also, and the United States stood up to that oppression, thanks to the Congressional Black Caucus. The honorable Diane Watson spoke out against tribal disenrollment.

The time is right for your department's civil rights division to use it's full force on the corruption that has spread throughout Indian Country.  That includes the BIA not doing its duty to protect all native Americans.

Tribal leaders have routinely committed acts to deny Indian individuals due process; equal protection of tribal, state, and federal laws; property interest rights; and voting rights. Theses actions have been carried out in gross violation of tribal and federal laws, such as the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968, which were specifically enacted to guarantee and protect the rights of the individual Indian.  If you will recall, in President Obama's State of the Union, he said this: but surely we can agree that the right to vote is sacred; that it's being denied to too many.   Well it certainly is TRUE in Indian Country, where many of us, who have been disenrolled can no longer vote in tribal elections or on an matter that will affect us.

Using sovereignty to oppress the weak and render them helpless is abhorrent. The federal government can no longer allow the offending tribes and tribal officials to claim that this is a sovereignty issue that rests solely within the domain of tribal courts and tribal law. Few Tribes actually have tribal courts. And, in most cases, the tribal government officials responsible for the violations of law are the very same people who pass judgment as to whether or not laws have been violated - they are the judge, jury and alleged criminal all rolled into one
.
The United States has a trust responsibility to the thousands of individual Indians whose basic rights have been infringed upon. Unfortunately, the Bureau of Indian Affairs has determined that their trust responsibility extends only to the tribal government and government officials and not to the thousands of individual Indian victims.  

Therefore, I believe that the DOJ has the legal and moral responsibility to investigate and prosecute such violations of basic rights.  There are clear violations of the First and 14th amendments.   “...nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law.  In my family's case, we were herded like cattle to the slaughter, with no representation, no right to question our accusers, we weren't even allowed writing implements.

I urge you to direct the DOJ Civil Rights Division to initiate an investigation into the growing number of human and civil rights violations described above.


In addition, I hope that any investigation would not be short-circuited by those who would claim tribal sovereignty as a justification for inaction.  Those two words should not be enough to deny the most basic rights to thousands.  

Nor should justice be denied as a result of political wrangling by politicians fighting to protect their tribal “clients” who funnel millions of dollars into their campaign coffers.  Lobbyists make the world go around in Washington DC, but I believe as should you, Madam Attorney General, that the United States Department of Justice would see that that "world" does NOT included the free power to abuse.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

The time has come. #stoptribalgenocide

Anonymous said...

I just copied my letter and sent it in.

REFORM_BIA said...

Reforming the BIA is essential. Look out for Reform_BIA. Starting a movement. Yes!!!!

Anonymous said...

A good place to start Mrs. Lynch would be California. The likes of Robert Eben, Francis Muncey in Riverside Ca.. And the Pacific Regional office in Sacramento Ca. the home of AMY DUTSCHKY. These 3 government employees will make any investigation simple.

Anonymous said...

where would Loretta Lynch be working right now if it wasn't for her Civil Rights Leader, Martin Luther King. She would probably be A greeter at Wal Mart.Or bagging grocery's at stater brothers. How soon they forget what's right and what's wrong when they land a job like
The United States Attorney General.
You of all people should know that these so Called Tribal Dictators are wrong in doing what they do to Legit Tribal Members. If you are waiting for us to beg you to do your job, you will have a long wait because we are Native American Indians and we should be protected by you and you Government.
We are only fighting for the Truth to be herd, and having our Civil Rights protected by the Government that was supposed to do so.
Instead you all are turning the other way and refusing to do you jobs.
And with all the complaints that have come to light on the BIA corruption, you still do nothing to help.
So what is the problem, do we have to act like assholes and be violent in order to get your attention on these issues? are we wasting our time with you or is it violence that you want.

WeRone said...

The other part of the story the creator has created is our part. We can either sit idle and wait for the truth to be shared by others, or we can help share the truth! The faster,louder the truth is shared the easier it is to accept it. Our Ancestors faced huge amounts of lies and misinformation from settlers or invaders who tried to ignore the truth and take away their rights. Finally the truth settled some issues until others within the bands took over were the settlers and invaders left off. Hopefully we can remember why we are here, to honor our Ancestors and appreciate what they went through to get here and have us! I'd rather share the truth than sit idle!

Anonymous said...

The Pauma Band of LuiseƱo Indians is celebrating victory in its long-running gaming compact dispute with the state of California.
The tribe hopes to collect $36.2 million in revenue sharing payments made under a 2004 compact. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday ruled that the tribe is entitled to the money because the state engaged in misrepresentation about the number of available licenses for gaming machines.
"The opinion means that states will be held accountable for misrepresentations made to tribes during gaming compact negotiations, and that states will not be able to reap the rewards of their own overreach," tribal attorney Cheryl Williams told Metropolitan News-Enterprise

Anonymous said...

I would like to know what has Rick Cuevas accomplished? Weather you like Rick Cuevas or not, what has he accomplished?? His own family barely supports him. why do you? Thanks

Anonymous said...

"what has Rick Cuevas accomplished?"

He shines the light into the dark crevasses where the cockroaches scurry and hide. He has helped save those disenrolled who own land allotments and live on the reservation from having there water rights taken from them.

What have YOU done?

Anonymous said...

Anon 2:16 why do you care? if you don't like the blog, simple, don't follow it. It takes a lot of courage to stand up for what is right, and Rick has been one of the few who has been able to do it. Regardless if it's Pechanga or another corrupted tribe, the truth will always be shown on this blog. You attack Rick, you attack the thousands of supporters too.

Anonymous said...

What the truth is, why would you kick out over 200 members with voting rights? True answer, is to hold office! Since disenrollment became part of Pechanga story no changes can be made on the tribal council. Take away 1/3 of the voting members and the band lives with what? The same council who can not get anything new accomplished? What new has been accomplished in the last 10yrs?

Anonymous said...

The blog gets to share the TRUTH!

Anonymous said...

OMG what has Rick done, well he is the one constant we can depend on. This man is dedicated to the cause of ending disenrollments and reinstating those that have been wrongly disenrolled. He gathers information and more information on a daily basis and is relating it to the people. He writes letters, emails, blogs, articles, and more all to help bring us all justice. He involves himself in the research of his own people, and is devoted to making sure every entity is notified of the corruption, whether they do something about it or not is one thing, but with Rick around they cannot say they did not get it or see it. He is on top of everything. He offers up his precious time for all. He also puts his name front and center on this blog and is willing to do this to get the info to the people. If it was not for Rick, we, the disenrolled would not have the availability of the info we have been given, and we would not be as involved in our fight for justice. Unless you have been disenrolled and stripped of everything you know, then you cannot understand the situation. Rick is our light, our leader, our warrior. More Indians should be like him and not scared to fight. Onward through the fog!

WeRone said...

Warriors are few and far between. Rick has enabled the truth to be shared and keeps a shining light on the corrupt. Thank you Rick!

Unknown said...

Thank you Rick for everything you have done for everyone who has been disenrolled and there civil rights have been violated! We're never giving up ever on this fight!

Phil Cuevas said...

He keeps this issue from just going away. Which is what the CPP's(Corrupt Pechanga People)want. BTW, not all Pechanga people just the corrupt ones. And he is not afraid to post his comments under his true identity as some do anonymously.......

Phil Cuevas - part of the 150

John Davey said...

What has Rick done? Well, he's done far more than just posting an anonymous blog comment.

Unknown said...

Troll

Anonymous said...

Sounds like victor rocha being envious.

Anonymous said...

Rick Cuevas is at the forefront of Native civil rights.

We are not going anywhere

Unknown said...

Survival of our culture is prophised