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:
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The people can vote to keep people out
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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.
These were not abstract numbers. These were families—elders and children—who lost:
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Their tribal citizenship
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Their cultural identity
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Healthcare
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Education assistance
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Employment
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Elder care
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Their rightful share of tribal resources
Some died knowing they had been stripped of their heritage, by some people that had NO PECHANGA HERITAGE.
This wasn’t just administrative action. It was generational harm. They still talk about Indian Schools creating generational trauma, do they not believe tribal disenrollment won't do the same.
Public Generosity, Private Injustice
At the same time these families were being erased, Pechanga aggressively promoted its charitable donations—to schools, youth organizations, and local nonprofits. These gifts were used to build an image of generosity and good citizenship.
But here’s the question that still hasn’t been answered:
Would these organizations accept those donations if they knew they came from money taken from Pechanga’s own people?
Would they still applaud if they knew elders were cut off from healthcare so a playground could be built?
Would they still endorse leadership if they knew children were denied their identity so others could receive larger per capita payments?
Charity does not excuse injustice. Good PR does not cancel real harm. But camouflage works doesn't it?
Sovereignty Is Not a Shield for Abuse
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—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.
Don’t Look Away From the ABUSE of Ancestors
What happened at Pechanga and other disenrolling tribes was not an internal “family matter.” It was a betrayal of trust—to its people and to the voters of California. FAMILY SECRETS need to be exposed.
Don’t let good deeds distract from hard truths.
Don’t let polished narratives bury real harm.
Spread the word. Ask questions. Demand accountability from your elders. Don't accept "what's done is done.
And if you choose to patronize Indian gaming, understand where your money goes—and what it supports.
Self-reliance was the promise.
Justice is still the demand.
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