Monday, February 29, 2016

Remember HOLLYWOOD Casting This "INDIAN" for...DIVERSITY?

On Earth Day, 1971, nonprofit organization Keep America Beautiful launched what the Ad Council would later call one of the “50 greatest commercials of all time.” Dubbed “The Crying Indian,” the one-minute PSA features a Native American man paddling down a junk-infested river, surrounded by smog, pollution, and trash; as he hauls his canoe onto the plastic-infested shore, a bag of rubbish is tossed from a car window, exploding at his feet. The camera then pans to the Indian’s cheerless face just as a single tear rolls down his cheek. 
The ad, which sought to combat pollution, was widely successful: It secured two Clio awards, incited a frenzy of community involvement, and helped reduce litter by 88% across 38 states. Its star performer, a man who went by the name “Iron Eyes Cody,” subsequently became the “face of Native Indians,” and was honored with a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame. Advertisers estimate that his face, plastered on billboards, posters, and magazine ads, has been viewed 14 billion times, easily making him the most recognizable Native American figure of the century.
But while Hollywood trumpeted Iron Eyes Cody as a “true Native American” and profited from his ubiquitous image, the man himself harbored an unspoken secret: he was 100% Italian.
America's Favorite Indian

Wednesday, February 24, 2016

Pechanga's Dirty Dozen Years of Disenrollment: The Apish Descendents of Manuela Miranda and Pechanga's Indian Removal Acts

The 12th anniversary of the Disenrollment of the Manuela Miranda Descendants is coming up.  It must be known that the Manuelas STILL have family in the tribe, including a cousin Frances Miranda, that was instrumental in getting them removed from the Pechanga Band.  This is about MONEY and POWER.   

The reason for disenrollment?  As a FIVE YEAR old, Manuela Miranda cut her ties to the tribe.   Yes, reasonable people believe that this is ridiculous, a FIVE year old can't make a decision, or wouldn't.  But hey, they don't need a real reason, they can do what they want, they are SOVEREIGN remember.  


Marc Cooper has an extensive article that details the shameful actions of Pechanga. Purging the tribe of longtime members. Please read the whole thing

Tribal Flush: Pechanga People "Disenrolled" en Masse

On the eve of what could be the largest gambling expansion in U.S. history, a tale of power, betrayal and lost Indian heritage

By MARC COOPER
Wednesday, January 2, 2008 -   Link to the rest of the story

John Gomez Jr. parks his silver family van in the back row of one more anonymous strip mall off California’s Highway 79, an hour and a half southeast of Los Angeles, on a windswept ridge overlooking the Temecula Valley.

Gomez, his dark hair barely betraying a sprinkling of gray at his temples, steps out of the van and walks away from the mall, to a barren dirt lot marked off with adobe walls.“This is where Pablo is buried,” he says as we peer over the locked iron gate.

Pablo is Pablo Apis, the celebrated 19th-century “headman,” or chief, of the Temecula/Pechanga Indians, who was given more than 2,000 acres of land in exchange for his work at the Mission San Luis Rey. Gomez, who is a direct descendant of Chief Apis, jiggles the lock on the gate. He has no key.“This is where a lot of our people were buried,” Gomez continues, “including those killed in the famous Temecula Massacre.” He’s referring to the killing of several dozen Indians by Californio militias in the closing days of 1846. Apis survived and, indeed, the 1875 treaty between the Temecula tribe and the U.S. government, though never ratified, was signed at the chief’s village adobe home.

Today, on a corner of Apis’ original land grant, a few minutes down the road from the desolate burial ground, towers the $350 million Pechanga Resort & Casino, the glittering 14-story pleasure dome so familiar to Southern Californians from the promotional and political-advocacy commercials in near-constant rotation on local television stations. With 522 rooms, 185,000 square feet of casino floor, 2,000 slot machines, more than 150 table games and seven restaurants, along with Vegas-class showrooms, nightclubs and comedy lounges, the Pechanga Band of LuiseƱo Indians, as the tribe is now known, runs the largest and perhaps most profitable of California’s nearly 60 Indian casinos.

And now, under terms of a deal negotiated by Governor Schwarzenegger, ratified earlier this year by the Democratic-led state legislature and set to go before voters in the February 5 primary election, the Pechanga and three other Southern California tribes may soon triple their battery of slot machines, allowing each of the four Indian groups to operate twice as many slots as any Vegas casino. If the referendums go through, the four tribes — Morongo, Agua Caliente, Sycuan and Pechanga — will be responsible for the largest expansion of gambling in recent U.S. history.

But it’s Gomez’s tribe no more. At least as far as the tribal leadership is concerned. Gomez and 135 adult members of his extended family (and 75 or more children) have been purged from formal Pechanga membership; they have been “disenrolled.”

They were accused of no crime, no misbehavior, no wrongdoing, no disloyalty. But a series of tribal kangaroo-court hearings, bereft of even the pretense of due process, ruled that one of the family’s deceased elders was not an authentic tribe member and, therefore, not withstanding their years of service to the tribe, they were all to be banned.

What it’s come to goes beyond tribal pride. As a result of the disenrollment, many in the Gomez family, which accounts for some 10 percent of the total Pechanga tribe’s membership, have lost their federal standing and benefits as American Indians. Some have lost their jobs at the resort. All of the adults, including Gomez, lost the generous per capita monthly payout, derived from casino profits, that was given to each adult of the tribe. When the Gomez family’s expulsion was finalized in 2004, that was about $15,000 per month. Currently, for those who remain members of the tribe, the figure has risen to about $40,000 per month.

The sharp increase is due in part to a second wave of purges, finalized last year, which disenrolled another extended family, this one descended from Paulina Hunter and representing yet another 10 percent of the tribe. That second purge went ahead despite a tribe-commissioned expert probe that concluded that Hunter was, in fact, a Pechanga.

Simply put: The fewer the tribal members, the bigger the payout.

Some of the elderly disenrollees found themselves cut off from tribal clinics they helped to build. Some of the younger ones lost their education subsidies. What all the disenrollees have in common is not only the sudden loss of significant income but erasure of their collective cultural history and identity.
“Yes, we lost homes and cars. Some went into bankruptcy,” Gomez says. “But mostly I was saddened for my family and for Indian country in general. It’s not just your money they’re taking away but also your heritage and your future.”
With Indian gaming revenues now near the $30 billion mark nationally, disenrollment has rocked and divided Indian reservations from coast to coast.
“Gaming has brought in the dominant culture’s disease of greed,’’ Marty Firerider of the California American Indian Movement told the Indian Country Today newspaper.
Gomez first got into trouble with his Pechanga tribe in 2002, when, as a trusted legal adviser, he was elected to the tribal-enrollment committee, along with a cousin and a member of the Paulina Hunter family. These were sensitive positions. After the tribe won its first minor gambling concession in 1996, and after California voters approved major Indian gaming rights four years later, it was only natural that there would be an increase in those suddenly claiming membership.


“As soon as we were elected, we found that the committee was doing all kinds of strange things,” Gomez says. “On the one hand they weren’t adhering to an enrollment moratorium and on the other they weren’t properly processing the minor children of those already enrolled.”
Gomez and his new allies began an investigation.

The boom quickly dropped on them. Within weeks a letter emerged from a group called Concerned Pechanga People, a small faction closely allied with the tribal leadership and its chair, Mark Macarro, which accused Gomez and his family of not being legitimate Pechanga. By the end of the year, Gomez’s extended family were notified of pending disenrollment. During an internal process that lasted more than a year and a half, Gomez put together binders of documentation proving — at least to virtually every outside observer who has reviewed them — his Pechanga ancestry.

But the tribal leadership, in closed-door sessions that adhered to no formal due process or rules of evidence, held to its position that one key elder in Gomez’s lineage — Manuela Miranda — had left the traditional village after her marriage and, therefore, her descendants weren’t really Pechanga. The claim, according to several experts, is prima facie absurd, as the history of American Indians is based on such dispersion and diaspora.

Read MORE at the link above

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Chinook Tribe Seeks Justice and Recognition

After decades of efforts, and broken federal promises, the Chinook Indian Nation was granted formal recognition in 2001. Eighteen months later, this decision was reversed by the administration of George W Bush.

In addition to opposition from the BIA, the Chinook have been opposed by other tribes, particularly the Quinault, who were instrumental in overturning the short-lived 2001 recognition.

Please sign this petition and share.

Chinook Petition for Recognition


NOOKSACK to ADD 40 More Indians to Disenrollment Plan

AS IF stripping citizenship from 306 tribal people wasn't bad enough for Chairman Kelly and his cronies, word from the tribal court activity yesterday, was that the Nooksack have 40 more disenrollments planned.

Nooksack Elders  and Youth standing vigil
at court hearing Feb. 22


Thursday, February 18, 2016

The #StopDisenrollment Movement: PERFECT LOGO from Oneida Wolf Clan's Vicky Schenandoah


The #StopDisenrollment movement is still rolling along, with some hiccups. One of the attorneys "leading" the way asked to be removed from a twitter list, in a WTF moment.  Guess success is measured differently by some.....

The picture above, from Vicky Schenandoah of the Onyota'a:ka: People of the
Standing Stone aka the Oneida Indian Nation created the photo above, using each letter of the disgraceful term, DISENROLLMENT, to describe the meaning to her.

I welcome our readers to use the same format, to show what it means to them. And WATCH THIS VIDEO of Vicky's family

Vicki's family are disenfranchised but Oneida Chairman Ray Halbritter keeps them on the BIA rolls to use them for numbers when applying for grants. The disenfranchised Oneidas are denied health insurance that the Oneida Nation gives to it's members. So the disenfranchised have to apply for Medicaid or other health insurance.  

Love to have my readers follow me on Twitter @opechanga to retweet my tweets on the #Stop Disenrollment movement.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

History of Pala Disenrollment: Robert Smith Believes His Own Lies

A story told in 2012, by the LA Times on the Pala Dispute caused by Chairman Robert Smith, whose daughter was recently arrested on assault weapons charges. Thank you Tony Perry, for seeing the story is told

When Margarita Owlinguish Britten died in 1925, she was a revered elder of the Pala Indian tribe, a survivor of the forced relocation in 1903 of the CupeƱo Indians to an area beside the San Luis Rey River in northern San Diego County.

But now, renewed doubts about Britten's lineage are at the root of a divisive "blood quantum" dispute roiling the 1,000-member Pala Band of Mission Indians, formed by the fusion of the CupeƱo and LuiseƱo bands.

At issue is whether Britten was a full-blooded Indian.

The governing board of the Pala Band in the last year has "disenrolled" some 162 descendants of Britten, cutting them off from their monthly share of the tribe's profit from casino, hotel and other business ventures, about $7,500 a month, in addition to health insurance and other benefits.

The Pala dispute echoes those at other Indian tribes in California and elsewhere, where money has complicated disputes over identity, nationhood and personality conflicts, according to David Wilkins, professor of American Indian studies at the University of Minnesota and a member of the Lumbee tribe in North Carolina.

"Somewhere, as tribes have tried to reconstruct their sense of nationhood, particularly in tribes with casino money, they hit upon disenrollment as a way to settle disputes over personality issues and money," Wilkins said.

The American Indian Movement estimates that upward of 3,000 tribal members from two dozen tribes in California and other states have been "disenrolled" in the last 15 years. "Tribes are being destroyed by it," Wilkins said.

Firms now offer DNA testing to prove Indian ancestry, while "disenrollment clubs" offer succor to those no longer welcome in their tribes. Angry websites collect accusations of betrayal.

Robert Smith, Pala's strong-willed chairman, is not moved by the appeals of those who have been disenrolled, nor by the dire assertions of Wilkins, nor by recommendations from Bureau of Indian Affairs officials to reverse the disenrollment decisions.

FAKE CHEROKEE Elizabeth Warren's Agency is Going to Harm....REAL INDIANS

Well FAKE CHEROKEE ELIZABETH WARREN, Senator from Massachusetts group is now harming, you know...REAL Indians. 

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), the watchdog agency conceived of and established by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in the wake of the financial crisis, is making things difficult for tribal Lenders, as evidenced by the recent hearings into Payday lending.

During a hearing of the Financial Institutions and Consumer Credit Subcommittee of the House Financial Services Committee, Habematolel Pomo of Upper Lake Chairwoman Sherry Treppa said the CFPB’s expected new rule on short-term, small-dollar lending may disregard many tribes’ strict frameworks for regulating their lending businesses and protecting consumers.

“I remain concerned that the CFPB is developing its proposed action in a vacuum without consulting with tribes to learn about the innumerable tools that we have developed to ensure that we conduct business in a manner that is fair, responsible, compliant and benefits our tribal members and the American consumer,” Treppa said at the hearing.


Treppa said that her tribe had transformed its economy and governmental services through its online short-term lending business — progress the CFPB’s rule could undermine, she said.

Our friends at HOT AIR Looks like watching out for the little guy is a problem for Fauxahontas:

The agency also had vast cost overruns when building their headquarters when they were first approved, further making a joke of the idea ofconsumer financial protection, since you’d think that the taxpayers would be the largest group of people in need of some help guarding against the abuse of their money. 

Nooksack 306 Gathering for THEIR RIGHTS to BELONG in Deming Washington. BE IDLE NO MORE

If you are NEAR, join in


Idle No More ~ The Nooksack 306 #StopDisenrollment
Thursday February 18, 2016
Nooksack Tribal Court
4971 Deming Road
Deming, WA 98244

Gather at 11:30 am
Singing/drumming will be from 12 pm - 3 pm
The Court Hearing is at 1 pm

We are the Nooksack 306 who are facing disenrollment. The Court Hearing for February 18th, 2016 at 1pm is for the Nooksack Tribe to hold Tribal Counsel Elections and allow us our right to vote during these elections.

Please join us to stand in support of The Nooksack 306 who are fighting for their right to remain enrolled members of the Nooksack Tribe. We are asking people to wear red or regalia to the hearing. This is a peaceful, family-friendly event, bring your drums, signs, rattles, and prayers.

There will be food and refreshments from 1pm and 3pm

We Belong! #StopDisenrollment

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Victor Rocha of Pechanga.net a Disenrollment CENSOR?

In the past, we had accused Victor Rocha, who is Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro's cousin, proprietor of Pechanga.net and one who worked to disenroll families en masse from Pechanga, of censoring the bad news from Pechanga.

Well, we just used his OWN WORDS:

While Rocha's site is packed with links to articles, he says he is selective and doesn't post articles that aid the opposition.

"I don't put it all up - it's not what you put up, it's what you don't put up."

NOW, with the #STOPDISENROLLMENT movement gathering steam, and many stories hitting his POPULAR STORIES box, he's suddenly wiped five or six stories off his site.

Go to THIS LINK: OP/ED Disenrollments are Nothing Short of Tribal Terrorism   It was in is top ten and now...poof.


Should that make his site no longer reliable?  Just sayin'.  Turn to NativeNews.net or Indianz.com or Indian Country today..


Vincent Schilling: I Am A Male Victim of Sexual Assault

Vincent Schilling is a prominent Native editor for Indian Country Today. He also has a Google + group for Native Americans and graciously allows me to share posts there.     I'm returning the favor.   This is a harrowing story, that MUST BE SHARED.   And as we have child molesters on our Pechanga Reservation, it's important to all.   PLEASE, read:

Today, I am not ashamed of what happened. It was not my fault. The reality is that I was targeted, groomed, coerced and assaulted at the hands of men who manipulated me and took advantage of my nature.


The statistics of rape and sexual assault in Indian country are staggering. One out of three of Native women are assaulted or sexually abused, a horrible rate. This makes my heart ache and I fight tears for our sacred women as I write this.

As I try to stand up for our women, I also want my fellow Native men to know you are not cowards, you are no less a warrior and you are not alone if you were sexually assaulted in your lifetime.


Read more at Indian Country Today

Monday, February 15, 2016

Pala Tribe's Chairman, Robert Smith's Daughter ARRESTED for ASSAULT WEAPONS VIOLATIONS

Our friends at PALAWATCH  are reporting that Victoria Smith, the daughter of PALA Chairman the DESPICABLE ROBERT SMITH has been arrested.

click to ENLARGE


Possession of ASSAULT WEAPON
Possession of a SILENCER

OH, my....what were her intentions?

READ MORE ABOUT PALA
Pala dispute
Pala disenrolled 162 members
Pala Disenrolls families
Pala disenrollments led to hardship

Saturday, February 13, 2016

#StopDisenrollment: Disenrollment Harms the NATIVE HEART Pechanga Woman Speaks

My COUSIN, wrote about how Disenrollment has affected her.  It's been a DECADE now...

With all this disenrollment going on my Rez in Pechanga I've had many of my people from the tribe and surrounding tribes come and talk and give their support from one Native heart to another. It's amazing you know to see your own people that you were sure you knew through new eyes.

I think the worst part of what I've come to realize from my disenrollment is how few Native people can really see what has been taken from me. It's a shame so many of our people are being blinded by money.But what keeps me going are those of you feel my heartache like your own without me having to say a word.

Thats what I mean when I say Native heart, I've found I can see it in the eyes. Eyes that express emotions shared by Native hearts from a shared pain that runs so deep in our souls we've come to recognize one another by the fire it feeds. I must thank everyone of you who come to me no different then you ever have, and those who come right out and bring it up, or ask how my family is, and most of all, all of you who say "FUCK UM!!" before I ever have too.

Friday, February 12, 2016

“Longest Walk 5” to make first stop at the San Pasqual Reservation, Known for Disenrollment, Abuses

A reservation well known for Disenrollment and for keeping RIGHTFUL San Pasqual Descendents from their rightful place in the tribe, will be be the FIRST STOP for THE LONGEST WALK 5

The Longest Walk 5, an event created to call attention to drug-related issues that are plaguing Indian reservations throughout the country, will be making the first stop of its nationwide trek at the San Pasqual Reservation this coming Saturday. They will stop at the tribal offices.

The LW5 will begin its lengthy journey of 3,600 miles at La Jolla Shores on the morning of February 13 and will eventually conclude its course in Washington, D.C. on July 15. Along the way, Indian leaders will be gathering information and hosting forums to better discover ways to combat the unfortunate menace that drugs have become within the Native community.

Twenty participant runners plan to cover the entire distance while many others are expected to join in along the route for shorter intervals.

A driving force behind this endeavor has been Dennis Banks and the American Indian Movement. Banks and representatives of the AIM will be there to greet the participants as they arrive at the reservation sometime between 4 and 6 p.m. Anyone interested is encouraged to welcome these road warriors who have undertaken such a daunting challenge.
All those involved are fully committed to waging a relentless war on drugs and see this event as meaningful step in that direction.

LEARN MORE ABOUT SAN Pasqual:
San Pasqual Lawsuit
San Pasqual Split
San Pasqual Must Lose Right to Run Valley View
San Pasqual Members DENIED their Civil Rights says BIA

#StopDisenrollment: Graton Rancheria Chairman GREG SARRIS Stands UP Against Disenrollment

Wonderful to see a TRIBAL LEADER stand up AGAINST the scourge of DISENROLLMENT.  Lead the way, Mr. Chairman.   


As a matter of respect for the sovereignty of other tribes, the Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria does not take a position on, nor take sides in, internal tribal disputes. 

However, our record is clear on the subject of disenrollment. Our tribe has firmly rejected disenrollment, has written a prohibition against disenrollment into our tribal constitution and has taken every possible measure to ensure that this prohibition cannot be undone in the future. 

We hope that other tribes will follow our example so that all Indian people can be secure in their tribal membership and continue to restore and strengthen the social and cultural ties of our people.

Greg Sarris
Chairman
Graton Rancheria


Greg Sarris
Chairman - Graton Rancheria


Thursday, February 11, 2016

HOPLAND Disenrolled Holding Awareness Rally on February 13th. PLEASE..COME and HELP

People ask, "how can we help?"  You can help by spreading the word, by sharing on social media, by asking old friends or family in the area to STOP BY and donate.

HELP END the DISENROLLMENT EPIDEMIC by supporting this event.


#StopDisenrollment Movement GROWING Exponentially: PLEASE Spread the Word

The movement #StopDisenrollment began on February 8th.  Their Facebook Page grew from zero to 2,000 LIKES in less than four days.  AWARENESS of the crimes against tribal members, BY tribal leaders is growing.


The CHILDREN are harmed by disenrollment, as are our elders. Stripping of Citizenship is SO rare in America, that there is NOT one prominent case of that happening.

Wednesday, February 10, 2016

#StopDisenrollment: NOOKSACK 306 Response to Internet TROLL.

I picked this up from one of our friends from the NOOKSACK 306 in response to an internet troll.  It's a perfect example on how to combat someone who really doesn't want to hear the answer.  But this answer spells out in DETAIL, why paperwork is NOT the issue in most disenrollments.


I hear, "just show you paperwork, it is that simple” and "have your meeting with council" voiced over and over. I agree, it is simple and should be. But our fate lies in the hands of a jury (council), who already publicly voice to everyone that they will not stop at anything until we are gone. This takes the “simple” out of it. Council's actions speak louder than their words.

This council has publicly stated that we should be disenrolled. If this was truly an unbiased issue and not tainted with a personal agenda, then it would be simple. Instead, changes and actions continue to be done that modify our Nooksack Policy against us. 

Here is a small sample of what has been done so far:

Chase Iron Eyes: When is it Right to DISENROLL Indians?

EXCELLENT piece in Indian Country Today by Chase Iron Eyes, who runs Last Real Indians website.   He is promoting the hashtag #StopDisenrollment  which directs readers to the disenrollment issue.  Please SHARE:



Our D/Lakota ancestors Vine Deloria, Jr., and Floyd "Red Crow" Westerman warned us of culture vultures. As Westerman sang:

And the anthros keep on digging our sacred ceremonial sites
As if there was nothing wrong, as if education gives them the right
The more they keep on digging the less they really see
Cause they got no respect for you or for me

They were talking about non-Indian anthropologists and archaeologists. But today the same may be said of auditors, lawyers, educators and other consultants who are preying on Indians by shilling for disenrollment work. And with some “professionals” counseling tribal officials to exhume ancestral Indian remains for things like DNA and other scientific testing in order to disenroll the ancestors’ living descendants, the culture vulture tag seems apropos.

This column reacts to a recent piece by James Mills titled, “Tribes Have Absolute Right to Determine Their Membership.” I had no idea who Mr. Mills was so I looked and asked around and saw Mr. Mills advertises himself as a “master parliamentarian,” former “hospital administrator” and “music producer,” and “one of Indian Country's leading experts in tribal enrollment policy” What did this mean? More to the point, what are enrollment audits and what is enrollment software?

Even more to the point, when is it ever right to disenroll? What is more presumptuous than forcing your people to undergo an enrollment audit? I know of white people who ended up on Tribal enrollment rolls who I wouldn't disenroll if I could. They are part of community.

Monday, February 8, 2016

#STOPDISENROLLMENT MOVEMENT Begins Today FEB. 8 JOIN IN THE FIGHT

After more than a DECADE of disenrollments, we finally have more supporters rallying against this disgraceful actions by corrupt tribal governments.  Joining this blog in the fight, are prominent Indigenous Artists and Leaders.  MANY OF YOU ask, who will help us...well NOW, you have your answer.

NATIONAL “STOP DISENROLLMENT” VISUAL ADVOCACY MOVEMENT WILL LAUNCH ON MON. FEB. 8, AT 2PM PST
American Indigenous Artists, Actors, Musicians, Elected Leaders, Educators, Advocates, Professionals To Proclaim #stopdisenrollment
Seattle, WA – On Monday, February 8, 2016 at 2 PM PST, a collective of Indigenous People spanning the U.S., will commence a national advocacy campaign: #stopdisenrollment. The crowd-sourced, online campaign is best understood by visiting www.stopdisenrollment.com.

Thursday, February 4, 2016

Joanne Shenandoah, Native American Music Awards Co-Founder, Needs Help For Transplant

In the last decade, the Shenandoah family has worked to end the disgraceful actions of disenrollment.  Now, she needs help from the Native community.

Shenandoah is a Grammy Award winner. She has received more Native American Music Awards (14 to date) than any other Native Artist, and a total of more than 40 music awards.


Joanne Shenandoah is the daughter of Maisie Shenadoah, Wolf Clan mother of the Oneida Nation of New York, and the late Clifford Shenandoah, an Onondaga Nation chief.  

               

Her family suffered under Oneida Chairman Ray Halbritter  and her health suffered as well. Please help keep her Native talent alive and thriving.

PLEASE, share this post or her GOFUNDME page:  

Pechanga Tribe Before 9th Circuit: We Don't Need To Follow COMPACT

The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians doesn't believe it won't have to follow it's compact in the COSENTINO v. Pechanga matter, a case Pechanga lost at appeal.

Watch the 30 minute video here:
Benedict Cosentino V Pechanga Band, No.13-57113

The Abuse that Pechanga heaped on Cosentino, appears to be covered in Pechanga's compact, which was changed.

And learn MORE about COSENTINO V PECHANGA:

Find Lawsuit Filing HERE
RIVERSIDE PRESS ENTERPRISE
Benedict Cosentino Find the Original Cosentino briefs here

Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Tribal ACTIVISM isn't ONLY a Protest March, It's The DAILY GRIND of Communication and Education. GET OFF THE SIDELINES, STOP Letting the Corrupt Like Macarro, Smith, Lawson Get Away With The Abuse

At the beginning of the year, I posted and article about those aggrieved getting of their ass and DOING SOMETHING.

Those of YOU that have been sitting on the sidelines, waiting for others to do the heavy lifting, medium lifting and light lifting... YOU know who YOU are.

Whether YOU have been disenrolled, banished or placed in a moratorium, YOU have been abused by those corrupt leaders in power. They get away with it, because MOST of YOU have refused to stay standing.

As I wrote in the post: My Rights Have been violated, WHY won't anyone HELP? WHY should others help, when we don't help ourselves. I asked another tribal group what they were doing, as I hadn't heard from their team in a while. They stated that they were awaiting a tribal court decision. Well waiting is the same as doing nothing.


I saw a meme that was generated by our friend Emilio Reyes, who has done wonderful work for the San Pasqual people, and has found some documents for my own Hunter family from Pechanga.  He also recently found some documents for the Pala disenrolled, (though they thought he was a spy or something, amazing the lack of understanding there)



Emilio is a fighter, he has done some terrific work, that should put to shame many of those disenrolled that aren't doing.....jack.   Yet, they'd take any benefits due them, with not even a word of thanks.

Monday, February 1, 2016

Pechanga Water Rights Bill S1983 Should NOT pass out of Senate Indian Affairs Committee: Please, Sen. John Barrasso, do the RIGHTTHING

Today, I sent this letter to Senate Indian Affairs Committee Staffers please help Pechanga Reservation Allottees whose water rights are being usurped, by sharing this on social media:

Dear Committee Member:

Over the past 12 years, Pechanga officials have disenrolled over 400 previously recognized tribal members. Additionally, hundreds more have been denied membership in the tribe under an illegal moratorium enacted to limit the number of people who benefit from the tribe’s economic development ventures. READ( Pechanga's Paper Trail of Tears and Paulina Hunter Ancestry )

Those who have been disenrolled and denied membership include many allottees that would be adversely affected by S1983 as they provide that the very officials who have stripped or denied the allottees of rights set forth in tribal and federal law shall be responsible for satisfying the very same allottees’ entitlement to water.

Additionally, the Acts fails to provide adequate protections for allottees against future abuses by Pechanga tribal officials in the settlement and allocation of their rights under the Acts. Stronger safeguards and greater penalties are needed to deter tribal officials from once again taking or denying ownership rights vested in allottees and others who may have rights under the settlement agreement and the Acts.

I also oppose S 1983 as they fail to provide and protect the rights of the Temecula band or village of Indians, and their descendants. The Reservation was set aside by Executive Orders dated June 27, 1882 and August 29, 1893, for the use and benefit of the Temecula Indians and the Pechanga Tribe NO LONGER provides those benefits for allottees still living on the reservation. Additionally, NO member of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Pechanga Tribal Council or it's water committee, nor the local water district, has contacted Hunter allottees still residing on their original 1895 alotment. 

How can we expect fair and equitable treatment?  How can you TRUST Pechanga, whose chairman Mark Macarro has lied to congress before?  ( READ: Pechanga's Golf Course is on Land They Told Congress Was Culturally Significant. Department of Interior, House Natural Resources Committee )  

 

PLEASE, DO NOT SEND THIS BILL OUT OF COMMITTEE