OMG: NOOKSACK COUNCIL Becomes LAUGHINGSTOCK of INDIAN COUNTRY Bob Kelly Head Clown Car Driver

The Bellingham Herald has this story this morning...  After getting their ASSES KICKED by their OWN courts, they create a super-duper Supreme Court.

The Nooksack Tribal Council originators for the 1-800-GET DISENROLLED phone line created a Nooksack Tribal Supreme Court on Thursday, Oct. 6, according to court filings, and it appears Chairman and Clown Car Driver Bob Kelly is the chief justice of the court.

Head Clown Bob Kelly

When asked twice whether he was the chief justice, Kelly said he could not comment. Messages to the Nooksack Court office seeking the names of the justices were not immediately returned Wednesday, Oct. 12. The justices’ signatures, including what appears to be Kelly’s, appear on an order dated Oct. 7.

The creation of the tribe’s Supreme Court comes after a series of apparent disagreements this year between the tribe’s leadership and court system in connection with cases involving roughly 300 people who have been facing disenrollment from the tribe since 2012.

Those facing disenrollment call themselves the Nooksack 306. Tribe gets restraining order against appeals court On Sept. 30, the tribe asked for a preliminary injunction against the Northwest Intertribal Court System in Nooksack Tribal Court. The NICS has provided a three-judge panel to make up the Nooksack Tribal Court of Appeals in recent years.

Read the rest of the story.....

Original Pechanga Blog TOPS Pechanga.Net in Native News Rankings from Alexa

THANK YOU for reading, thank you for sharing, THANK you for allowing aggrieved Native Americans this outlet. THANK you for continuing to help shine the spotlight on tribal corruption, tribal disenrollment, moratorium and exposing the civil and human rights abuses in Indian Country

PAULINA Hunter
Circa 1890 - Original Pechanga Person

I began this blog in 2007 to draw attention to the abuses of disenrollment, moratoriums and banishment by casino gaming tribes in CA.   It was primarily focused on the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians from Temecula CA.  But, along the way, I've met hundreds of new friends, from many tribes who have had the same thing happen to them.   We got little attention, at the time, in fact:

In 2008, we got into a spat with Pechanga.net owner (And Pechanga member who voted to terminate HUNDREDS of Pechanga people) Victor Rocha's assistant Rob Schmidt about our blog not being a news site.

He posted a ranking from Alexa.com THE internet site ranker, which I'll put up after this comment he wrote:  

I hope you're happy with these results, because I sure am. The only thing that would make me happier would be to see BlueCornComics.com and PECHANGA.net ranked higher than Indian Country Today and Indianz.com. But we all need goals to strive for. Any questions about where most Indians go for information?

LOOK HOW THE RANKINGS HAVE CHANGED AS of 10/12/2016

                                                               2008                            2016
Indian Country Today:                         221,841                            49,191
Indianz.com:                                       259,464                           231,265
NativeNewsOnline.org:                    3,083,555                           205,913

OriginalPechanga.com:                 9,239,654                           696,796

Pechanga.net:                                   395,325                           820,702 
BlueCornComics.com:                       324,108                         1,385,665
IndianCountryNews.com:                4,307,680                         2,037,907

WE OUTRANK ROCHA's site in worldwide and US RANKINGS! In this case, a LOWER number is better:

As of Wednesday 10/12, the rankings in the US/World for my blog are:  113,233/ 696,796

Current ranking for 7/31 in the US/World for  Pechanga.net are:  153,581/ 820,702

Of course, Pechanga.net has sponsors, gaming and others, so he's making money and has prestige. Ours is the little blog that COULD.  We get the word out on abuses that Rocha's cousin Mark Macarro has inflicted on hundreds.   And we share what's happening to, sadly, THOUSANDS of Native Americans by their OWN TRIBES. 

Ours gets read by Congress, media and TRIBES!   OUR BLOG, is where people go for information on tribal disenrollment, on tribal civil rights abuses and to see how are government has allowed harm to come to our elders.

Yes, the Pechanga tribe may be our best source and the BIA our best customer.  Things always change, but FOR NOW, we are pleased with our support.   THANK YOU...

VIEJAS Band, After CHEATING UNION MEMBERS, LOSES in Court.

HOW difficult is it to JUST do the right thing and PAY honest bonuses?

The Viejas Band of Kumeyaay Indians violated federal labor law by giving lower bonuses to union members, an administrative law judge ruled on Tuesday in the latest in a string of decisions that tribes say threatens their sovereignty. OP: Tribe never take responsibility for THEIR roles is threatening sovereignty.

The Viejas Casino and Resort in southern California is a "commercial enterprise" whose operation does not impact the tribe's ability to govern itself, Judge Mara-Louise Anzalone asserted in the 17-page decision. The majority of its employees and customers are non-Indian and no treaty rights are implicated, she added.
"Finally," she wrote, "there is no evidence in the language or legislative history of the [National Labor Relations] Act to suggest that Congress intended to exclude Native Americans or their commercial enterprises from the Act’s jurisdiction."

The decision affirms a complaint a labor union filed against the casino. Employees who belong to United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, Local 135, received only one-half of the bonus given to non-members, which the judge said violates the National Labor Relations Act.

The law, which was first enacted in 1935, a year after the Indian Reorganization Act, does not mention tribes at all. But it does exempt states and local governments and tribes say they should be treated the same as a matter of parity.

To address the situation, tribes are lobbying Congress to pass H.R.511, the Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act. The bill does exactly what the judge wrote in the decision: it would "exclude Native Americans or their commercial enterprises from the [National Labor Relations] Act’s jurisdiction."

HOPLAND 74 DISENROLLMENT: Sandra Sigala's Story From Sacramento Native Lives Matter Protest

There were numerous stories shared in Sacramento on the steps of our capitol.
Here's the next one, from a former council member and chair of the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians.  Their disenrollment was reported HERE and Here  Sandra Sigala is a former chairwoman for the tribe.

My name is Sandra Sigala, I come here today to share me and my family’s story about disenrollment that came to pass in March of this year 2016.
I am a Disenrolled tribal member from the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians.  My family and I were wrongfully disenrolled by the Hopland Tribal Council on January 15th this year, later it was finalized by a special General Council meeting on March 19 this year.

Sandra Sigala being escorted by armed tribal security
Chris Pugh-Ukiah Daily Journal photo. 

I have been a recognized tribal member since 1989 with the tribe.  Later on I was recruited in and voted to hold a seat on the tribal council governing board that led to holding several years of tribal council positions from member at large, to treasurer and finally tribal chairperson from 1992 thru 2004.  This was before the start up of Gaming with our tribe.  I worked with the Tribal Council at that time to bring Gaming to our tribe.  In 1997 as Tribal Chairperson, I gave testimony at the Senate and Congressional levels in Washington DC and Sacramento to get their support for economic development – gaming for tribes on the California Ballot.  I worked endless hours to get the California voters to vote Yes for Indian Gaming.

I held position as Tribal Chair with the Hopland Band of Pomo Indians, 1997 thru 2004 and I take great pride in building the tribe’s economic development and building structures on our tribal land during my leadership.

Selling Fake Memberships to Yamassee Tribe Gets You THREE years. BEING FAKE INDIAN, gets you POWER, MONEY and ALL RIGHTS

The sad part of stories like this is that TRIBE'S could ACTUALLY do this, sell memberships, say to get more Federal dollars.  The BIA would NOT stop them.  IF they don't protect REAL INDIANS from extermination, why would they stop UNREAL Indians from being members? The BIA allows disenrollment of Native Americans, but do NOT question ADOPTED Indians rights as Natives.  

A former Brownsville man now living in Waco will spend almost three years in prison after his conviction for selling fake memberships to an Indian tribe that isn't recognized by the federal government.

On Tuesday, a U.S. federal judge in Brownsville sentenced Humberto Reveles, 61, for defrauding more than 140 people out of thousands of dollars by offering them membership to the Yamassee tribe. He claimed the membership came with tribal documents that would allow them to remain in the U.S. despite their immigration status, officials with the U.S. Attorney's Office in Houston said.

Reveles pleaded guilty in March 2015.

He opened an office in Brownsville, where he would meet with prospective tribal members and provide them naturalization certificates, tribal identity cards and tribal driver's licenses. The documents were to be presented in support of their immigration claims, officials said.

While handing down the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen said selling the fake tribal memberships was "just as bad as coyotes smuggling people past the checkpoint," according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

QUANAH BRIGHTMAN Speaks out at Native Lives Matter Protest in Sacramento: Videos of United Native Americans Leader

Supporter of those who have been disenrolled for many years, Quanah Brightman, head of the United Native Americans activist group, joined protesters at the Sacramento Bureau of Indian Affairs office.

Here's some video of him speaking to us, energizing us for the continued battle.

Here, he is introducing himself to those who had yet to meet him:

Here, he discusses the corruption of the "APPLES" in charge of some tribes:

And of course, ONLY Quanah Brightman can CALL FOR THE dismantling of the BIA....in FRONT of the BIA....!

View that HERE  THANK YOU, my friend for being there is support of all of us, and for the work you and your team do...

Two White Racists Attack Indigenous People's Day Marchers in RENO. At least 4 injured

Our friend Quanah Brightman who stood with us in Sacramento BIA protest tells the story of this HATE CRIME:

The group had stopped under the arch for a photo. According to Quanah Brightman, the driver had been "stalking" the group.

“This is a hate crime,” Brightman said. “It’s still brutal to see this kind of racism in America. That man deserves life (in prison) for what he did.”


Details from Facebook post

Two white men in a white Nissan pickup plates Nevada 218-PWS drove into marchers after first being seen at the rally start point, driving by once shouting slurs, and then doubling back around to get in front of the protesters before driving into them.

Jamul Indian Casino ALREADY Causing Traffic Problems, Collisions..Outlook Bleak for Improvements

The JAMUL INDIAN VILLAGE casino and entertainment complex that drew the ire of neighbors in the East County opened to the public Monday and, combined with road construction, led to major traffic congestion on state Route 94.  Many accidents have occurred, with only the very slow speeds preventing fatalities. Is it Karma for the beatings and evictions it took to get the project underway?

CHP reported several crashes along SR-94 during the casino's opening day. A tow truck driver responding to a crash became stuck in the traffic along SR-94.

Traffic Jams delay
school pickups

Despite the casino creating a thousand job, critics said opening day's traffic troubles proves why they will continue to fight to close it down.

The $400 million Hollywood Casino Jamul-San Diego, around 20 miles east of downtown San Diego, on the property of the Jamul Indian Village, also includes a nightclub.  The tribe allowed the desecration of Native ancestor's graves for the project.

Area residents, led by county Supervisor Dianne Jacob, bitterly fought the development because they were concerned about traffic impacts on the semi- rural roadway in the area. She has criticized Caltrans for allowing the project to proceed.

"Caltrans is failing the public by allowing the casino to open without all the badly needed road improvements in place, which was a part of the agreement Caltrans reached with Jamul Indian Village in 2009," Jacob said.

Feds Want #DAPL PAUSED While Route is Reconsidered.

The US government reiterated its request Monday that construction of an oil pipeline in North Dakota be paused, while authorities consider the impacts of its route on a Native American tribe.

The Dakota Access Pipeline has been the subject of a months-long protest, in which Native Americans and their supporters have camped out in the state's prairie lands to block the pipeline's route underneath the Missouri River and the adjoining man-made Lake Oahe.

The Standing Rock Sioux Tribe says the project threatens its drinking water source, and could destroy ancient sacred sites near the tribe's reservation, which is less than a mile from the pipeline.

A month ago, the federal government had asked the pipeline's operator, Energy Transfer Partners, to pause construction within 20 miles (32 kilometers) of the disputed area, while authorities evaluate the tribe's claims.

But a federal appeals court Sunday denied the tribe's request to order a temporary stop to construction, prompting the Departments of Justice, Army and Interior to once again issue a statement of support. The Army controls the permitting process for US navigable waterways.

"We also look forward to a serious discussion during a series of consultations... on whether there should be nationwide reform on the tribal consultation process for these types of infrastructure projects," the statement said.

The standoff between the Sioux tribe and the pipeline's builder has grown into a protest movement in the United States, emboldening Indian tribes, environmentalists and advocates for Native Americans.

Tribal Disenrollment is an IMMORAL Use of Tribal Sovereignty. IT IS GENOCIDE: Michelle Hammock, Hopland Pomo

At the Capitol portion of the Native Lives Matter Protest, Hopland Pomo Native Michelle Hammock one of 74 who were disenrolled from the Hopland Tribe. gave a masterful speech on tribal disenrollment and sovereignty.  I'll excerpt some here and you can find the entire speech here.

Michelle Hammock

HOPLAND 74 Disenrollment happened with very short notice:

Hammock: Our tribe’s constitution does have a membership clause that spells out instances of potential loss of membership. The council however, disregarded every word of the constitution and did things their own way. Because… Sovereignty.  
OP:  SOVEREIGNTY, wielded as a club to beat tribal citizens will lead to, the end of sovereignty.  That's what must be impressed upon tribal leaders and the people that follow them.

Hammock: Our tribes are given sovereign rights to determine who is a tribal member. So once we are members, why do we have to continue a song and dance in order to keep our memberships? What is going on here, breeds corruption. IF a member has a fundamental disagreement of policy or a person, that should not be grounds for disenrollment. 

Unfortunately, it is. Any opposition to the tribal council is now grounds for disenrollment. Because.. Sovereignty.

OP:  1st Amendment rights should always apply.  Alternate viewpoints should NOT be an OFFENSE, it should be welcomed.  Let the tribe decide, not corrupt leaders.

Hammock: Since our disenrollment, there hasn’t been a day that we haven’t put our foot forward to stop fighting for our rights. There is a group of great  people from our tribe who also realize they, too,  were cheated out of their rights as tribal members. By a fair count of their own votes. To be heard in tribal council meetings that have since taken place. By asking tribal authorities questions, to only be barred from meetings and blacked out of communications. Now with the pot farms being installed without consulting the members, are now being threatened with trespassing on tribal lands. ON TRIBAL LANDS, Natives are now being threatened with trespassing on their own lands! Why? Because the tribal council’s Sovereignty.

OP:  The Indian Civil Rights Act needs to be strengthened.  I urge all of you to contact YOUR representatives and demand changes.

Disenrolled Native Children UNPROTECTED by ICWA

Hammock: One of our prepaid right and benefit that is stripped is ICWA; a federal law that attempts to protect our Native children from forced adoptions and foster care to non native homes. It is meant for our native children to maintain a relationship with their culture, their tribe, their people. If any of our children are in the ICWA system prior to disenrollment, now, this puts every disenrolled child at imminent risk for foster care outside of native homes, adoptions to non native families, breaking every tie they have with their tribe and its people

READ the Full Speech HERE  and please SHARE on social media.  

Day One of Sacramento STOP TRIBAL GENOCIDE Protest a Success

Despite a heavy police presence at the Capitol closing some access routes to the event, the Stop Tribal Genocide protest had a great gruop of speakers etail the issues of Indians vs. Indians.

Columnist and author Jaqueline Keeler soke on tribal sovereignty and being an Indian in 21st century America.

Sandy Sigala and Michelle Hammock spoke eloquently on the Hopland unlawful disenrollments. We hope to have the text of Michelle's presentation shortly.

Dayna Barrios taled on her Masters thesis on Disenrollment.

The organizers of the event Emilio Reyes, Yulu Elwes, kept things moving.  The event was covered by television station KRCA.

Indianz.com mentioned the protest in an article published today.   Pechanga.net owner Victor Rocha reportedly told an emailer of the protest to Take him off his list....jerk.

Tomorrow's protest march at the BIA begins at 7:30 am we will have pictures.... stay tunes

Clown Alert: Nooksack Council Suing Nooksack Court for TOO much Justice

You can't make this stuff up. Tribal court being sued for...overdoing it?

https://turtletalk.files.wordpress.com/2016/10/5-emergency-mot-for-ex-parte-inj.pdf

read it, then point at the Nooksack Council...and laugh

Kamkoff s and NICS's acceptance of the Galanda v. Bernard and In re Galanda
matters has resulted in significant burdens on the Tribal Court staff and the Tribe, and significant costs for dealing with unauthorized, excessive, and frivolous filings, as well as void contempt findings against Tribal employees acting within the scope of their authority.

DAMN iT!  THey have a RIGHT NOT to follow the LAW?!   Really Nooksack??

Stop Tribal Genocide March to Protect Civil Rights

P O BOX 1670

NATIONAL CITY, CA 91951

www.stoptribalgenocide.com

Stop Tribal Genocide Coordinates a March to Protect Civil Rights.

A Native Civil Rights March that deals with Issues that are plaguing Indian Country Today.

The two day event will take place at the State Capitol on October 6, 2016 and The Bureau of Indian Affairs Regional Office on October 7, 2016. Members of Stop Tribal Genocide and fellow protesters will meet up at the State Capitol and speak about topics pertaining to: Tribal Disenrollment, Pipelines, Fracking, Federal Recognition and Honoring of Treaties, Police Brutality, Abolishing Columbus Day, Annexing Native American Mascots and the Identity Theft of Native American Children. The first day will culminate with a March around the Capitol building. Stop Tribal Genocide will end the protest on Friday, October 7, at the Regional Office of The Bureau of Indian Affairs, where they will protest their grievances to the Bureau and hopefully place a list of grievances in the hands of the head of the Regional Office herself. 

BIA and Department of Interior NEGLIGENT in Calvert/Ruiz Pechanga Water Rights Bill, Trust Responsibility

In February 2011 I wrote this post below.  In the subsequent 68 MONTHS, NO BIA, Department of the Interior, Water District, or Pechanga Tribal officials have contacted Reservations ALLOTTEES about the Pechanga Water Rights bill being sought through Congress.   Water rights are FOR reservation allotments, NOT for Casino Water Features.  Ken Calvert, Raul Ruiz

Many members of Paulina Hunter descendents are receiving letters from Amy Dutschke, Regional Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, in response to our concerns over not  being consulted on the Water Rights Bill that Pechanga was trying to get pushed through the last Congress.
From the BIA letters, here is where the DOI admits to our water rights:

The Department of the Interior recognizes that allottees have water rights on allotted lands and that the United States has a trust responsibility, independent of any responsibility to the Pechanga Band, to protect those interests.
The Department is currently reviewing the proposed settlement legislation and its effect on allottees within the Reservation.

Please remember that the Hunter family is one of the few original allottees to maintain their land on the reservation.  We have homes on the original 20 acres we were allotted in 1895.  We were part of the Temecula Band of Luiseno Indians, which somehow disappeared and became the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians, which has FEW allottees in the tribe.

Next passage:

Second, while a settlement may contain a provision to the effect that a tribe shall have the right, subject to applicable federal law, to manage, regulate and control the on-reservation use of all of the water rights granted or confirmed by the settlement, it must also require that, within a set period of time following execution of the settlement, the tribe enact a comprehensive water code governing all water rights granted or confirmed by the settlement.

OP:  A tribe that came into existence 100 years AFTER we got our land would set up a code for water that is OURS and then put us at their mercy?  Do you think the tribal council cares about water for allottees, or water for the casino?   HINT:  Tribal Chair Macarro does not live on the reservation, and rarely VISITS the reservation.

To be effective, the code should contain (a) a process by which any allottee may request and receive an equitable distribution of irrigation water for use on his or her allotted lands; (b) a decision making process that gives the allottee due process of law in deciding on such requests, including a process for appeal and hearing before an impartial judge or tribunal; and (c) a provision that the code does not take effect until the Secretary of the Interior has approved those parts of it, or any subsequent amendments thereto, that address irrigation water use by allottees.  OP:  Uh, yeah, Amy, we TRIED that with our disenrollment or rather extermination from the tribe.   There IS no impartiality when someone who does NOT own land tells you what to do with your land.

Next:

We are aware that the Pechanga Tribal Government presented and discussed with the Tribal membership the Settlement Agreement, allottee rights and a section by section review of the legislation on Septmber 12, 2010.

OP:  But were you AWARE that we, the allottees were NOT party to the settlement agreement?   WE receive NO notice of the meeting, the presentation.  WE were NOT party to the construction of the agreement.     Pamela Williams was at a meeting with the tribe, interesting that we were not made aware of it.    We have requested meetings with her and haven't heard back.   We REQUESTED to be involved!

I. The Department of the Interior and Pechanga Band Failed to Notify Allottees of the Negotiations to Settle Water Rights

2. After several requests, the Department has not allowed us to participate in Negotiations

3. Pechanga Tribal Officials do not Represent the Interests of all Temecula Indians or Temecula Indian Allottees

4. Temecula Indian and Temecula Indian Allottees should be Parties to the Settlement Negotiations and consulted regarding pending Acts of Congress

5. Prior to any action, HR 5413, and other Acts, should be Amended to Reflect the Ownership Interests and Water Rights Due Temecula Indians and Temecula Indian Allottees not represented by Pechanga Tribal Officials

6. The term ‘Tribal Water Right’ should be Amended to Reflect Benefit for Temecula Band and Temecula Indian Allottees

7. Entitlement to Water Shall be Satisfied by the Department of the Interior, the Temecula Band, or the Pechanga Band; and Temecula Indians and/or Temecula Indian Allottees shall not be Subject to the Pechanga Water Code or other Pechanga Band laws

PROTECT OUR TRUST RIGHTS, Director Dutschke.