Sunday, February 19, 2012

Pala Tribe's Robert Smith Advises Disenrollees to Go on WELFARE

Pala Chairman Robert Smith was quoted in the NCTIMES story on Pala disenrolled facing hardships:


"Gaming revenues are not a guarantee," Smith said. "There are resources (welfare programs) for them. They should have saved their money."



Robert Smith with the Welfare President Barack Obama
 I think it's past time that we prove the Chairman correct. Gaming revenues were supposed to be for the Native American people and to help their tribesmen. With Pala, San Pascual, Pechanga, Redding Rancheria, Chuckchansi ALL eliminated Indians, it seems they only want to get richer. It's time to interrupt their revenue stream with a quick boycott, say, of one quarter.
Then, we need to expand gaming across our state, regulated by the government.

Read more on tribal disenrollments

Read more on TRIBAL TERRORISM

22 comments:

'aamokat said...

Chapter one of Mr. Smith goes into the sewer.

So what does constitute a Pala Indian anyway?

Because if you go into the Pala casino there is a glass case at one of the entrances with a history of the Pala tribe in it.

The history piece states that Pala was origninally populated by Luisenos but in 1903, but after they were kicked off of their land, the Cupenos from Warner Springs moved to Pala and for over 100 years both the Luiseno and the Cupeno have lived together as one tribe.

So Mr. Smith, are you Cupeno? If so, then your ancestors are not origninally from Pala but that wouldn't have been a problem before the casino.

Interesting that Smith states that the disenrolled should have seen that the day of their disenrollment could be coming.

But, just like other tribes who have disenrolled their people, if these people didn't meet the requirments years ago,and the tribe is now simply correting an error in the enrollment, then why were they enrolled in the first place?

Could it be that Pala like a host of other tribes, if these people never should have been enrolled, has been lying to the federal goverment to get more money for having a bigger tribe all these years?

So either Smith and his cronies were lying when the disenrolled were enrolled years ago, or they are lying now when they say they never belonged.

Either way Smith and company appear to be liars.

'aamokat said...

Another thing, Smith or his spokesman will say Pala has a sovereign right to kick these people out of the tribe and despite the fact Smith and company will say they got due process, it seems very likely there was no fairness in the process at all.

Ironic that when the southern states in the United States were denying black people the right to vote, equal education, not allowing them to drink out of the same water foutains or use the same restrooms as white people, and not allowing them to eat in the same restaurants, to ride at the front of buses, etc, the southern states cried sovereignty, states rights, to justify their actions.

I wonder if Robert Smith of Pala, Mark Macarro of Pechanga, Reggie Lewis of Chukchansi, and a score of other scoundrels, have any idea that they are on the wrong side of history?

smokeybear said...

Oh, they know "Exactly" what they are doing! "THE GREEDY PARASITES!" They choose to be on the "Wrong Side Of History."

Anonymous said...

Nicely done A'amokat. Well said.

Anonymous said...

Will Pala give more money to the state to pay for the health coverage of the people they have stripped of citizenship?

Anonymous said...

You notice how fat these tribal leaders are??...greedy in all ways of life...that San Manuel and Saboba guy are way fat also.

OPechanga said...

Commenting on the weight of the tribal leaders means nothing.

Actions do.

Anonymous said...

robert smith is a common thief hiding under the umbrella of sovereign nation.

Anonymous said...

Don't let him HIDE anymore. Keep calling him out.

What can you tell people about Mr. Smith?

Anonymous said...

In time,in time!

Tukumay said...

Pala 101 for those who don't know the history.

The Kupa had a village at the area known as Warner's Hot Springs.

After first contact ranchers took over the area and essentially used the Kupa as indentured servants to run their ranch but let the Kupa remain living there.

After several ownership changes the Kupa were forcibly removed from Warner's Hot Springs in 1903. This is called the Cupeno Trail of Tears. They lost their land and village.

The Kupa were driven to Pala where other Natives were already residing. The U.S. Government in their infinite wisdom shoved these tribes together and formed the Pala Band of Mission Indians reservation.

To compensate for land lost the Kupa were given land allotments at Pala. The Department of the Interior compiled a list of these allotments which is referred to as the 1913 Pala Allotment Rolls.

In the 1950's and 1960's Pala began organizing its tribal government. Part of this organization was determining their membership criteria. Our elders decided that those who were at least 1/16 lineal descendant from the 1913 rolls were to be considered members of Pala. The Kupa have always been a small tribe and always faced extinction. Our elders sought to protect their grandchildren and great grand children.

Margarita Brittain appears as 4/4 on the 1913 Allotment roll. What happened was on the tribal copy of the roll someone used a pen and crossed out 4/4 and wrote 1/2 next to her name.

This was discovered in the late 1970's. In 1984 the tribe voted to correct the mistake. Later the decision was appealed to the BIA. The BIA investigated Margarita Brittain's blood degree for over 6 years. What they found was that Margarita Brittain appeared as 4/4 on the original 1913 roll in Washington DC.

In 1989 the BIA issued their final determination that Margarita Brittain was 4/4. The Executive Committee/Enrollment Committee had ample time to challenge that decision and they did not.

Instead 22 years later they pretend as if everyone should have known this was coming.

That is false propaganda. Time and time again when the issue would arise tribal members were told the issue was resolved and over. After the first 8 were disenrolled individual families were told no more disenrollments were going to happen. The Executive Committee's own enrollment ordinance states they had no intention of disenrolling anyone already
enrolled.

22 years later after the final determination by the BIA was made that Margarita Brittain was 4/4 the Executive Committee/Enrollment Committee decides to act?

The reality is the casino is not doing as well as it once did and has decreased revenues ever since the economic downturn. Instead of trying to cut back on perks in order to decrease expenses the ExecComm decided to just reduce their membership.

Anonymous said...

Did President Obama know who he is standing with? Robert Smith is a walking false pretense who hands big dollars out to politicians who turn away when he terrorizes his own members by his disenrollments. Fact are undeniable. Margarita Brittain was listed on the 1913 Pala Allottee Roll (approved by Congress) as full blood as well as her children as half blood. In 1989, BIA made final decisions that Margarita Brittain was full blood. Smith and his henchman have not offered one piece of evidence 22 years later to disturb the BIA Decisions. Even the Tribal Enrollment Specialist (retired) who knew the situation back and forth in the 80's and 90's signed a sworn affidavit that Ms. Brittain was full blood as based on her investigations and the disenrollments were based on bad information relied on by Smith. He needs to start looking for a regular job since Congress will be looking at him and his terror tactics with a magnifying glass very soon. Let's see ...if you kick out 162 members then you can save about $23 mil. a year to pay lawyers who get a % of the casino revenues.

Anonymous said...

Why won't Smith publish for everyone to see the list of 154 who were disenrolled on Feb. 1? Rumor is that many Brittain direct descendants close to Smith who he likes didn't get the disenrollment axe. Tell me it ain't so.

Anonymous said...

Smith lets his own personal hate get in the way of respectable professional decisions. The I.R.S needs to investigate exactly how he's handling the TRIBE'S money to ensure it don't go to his own personal use. Hired private security guards, where he takes his jet, where he GOT the money for a jet and if it was the tribe's money shouldn't every tribal member be allowed to use it? Is he even residing at his Pala residence, or living full time in his temecula home but still filing state tax exemption? I wonder if the government will one day notice his antics and investigate this man. Time will tell, but if it does than he should have one day seen it coming..

Anonymous said...

It aint so. No 1/16 Brittian descendant was spared. Let's not start fighting amongst ourselves or the Executive Council will win. Better to rally the support of Pala members, especially those who are scheduled next for the chopping block!

Anonymous said...

It boggles me humans can be so utterly ignorant
The council and their mindless supporters. These people have been running their mouths that Margarita was half white and light skinned, I saw pictures of her, she was dark and her facial features were that of a full blood, for those who can't visualize what I'm describing I'll give you a better understanding, if you've ever seen old photographs of Native Americans such as Geronimo, you can see he is not of mixed blood or light skinned but obviously full blood. That is how Margarita is in her old photographs. Also, they claim she was not full blood because they do not believe her father was a man named pelegrino saubel, and why they don't is due to a man's probate claiming pelegrino was not her father, but who is this man who gave the probate? I'll tell you, a man who's mother was married to pelegrino till he passed away, now, I know this was a long time ago but I'm pretty sure jealousy and gossip existed back then too and this lie could've been fueled by it, or maybe there was a disagreement between them and Margarita that drew bad blood so they wanted to discredit her as his daughter, pelegrino, margarita and her mother NEVER themselves disputed he was her father, but these people say he wasn't because they were told, words passed down and down through the years and since family is telling them then "oh my god it must be true since their family is incapable of a lie" (sarcasm) this man who gave the probate is not the son of pelegrino, he is of no relation to the family, yet the council is holding to this as if it was a prophets scroll. Another mindblower is that they swear by this BUT he contradicted his own self several times thats as clear as day, one example I'll say is his naming of pelegrinos children and when they were born long AFTER he was already passed, really? Are they really so stupid to believe a man who can't keep his testimony straight? Or are they playing the part as an excuse to justify their volatile actions? Lastly, in 1981 another recommendation came in to lower a family's blood stating they could not use their Yaqui blood from Mexico to boost their blood quantum, this is the vice chairman and his family, King Freeman was in office until '82, so the vice chairman knows King knows this about them, hmmm interesting that the vice chairman was so dedicated to dis enrolling kings family. And questioning the chairman at tribal meetings in front of everyone to open the books for the tribe to see how he is handling funds was what probably sent him to walk up to Mr. Freeman and tell him "I'm gonna make sure your kids suffer", and surprise surprise his children were among the original eight dis enrolled. Very very intriguing wouldn't you say. The supporters of the dis enrollment consist mainly of family of the chairman and vice chairman and on reservations people tend to follow their family and believe what they say even when their wrong, such as in this case, but most of us who have an active brain beyond the primitive state come to a conclusion of matter based off of actual evidence, not gossip as they do, the department of interior clearly states to reinstate the family as members as it has been proven based on physical facts at hand the family does indeed possess the required blood quantum. Why the tribe hasn't reinstated the family based on actual facts over gossip is only proof of not only ignorance but arrogance as well, I'm very thankful at least that our country's judicial system doesn't run like that of a near dictatorship as some sovereignty abusing tribes do.

Anonymous said...

This is to answer KUPA remark about M. Brittian's blood quanom changing from 4/4 to 1/2. Let's tell the truth, it was actually changed from 1/2 to 4/4 during a certain former Chairman's time period. Suddenly this former Chairman's children, and MULTIPLE other decendants of M. Brittian were miraculously qualified to be enrolled. Face it, if you are not enough, you are not enough period.

Anonymous said...

um, i'm just a cherokee outsider, but i do have to say..............obviously there is a ROBERT SMITH SIDE and a EVERYBODY ELSE SIDE...............not quite sure how things run in your tribe, but cherokee go by government and bia rule.....so.....can anyone answer why the bia ruling in the 1980's is being ignored??? ROBERT???? any ANSWERS YET?????????????????? WE ARE WAITING FOR YOU TO BE A BIG BOY AND SPEAK UP FOR YOURSELF CAUSE GOD KNOWS YOU ARE BEHIND THIS, IF THIS TRIBAL CHAIRMAN HAS NOTHING TO HIDE.....WHY IS HE HIDING BEHIND AN IRON CURTAIN??? WHERE IS HE AND WHY IS HE NOT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF HIS TRIBE? Our tribal leaders in the native communities are supposed to be informative, leading, respectful, thoughtful, helpful, intelligent, and out for the good of the tribe, it just doesn't seem this way as an outsider looking in....can someone please answer any of these questions?

Anonymous said...

was anyone else there when robert smith the pala chairman pissed in the hallway of the casino while drunk? is anyone else aware that robert smith married his second cousin and has children with her? gross. that does not happen in white people land out here........i feel so sorry for all the members who have been disenrolled. they have relied on this for over ten years and this 'tribal chairman' says they should have seen it coming? wow, what a stab as a human, scroll back to the top of the page 'BOB' and reread the stabs at you, everybody in the menifee/temecula/murrieta valley as well as san diego county is talking about this, i know for a fact i will not be using that casino recreationally anytime soon! way to pathetic, why would i give money to these people who are throwing people out of their own native heritage?

Anonymous said...

Fuck man if it was up to me id honestly want for the younger generations to know our languages and our traditions and understand that our people are forever going to be wanted dead because the greedy redneck geese who rape and killed our people want everything but it looks like there turning us against eachother the media is fucked and were to blind to see it but as an American indian i want to say stay strong and is all this fighting with eachother gonna help fuck no were only killing ourselves so knock it off and realize your giving the white man what they wanted for us all from the start death they want us gone ..i know were all better than that shit were strong people and they wont ever get rid of us but right now theyre loving it because were fighting with eachother and and they keep feeding us more bullshit and were allowing it but anyways stay strong and open your eyes to the reality of it

Anonymous said...

As a guest safety officer (security) of Pala Casino Resort and Spa, I can tell you Chairman Smith is corrupt. I distinctly remember an occasion where Chairman Smith was gambling in the poker room and left a small bag. It was turned into lost and found, and per procedure we searched it. We found Chairman Smith's ID, and over 6 ounces of meth. That's right- drugs.
We were told to "flush" the drugs and the sheriff's office was not contacted and his bag was returned to him.
Clearly a crook. Also his adopted son is banned from the casino for trying to fight everyone and is high on meth.

Anonymous said...

I am a direct result of Chairman Smiths corruption and greed. Funny thing is I have been trying for over a year to receive the "welfare" Mr. Smith claims is out there, to no avail! I was disabled by a drunk driver in 1995 and was on disability when the revenue started coming in. After a few months, my disability payments were stopped because I no longer needed the money or insurance coverage.
Now, over a year after being "disenrolled", I can't get any kind of financial assistance and I can't get medical coverage due to a mastectomy I was in the MIDDLE OF TREATMENT FOR when Mr. Smith allowed his own personal bullshit decide I was no longer a tribal member! I was recently DENIED my social security benefits a second time in a row. The first time I was denied it was because I had made too much money the year before (tribal ben.) Now, over 15 months after I first had my life and heritage stolen from me, I am one step away from being homeless, I am unable to be a whole woman because I can't get insurance coverage to pay for me to have the reconstruction of my breasts done. All those welfare programs Mr. Smith said we should go on don't exists for people like me. I wonder if it was your balls that were missing, how you would feel if I told your ass to go on welfare programs that are not available, so you could have them put back on? Karma is a bitch and I hate to be him when she strikes!