Snoqualmie Tribe BANISHES Chairman and TERMINATES 43

The article says disenrollment, but then, that makes it sound like they were kicked out of a country club. They in fact, TERMINATED them, much as the government of the US termnated Indians. Now, tribes are doing it to themselves, while the government stands by and watches in SATISFACTION.

Article HERE
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. - In November, the Snoqualmie Tribe will open the doors to a brand-new casino about 30 minutes southeast of Seattle. But instead of the media spotlighting pre-opening news on the $330 million project, the focus has shifted to the banishment of nine tribal members and the disenrollment of about 43.
The decision to banish former Chairman Bill T. Sweet and several of his family members, among other supporters, was made final during a closed-door general membership meeting at the Issaquah Hilton April 28. In addition to voting on the banishments, the tribal council announced that the 43 individuals purged from the rolls failed to meet the blood quantum requirement for membership. According to a tribal press release, some members have already appealed the decision, while others have accepted it.
Councilmember and Chief Nathan Patrick Barker said that Sweet and some of his supporters recently attempted to seize control of bank accounts, shut down health and social programs, fire the entire staff and reach out to the BIA in an effort to receive backup on the effort. They are accused of running a ''shadow government.'' ''They tried to undermine the tribal government in every shape and form, and that was what they were judged on,'' he said. Sweet, who was suspended as chairman in August 2007, has his own take on the events that led to his fate. And Barker was elected to the council during a general membership and emergency election meeting in September.
For those facing banishment, the punishment is harsh. They are purged from the rolls and no longer eligible to receive benefits or dividends from future casino revenues. And those banished are no longer allowed to participate in tribal government and events, or even claim Indian identity.

Sweet's problems began during elections last May. He recalled that the election went according to protocol, and those that were nominated and elected are the true tribal council to this day. Barker, who served as the sergeant-at-arms during that election, said that a nomination to move the election process to the beginning of the meeting after the agenda was the first inconsistency to take place that day. He claimed the real eyebrow-raiser occurred when Sweet closed nominations while four tribal members stood waiting to nominate their person of choice for the council.
He also said that a former councilmember was forbidden to vote because she forgot to bring her tribal identification. The rule requiring members to present their IDs during elections was approved at the last meeting in 2006. Those minutes were not ratified by the council prior to the election, which Barker said makes that rule unenforceable.

After Being Shot At by Soboba Tribal Members, Riverside Deputies Back to Work.

After facing violent offenders from Soboba, who were armed with assault weapons, and eliminating the threat to the public they presented, the involved Riverside County Sheriff's Deputies are back on duty.

Welcome back Deputies. Congratulations on being able to spend time with your families after facing death to protect us. Thank you and have an enjoyable holiday.

Story on continuing investigation HERE

Barney Frank sides with Congressional Black Caucus in withholding Cherokee Funds.

Frank sides with CBC, holds fast on Cherokee funding
By Kevin Bogardus
Posted: 04/21/08 06:24 PM [ET]

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) has threatened to block housing legislation for Native Americans if the final bill does not include a funding ban against the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma .
Frank shares a concern first raised by the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC), whose members have proposed several measures to punish the tribe for changing its constitution last year to exclude the Freedmen — a group of largely black Americans who are descendants of freed slaves once owned by tribe members — from its ranks.

“We would not pass the bill. We would not acquiesce to give funding to the Cherokees,” said Frank, whose committee has jurisdiction over the legislation. Frank said he would not bring a conference report to the floor for a final vote without the ban firmly in place.

rest of the article here

OP: Are you watching Mr. Macarro?

Related Story:

(Cherokee) Tribe's casino profits increase

The Cherokee Nation's casino operations turned a profit of more than $111 million in fiscal year 2007, according to financial data released by the tribe. The casinos earned $418.6 million in the fiscal year that ended Sept. 30, 2007. Of that revenue, $20.4 million went toward gaming compact fees, $119.4 million went toward payroll, and $167.2 million went toward operating expenses, according to an annual report on the Cherokees' casino operations. The casinos are operated by Cherokee Nation Enterprises, which the tribe owns

See story for the BIG expansion. Go Freedmen!

Pechanga Conversation Going on at the Angels Website

The Anaheim Angels are receiving sponsorship from Pechanga Tribe. Are they aware of what the tribe has done to 25% of their citizens? Not to mention how shabbily they have treated those who have been kept out of the tribe.

Here is a link to the early conversation. Maybe a well placed letter to Mr. Moreno about who he accepts sponsors from?

Divesting from an enterprise that denies basic civil rights to it's people is a good business decision.

Pechanga: The Beginning of the End of Tribal Sovereignty?

I have had many request to repost this, so here it is:

"In the 21st .Century, who would have thought that the Indian Wars would begin anew?

This is not the war of racist whites who wanted to move west no matter who was hurt. This time, it's greedy Indians who want more money, no matter which tribal members they hurt. The 21st century Indian War is now Indian vs. Indian.
Tribes such as Pechanga of Temecula, Redding Rancheria, Jamul of San Diego, Enterprise Rancheria are violating their members civil rights, eliminating them from tribal rolls and denying them their part of the tribe. And because of California Tribe's use of sovereignty, it can be "we just don't like you" or "we don't believe the evidence" (are you going to believe me or your lying eyes?),

In California's Indian Country, wealthy casino tribes are gorging themselves with cash, the fruits of their casino, thanks to laws passed by the citizens of California. Prop 1A and Prop. 5 were passed overwhelmingly, thanks to ads that promised not to expand gaming and to help tribes with self reliance. .

To the California populace, this meant that tribes would be able to take care of their own membership. Those living in poverty would be brought forth; non gaming tribes would benefit from a fund that gaming tribes would contribute to. A 'lifting of all boats' if you will. What has happened in that time has in fact helped some tribes. San Manuel of San Bernardino has developed their reservation from dirt poor to one of the wealthiest in the state and tribal members are definitely in the top 1/10th of income earners in California. And they are taking care of their people. Their population is limited, with fewer than 200 members. Morongo of Cabazon is another example of good governing. Sadly, some tribes could not stand to share their good fortune. Visions of more money, or living at San Manuel standards blinded some with greed and envy.

The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Mission Indians is one such tribe. Blessed with an excellent location near a freeway and with easy access and a growing population, the Pechanga Resort and Casino was successful and thriving. With just over 1,000 adult members, the tribe was, by 2004 able to provide their members with a monthly per capita check of $15,000 and quarterly bonuses. Additionally, the tribe provided health care via Blue Shield, Dental, Eye and extra benefits for elders. Also included was educational assistance including college scholarships for which all was needed was a C average. Even John Kerry and G. W. Bush could have kept a scholarship.

But that wasn't enough for a splinter group of band members, the Concerned Pechanga People. This group of extremists made threatening advances on tribal enrollment committee members, storming offices demanding that people be disenrolled. The disenrollment process was initiated in a Salem-witch-trial like atmosphere. Letters saying, "I think that family should be investigated" and "there is a person from OHIO that had the same name, we think it was their ancestor. Never mind that one of the ancestors under investigation had land on the reservation for well over 100 years, given to them from President McKinley. The process has been recounted in the article from Harpers "A Paper Trail of Tears" detailing the ouster of the family of the original headman of the Pechangas, Pablo Apis. The evidence for Paulina Hunter's family is detailed in "Without a Tribe" an investigative report from KNBC-TV in Los Angeles. The investigation went on for months and as recounted in the piece, Pechanga refused to speak to KNBC until the day before the airing.

Comically, Pechanga had to buy a 30 second spot during February sweeps (a bit more costly) to tell their story. In watching the report, it was clear that Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro was caught in a lie, and he was called on it by anchor Colleen Williams. The report featured noted anthropologist, Dr. John Johnson, curator of the Natural History Museum in Santa Barbara, and an expert in his field, possibly without equal. What is the significance of Dr. Johnson? Well, the Pechanga tribe hired him to research Paulina Hunter's ancestry. They went for the best and he found the truth about Paulina; she was indeed Pechanga, "100%" he said. Now keep in mind that this gentlemen has worked with California Mission Indians for decades, heavily researching Las Padrones, the historical record of the priests of Mission San Luis Rey (from which Luiseno comes)

Some authors, who are concerned that sovereignty issues outweigh any damage to families of disenrolled, ask the question: Are they violating tribal law or US law, because US law wouldn't apply to a sovereign nation. Well the answer is: They are violating tribal law. Pechanga's constitution requires open enrollment every January with specific requirements for enrollment. There is no blood quantum required; the requirement is lineal descent from an original Pechanga person.

Pechanga has a moratorium in place which has kept new members from joining the tribe. The moratorium is not authorized in the constitution. There was a petition brought forth to the tribe, it was ruled valid and voted upon. The moratorium, unconstitutionally, was passed. The Tribal Council explained that "the people have spoken" and it's now law until repealed. Later, when a petition was brought forth to end all disenrollment, it was ruled valid and voted upon, after the question of the Hunter family's disenrollment process was brought up, Chairman Macarro said, "all means all".

The people voted to end all disenrollments. The will of the people was spoken. Months later, the tribe was sent a letter saying that the Hunter family disenrollment couldn't be stopped by a vote of the people; they had to right to vote on enrollment matters. Okay so the people had a right to STOP new members coming in, but not to stop lifelong members from going out? I think this answers the question of violations of law.

This is sovereignty that is wielded like a club, not for the good of the members, but to their detriment. These websites and blogs can help answer questions, and there will be more articles like this one."

Indian Gaming remains vulnerable to criminal elements: Pechanga's former Tribal Spokesperson's Son a Thief

Pechanga's former Tribal Spokesperson's son was fired for stealing employees tips. Of course, she fought for her thieving son to not be fired. Stealing from the employees, damaging the tribe's shaky credibility and yet, he was not disenrolled. Why?

U.S. Attorney cites threat to Indian gaming from criminals

U.S. Attorney Sheldon Sperling of the Eastern District of Oklahoma says Indian gaming remains vulnerable to criminal elements.
Sperling successfully prosecuted Ivy Kwok Ong for tax fraud and bribery. Ong was able to infiltrate the Seminole Nation's gaming operation despite his criminal record, Sperling said.
Ong supplied electronic gaming machines to the tribe and took a share of the revenues in violation of federal law. But his arrangements were never reviewed by the National Indian Gaming Commission, which would have discovered his criminal past as part of a routine background check, Sperling said.
"This was a man who should never have been allowed anywhere near an Indian gaming facility,” Sperling said after Ong was sentenced to 39 months in federal prison, The Oklahoman reported. "Until we have a method of tracing not only those who manage, but also those who supply or invest in tribal casinos, Indian Country remains vulnerable to infiltration by those like defendant Ong.” The Seminole Nation was forced to shut down its gaming facilities and pay a hefty fine to the NIGC for its dealings with Ong, who also sought to open a casino with the Shinnecock Nation of New York.

Story here

Riverside Sheriff Takes Step to Improve Soboba Relationship

Good work Sheriff. I doubt you will get many takers from a tribe that pays per capita, but it's a good step. Chairman Salgado, what are YOUR next steps to improve relations with the Sheriff? Apologizing for your silly comments is not a big enough step.

Riverside sheriff taking steps to mend Indian relations
The Associated Press

RIVERSIDE, Calif.—Riverside County's sheriff says he is taking steps to improve relations with Indian tribes following the deaths this month of three tribe members in shootouts with deputies on the Soboba reservation.
Stanley Sniff said Tuesday that he will appoint an officer to act as a liaison for the tribes and will begin recruiting tribe members to join his department.
On May 8, deputies killed a man who opened fire on them on the reservation. Four days later, deputies killed a man and woman in a long gunfight after the pair opened fire with assault rifles on a tribal guard station.
Investigations continue into all three deaths.
Last week, Soboba Tribe Chairman Robert Salgado accused deputies of coming to the reservation to "blow people away." He later apologized for the remark.

Senator Obama VS the Freedmen: Politics as USUAL says Congresswoman DIane Watson

Congresswoman Diane Watson educates Senator Obama on the Freedmen issue. Good work, Rep. Watson. Please continue to press on for the Freedmen and also, consider looking into the civil rights violations of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians in our own state of California. Oh, don't forget Picayune, Redding, Enterprise and others that can be found at tribalcorruption.com

Sen. Barack Obama and the Cherokee Freedmen: Politics as usual

By Rep. Diane Watson (D-Calif.)
Posted: 05/13/08 05:29 PM [ET]

On the same day that African American voters went to the polls to cast their ballots in North Carolina and Indiana, descendants of the former slaves of the Cherokee Nation (known as Freedmen) fought in the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., to enforce their treaty rights guaranteeing them equality and voting rights in the tribe. Attorneys representing the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma have filed to have the case dismissed on the grounds that only Congress can enforce the treaty because the Cherokees have sovereign immunity. Yet the Cherokee Nation on that same day held a conference in the U.S. Capitol on why the Freedmen matter should be left to the courts.

Without a clear understanding of the issue, Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) has weighed in on the side of the Cherokees by publicly opposing my legislation, H.R. 2824, which suspends U.S. relations with the Cherokees until the rights of Freedmen are restored. Sen. Obama also takes exception to a recent Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) letter sent to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) in which the caucus declares its opposition to Native American housing legislation if it does not include a provision that would prevent the Cherokee Nation from receiving any benefits or funding under the bill if the Freedmen are expelled from the tribe.

Thirty-five CBC members signed the letter, including its chairwoman, Rep. Carolyn Kilpatrick (D-Mich.).

snip

Article IX of the Treaty of 1866 states that Cherokee Freedmen shall have “all the rights” of Cherokees. The language in the treaty has been interpreted on more than one occasion by the courts as that “all rights” include the right of Freedmen citizenship.

Snip

The Cherokee Nation lost its sovereign right to engage in slavery upon enactment of the 13th Amendment and to determine the citizenship of the descendants of its former slaves upon ratification of the Treaty of 1866. Over the past several decades, our nation has stood up for the rights of indigenous minorities, as has the U.S. Congress through its Helsinki Commission as well as other congressional forums. Defending any government’s right to commit gross acts of discrimination under the guise of sovereign immunity is a non-starter. It is as unsupportable in South Africa, China, Zimbabwe and Bosnia as it is in the Cherokee Nation, arguably even more so in the Cherokee Nation since it is located within the continental U.S. and its sovereignty on the issue at hand has already been abrogated by Congress.

African American voters should think about how they would feel if their citizenship rights were suddenly removed because they descended from slaves. This is precisely what the Cherokee Nation wants to do in violation of its own treaty obligations.

It is morally repugnant and legally wrong.Watson is a member of the House Oversight and Government Reform, and Foreign Affairs, committees.

STILL TIME TO CHANGE YOUR POSITION, SENATOR, to the right side.

Pechanga Disenrollment Story: Shameful

In June, I reprinted by permission a blog that one of our cousins wrote. Many Californians think that DISENROLLMENT by Corrupt Pechanga People is like "being kicked out of the country club". No, I don't think so, it's a loss of CITIZENSHIP and status as a Native American.

Native Heart: Stories from Pechanga

Read the story. It's about belonging, about losing a part of your life. About someone terminating your cultural heritage via Paper Genocide.

It's about a tribal council that has not followed the rule of law, denied their citizens their civil rights and treated their elders with complete disrespect, all the time spending $10 million on commercials trying to convince you that it's ONE TRIBE, ONE LAND.

Senate Committee On Indian Affairs: Please Call and ask them to say NO to Pechanga, a civil rights violator.

Dear Senate Committee and Senior Counsel Rollie Wilson,

Please do not consider transferring land to the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians at your meeting on Thursday.

The land should be transferred to all Indians with ties to the cultural and sacred sites. If a transfer occurs that fails to include ownership and use rights for all affected Indians, the Pechanga Band will do what it has done before and deny access to individuals who have undisputed cultural and lineal ties to the sacred sites but who are not considered Pechanga members.

I also oppose H.R. 2963 based on the Pechanga Band’s actions to deprive and deny individuals of their human and civil rights. No entity that participates in, supports, or otherwise partakes in human and/or civil rights violations should benefit from the public trust. The actions taken by the Pechanga Band -denial of due process, failure to provide equal protection of the laws, establishment of ex post facto laws, etc.- mirror those which led to the introduction and passage of the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 ("ICRA"). The ICRA was intended to “… protect individual Indians from arbitrary and unjust actions of tribal governments” and to secure for the individual American Indian the broad constitutional rights afforded all other American citizens.

However, Pechanga Tribal officials have hid behind the Tribe’s sovereignty to escape prosecution and to prevent the victims of their actions from seeking recourse for the injury and harm resulting from the human and civil rights violations. Although the tribal officials may be immune from suit, this does not equate to innocence of action.
Additionally, I would ask Congress to take a hard look at lands previously transferred to trust for the Pechanga Band. Specifically, the Great Oak Ranch was transferred with the intent of protecting it and its invaluable resources from a proposed transmission line project that threatened to negatively impact the Great Oak and other resources.

Over the course of several years, the Pechanga Band spent a great amount of time and money lobbying Congress to protect the Great Oak Ranch. Many meetings were held between Pechanga officials, government agencies, and Congressional members regarding the issue. During those meetings, it was stressed that the Great Oak and the Great Oak Ranch needed to be protected from construction impacts and the Pechanga Band had no intent to change the use of the ranch. In fact, Congressman Issa introduced at least one bill to protect the Great Oak and the Great Oak Ranch from the transmission project.

Today, with the Great Oak and the Great Oak Ranch spared from the transmission line project and the property transferred into trust, a portion of the Ranch has been turned into a staging area for on-going construction projects both on the Ranch and on adjacent properties. The character of the Ranch has been drastically changed and in no way reflects the “no change in use” mantra used by Pechanga officials in lobbying Congress and federal agencies for its protection and transfer to trust. Please do not consider a yes on H.R. 2963

FAX NUMBERS:
DEMOCRATS 202 228-2589 Republicans 202 224-5429

PHONE: (202) 224-2251 Ask for Rollie Wilson

Please send your letters in opposition to the numbers above.

Soboba to Sue Sheriff's Department for Protecting it's Citizens and San Jacinto Residents from Armed Gunmen: UPDATED

UPDATE: Soboba Tribal Chairman apologizes for his remarks.

Earlier this week Salgado accused deputies of coming to the reservation to "blow people away" and referred to the local sheriff's station commander, Capt. Glenn Worby, as "General Custer."
Worby sat silently in the corner of a small conference room as Salgado opened the meeting with an apology for his remarks to the press.
"Over the past two weeks this has escalated out to some bad blood between the Sheriff's Department and myself," said Salgado, who sat at the head of a heavy wooden conference table with an eagle feather laid before him. "I ask forgiveness if I offended anybody." OP: Very good Mr. Chairman

ARTICLE on

Chairman Salgado's tribal members shot at tribal security guards, shot at sheriff's deputies with HUNDREDS of rounds of ammunition, shot at a RCSD helocopter, representing the opportunity for HUNDREDS of wounded and dead. And he wants to SUE them? How about holding a thank you party for saving his reservation from basically crazed gunmen.

People of Southern California, I'd AVOID Soboba like the PLAGUE. Salgado thinks his civil rights were violated, but where was he when tribes like Pechanga, Redding, Picayune violated the civil rights of its OWN PEOPLE?


SAN JACINTO, Calif. - The chairman of the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians said the tribe is planning to sue the Riverside County Sheriff's Department after a deadly gun battle in which deputies shot and killed a tribal man and a woman on the reservation May 12. ''We're planning to bring legal action against the Riverdale County sheriff's office. We think our civil rights have been violated and there were clear violations of jurisdiction. We're meeting with our attorney at 1 o'clock today,'' Chairman Robert Salgado told Indian Country Today May 14, less than 48 hours after the shootout.

At the center of the jurisdictional issue is Public Law 280, a 1950s termination-era law imposed on the nations that gives states criminal jurisdiction on Indian land. The deaths occurred less than a week after sheriff's deputies shot and killed another tribal member on the reservation.

According to the Riverside County Sheriff's Department, deputies responded around 6:20 p.m. to a 911 call ''in reference to an assault by a deadly weapon.'' Police said they were told that unknown suspects were firing at a ''guard shack'' on the reservation where two tribal security personnel were on duty. A sheriff's department helicopter arrived and came under fire, according to the police report.

Read the rest of the article HERE

Hawaii Natives Are Learning What May Happen with Akaka Bill: See YA!

Akaka Bill Preview: Tribes Boot Members Keep Loot
By Andrew Walden, 5/15/2008 9:39:59 AM

Are you Hawaiian? Perhaps not for long.

California Indian tribes are giving Hawaii a preview of what can be expected under the Office of Hawaiian Affairs’ proposed Akaka Tribe. They are throwing out members—and some say it is all about money. OP: It absolutely IS.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle on April 20: “From San Diego to Clear Lake, 57 tribes are cashing in on the annual $7.7 billion California Indian gambling boom, and some are throwing out many of their own members -(OP: 25% of the Pechanga Tribe, almost 50% of Picayune) all, critics say, so those remaining can pocket more cash.

In many cases, that amounts to monthly allowances of up to $30,000 per person. The numbers of those receiving shares were relatively small to begin with - only an estimated 39,000 of the 350,000 American Indians in this state, according to studies by the state attorney general, the U.S. Census Bureau and others.”
See it here: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/04/20/MNJNVJC72.DTL

If the Akaka Bill becomes law, Hawaiians will be forced into something King Kamehameha abolished in creating the Hawaiian Kingdom—a tribe. And that tribe will have authority over who is or is not officially allowed to enroll.
At stake will be land and shares in revenues from Akaka Tribe ownership of thousands of acres of valuable Hawaii real estate.

Nobody explains this better than the Akaka Bill’s chief proponent in the U.S. House Rep. Neil Abercrombie.
Speaking to the House Committee on Natural Resources on May 2, 2007, Abercrombie explained: “The bottom line here is that this is a bill about the control of assets. This is about land, this is about money, and this is about who has the administrative authority and responsibility over it.”
OP: Pechanga has already taken land they said they wanted to preserve, hundreds of acres and are now putting 18 holes into it, and fertilizer... They LIED!

Read the full article HERE

Shannon Prince: Cherokee Imitating The Enemy and Info on Freedmen Meeting

The tribe violated their OWN laws. We should not be supporting them in their efforts to disenfranchise their own people. Stand up for the Freedmen, and stand up for civil rights in Indian Country.

Prince: We're imitating the enemy

Posted: May 16, 2008
by: Shannon Prince

Many intelligent American Indian thinkers have already pointed out why the freedmen have a legal right to remain in the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma.

Cherokee judge Steve Russell has noted in his Indian Country Today column that the freedmen have the right, according to Article 9 of the treaty between the United States and the Cherokee Nation of 1866, to be citizens of the Cherokee Nation.
He has also reiterated the well-documented fact that many (and one might say nearly all) freedmen have Cherokee Indian blood that the racists who created the Dawes Rolls didn't note simply because of the pseudo-scientific belief that ''one drop'' of black blood negated all others - a fact that shows the nonsense of the claim that the removal of the freedmen from the Cherokee Nation is based on the desire to allow only those with Indian blood to be Indians.
snip

While these scholars have brilliantly argued that the removal of the freedmen from the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma is illegal by the nation's own laws, I argue that beyond being illegal, the removal of the freedmen is also unethical. Those who support freedmen removal are irresponsible heirs of Cherokee history and have internalized colonial expressions of sovereignty.

READ MORE HERE

CHEROKEE FREEDMEN MEETING: 5/17/08

This is the chance for you to learn about what is happening with the Freedmen's case. Additionally, if Cherokee Nation tries to disrupt the proceedings, you can see it for yourself. Show your support! And, please ask Diane Watson to look into what the tribes in her own state are doing, such as: Pechanga, Picayune Rancheria, Enterprise, Redding.

The next Descendants of Freedmen Association meeting will be held Saturday May 17th at the Rudisill library in Tulsa Oklahoma, 1520 N. Hartford, beginning at 1pm.
The Freedmen Band of Cherokee nation will meet following the Descendants meeting. Both meetings are free and open to the general public. Attorney Jon Velie will attend and update meeting attendants on recent Washington DC events.
Please prepare to attend the Descendants of Freedmen Association conference Saturday June 7th 2008 conference between 10am and 4pm at the Oklahoma City Langston Campus, 4205 N Lincoln Blvd.
Confirmed speakers include Congresswoman Diane Watson, Professor Gary Zeller, Kentucky State Representative Reginald Meeks, Tribal Activist Brenda Golden, and Attorney Jon Velie.

More details are given at the Conference Website: http://www.freedmenconference.com/index.htmOur conference Chair MS Grayson can be reached at dof5ctac@yahoo.com

.....All Bets Are OFF at Soboba: Bernsteins Opinion

Bernstein gets a little hyperbolic, as did Salgado.

DAN BERNSTEIN of the Press Enterprise

If I were a betting man, I wouldn't go near the Soboba Casino. OP: ME NEITHER! Nor Pechanga either because of how they treat their people.

Not until the RivCo sheriff and the Indian reservation declare a cease-fire. Welcome to RivCo's mini Sadr City. OP: Think about what you say here Dan, the sheriff's were responding to calls for HELP. The security guards were UNDER fire.

I don't pretend to fully understand what's happening out there, why or who's to blame. OP: Hint, Dan, the ones firing the assault type weapons at security guards and sheriff's helicopter. Start there.

But everyone knows this: There have been copious exchanges of gunfire. Three tribe members have been killed in a week. OP: Yes, the ones who were firing the assault type weapons. Thank goodness they didn't kill anyone either. They could have laid down in a prone position, but guess what? They FIRED at sheriff's deputies...who, luckily for them and us CARRY GUNS too.

And the RivCo sheriff and the Soboba tribal chairman are lobbing rounds o' rhetoric that aren't exactly climate coolers. OP: Yes, like Salgado's They will SHOOT FIRST and ask questions later statement.
These guys are, supposedly, leaders. They represent people who are using real bullets. Real people are dead. OP: Yes, criminals thankfully, not innocent casino patrons, San Jacinto citizens.

You'd think Sheriff Stan Sniff and Tribal Chairman Robert Salgado might have a few pressing matters to discuss.
But that'll have to wait. The sheriff was in Washington, D.C., when a P-E reporter caught up to him. Sniffed Sniff:
"The tribal leadership needs to take control and make it known that this type of violence against their own members and members of law enforcement will not be tolerated." OP: Finally a good statement. The tribe needs to enforce their own people. Where are their rangers? At least, Pechanga's rangers will stand by while innocent children are being thrown out of the tribal school.