Richard Milanovich, Chairman of Agua Caliente discusses the recent gaming compact votes:
“This campaign brought a lot of heartache and sadness to the four tribes and to tribes across the country,’’ Agua Caliente chairman Richard Milanovich said.“Why did so much poison dominate the news media?” he asked, referring to the contentious opposition campaign led by Las Vegas interests, Unite HERE and two Indian gaming tribes in California.“How do you fight that?” he said rhetorically before over 150 people in the audience. “You fight it with truth.”
Unfortunately, Pechanga didn't go that way. They decided to use lies and guess what? It works! As Flip Wilson's character, Reverand Leroy used to say: " A lie is as good as the truth, IF you can get someone to believe it."
Anthony Miranda, chairman of California Nations Indian Gaming Association, said the campaign by competing gaming interests mirrored strategy by the U.S. Calvary to decimate Indian people. “Their plan was to confuse, mislead and worst of all to pit Indian against Indian,’’ he said.
Pechanga and it's leader Mark Macarro are one of the worst offenders of Indian vs. Indian. Aside from Chukchansi, they have eliminated more Indians in California than any other tribe. And rumblings are that they are looking to do it again. They have tried to keep other tribes down and keep them from improving their tribe's economy. Pechanga's way to improve the economy is to eliminate members.
What is sad is that Pechanga is distorting history again. When they changed history to suit their own greedy goals by diminishing the historical importance of Pablo Apish they proved that there is no integrity among the lot of those who control the tribe. What is sad is that there were and are real issues that Pechanga will not address. What Anthony Miranda calls an attack from conquerors against Indian people "Tribal sovereign rights are being attacked by the very government agency that is tasked with protecting the tribal gaming industry," said Miranda. What Miranda is a part of is a practice that he has indorsed and sponsored with the removal of 25% of his own people. This practice is called Genocide. What is worse of all is that this practice of disenrollment is officially permitted by those he says are infringing on tribal self governance. It is also clear that the sudden wealth and power that gamming caused has lead some tribal governments to become corrupt because of the lack of oversight and checks and balances that makes the governance process secure and stable. In contrast what has happened at Pechanga is a dictatorial government that uses fear and intimidation to control those who still remain. Although there is evidence that there are those still in the tribe who agree with the practices of the Pechanga counsel. I guess 40,000 a month per capita would sway quite a few.
ReplyDeleteGuero Nunez aka White Buffalo
Anthony Miranda, also from the Pechanga tribe, was the author of the petition that was passed in July 2005 that was to stop all disenrollments.
ReplyDeleteWell did Miranda try to do anything against the tribal council's actions, led by chairman Mark Macarro, when they ignored the wishes of the people and disenrolled the Hunters in 2006 in clear violation of the new law?
Does Miranda really care about the Indians that were decimated by the tribe's disenrollment actions or did he just present the petition in an effort to save his own family from possible disenrollment?
After all it is my understanding that he is a descendant of Candalaria Flores a blood relative of Manuela Miranda, who's family were kicked out of the tribe in 2004.
I also wonder why Mr. Miranda's family, who were investigated by the disenrollment committee, were probably cleared with as few as three members of a committee that is supposed to have ten members.
Again, did Miranda present the petition in 2005 to stop all disenrollments because he knew that the decision to clear his family could be thrown out as being unlawful?
So I have wondered has anyone done any research on the families that voted to remove the Hunter's and Miranda's. I have read a lot from this site and the other site and it seems like people don't believe that a few of the members like, Ihrene Scearce, Frances Miranda, Ruth Masiel, Jennie Miranda, and Mark Macarro, etc., are even Pechanga.
ReplyDeleteAlso, from reading the various timelines it seems like there was a group of Miranda’s that was disenrolled before 2004 because they could not prove that they were related to Manuela Miranda. Has that family been able to prove that they were related to Manuela Miranda, or were they from a different tribe?
Glad to see how people are looking to the past for answers for today. We fight a battle that is rooted in the past, so we are wise to look at the past. We know what must be done, we know who needs to be involved, and we know our fight is not mainstream. What is not commonly known is the fight has a wider breath than disenrollment. Personal responsibility to culture, family, and nation come to mind in that we are fighting those who have started the erosion and will eventually be the reason for the loss of cultural identity. My question to these casino Indians is the paper you get in per capita checks worth
ReplyDeletethe loss of your name, your future, your past, and your tribe?