From Mandela to Macarro: King Charles III Meets Pechanga Leader. Pechanga Practices Apartheid, Disenrollment and Exclusion under Macarro

The symbolism is hard to ignore. King Charles III, a figure who has publicly reflected on the injustices of colonialism and racial division, who met with Nelson Mandela—a man who endured decades of imprisonment under one of the most notorious systems of institutionalized racial segregation in modern history. That meeting carried the moral weight of reconciliation, recognition, and a shared understanding that apartheid was not just a political system, but a profound human rights violation.

Now, years later, the same monarch meets with Mark Macarro, chairman of the Pechanga Band of Indians and president of the National Congress of American Indians. The NCAI is well known for leaving disenrolled Native Americans without support.  For critics, including disenrolled tribal members, the juxtaposition feels jarring. One can argue that while the contexts differ, the underlying principles—exclusion, separation, and the stripping of identity—echo in ways that cannot be easily dismissed.

Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro
Apartheid Leader meets King Charles III

Apartheid in South Africa was engineered to enforce racial hierarchy, using legal and social mechanisms to divide people and maintain control. It dictated where individuals could live, work, and travel, often rendering them strangers in their own homeland. Mandela’s life became a global testament to resisting that system, and his eventual freedom symbolized the dismantling of institutionalized injustice.

Those drawing comparisons to Pechanga point to disenrollment—the removal of individuals and families from tribal rolls—as a parallel form of exclusion. They argue that long-recognized members, including descendants of original allottees, have been declared “no longer belonging,” despite historical documentation and expert validation. In their view, identity has been redefined not by heritage, but by shifting political and economic interests.  If you don't support Macarro, you can be ousted.

The economic dimension is central to these claims. Critics assert that, much like apartheid-era policies that concentrated power and resources, disenrollment at Pechanga coincided with the rise of significant casino revenue. WE argue that reducing membership effectively consolidates financial benefits among those who remain, creating incentives that go beyond questions of lineage or cultural continuity.  Yes, each of the Hunter Clan has had nearly $5,000,000 stolen via disenrollment.

Equally troubling to those affected are accounts of restricted access—stories of disenrolled individuals allegedly needing permission to enter lands tied to their ancestry, or being barred entirely. To them, this mirrors one of apartheid’s most dehumanizing features: the requirement that people justify their presence in places that had always been their home.

The meeting between King Charles III and Mark Macarro may have been diplomatic and ceremonial, but for some, it carries a deeper irony.  A monarch who once stood alongside a global icon of resistance to apartheid now engages with a leader accused—by his own people—of perpetuating exclusion. 

Whether one think is s a fair comparison or an overreach, it underscores a broader truth: history’s lessons are not confined to the past, and debates over justice, identity, and belonging continue to unfold in new and contested ways.   Americans supported Mandela and the end of apartheid and injustice in South Africa, but ignore it right here at home.   

LEARN MORE ABOUT APARTHEID, MARK MACARRO and DISENROLLMENT via the links on the left.