Picayune Rancheria (Chukchansi) and Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians (Pechanga) toss out members .

Picayune Rancheria and Pechanga, two like-minded tribes, getting rid of long time members in an thus far successful effort to enrich the remaining members.

Article linked here

"It's what you do as an Indian. I am a Chukchansi Indian," she said.
She is - and she isn't.
The 77-year-old Martinez has been kicked out of the Picayune Chukchansi tribe in the tiny Madera County town of Coarsegold - the tribe where she was vice chairwoman just two years ago, the tribe that is full of her cousins.
The tribal council threw her out last year, just as it has tossed out almost half its membership that in 2000 was 1,500 strong. It's the biggest disenrollment of any tribe in California, observers say.

snip

They kicked me to the curb so they could keep more money for themselves," Martinez said, tearing up as she visited the historic grinding rock, used by local Indians for millennia, near the tribe's rancheria. "Our ancestors would roll over in their graves if they knew."

OP: This is exactly what Pechanga did to 25% of their tribe! And they will tell you it's not about money. Well, then they'd be lying.

But at least 14 tribes have caused enough protests by ejecting members that activists say they have been able to tally 5,000 people disenrolled in the past eight years.

Down near San Diego, the ax even fell on a cousin of Mark Macarro - the chairman of Southern California's Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians who famously, and successfully, pleaded in TV ads for passage of several Indian gambling ballot initiatives. The cousin was barred from rejoining the tribe after living off the reservation for several years. At least 200 others have been disenrolled. OP: Uh, Mark Macarro went to COLTON High School, his father to San Bernardino High. What a pantsload.

Read these for more information:

Paulina Hunter's Blog
WITHOUT A TRIBE
Pechanga's Bad Business
MYSPACE HUNTER BLOG
Pechanga Tribes Ouster of Members

Please, those of you with blogs, link to my blog and pass it on to your friends. I'm sending it to my friends in the State Assembly.