Agua Caliente Tribe Declares State of EMERGENCY and CLOSES both Casinos

UPDATE:  Palm Springs City Council orders LOCK DOWN of the city

Expiration date on Agua Caliente staying open was VERY SHORT.

Agua Caliente Tribe declares State of Emergency

Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians closes all non-essential enterprises

AGUA CALIENTE INDIAN RESERVATION - During the regularly scheduled Tribal Council Meeting of Tuesday, March 17, 2020, Tribal leaders declared a Reservation-wide State of Emergency consistent with similar declarations by the state of California and the federal government. Tribal leaders today announced that all Tribal enterprises including its casino resorts, golf courses and hiking areas will close due to the COVID 19 global pandemic.

Closures will become effective as follows and will run through March 31, 2020:

• Agua Caliente Casinos in Rancho Mirage and Palm Springs will close effective at
  6 p.m. today, March 17, 2020.
• The Indian Canyons Golf Resort in Palm Springs will close effective March 18, 2020.
• Tahquitz Canyon and the Indian Canyons will close effective March 18, 2020.

Team members will receive their base pay and benefits during this temporary closure.

"Pursuant to Tribal law, we declared a State of Emergency today for the Reservation to protect the health and welfare of Tribal Members, Tribal employees and the broader non-tribal Reservation community,” said Tribal Chairman Jeff L. Grubbe. "We stand ready to assist federal, tribal, local and state agencies with emergency preparedness and disaster response related to the COVID 19 global pandemic."

Win River Casino is CLOSED: Member of Top Ten Indian Casino To Avoid

FUCK These horrible people.  I'm glad they will make NO MONEY
I feel for their employees.  READ WHY

As of noon Tuesday, Win-River Resort and Casino is closed following new recommendations from the CDC to eliminate all non-essential social gatherings.

According to representatives this includes the casino, hotel, spa and all events. The situation will be evaluated on a weekly basis. 

Agua Caliente Casino to REMAIN OPEN, Some Outlets, Shows will Close

Agua Caliente is a great resort hotel. There staff is outstanding.

As one of the largest employers in the Coachella Valley, our employees depend on us to provide for their families, especially during this difficult time. The Tribe is currently developing work place policies to address individual team member needs based on their obligations to their families. Although our gaming facilities are experiencing unprecedented reductions in revenue, we will strive to keep our facilities open as long as possible.
We take pride in the cleanliness of our properties and have implemented the following recommended best practices:
Increasing the frequency of cleaning and sanitizing of all areas, with a focus on all surfaces including door handles, elevator buttons, handrails, front desk, restaurant counters, and dining tables and other frequently touched areas,
Introducing multiple “Clean Carts,” allowing team members to sanitize slot machines continuously and provide hand sanitizer to guests,
Adding more hand sanitizer stations and dispensers at both Agua Caliente Casinos in Rancho Mirage and Palm Springs,

Continuously sanitizing slot machines at both properties and upon a guest’s request,
Making hand sanitizer available at all table games,

Maintaining social distancing standards within our properties such as removing every other chair at table games and seating guests at every other table in our restaurants,
Working to reduce capacity within our properties to levels that allow us to exceed the recommend social distancing standards, and

Aggressively educating our team members about the facts of COVID-19, including providing ongoing reminders of how we can exceed recommended sanitation guidelines.
In addition to the above efforts, effective immediately:

The buffets at both Agua Caliente Casinos in Rancho Mirage and Palm Springs are closed,
All shows and entertainment at both facilities are postponed, and
The Sunstone Spa at Rancho Mirage is closed.

We strive every single day to deliver an amazing guest experience. Now, more than ever, that includes our focus on your health and safety. We appreciate your loyalty.

Sincerely,

Jeff L. Grubbe
Chairman, Tribal Council
AGUA CALIENTE BAND OF
CAHUILLA INDIANS

National Indian Gaming Association postponing the 2020 Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention in San Diego

 From Indianz.com

The National Indian Gaming Association Board of Directors and Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr., are officially announcing today that the Association will be postponing the 2020 Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention in San Diego scheduled on March 24– 27.

Read the rest at the link above

Coronavirus Deaths By the Numbers

• 63% of U.S. deaths were in Washington State
• 29 of total 67 U.S. deaths occurred at the same Washington State nursing home
  
  OBVIOUSLY, things will change daily.  WASH YOUR HANDS

Pechanga Resort CASINO SHUT DOWN Due to Wuhan Virus Apartheid Will Still Be Practiced On Reservation

Tribal Leaders today announced that the Pechanga Resort Casino will be TEMPORARILY CLOSING due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The closure will be effective Monday, March 16th at 12PM through the end of March.

“As a Tribal Government and major employer of thousands of people, we have made the difficult decision to temporarily close Pechanga Resort Casino for the health and safety of our Team Members, Tribal Members, and guests due to the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Tribal Chairman Mark Macarro. "No matter what, the Pechanga family will rise to this challenge together with the strength, compassion, determination, and resilience that our ancestors instilled in us.”

Pechanga Team Members will receive their base pay and benefits during this temporary closure.

SAN MANUEL will also close:    The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians said "wholeheartedly stand with all of those directly and indirectly affected" by the pandemic. The announcement was made Saturday night. The casino will close at 5 pm on Sunday. The casino will be closed through the end of the month.

PECHANGA RESORT & Casino CANCELS Concerts REFUNDS AVAILABLE for Ana Gabriel, Pitbull and Chicago

From the Pechanga Resort & Casino website:

Pechanga stands with the community, state and nation in heeding the advice of public health officials and the Governor in doing what we can to slow the spread of COVID-19. The safety of our guests and Team Member family is always our first priority. Accordingly, we are postponing major upcoming shows at Pechanga Resort Casino through the end of March, including this weekend's concerts by Ana Gabriel (March 13), Pitbull (March 15), and Chicago (March 15).


We continue to very closely monitor developments around COVID-19 to take necessary precautionary measures and will make adjustments as warranted.

Any guests who purchased tickets to these shows online will receive an email from Ticketmaster and they may opt to receive a refund in that manner. If they purchased them in person or via phone through Pechanga Resort Casino, guests may also receive a refund. Tickets will also be honored if new dates for any of the shows can be determined.

CA Governor Newsom EXCLUDES Tribal Casinos from Large Gathering Ban; NIGA postpones Tradeshow in San Diego

Churches yes, poltical contributors NO?  Reminder, SMOKING is allowed in tribal casinos, for the lung diseased challenged.

photo by Randy Vazquez

The executive directive also does not include casinos, theaters and large parks like Disneyland “because of the complexity of their unique circumstances,” Newsom said. But within hours, however, Disneyland announced it will close its iconic park and Disneyland California Adventure on Saturday through the end of March.

Newsom said his administration is in discussions with theater operators and the Native Americans tribes that run California casinos on how they can comply.

Meanwhile,  The National Indian Gaming Association (NIGA) Board of Directors and Chairman Ernie Stevens Jr., are officially announcing today that the Association will be postponing the 2020 Indian Gaming Tradeshow and Convention in San Diego scheduled on March 24– 27.

At an emergency meeting today of the Board of Directors, the National Indian Gaming Association voted unanimously to postpone the event.

The decision to postpone the annual gaming convention comes after, among other developments, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s Executive Order addressing California’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The NIGA Board of Directors was also driven by the overwhelming critical safety concerns voiced by many tribal governments and the gaming industry.

“The health and safety of our tribal gaming attendees are of paramount concern and postponing the Indian Gaming Tradeshow, for now, is the safest course of action. Our Board of Directors and Association staff will work diligently on the best path forward for all impacted attendees in light of this postponement,” National Indian Gaming Association Chairman, Ernie Stevens, Jr., stated.

Coronavirus Forcing Corrupt Tribal Councils to Cancel Travel Junkets

Tribal leaders of casino gaming tribes have been forced to curtail their travel due to coronavirus, saving tribal funds at the expense of their travel benefits.

Many leaders are used to travelling willy-nilly with no accountability on expenses, (first class, suites, steakhouses, girls).   Mark "Two Homes" Macarro, the one-time popular leader who has been accused of being a tyrant, used to bring his brother and family on European trips, when his lawyer brother had no involvement in gaming.

Robert "we are sovereign" Smith of Pala, invested tribal money not approved by the general conncil

How will these and other corrupt council people survive with the frequent flyer miles?   Will the new POW WOW avoidance plans help tribes vs. their tribal leaders?

Might we see some tribal council members spent their OWN MONEY?
Will Kangaroo courts continue on schedule.  Might they allow process servers on their rez...for a fee?



yes, this is satire...

Nooksack 306's RABANG family WIN Treaty Rights Battle in Interest of Justice

While the Nooksack 306's fight to belong is still ongoing, their TREATY rights have been UPHELD.

Having not been since disenrolled, the Rabangs exercised their Nooksack Treaty fishing rights by harvesting clams at Semiahmoo Spit during the early evening on May 10, 2019.  When a law enforcement officer approached them and asked if they had state shellfish licenses, the Rabangs produced their Nooksack enrollment cards instead and explained they were subsistence clamming. They were cited

Last Thursday, the Whatcom County District Court dismissed criminal charges against Michael, Francisco, James, and Lisa Rabang for subsistence clamming outside of Bellingham, Washington last May without a state recreational shellfish license.  The Rabangs are part of the extended family of purportedly disenrolled Nooksack Indians commonly known as the Nooksack 306.

The Rabangs argued to the state court that because they were never lawfully disenrolled by the Nooksack Tribe, they still enjoy Treaty rights to fish in usual and accustomed Nooksack fishing places. Under federal law, those Treaty rights include the right to take shellfish without a state license and those Treaty fishing grounds include the Semiahmoo Spit, where the Rabangs were criminally cited by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife last spring.

The District Court dismissed each of the charges “in the interests of justice.”

“My clients have steadfastly maintained that they have never been lawfully disenrolled from the Nooksack Tribe and a state court judge now seems to agree with them,” said Gabriel S. Galanda, the Rabangs’ criminal defense lawyer.  “They have always been and will always be Nooksack.”

Galanda: Habematolel Pomo Poised to Disenroll 70 Percent of Tribe

Sherry Treppa
Chairperson
Habematolel Pomo

On his twitter account, @ndnlawyer  Gabriel Galanda, attorney with Galanda Broadman Indigenous Law Firm shares this information on disenrollment

Habematolel Pomo despots are poised to disenroll 160 off 220 members based on fraudulent DNA “tests,” and propose to pay $15K cash plus a $7500 savings bond to members who will relinquish. Armed guards now “patrol” the reservation.

Stay tuned for more information.

Supreme Court Denies Pinoleville Pomo Sovereignty Claims

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected a petition from California tribal officials claiming sovereign immunity to a suit connected with an unrealized casino project.  

In its order list Monday, the high court denied certiorari to a petition by several members of the Pinoleville Pomo tribe's governing council and other officials and employees claiming that the Ninth Circuit wrongly upheld a lower court's determination that the officials didn't share in the tribe's immunity to a suit claiming they duped a gaming company into investing $5.38 million in a sham casino project.

In the casino project case, a Ninth Circuit panel in October upheld U.S. District Judge William H. Orrick's determination that the tribal defendants were being sued by JW Gaming Development LLC in their individual capacity for their own alleged fraudulent conduct related to the casino project and were therefore not entitled to the same sovereign immunity the tribe itself enjoys.

MIWOK NATION Unsuccessful in Court Challenge to Theft Of Their Rancheria

Another chapter of the long-running battle between Cesar Caballero and the Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians has come to a close — this time with a fruitless ending.

In September, Caballero, the chief of what he claims to be the true Miwok tribe, sued the current tribal council members of the federally-recognized Shingle Springs Band of Miwok Indians tribe over control of the name and Shingle Springs Rancheria.

Despite a packed courthouse and highly anticipated hearing, El Dorado County Superior Court Judge Dylan Sullivan moved to dismiss the lawsuit during Jan. 24 proceedings.  Of course NARF was no help

Cesar Caballero

As a state court judge, Sullivan said that she couldn’t act on the lawsuit because the Rancheria was granted to the tribe by the federal government through an Act of Congress — a statute the law doesn’t allow her to overrule.

Wildhorse Resort and Casino Employee Tests POSITIVE for CORONAVIRUS. Forces Closure

The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation Board of Trustees has been informed by the Governor’s Office via the Oregon Health Authority that a staff member of Wildhorse Resort and Casino has tested presumptive positive for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19).



The Board of Trustees has ordered an Incident Command be stood up. The Incident Command will consist of staff from Yellowhawk Tribal Health Center and the Tribal Government.

The Board of Trustees has ordered that Nixyaawii Community School, Head Start, Daycare and Senior Center to be closed until all facilities have been fully sanitized. Wildhorse Resort and Casino will be temporarily closed in order to sanitize the facilities. Closures will take effect at 12:00 PM March 2, 2020. In addition, all community events on the Umatilla Indian Reservation are cancelled for the week of March 2 to 8, 2020.