You're No Indian Documentary Continues to Reap Film Festival Awards Please look for it

 Congratulations to Ryan Flynn and Santana Rabang for the continued success in their documentary You're No Indian, which is showing to sellout audiences, in theaters large and small.   It seems like everyone wants to see this film, which discusses the scourge of tribal disenrollment in Casino Indian Country

Make you think there was a reason why the Palm Springs International Film Festival PULLED this film even after it had two sold out showing scheduled

The latest awards

Ryan Flynn and Santana Rabang
Joanelle Romero Impact Award

Pechanga Resort & Casino Entertainer Trevor Noah Threatened with TRUMP LAWSUIT

 Last night's Grammy Awards had some fireworks.   Purported funny man Trevor Noah, last night made an outlandish remark about President Donald Trump and linked him to Epstein Island, a place he's NEVER BEEN    

You may remember Noah, from Comedy Central.  I remember him being a South African who performed at Pechanga's APARTHEID RESERVATION.   I wrote about that in 2018  Trevor Noah, South African Ignores APARTHEID to Perform at Pechanga Resort & Casino  and we wrote him letters asking him not to perform.  

Trevor Noah Apartheid Supporter

Here's a video of my cousin, who describes her black children being dragged out of Pechanga's tribal school    This was due to disenrollment of our family from the Pechanga Tribe, of which our great great grandmother was porn into, and we still have family living on that reservation in Temecula.

Funny/Strange how we can't get entertainers to stand up and refuse to perform.  It is a special kind of disappointment when venues refuse to confront the harm it has caused.  When venues deny the civil and human rights of their own people, they create a stain that no headliner should fully wash away. Artists like Trevor Noah build careers on authenticity, justice, and speaking truth to power, yet too often they perform on stages erected on unresolved injustice, like he did at Pechanga.  

That contradiction is especially painful when the artist’s own history stands in stark contrast to the practices of the venue. Trevor Noah, a Black South African born into the legalized racism of apartheid, performed at the Pechanga tribal casino—an institution we argue operates under an apartheid-like system after disenrolling its own tribal members.    For those who lived through or inherited the trauma of exclusion, watching that moment felt like a profound missed opportunity: a chance for solidarity that never arrived. When celebrated voices lend their presence without questioning the cost, it can feel as though injustice is being normalized, even rewarded. The disappointment isn’t just about who didn’t show up to denounce Pechanga's actions—it’s about the moral gap between the stories we applaud on stage and the realities we ignore behind it.  See LeBron James.... who gets a TWOfer, with China AND Pechanga

Sovereignty IS NOT A SHIELD FOR ABUSE, Tribal Leaders "OH YES IT IS" Native Youth MUST SPEAK OUT

 

THIS PICTURE IS HORRIBLE
Yes, so is TRIBAL DISENROLLMENT
AND ABUSE OF ANCESTORS

Sovereignty Is Not a Shield for Abuse yet, tribal leaders claim it is.  South Africa was a sovereign country, we stood against the apartheid system there.  
  
Disenrollment, Silence, and Power: Why Native Youth Should be Demanding Accountability

Ethical governments and businesses are expected to uphold basic human rights. History shows that when institutions abuse power, the world eventually responds—through boycotts, divestment, and public pressure.

Pechanga’s actions and those of all disenrolling tribes—denying civil rights, silencing dissent, and punishing families—are not meaningfully different from other systems of exclusion the world has condemned. Sovereignty was never meant to be a shield for injustice.  

You live in a time where silence is no longer neutral.

You understand transparency.
You understand accountability.
You understand that mental health, identity, and belonging matter.

You also understand influence—how conversations, social pressure, and moral clarity move change faster than petitions ever did.

Your elders may not hear this message online. But they will hear it from you.

Ask them:

• Why were families erased instead of reconciled?

• Why was dissent punished instead of addressed?

• Why was culture treated as a privilege instead of a birthright?

Respect does not mean obedience.
Tradition does not mean silence.

If Pechanga is to have a future worth inheriting, it must first confront the truth about its past.

City of Angels FILM FESTIVAL to Screen You're No Indian, The Documentary Disenrolling Tribes DO NOT WANT YOU TO SEE

 

The Ryan Flynn film tackles the important topic of Tribal disenrollment, the process by which an individual loses their right to be a member of a federally recognized tribe, which has impacted over 11,000  Native Americans and their lineages.    

If you've missed the screenings, NOW is your chance.  You can get tickets here 

Silence is NOT GOLDEN, it's COMPLICITY.   DO NOT BE SILENT

A THIRD SHOWING of You're NO Indian on Sale NOW, for Fresno CA. Chukchansi Tribe LOOKS DISGRACEFUL

 GO TO yourenoindian.com      It's having so much success, PLEASE pass it on!

SQUAXIN ISLAND TRIBE'S DISENROLLMENT RULED - - ARBITRARY and CAPRICIOUS

 This case has been resolved in tribal court, with the court ruling the tribe's decision was arbitrary and capricious.   You can see that decision here    You can read background here  And here is the video of the story here:

and   APPELLANTS are to REMAIN in the TRIBE!

Pechanga YOUTH, ASK QUESTIONS. Tribal Gaming Led to Tribal Disenrollment, Self-Reliance Was the Promise. Silence Became the Policy.

 

More than a decade ago, Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro stood before the people of California asking for support—support for Native American self-reliance. Most Californians understood that message clearly: gaming revenues would be used to strengthen Native communities, protect families, preserve culture, and ensure that no one was left behind.  Oh, yes, they promised to help California's budget, how'd that work out?

That promise helped pass referendum after referendum. Pechanga leadership became the public face of California’s Native nations. Voters trusted that self-reliance meant taking care of one another.

But at Pechanga, self-reliance came to mean something very different.

It came to mean shrinking the tribe by excluding rightful people.
It came to mean silencing dissent.
It came to mean: cash your check and don’t ask questions.

Power Without Accountability

Pechanga’s Constitution and Bylaws guaranteed open enrollment every January. Yet in 1997, the Tribal Council approved a moratorium on enrollment, claiming it was temporary—just long enough to “catch up” on applications. That moratorium never meaningfully ended.  Kind of link temporary taxes our government promises us, that we're still paying for.

When the Pechanga people exercised their right to self-governance in 2005 and passed a valid petition to halt disenrollments, the Tribal Council dismissed it—arguing that the General Council had no authority over enrollment matters.

So let’s be clear about what that means:

• The people can vote to keep people out

• But the people cannot vote to keep people in

That is not sovereignty. That is selective power.

The Human Cost of Disenrollment

Over time, Pechanga leadership eliminated nearly 25% of its own citizens.

CASINO TRIBE'S CREATED A PAPER GENOCIDE With Tribal Disenrollment There's a SONG about

My Cousin Kent Appel  "Amo'kat to many wrote and sings this song, with music to the tune of Indian Reservation.  You can here it here on YOUTUBE

 A PAPER GENOCIDE (LAMENT OF THE DISENROLLED INDIAN) WORDS BY 'AMO'KAT: To the tune of Indian Reservation, originally by Paul Revere and the Raiders  

WE WERE ONE INDIAN NATION
WHEN THEY PUT US ON OUR RESERVATION
WE WERE AT ONE WITH THE LAND
MADE OUR HOMES WHEN THERE WAS ONLY SAND

WE WERE ONE LAND WE WERE ONE TRIBE
NO CASINO JUST NATIVE PRIDE
BUT SOME OF OUR FRIENDS WE HAD FOR YEARS
CAUSED A PAPER TRAIL OF TEARS

How Pechanga Tribal Law Was Ignored — and How Justice Can Still Be Restored Part Three of Three

 PART THREE of THREE

How Justice Can Still Be Restored

The path forward does not require new law, outside intervention, or loss of sovereignty. Justice can be achieved through lawful, internal means. At least four options exist:

1. Immediate reinstatement of those disenrolled in violation of the 2005 law

2. Formal acknowledgment by the Tribal Council that the 2006 disenrollment lacked legal authority

3. Referral of the issue back to the General Council, where authority properly resides

4. A corrective resolution reaffirming the validity of the 2005 petition and restoring wrongfully taken rights

Each option respects tribal sovereignty, honors Pechanga law, and restores confidence in governance.

A Question for the Community

After the illegal disenrollment, assurances were made that “things would be made right.” Others stated they were not afraid of those who orchestrated the disenrollment.

If that is true, the question remains:
Why has tribal law still not been enforced?

This is not about revisiting the past for its own sake. It is about whether justice, law, and accountability have a place in Pechanga’s future.

Tribal law provides the solution. All that is required is the will to follow it.

How Pechanga Tribal Law Was Ignored — and How Justice Can Still Be Restored Part TWO of Three

 Part TWO of THREE

Pechanga's Illegal Disenrollment of 2006

Despite the repeal of disenrollment procedures effective June 19, 2005, the lineal descendants of Paulina Hunter were disenrolled on March 16, 2006.

By that date:

• The disenrollment procedures no longer existed

• The Enrollment Committee had no lawful authority to investigate or act

• Tribal law explicitly protected those already on the membership roll

Any action taken under repealed procedures is legally void. As a matter of basic governance, decisions made without lawful authority cannot stand.

This is why the 2006 disenrollment was not merely unfair—it was illegal under Pechanga’s own laws.

Why This Matters Beyond One Family

This issue is not just about one disenrollment case. It raises fundamental questions:

• Does Pechanga law mean what it says?

• Does the General Council’s authority matter?

• Are elected officials bound by tribal law, or only when convenient?

A tribe’s sovereignty is strongest when its laws are followed. Ignoring duly enacted law weakens governance, erodes trust, and harms the entire community.

How Pechanga Tribal Law Was Ignored — and How Justice Can Still Be Restored Part ONE of THREE

Part one of three in this series 

How Pechanga Tribal Law Was Ignored — and How Justice Can Still Be Restored

In June and July of 2005, the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians took a decisive step to end disenrollment and restore unity within the Tribe. Through a duly noticed process, the Pechanga General Council—the highest governing authority of the Tribe—passed a petition into binding tribal law. That law repealed all disenrollment procedures and reaffirmed the membership status of all enrolled members as of June 19, 2005.

Less than a year later, that law was ignored.

What follows is not a matter of opinion or political disagreement. It is a matter of tribal law, constitutional authority, and governance—and how those principles were violated.

The 2005 Petition: A Lawful Act of Tribal Sovereignty

On June 19, 2005, the Pechanga General Council voted to justify a petition with a clear and limited purpose:
to repeal disenrollment procedures and to bring harmony and peace back to the membership.

That petition was then voted into law on July 17, 2005. Its provisions were explicit:

• Disenrollment procedures were repealed effective June 19, 2005

• All individuals on the membership roll as of that date were declared qualified members for all purposes under tribal law

• Lineal descendants of those members likewise met membership qualifications

• The Enrollment Committee was prohibited from investigating members for disenrollment purposes

During debate, the Pechanga legal department confirmed that the General Council had full authority under the Tribe’s Constitution and Bylaws to enact this petition as law. No constitutional conflict was identified.

This is significant. Tribal sovereignty includes the power of a tribe to govern itself according to its own laws. In Pechanga, that authority rests ultimately with the General Council.

“All Means All”

Homecoming in Temecula: Disenrolled Families Stand Together at You’re No Indian Weekend Screenings

 

Oh yes, WE ARE

This weekend, my family and I sat together in a dark theater in Temecula, just miles from our ancestral home, to watch You’re No Indian. Around us were other families like ours: people who carry the same wound of disenrollment, the same fight to be seen, the same love for who we are and where we come from. Through this community, we are all one family.

For three nights in a row, the theaters were full. Sold out. The energy was different—heavier, yes, but also full of hope. The truth about “today’s” Indian Country corruption showed up right here in Temecula. No filters. No fear.

When the film started, I felt the air change. You could hear quiet gasps as stories we’ve lived were told out loud and the stories of people stripped of their citizenship, our land, and our voice. By the end, we were holding hands. Some cried. Others sat in silence, just taking in what it meant to finally be seen.

My chance to talk with Producers SantanaRabang and Ryan Flynn led me to his essential phrase: “Put yourself on the record.” His call to share our stories is rare in our community, and the open invitation to do so allows us to revitalize our Indigenous cultures. So that’s what I’m here to do, and encourage you to do the same.  If we don't tell our stories, who will?

Ryan Flynn’s direction was powerful, but what moved me most was seeing the generations of families sitting side by side realizing they were not alone. At points, Santana Rabang and Che Jim spoke beautifully during the Q&A, and Dina Gilio-Whitaker reminded everyone that disenrollment isn’t just a tribal matter. It’s a human rights issue.

Earlier that day, many of us walked through the Pechanga Pow Wow. The drumbeats carried the same rhythm that once guided our ceremonies, our gatherings, and our stories. Being there not in protest, but as a presence, empowered us. We are still here among our people. We are still Pechanga.

I’ve said this before on this blog, and it rings louder now than ever: disenrollment is the modern form of cultural genocide. But what You’re No Indian showed us in Temecula was something even deeper: storytelling is survival.

Temecula was just the beginning. The film moves next to Fresno on January 24 and 25, in the shadow of Chukchansi,  ahead of a national release in the coming months. If you haven’t seen it yet, keep your eyes open. You’ll see yourself, your family, and your people in it. And you’ll know what I mean when I say:

We’re still here. We’ve always been here.

Respectfully,

Rick Cuevas

Descendant of Paulina Hunter Owner Original Pechanga's Blog

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Follow Original Pechanga on X for ongoing updates and reflections. And you can find the blog on FACEBOOK
Learn more at youreNoIndian.com.
#YoureNoIndian #StopDisenrollment #IndigenousRights #TribalUnity

President Macarro, You Helped FREE HIM, Please Follow Leonard Peltier’s Admonition

 Many of us had written to Presidents asking for Leonard Peltier to be freed over the last decade but NCAI President Mark Macarro, who is also tribal chairman of The Pechanga Band of Indians is credited with a big push to make it happen, see below the rest of that at the bottom of this post.  We thank him for that, and we ask him to follow the advice and teaching of Leonard in this meme.

Disenrollment is WRONG, and you know it Mr. Chariman.  Sir, you were scorned today in the showing of You’re No Indian.  You’ve had a difficult election with the National Congress of American Indians.  There is a way to get your honor back.  And that is to right the wrongs done to your tribe, by those who you know to be unscrupulous.   Simply get your council to follow tribal law, and the will of the people when they voted to END ALL DISENROLLMENT.

Imagine being the leader who restored his tribe!  Sure there’s a financial issue with current members, but remember, they have had a windfall for 20 years.    Showing the nation how to do the right thing, is not difficult.  It is honorable.   Make it happen and good thing will happen for you.

       RIGHT WHAT IS WRONG, BRING JUSTICE TO Native America 

December 10, 2024

While aboard Air Force One, NCAI President Mark Macarro had a powerful conversation with President Biden regarding Leonard Peltier, a Turtle Mountain Ojibwe elder and one of the longest-incarcerated Native American political prisoners. During the flight, President Macarro urged President Biden to grant clemency to Peltier, who has spent nearly 50 years in prison for a crime the U.S. government has acknowledged it could not prove.

In an op-ed by Native News Online recounting this pivotal moment, Macarro shared his direct appeal to President Biden: "Mr. President, we are flying to Phoenix where you will apologize on behalf of the government for its role in Indian boarding schools. You need to know that there is an 80-year-old named Leonard Peltier, one of the oldest surviving Indian boarding school survivors, who is in prison. He attended the Wahpeton Indian School in North Dakota...Peltier has served five decades in federal prison for a crime that the government has admitted it could not prove.”

At 80 years old, Peltier’s health is rapidly deteriorating, and he continues to suffer under harsh conditions that no elder should endure. His case is a painful symbol of the systemic injustice faced by Indigenous Peoples, not just in the U.S., but around the world. With only 41 days left in the current administration, we encourage you to read the full op-ed and join us in calling for Leonard Peltier’s release as a necessary step toward healing for Indigenous communities everywhere.  

Manuela Miranda
The DEAD aren't Safe from Disenrollment

First Temecula Showing of You’re No Indian a Huge Success

 The first of three sold out showings of the documentary the Palm Springs International Film Festival didn’t want you to see, was a huge success.

Our cousin Destiny Lear sent me a prayer for the event, that we didn’t have time to give so I wanted to share it with you:

Creator,

Great Spirit who walks with us in the seen and unseen,
We come before You with humble hearts and open hands.

We give thanks for the breath in our bodies,for the strength of our ancestors whose blood runs through us,
and for the sacred bond of family that no paper, policy, or decision can erase.

We ask You to be present with us tonight as we gather in truth, remembrance, and hope.
Bless all our relations , seated together in love, and bless this story being shared a story long silenced, now finding its voice.

We lift up those who have been disenrolled, displaced, and denied—
not only names on a roll, but living people, carriers of culture, language, and spirit.
May justice walk beside truth,
and may healing begin where harm was done.

Creator, guide our hearts away from anger that consumes
and toward strength that endures.
Let this moment plant seeds of understanding, accountability,
and restoration for future generations.

We ask for clarity for leaders,
courage for those who speak,
and unity for families divided by systems not of the spirit.

May our ancestors stand with us.
May our children feel pride, not shame.
May our identity remain rooted, unbroken, and alive.

We offer this prayer with respect,
with love, and with hope that our rights, our voices,and our place among our people will be restored.

Aho.

Thank you, cousin