Department of Justice Via USPS and email: Tracy.Toulou@usdoj.gov
Office of Tribal Justice
Tracy Toulou, Director
950 Pennsylvania Ave. NW
Washington , DC 20530
Re: Candidates to the Tribal Nations Leadership Council
Dear Director Toulou:
As a United States citizen, a registered voter, and a person concerned about the growing problem of civil rights violations in Indian Country, I am submitting this letter regarding several tribal leaders nominated to sit on the Tribal Nations Leadership Council.
I am especially outraged that Glenda Nelson of Enterprise and Jack Potter Jr. of Redding Rancheria have been nominated to the Tribal Nations Leadership Council, and I urge you to refuse to sit them as members of the Council.
Throughout California Indian Country, tribal officials such as Ms. Nelson and Mr. Potter have taken actions which have denied and/or stripped thousands of California Indians of the basic rights guaranteed by tribal and federal laws. These very same tribal leaders have escaped prosecution for their gross violations by invoking tribal sovereignty.
If it is the intent of the Department to gain perspective and develop policy regarding tribal justice issues such as civil rights, the Department would be better served by meeting with those who have been victims of the arbitrary and capricious acts of tribal officials.
Moreover, it would be the height of hypocrisy to allow either Ms. Nelson or Mr. Potter to sit on the Council and influence Department policy regarding tribal justice issues when they themselves continue to prosper or retain power as a direct result of actions which have victimized the citizens of Enterprise and Redding Rancheria.
I urge you to deny Ms. Nelson and Mr. Potter’s nomination to the Council and respectfully request that you revise the manner in which the Department will interact with Indian Country to include consultations with those who have had their rights violated and/or stripped by tribal leaders.
Respectfully submitted:
Cc: Gaye.Tenoso Gaye.Tenoso2@usdoj.gov
Showing posts with label Glenda Nelson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Glenda Nelson. Show all posts
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Are Glenda Nelson and Jack Potter Jr Appropriate Choices or the Tribal Nations Leadership Council?
Glenda Nelson of Enterprise Rancheria and Jack Potter Jr. from Redding Rancheria are not just appropriate choices to sit on the Tribal Nations Leadership Council, they may be the best qualified to sit on the Council.
"How can that be?" you ask. Well, as our friends have noted: Who better to provide insight to the Department of Justice on civil rights than the biggest violator's walking the planet. As a commenter put it, it's like having a child molester babysit.
Quite simply, the U.S Department of Justice does not have the authority to enforce the Indian Civil Rights Act: http://www.justice.gov/otj/civilrights.htm
Thousands of Indians from throughout the United States understand all too well that the DOJ does not enforce the ICRA. And tribal leaders such as Nelson and Potter, as well as Mark Maccaro and Chad Smith, among others, know that the DOJ's failure to uphold federal law creates opportunities for them to violate the ICRA without fear of retribution. In Macarro's case, disenrollment of 25% of the tribe was worth more than $20,000 per month to him over the past four years! A $MILLION$ to him, his family and friends, EACH, is worth violating a few civil rights.
In fact, it might be said that some tribal leaders, Nelson and Potter included, have gained substantially both personally and politically due to the DOJ's failure to protect the citizens of the Enterprise and Redding Rancherias from the arbitrary and capricious acts which were outlawed by the ICRA. Power, money both influence corruption. And when you know Eric Holder won't do anything about it, why do what's right, when doing what's wrong is so much more lucrative.
All things considered, Nelson and Potter are perfect fits for a Department that has failed Indians and Indian Country time and time again. This particular Department of Justice has proven its incompetence time and again, such as not reading AZ's immigration law, denigrating it, while having a policy that supports it.
However, if you don't agree with this, and think that honor has a place in this committee, please feel free to express your concerns to the DOJ by contacting Tracy Toulou (Tracy.Toulou2@usdoj.gov) and Gaye Tenoso (Gaye.Tenoso2@usdoj.gov).
"How can that be?" you ask. Well, as our friends have noted: Who better to provide insight to the Department of Justice on civil rights than the biggest violator's walking the planet. As a commenter put it, it's like having a child molester babysit.
Quite simply, the U.S Department of Justice does not have the authority to enforce the Indian Civil Rights Act: http://www.justice.gov/otj/civilrights.htm
Thousands of Indians from throughout the United States understand all too well that the DOJ does not enforce the ICRA. And tribal leaders such as Nelson and Potter, as well as Mark Maccaro and Chad Smith, among others, know that the DOJ's failure to uphold federal law creates opportunities for them to violate the ICRA without fear of retribution. In Macarro's case, disenrollment of 25% of the tribe was worth more than $20,000 per month to him over the past four years! A $MILLION$ to him, his family and friends, EACH, is worth violating a few civil rights.
In fact, it might be said that some tribal leaders, Nelson and Potter included, have gained substantially both personally and politically due to the DOJ's failure to protect the citizens of the Enterprise and Redding Rancherias from the arbitrary and capricious acts which were outlawed by the ICRA. Power, money both influence corruption. And when you know Eric Holder won't do anything about it, why do what's right, when doing what's wrong is so much more lucrative.
All things considered, Nelson and Potter are perfect fits for a Department that has failed Indians and Indian Country time and time again. This particular Department of Justice has proven its incompetence time and again, such as not reading AZ's immigration law, denigrating it, while having a policy that supports it.
However, if you don't agree with this, and think that honor has a place in this committee, please feel free to express your concerns to the DOJ by contacting Tracy Toulou (Tracy.Toulou2@usdoj.gov) and Gaye Tenoso (Gaye.Tenoso2@usdoj.gov).
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