STOP TRIBAL DISENROLLMENT: Which is the BEST WAY to FIGHT for Our Ancestors?

As we are 7 months from the last   and possibly final STOP DISENROLLMENT DAY.  The  #stopdisenrollment movement helps draw attention, but what about the other 364 days of the year?

Do we fight the unJUST action, or do we JUST HOPE something will happen?

Do we pray for JUSTICE or actively SEEK JUSTICE for our ancestors?

Do we wait and see while our elders die without seeing their rights restored, knowing we didn't do ENOUGH? 

IETAN CONSULTING: Anatomy of a Lobbying Firm, Working to Keep the Small Tribes From Enjoying the Benefits of Gaming

MOVING this post forward, since the Senate seems so interested today.  Thanks for visiting.

Recently at an NCAI (National Conference of American Indians) meeting, a handout worked its way around the meeting. This handout details the incestuous nature of a lobbying group IETAN CONSULTING and allies in the Obama Administration and Congress. This is particularly insightful in light of Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein's recent work to keep tribes from gaining casinos as their land is placed into trust.
We've posted on trust land issues before, concerning Mark Macarro.

While you would hope and think that Native American lobbyists would be working for the good of all Native people, sadly this isn't the case. As the document will show, IETAN has been working to keep smaller tribes from enjoying the benefits of gaming. Isn't that reprehensible?

We've posted numerous times of the civil rights violations of some of IETAN's clients, including the incredibly rich tribe, The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians and other tribes like the Picayune Rancheria and the Redding Rancheria. Comically, they also have clients that Open Secrets lists as HUMAN RIGHTS. How can they give an effort to protect one tribe's human rights, while working for other principal clients that have destroyed the civil and human rights of their people?

Here's the multi-page document on IETAN CONSUTULTING:

Ietan Story: Tribal Lobbyist Firm

Now, this document paints with a broad brush and throws Jack Abrahamoff's name about. We do know there is a connection between former IETAN team member and Abrahamoff, but we'd take that with a grain of salt. We will have more on IETAN, Holly Cook Macarro and AKIN GUMP.

Read more about the brutally corrupt treatment of Indian People at Pechanga, Picayune and Redding.

Pechanga Abuse of It's Senior Customer is comparable to Redding Rancheria's Actions

Today, guest blogger, Carla Foreman-Maslin, disenrolled member of the Redding Rancheria, and AIRRO member compares the latest news of Pechanga's abuse of power in the beating of Richard Swan that we've been discussing for days, with her tribe's casino in Redding. Thank you Carla for your contributions

This sounds a lot like Redding Rancheria. They have harassed, threatened & beat up employees, customers, their own tribal members & other Indian people who have been invited to participate in events or have come to put their money into the casino.

It is a very shameful time for tribes and their citizens who have allowed this type of behavior. The dictatorships and the bullying that is taking place is so outrageous and it really looks bad on American Indians everywhere.

I never thought I would see it all come down to this. I was always proud to be a part of what I felt was a historic time in this country when I witnessed my dad, who was our Tribal Chairman at a gathering of all Tribal Leaders at a Senate meeting in Washington, DC. I witnessed the Tribal Elders along with other Tribal Leaders who fought in the Vietnam war tell stories of their tribes and how they struggled with poverty, etc. I watched grown men cry as they testified on why Indian Gaming was going to help Tribes with economic development for their people to be able to have education, housing, health benefits through self reliance.

I believed in this vision and was proud to see it all come to life. I stood in the field with other Indian people and Mark Macarro when we filmed for Prop 5. I participated along with other California Indians in San Francisco when we all demonstrated for Indian Gaming in California. I will never forget the march to the steps of the Ninth Circuit Court with all the other Native men, women and children.

And now to see what has become a terrible disrespect to some tribes not only to their tribal citizens, but to our elders who have passed on and fought to live to see their children survive and make something of themselves through education. I was going to college when my rights and my family's rights were violated. I lost my education as the tribe was paying for it. Many other family members lost the same rights to their education.

I am appalled that those rights and other rights have been stolen by people who have no right to take the most sacred part of our being away from us. This is such a crime and the criminals have to answer for it. The fact that the loophole of "sovereignty" has allowed them to push their crime to other levels is a joke.

This is a major crime to any human being. Sovereignly is not for committing crimes against humanity, it is to be used as a protection for people. Whoever thought of using sovereignty as a way to protect their crimes has a very dark and evil mind. It is as evil as the mind of Hitler and other evil dictators throughout the world.

The victims need to stand up for their rights and continue to protect what is rightfully theirs. Teach your children to stand for their rights. There is nothing wrong when it is right. The only wrong is letting the criminals continue to commit crimes against the victims. In this case, the criminals have been given fame, when they deserve shame.

Greed, power and corruption has ultimately become a way of life for some of these tribal leaders and as long as they get away with it without justice, more tribal leaders will figure out that they can do the same to any tribal member, because they are untouchable. I never thought I would ever see such injustice in this time in our lives. Shame on those who don't stand for the innocent victims.

I would like to see a hero rise up and take a stand for our American Indians who have lost their voices and their rights.

Peace & Love
Carla Foreman-Maslin

Former Redding Rancheria Members Fight to Protect their Property

It's not easy to survive on your own property when the tribe can steamroll you.

Members of a family disenrolled from the Redding Rancheria tried to stop ongoing road construction Tuesday near the Win-River Casino expansion project.

About a dozen members of the Foreman family and their supporters attempted to block a construction project that will remove a driveway on rancheria property that leads to one of the family's homes. The road is being widened as part of a casino expansion. Bob Foreman Jr., whose father Bob Foreman Sr. owns land adjacent to the casino, said the family is not opposed to the casino's growth. "If we were part of the tribe still, we would want to expand," he said.
But the family is concerned that the construction could impede on its land or make getting in and out unsafe, Foreman said. Tuesday's protest was the latest chapter in a long-standing dispute involving tribal lineage at the Redding Rancheria, and prompted a call from Win-River Casino officials to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff's deputies Tuesday morning told the protesters that they needed to move. Members of the Foreman family said they were there because they wanted to see any permits the Redding Rancheria had for the roadwork.

Barbara Murphy, the tribe's chairwoman, said the land that the road and the driveway sit on are owned by the tribe. Being a sovereign nation, she said the rancheria isn't required to file for permits with the city or county.

See the rest of the story HERE