Tribal Councils NOT IMMUNE from lawsuits

Here is the money quote from the recent UNANIMOUS Appelate Court decision on Vann v Kempthorne:

"Faced with allegations of ongoing constitutional and treaty violations, and a prospective request for injunctive relief, officers of the Cherokee Nation cannot seek shelter in the tribe's sovereign immunity," wrote Judge Thomas Griffith.

OP: Pechanga's Tribal Council has acted unconstitutionally (against the Pechanga Constitution and bylaw by overturning the will of the people.) With NO sovereign immunity, expect the court cases to come rolling out. The 500 people held in the moratorium have a good opportunity here. NOW will the ACLU step in against the OFFICERS of the Pechanga Tribe? And of course, some other individuals will no longer have sovereignty attached. Will the tribe relish the idea of spending MILLIONS to defend Ruth Masiel and Ihrene Scearse and Frances Miranda?


John Velie, partner in Velie & Velie in Norman, Okla., counsel to Vann and the Freedmen, said, "The court crafted an opinion that protects both tribal sovereignty and individual Indian civil rights. The is a great day for Indian Country." The suit seeks an injunction prohibiting future elections without Freedmen participation, including the right to run for office.

Picayune Rancheria Opens NEW TOWER: AFTER 500 disenrolled

Fresno Beehive reports tha Picayune Rancheria has opened a new tower for their hotel. Here's my comment:

It's amazing what you can afford to build when you eliminate half your tribe and keep them from their rightful place in the sun.

HALF of the Chukchansi tribe are out, unable to enjoy the fruits they deserve. People of Fresno, go to another casino and let this new tower stay empty.
Elected officials, be PROUD to stand with a tribe that violates the civil and human rights of their people.

Soboba's Response: This isn't the 1800's!

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It's probably best to avoid Soboba while tempers are flaring. Three tribal members were shooting indiscriminately endangering San Jacinto and travelers.


The head of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians on Wednesday decried claims that his security officers have been obstructing Riverside County's sheriff deputies.
“This isn't the 1800s when the Calvary came,” tribal Chairman Robert Salgado said.
Salgado spoke out the day after Sheriff Stanley Sniff Jr. told the county Board of Supervisors that he had written to the National Indian Gaming Commission, asking that it suspend the tribe's gaming license.
“My recommendation was for them to suspend the license unless — and until — the sheriff's department has free and unrestricted access” to the reservation, Sniff said.
He said the tribe had a “history of violence and a propensity to violence.”
When sheriff's deputies come on the reservation, tribal security guards merely want to know where they are going and why, Salgado said. He added that deputies have no right to patrol sovereign tribal land at will.
Salgado said he and the sheriff interpret the federal law that applies to local law enforcement differently.
He said he understood that deputies should be allowed unrestricted access to the reservation in the case of an emergency. But, in the case of routine business, sheriff's deputies should at least tell to tribal authorities where they are going and why.
The reservation covers about 6,000 acres.
A forum is scheduled for Aug. 11, during which a discussion is to take place about the issues surrounding Public Law 280, which turned over law enforcement duties to local governments in 1953.
Sniff said last week that he understood the law to give sheriff's deputies unrestricted access to the reservation. Permission from the tribe is not necessary to enter at any time, he said.

Peaceful Protest of the Removal of Native Remainsl

Our Friend Tamra from NDNnews has this action alert:

We Need Your Support.

Saturday August 2nd 2008 we'll be gathering at the corner of Bolsa Chica Street and Warner Ave. in the city of Huntington Beach,CA. We will be protesting the destruction of the cogged stone site CA-ORA 83.

Also the removal of 174 remains and over 4000 artifacts.We will be walking into the development for the first time this Saturday. We need a strong turnout to let the developer and the community know that we're not OK with what's gone on at ORA-83.Please bring a friend,tell a neighbor,make phone calls.The more relations the better.

We will meet at 10 am.
For more info.You can call 949-228-7262 or email bigrockcreek@msn.com

San Manuel Donates $100,000 to Second Harvest Food Bank

The San Manuel Band of Mission Indians announced Tuesday it will donate $100,000 to the Second Harvest Food Bank of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, which provides food to the region's needy.

Tribal officials will present a check to the nonprofit on Friday at its inaugural Summer Challenge Food Drive at Arrowhead Credit Union Park in San Bernardino. The event, hosted by the Inland Empire 66ers, will take place during the third inning of the baseball game between the 66ers and the High Desert Mavericks.
The San Manuels' donation comes at a time when escalating gas and food prices and the subprime mortgage crisis have left many struggling to make ends meet. "It really is hitting at a time when we are trying to provide as many resources as we can, and this is really going to facilitate that," said Daryl Brock, executive director of Second Harvest.
The San Bernardino-Riverside county chapter is the 24th largest in the country, distributing about 22 1/2 million pounds of food a year, Brock said. Second Harvest initially sought the tribe's assistance with one of its events, but the tribe, noting the rise in food prices and other essentials, decided to do more, tribal Chairman James Ramos said in a news release.

Pechanga Meets Its Payment Deadline

The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians on Wednesday made its first payment to the state under terms of its amended gaming compact.

There was concern about Pechanga meeting its payment obligations since news of the HUGE number of people being laid off. Pechanga has lost business due to the economy and the thug behavior of it's youth had cause SILK nightclub to close down.
Additionally, news of a commercial bribery scheme broke recently where a Pechanga employee was charging $3,000 to falsify applications for job applicants to get consideration.

Pechanga had paid multiple millions more than 3 other gaming tribes in order for their Prop 94 to pass.

Another Crack in the Sovereignty Dam! VICTORY for Cherokee Freedmen

UPDATE to Include Press Release and a BIG Welcome to our Freedmen friends and the Cherokee People

Bad intentions by the Cherokee Nations Council including Chad Smith has now come back to bite them.

The descendants of former slaves owned by some Cherokees can sue Cherokee Nation officers for disenfranchising them from tribal elections, a federal appeals court here ruled today.

The ruling by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit was a victory for the so-called "freedmen,'' who filed suit after being prevented from voting in two tribal elections in 2003.
The tribe argued that it had sovereign immunity and couldn't be sued. The appeals court ruled today that the Cherokee Nation does have sovereign immunity in the case but that the tribal leaders do not.

"Faced with allegations of ongoing constitutional and treaty violations, and a prospective request for injunctive relief, officers of the Cherokee Nation cannot seek shelter in the tribe’s sovereign immunity,'' the court's opinion says.
The case will now go back to U.S. district court here, where it was filed.
The Cherokee Nation voted last year to amend its constitution to remove all freedmen descendants from the tribal rolls who do not have Cherokee blood. The change is being challenged in a Cherokee court.

Angered by the Cherokee Nation's action, many members of Congress are trying to strip the tribe of some of its federal funding, and the tribe has been fighting a public relations and lobbying battle here to prevent it.

Stay tuned for updates and reaction. CONGRATULATIONS to the Freedmen

Press release July 29 2008 re Court of Appeals Decision letterhead doc - Upload a Document to Scribd

Read this document on Scribd: Press release July 29 2008 re Court of Appeals Decision letterhead doc

Here is a link to the decision: http://www.scribd.com/doc/4259590/VAnn-versus-Kempthorne-075024

Just a Moderate to Small Earthquake

Yes, it was a 5.4 quake, a small-moderate quake but enough to get the blood pumping a bit if you were close. I was on the interstate and didn't feel it at all. How did it affect you? I hope all my readers in the area had no damage. My grandbabies came through, no problem.

Our friend Ed Morrissey at Hot Air has some video and comment

Leave a comment and let us know

Shutter SOBOBA CASINO says RIVERSIDE SHERIFF

I guess the "agreement" wasn't all it was purported to be? This IS serious. A law enforcement agency requesting the shutdown of a sovereign nations casino. But the NIGC had alread put Soboba on notice that this was a possibility.
What will the reaction of tribal members be? The FBI is certainly spending a LOT of time around our local Indian tribes. Is this what we expected from self-reliance? UPDATED


When the Riverside County Sheriff's Department and the Soboba Band of Luiseno Indians signed an agreement a few weeks ago, the sheriff and tribal chairman posed for photos side-by-side as they talked about their cooperative relationship.
But it was clear, as soon as the photo ops ended, that the two parties had different opinions on how much access deputies should have to the reservation. Tribal Chairman Robert Salgado said the deputies needed tribal permission to enter the reservation for anything other than 911 calls and hot pursuits; Sheriff Stanley Sniff said his deputies needed no such permission.

That difference of opinion has reached a breaking point, with Sniff announcing this morning that he is requesting the federal government shut down the casino. Sniff said he sent a letter Monday to the National Indian Gaming Commission, formally requesting the federal regulatory agency close Soboba Casino near San Jacinto.

Sniff announced the letter this morning at the Riverside County Board of Supervisors' meeting.
Sniff also has asked the FBI to review two officer-involved shootings that left three tribal members dead on the reservation in May.
County Supervisor Jeff Stone called for Soboba to replace Salgado as chairman and for residents to avoid the tribe's casino as unsafe.
"Unfortunately, tribal members at least from this tribe believe they are above the law," said Supervisor John Tavaglione. "I hope that Mr. Salgado will either show some leadership or step down." Press Enterprise

The Desert Sun reports: Smith said deputies were being stopped at a guard shack, obstructing them from getting onto the reservation to serve warrants or conduct routine patrols. OP: Didn't a former Pechanga tribal council member run onto the rez like a punk-assed-bitch to escape talking to RCSD in an assault issue?

New Agua Caliente Resort is THE place to Stay

The Agua Caliente tribe has done a great job with their new resort and casino.

They recently hosted an affair for the Native American Chamber and this new resort is wonderful.

Take a look at their website Richard has always been a good host at the Spa resort, but this new resort is the PLACE TO GO.

Casino customers, if you want to gamble and feel bad about going to a casino like Pechanga, that is laying off their people and where the service will suffer from those losses, I'd suggest going to an enterprise that takes care of their people. The suites are exceptional and the atmosphere is very welcoming. Bypass Temecula and head to the Springs.

San Pascual Steals Per Capita From 50 Members

A BOYCOTT of San Pascual may be needed, along with Pechanga. Your MORAL OUTRAGE can be displayed by NOT patronizing casinos and businesses that treat their people like this.

A San Diego County Indian tribe could face fines or other sanctions for withholding casino profits from about 50 people whom they claim are not legitimate members.

Southern California's Bureau of Indian Affairs chief James Fletcher said Friday's action by the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians could put it in violation of Indian gaming revenue sharing rules.

San Pasqual officials also fired several people from tribal jobs and leadership positions and said they would evict them from homes on tribal land. Fascists!

Officials said the people who face exclusion from the 300-member tribe are decedents of a man who was not a full-blooded Indian.
But some of the decedents say they are being targeted by tribe members who don't want to share profits from the tribe's Valley View casino.

Pechanga's Promises of Casino Revenue FAIL to Pan OUT

Just a few months ago, images of smiling children, police officers and firefighters filled TV screens and mailboxes across the state, urging voters to support major casino expansions for four Southern California tribes.
Gov. Schwarzenegger and other government officials promised that the tribes would help balance the state's troubled budget with an influx of gambling dollars. The casino riches would help protect state funding for schools, police and fire departments, health care and roads, the tribes and their supporters said.
Voters approved the deals, but recent signs suggest the promises may not pan out. Deals touted as a sure-fire way to help the state weather economic slumps are now struggling themselves. PECHANGA LAYOFFS

SCHWARZENEGGER says: "They have to make decisions, just like we do or like businesses do anywhere else, according to what is the demand," Schwarzenegger said of the tribes. "But I think that the compacts were really solid compacts, and there will be, really, billions and billions of dollars over the next 20 years of additional revenues for the state, which the state needs very badly." OP: ARNOLD, NOT with the spending plans that you have. YOU have to cut spending to balance our budget. YOU made it seem like this would be a bailout, when , if fact it was a bad bill

Press Enterprise article

The Effect of Slavery on the Cherokee Freedmen/Women

The blog BEAUTIFUL, ALSO, ARE THE SOULS OF MY BLACK SISTERS has quite a bit of information as to how the Cherokee benefitted from slavery and the effects on those they are trying to disenroll. It's good reading and well sourced.

Their voice is clear as to who should be citizens of the Cherokee Nation,” Smith said. “No one else has the right to make that determination. It was a right of self-government, affirmed in 23 treaties with Great Britain and the United States and paid dearly with 4,000 lives on the Trail of Tears.”

He also conveniently forgot all the black slaves who were drug, with chains around their necks, walking behind the horses of the slave-holding Cherokees, many of whom also died along the infamous Trail of Tears with the Cherokees.

AIRRO is fighting for the rights of disenfranchised Indians. Have you joined in to add your voice?

New Laws Apply on Rincon Reservation

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At the Rincon Indian Reservation, kids hang out all night getting into fights, people shoot guns in the streets and trespassers dump furniture, oil drums and puppies ---- all with relative impunity.

But that's changing. A new set of tribal codes that took effect July 1, along with a maturing tribal court system, may succeed in reining in the kind of behavior that most cities and counties have regulated with ordinances, tribal spokesperson Nikki Symington said."The reservations have gained a reputation for lawlessness, and it's been true," she said. "For the first time, we've got due process that protects individual rights while establishing community standards of behavior."The new laws mark the first time that the tribe has tried to legally enforce its own code of behavior, Symington said.

The Sheriff's Department provides law enforcement for Rincon, but deputies can enforce only the California criminal code.Those laws say little about such things as how late a loud party can run, refinements usually regulated by county and local ordinances.But now, with its own laws, police and court, the tribe can enforce a ban on undesirable acts, Symington said.A range of finesRincon's new laws, called the Peace and Security Ordinance, are a set of civil codes that establish fines for offenses such as vandalism, trespassing, curfew violations, drug use and loud parties.The codes apply to anyone on the 5,000-acre Valley Center reservation, including visitors, 300 tribal residents and 1,200 nontribal residents, she said.

The laws were developed to address problems involving residents and trespassers and won't affect most casino patrons, Symington said.Private security guards and sheriff's deputies will continue to enforce laws at Harrah's Rincon Casino, she said.

Sarah Gordon's Story

Does Pechanga have to Pay into Unemployment Fund?

As a sovereign nation, is the Pechanga Tribe required to pay into the State unemployment fund? Will those affected by the layoffs be able to collect unemployment? Is this a good time for the Unions to come in and try to organize the tribes, or are they just so weak they don't have the spirit to work hard?

For The Pechanga Reseort & Casino Employees Facing Layoffs

You are facing a difficult time, believe me, WE KNOW. Luckily for you all, Pechanga is preparing a severance package. Those of us who were terminated from the tribe in the two Pechanga Massacres did not have the same courtesy. We had our heritage ripped from us with no ceremony. At least, you have the management of Pechanga portraying their sadness for you.

Here are some tips culled from various websites, we hope they are helpful:

The very first thing you should do is file for un-employment. Do not let your pride get in the way of doing this. You have paid your taxes and deserve a little help from the government when you need it most.

Look for alternative ways to make money until you find a job and cut back on luxury expenses if needed. It may take you many months to find another job and nobody can tell you how quickly you will find another one. EBAY, YARD SALES, Handyman Work.....

ALL employees over 40 who are being forced out of the company to file an age discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission
Prepare for Layoff by Having Your Resume Ready: Add new skills as you master them; include career related milestones and completed projects as they occur; you can always remove irrelevant information from your final version.

If your health benefits are paid by your employer, find out how to maintain those benefits. Most likely, you will be able to purchase benefits through COBRA

Request a reference letter for your files. Don't be proud - you're entitled to the benefits you'll receive

Lastly, if you witnessed illegal activity by your management, or tribal member customers, make sure that you report it before you leave, or you may be minimized as a disgruntled employee.

We, the terminated Pechanga People, DO feel the pain of what you are going through.

Soboba Lawyer Accuses Riverside Sheriff of Negligence in Killing

Sadly, three members of the Soboba Tribe put themselves in the position to be killed. Indiscriminately firing their weapons and then turning them on RCSD deputies, they were taken out. Now, an attorney accuses them of negligence in their training. Apparently, the deputies, who saved San Jacinto citizens from dangerous criminals, didn't say: "pretty please, criminals, would you put your gun down?"

A lawyer for the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians has accused the Riverside County Sheriff's Department of inadequate training and negligence and of killing a tribal member partly because of his ethnicity.Attorney Jack Schwartz recently filed a tort claim notice with the county Board of Supervisors and vowed to follow up with a federal lawsuit if the panel ignored or denied the claim.
Arres, 26, was shot Dec. 28 after his vehicle was stopped by deputies in Hemet. Authorities said Arres ran from the deputies, who shot him after he pulled a gun from his waistband.
Schwartz said Arres was unarmed. OP: What Scwartz was doing in the car, witnessing all this first hand, he doesn't say..........

David Kelly's article is HERE

Pechanga Castoffs to Strain Riverside County

Pechanga's layoff of 400 workers, many of them skilled, higher paid dealer jobs ($75,000 per year) will cause a lot of strain of the county as they try to place workers and get them retrained.

The Press Enterprise has a complete story.

The county agency that helps retrain laid-off workers usually manages to find new jobs for more than three-quarters of them.
But the ones laid off by the Pechanga Resort & Casino this week face a job market already glutted by growing numbers of unemployed blue- and white-collar workers and businesses worried that adding new employees might damage their already-bruised bottom lines.
The skill-sets of laid-off casino workers are wide-ranging. Some, such as dealers, technicians and surveillance operators, are well-trained and well-paid. At the other end of the spectrum are food-service workers, hotel attendants and other less-skilled employees.

Will Pechanga be able to recover? Will the remaining tribal members be able to maintain their $30,500 monthly per capita checks? Will the tribe try to kick out another family in order to not cut their incomes? Will the upcoming indictments keep customers away from the casino?

Casino Expansions are Ebbing: Will payments to the state be on time?

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Casino growth may be a thing of the past. Pechanga's layoffs have certainly sent a shiver down some spines of casino tribes this week.

An era of spectacular growth may be waning for area casinos as a rocky economy convinces more gamblers to stand pat.A maxim that the gambling industry is "recession-proof" now is being questioned following the announcement this week that the Pechanga Resort & Casino, the region's largest casino, would cut 400 employees in coming weeks.
Three moderately large casinos in North County indicated that they had no such plans, but several people in and close to the industry said that a lot of money is being taken off the table."It's obvious that it's a downturn," said Sheryl Sebastian, a spokeswoman for Harrah's Rincon casino in Valley Center. "You're talking about discretionary spending. When people's income gets cut, people's entertainment budget gets cut."A representative of Valley View Casino, owned by the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians, declined to discuss revenue, but said the casino plans no layoffs.
An executive for Pala Casino Spa Resort said business was about as strong this summer as in prior years and planned no layoffs. "We're lean and we've always kept it that way," said Sue Welp, Pala's vice president of marketing. Leaders of the financially struggling Santa Ysabel tribe couldn't be reached for comment. The tribe opened a $27 million casino 30 miles east of Escondido last year but has missed several payments to the state and San Diego County governments since then.

OP: The state and its people NEED THAT MONEY.

In May, the tribe's leaders cited a weeklong closure during October's wildfires and a "critical cash-flow crisis" in asking its 700 members to forgo a total of $140,000 in profit distributions. Leaders of the Pauma tribe, whose casino is about four miles north of Rincon's, couldn't be reached late Wednesday.

See the article and comments here: NCTIMES

San Manuel Purchases Carousel Mall Site

Looks like the San Manuels continue to expand their business off reservation, with the purchase of the JC Penney building in San Bernardino's Carousel Mall. This effort to expand will come in handy, when California approves gambling statewide. The Carousel Mall is desperately in need of development. Too many SB citizens are going to Redlands and Rancho Cucamonga.

Why America Can't Support Barack Obama; He chooses to lose

This Presidential race is so important to American, that it's important to note that Barack Obama is NOT qualified to be President (yet) and has a lot to learn. If you thought George Bush wasn't qualified, Obama is even less so. Even after seeing proof of success in our Iraq surge, he still wouldn't do anything different. He voted to NOT FUND our troops and now, this week he chose NOT to visit our wounded in Germany.

Senator John McCain, with pinpoint accuracy, skewers Obama in his Denver speech:

Senator Obama and I also faced a decision, which amounted to a real-time test for a future commander-in-chief. America passed that test. I believe my judgment passed that test. And I believe Senator Obama's failed.
We both knew the politically safe choice was to support some form of retreat. All the polls said the "surge" was unpopular. Many pundits, experts and policymakers opposed it and advocated withdrawing our troops and accepting the consequences. I chose to support the new counterinsurgency strategy backed by additional troops -- which I had advocated since 2003, after my first trip to Iraq. Many observers said my position would end my hopes of becoming president. I said I would rather lose a campaign than see America lose a war.

My choice was not smart politics. It didn't test well in focus groups. It ignored all the polls. It also didn't matter. The country I love had one final chance to succeed in Iraq. The new strategy was it. So I supported it. Today, the effects of the new strategy are obvious. The surge has succeeded, and we are, at long last, finally winning this war.

Senator Obama made a different choice. He not only opposed the new strategy, but actually tried to prevent us from implementing it. He didn't just advocate defeat, he tried to legislate it. When his efforts failed, he continued to predict the failure of our troops. As our soldiers and Marines prepared to move into Baghdad neighborhoods and Anbari villages, Senator Obama predicted that their efforts would make the sectarian violence in Iraq worse, not better.

And as our troops took the fight to the enemy, Senator Obama tried to cut off funding for them. He was one of only 14 senators to vote against the emergency funding in May 2007 that supported our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. ...
Three weeks after Senator Obama voted to deny funding for our troops in the field, General Ray Odierno launched the first major combat operations of the surge. Senator Obama declared defeat one month later: "My assessment is that the surge has not worked and we will not see a different report eight weeks from now." His assessment was popular at the time. But it couldn't have been more wrong.

By November 2007, the success of the surge was becoming apparent. Attacks on Coalition forces had dropped almost 60 percent from pre-surge levels. American casualties had fallen by more than half. Iraqi civilian deaths had fallen by more than two-thirds. But Senator Obama ignored the new and encouraging reality. "Not only have we not seen improvements," he said, "but we're actually worsening, potentially, a situation there."
If Senator Obama had prevailed, American forces would have had to retreat under fire. The Iraqi Army would have collapsed. Civilian casualties would have increased dramatically. Al Qaeda would have killed the Sunni sheikhs who had begun to cooperate with us, and the "Sunni Awakening" would have been strangled at birth. Al Qaeda fighters would have safe havens, from where they could train Iraqis and foreigners, and turn Iraq into a base for launching attacks on Americans elsewhere. Civil war, genocide and wider conflict would have been likely.
Above all, America would have been humiliated and weakened. Our military, strained by years of sacrifice, would have suffered a demoralizing defeat. Our enemies around the globe would have been emboldened. ...
Senator Obama told the American people what he thought you wanted to hear. I told you the truth.
Fortunately, Senator Obama failed, not our military. We rejected the audacity of hopelessness, and we were right. Violence in Iraq fell to such low levels for such a long time that Senator Obama, detecting the success he never believed possible, falsely claimed that he had always predicted it. ... In Iraq, we are no longer on the doorstep of defeat, but on the road to victory.

Senator Obama said this week that even knowing what he knows today that he still would have opposed the surge. In retrospect, given the opportunity to choose between failure and success, he chooses failure. I cannot conceive of a Commander in Chief making that choice.

OP: As a child of a decorated, career military man from Pechanga, I support John McCain, not because he's perfect, but because Barack Obama is so bad for the country. As much as I disliked Hillary, she would be a much better choice for President than Obama.

Pechanga Casino Layoffs: Severance Package

Reportedly, details still being worked out on a severance package. Let's see if we can help Pechanga fill that requirement. Please comment on what your company provides for severance.

Mine allows a fair package:

1 week pay for each of the first 5 years
2 weeks for each subsequent year.
All remaining vacation time
Accrued vacation.
Assistance with finding a new job.

So somebody with 12 years should get 19 weeks pay plus vacations. During that time, they can pay into COBRA to maintain their health coverage.

WHAT WOULD YOUR COMPANY ALLOW? What should Pechanga do?

PECHANGA Casino Announces LAYOFFS 400 employees kicked to the curb UPDATED

UPDATE: The comment section is filling up at this news site it's a good opportunity to be heard.
UPDATE: KCAL 9 has the story on it's website: LINK Amy Linnear speaks for PDC & Pechanga. KNBC has the story and a comment section at this LINK

This time, it's not tribal members that are being unconstitutionally ousted. Pechanga has announced that they will lay off 400 employees. Thanks to John Cornsilk for linking us.

The economy was blamed for the near 9 percent trim on its workforce.“This has been the most difficult decision we have had to make since beginning operations,’’ Amy Minniear, president of the Pechanga Development Corp., said in a statement.“For months we have resisted the pressure to lay team members off,’’ Minniear said. “But because of the prolonged economic downturn, we must downsize in order to adjust to the current market conditions and position ourselves for success once the economy recovers.”The definite number of job cuts has not yet been determined, nor has the job type. Minniear noted that a comprehensive severance package, including outplacement services, would be developed. Amy, not just the economy, the word of what the TRIBE has done to its people is spreading. Temecula is just not into the casino because of it.

People of California, Pechanga told us that they would help balance the budget IF we gave them more machines. They TOLD us that the money would come rolling in. Yet, now, we have the first layoffs from Pechanga, in a "bad market"? Did we not tell you that Pechanga would have to have all machines available running 24/7 to generate the money they claimed?

Is it a bad economy, or the bad publicity over Pechanga's actions in violating the civil rights of 25% of their tribal membership? Is it the fact that Pechanga spent $50 MILLION more than the other big 3 tribes trying to overcome the stench of their tribal massacre? And, was it their closure of their popular nightclubs due to thuggish behavior?

Stay away from Pechanga! Make those who were greedy, suffer from their own evil doing.

Would I still want to be a member of Pechanga? YOU'RE DAMN right I would! I was a member when there was only SAND, so I'd take a restoration of my membership when there is only sand again.
Teetilawuncha had the story earlier today. Pechanga.net has it already buried behind some stories published earlier in the day. Paulina Hunters Blog has it

New Blog Activity for Native American

In order to keep the information on what's happening in Native America, it's critical that Native Americans respond to informative sites.

www.kumeyaay.com has been posting more stories.

http://teetilawuncha.blogspot.com has new items up and I think that when we link to stories, we should be commenting on them. Otherwise, how will the newspapers get an impression that we are interested?

Support the blogs that bring out information and ask your friends to do the same.

And Now....... a Word from our Sponsors

Well, not really, but the links you see on my right column >>>----------->
are links to family businesses. They are UNPAID ads and are there so that hopefully, my readers will take a look at them and see if they fit your needs. As you can read from some posts, when Pechanga terminated our family, they caused a HUGE reduction in income and benefits. Most of the family had jobs, and some have had their own businesses for some time, while others are working on new ventures.
PLEASE check the links out.
You will be helping our family out, and finding something of interest for you. And the ad for Jewelry is working out already, we've sold some scrap gold and got $800.. and I do mean scrap, so if you have some, take a look.

Also TAMRA has her NDNnews site up on Blogspot and the link has been updated.

Sen. Dean Florez Feigns OUTRAGE at Rez Shopping

Where was Senator Dean Florez's OUTRAGE when the Picayune Rancheria in Coarsegold terminated half of it's tribe? Is that what you though self-reliance meant, Mr Senator? How about when the Pechanga tribe violated the civil and human rights of 25% of it's membership? Your silence was deafening.



From Dean's Editorial:

When Californians approved Propositions 1A and 5, they were told -- and believed -- that these landmark gaming initiatives would give our state's Indian tribes the right to operate casinos on Indian lands. OP: And the opposition said it would come to this: gambling off the rez. Who was right?

Voters never dreamed that a few short years after they endorsed these measures promising Indian self-reliance on Indian lands, communities throughout California would be fighting to prevent an alarming move toward the proliferation of Indian casinos on nontribal sites, miles away from the ancestral homelands. OP: HOW about joining the fight for the individual Indian, that was harmed by the tribes? And again, many voters KNEW they'd be fighting this issue. Once you politicians started get PAID by the tribes.

One such battle is now under way in Madera County, where the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians' proposed mega-casino project, on Highway 99, more than 40 miles from their federally recognized land, seems headed for approval by the Bureau of Indian Affairs OP: TRANSLATION: North Fork Indians do not contribute to my campaign funds like Indian-killer Picayune does. Poor Chukchansi may lose so bidness in a sweet bit of Karma.

Read his editorial at the Fresno BEE Add your comments here and there.

Pechanga Tribal Elections: Aftermath

It looks like the hold that the Masiel-Basquez-Salazar line of people have lost their 'aura' of invincibility.

Andy Masiel could manage just 129 votes, which means that few, other than his extended family voted for him. Contrast that to the 2004 when 83% of the Pechanga electorate voted, and Masiel, (whose Uncle is a Soboba member) received 324 votes.

Voting was in the low 60% range this election.

Donna Barron and Mark Luker, who were not supported by the CPP in the 2006 election, were again elected to the tribal council.

Could the impending criminal indictments have cast a shadow over these elections? Certainly, they carried some weight.

CONGRATULATIONS to Gabriel Pico for gaining a seat on the Tribal Council. We also congratulate Ken Perez.

Mark "Little Evil" Macarro DEFEATS "Bigger Evil" Andy Masiel

Incumbent Chairman of the Incredibly Shrinking Pechanga Tribe, Mark Macarro, who has conveniently forgotten the will of the people and the Pechanga Constitution and bylaws was re-selected to his post.

Mark Macarro 285-Elected
Andy Masiel 129
Gloria Wright 23

Of the 725+ remaining members of Pechanga, just 438 saw fit to vote. Now, you know why the CPP wanted the Apis Family and Hunter families terminated from their membership. 230 more votes would take away any opportunity to control votes. Andy Masiel, who's nephew is a thief, and who's mother joined in kicking elders and children to the curb, with no income and health coverage could manage very few votes from anyone other than his family. As reported in a previous post, Gloria Wright, a cipher, could only manage her immediate family.

Here are the new tribal council and their votes votes:

donna barron 197
mark "cpp" calac 234
mark luker 263
Butch "Splinter Group" murphy 262
gabriel pico 153
ken perez 245


Cousin T'eetilawuncha has more at his BLOG

One Final "Screw You" from Pechanga to Disenrollees.

Many of the Hunter family are reporting that they are receiving notices for non-payment of taxes from the IRS for tax year 2006. For those who think that tribal members don't pay taxes, the total comes to about $20,000 each, which would have been for the amount paid to them of over $72,000 for the 1st qtr. per capita and bonus. The yearly per capita was $270,000 now, with less people it's about $360,000 and more disenrollments are possible. The running total so far is: $380,000 (will be updated) Is this a final "screw you" to the Hunter family from Mark Macarro and Andrew Masiel, the top contenders for Tribal Chairman in the upcoming election? Did they give direction to not send in the required tax payments to the IRS? Was this a conspiracy to CHEAT the US Government of their rightful collections? Or, is it possibly just shoddy accounting and paperwork? Will that be their excuse? After the indictments come down, California and Temecula will see what they are dealing with in tribal politics. Now, do you think there is a chance the self-auditing will not work and won't benefit the state of California? Do you think their will be another slot malfunction when a jackpot is hit? Why take the chance? Avoid Pechanga.

VOTE NO MASIELS into Pechanga UPDATE: MASIEL OUT

That is the safest bet. Vote NO to Andy Masiel. No outsider as the face of Pechanga.

UPDATE: The voters of Pechanga (less because Masiels-led group got 25% of the tribe elimated) have spoken and have unseated Andrew Masiel, who will now lose $95,000 in income. Smart move, remaining tribal members.

Is Candidate for Chairman Masiel A TRUE Pechanga Person?

Guest blogger 'Aamokat has a post on whether it's possible that someone with non-Pechanga blood becomes Chairman.

IS ANDY MASIEL A TRUE PECHANGA PERSON?

'Aamokat

Pechanga councilman Andy Masiel is running for tribal chairman in this year’s election which takes place this coming Saturday, July 19, 2008 but is he really a true Pechanga person?

Masiel’s family have a connection to Soboba and while they have had a presence at Pechanga for years, are they really from Pechanga?

For example family members from previous generations such as Petronilla Flores Salazar, Roberta Flores Salazar, and his mother Ruth Agnes Flores (Salazar) are all listed as being born at Soboba in a summary of 1928 applications for enrollment as Indians with the State of California .

So are they really Pechanga or are they Soboba?

But what really throws a monkey wrench into the machinery is the fact that Ruth, Andy’s mother, is listed in the 1929 Pechanga census as being adopted by Petronilla. Ruth is also listed as being illegitimate in some of the earlier Pechanga census records of the 1920’s which show her name as her as Janet Leivas.

This is her connection to the Basquez family (spelled with a V in the census records) as
Irene Basquez, reportedly Ruth's sister, now known as Irene Scearce, is listed as the daughter of Arturo Basquez and Francisca Leivas.

Arturo is listed as a Mexican so they can’t claim membership from him but ironically even the Leivas connection is suspect as because even though they claim their membership from Josepha (Garcia) Leivas, who is reportedly supposed to be Francisca’s mother, Josepha is listed as being married to one Felipe Cascara at the time of Francisca’s birth in 1898.

Sound confusing? My head is spinning just writing this stuff!

But the tour de force of all of this seemingly conflicting data may be the infamous 1940 Pechanga census in which 14 names, some of which were hand written, were added on to the end of the record from the BIA census record. The astonishing part of it is all but one of those names were people born after 1940 and some of those people were born decades later including Raymond Basquez Junior, Andy Masiel’s nephew, who was born in the 1960’s! (OP: How can a 1960's birth be on a 1940's census and be "accepted"?)

Most of the names added on were all from the Basquez/Masiel family, who reportedly wanted to use that census as a base roll for membership at Pechanga!

I remember when Jenny (Masiel) Miranda, Andy Masiel’s sister, used to get up at the general membership meetings and support what she called adoption in the “Indian way.”

No wonder as her family doesn't appear to be able to show a blood connection to the people. But if her mother Ruth isn’t of Pechanga blood was she ever adopted in the Indian way or was she just adopted through a county court?

I didn’t have a problem with them being in the tribe because they have been around Pechanga a long time during the 1900’s but do they have a connection to the Original people from the 1800’s? I HAVE GRAVE DOUBTS THAT THEY DO!


ALL THEY HAD TO DO WAS LEAVE THOSE OF US ALONE WHO CAN SHOW A DIRECT CONNECTION TO THE RESERVATION WHEN IT WAS CREATED AND TO THE TEMECULA VILLAGE BEFORE THE RESERVATION AND WE COULD HAVE ALL LIVED TOGETHER AS ONE PEOPLE BUT THEY COULDN’T DO THAT!

CA Congress Loves Behested Payments more than Civil Rights

NOW we know why those in Congress don't care about civil rights for the individual Indian: Behested Payments.

The Barona Band of Mission Indians has made state elected officials a generous offer. The tribe will contribute $5,000 to any public or private school a legislator selects in his or her district.
The program, an example of the millions in charitable spending directed by legislators each year, is wildly popular among lawmakers and school officials.
“I wish more organizations would do that,” said Assemblyman Joel Anderson, R-La Mesa. “It's a big chunk of change that they are donating.”
So what could be wrong with a wealthy tribe sharing some of its casino-generated revenues with struggling schools?
Plenty, according to some campaign finance reform advocates.
Robert Stern, president of the Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles, said that even a program as seemingly innocuous as the Barona Education Grant has an ulterior motive: to curry favor with lawmakers.
The education program is an example of an unusual category of giving that mixes charity and politics.
These contributions, called behested payments, occur when a legislator directs an individual or interest group to give money to a specific charity or nonprofit organization.
Officially, they are considered neither a personal gift nor a political contribution, which are both strictly limited under California law. As a result, these donations can be unlimited.

Judge Orders Review of Chumash Annexation: Sovereignty Crack in the Dam

Rubber stamp is not what the BIA should be doing and local citizens should have some say in how their neighborhood shapes up.

Judge orders new review of Chumash

A federal judge’s ruling in the case of two community groups against the U.S. Department of the Interior regarding the Santa Ynez Band of Chumash Indians’ 6.9 acre fee-to-trust application has resulted in two highly divergent reactions to the news.
Both the tribe and the two groups — Preservation of Los Olivos (POLO) and Preservation of Santa Ynez (POSY) — essentially claimed a victory after the judge’s ruling.

POLY and POSY said in a written statement July 15 that U.S. District Court Judge A. Howard Matz’s ruling in Los Angeles July 9 finds the fee-to-trust process flawed and supports citizens’ rights to appeal.

Read more: HERE

Agua Caliente Tribe Fighting IRS for right to tax exempt bonds

Possibly another crack in the sovereignty dam:

The Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is appealing the Internal Revenue Service's proposed adverse determination that $22.5 million of revenue bonds it issued in 2003 for a golf course project and recreation center are taxable - the latest development in a long-standing dispute over the kinds of projects tribal governments can finance with tax-exempt bonds.

The appeal was disclosed in a material event notice that the tribe filed yesterday with the nationally recognized municipal securities information repositories.
The bonds were issued to finance the renovation of the Canyon South Golf Course in Palm Springs, Calif., which is operated by the tribe; the construction and equipping of a clubhouse on the golf course; a community and recreation center for the tribe and related infrastructure, according to the notice.

I think the IRS may be looking at a loss on this one. They should be looking into the loss of taxable income from those Pechanga Tribal Members who were terminated during Pechanga's Indian Removal Era. (2004-2006)

Agua Caliente Story HERE

Agua Caliente Tribal Member to Stand Trial for MURDER

Proving that money can't buy happiness, a 20-year-old woman accused of stabbing a La Quinta handyman 13 times in her Palm Springs home was ordered to stand trial for murder.
Candace Rochelle Duran, a member of the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, allegedly stabbed Howard Villanueva, 40, at her home in the 29000 block of Biskra Road on Sept. 23, 2007, according to Palm Springs police.

Good thing about a casino per capita check, it allowed her to post bail of ONE MILLION DOLLARS in less than a week.

Sad that for some people, happiness is a serious problem.

San Pascual Membership fight to Mediation

Maybe it's time for the Casino to be shut down. With a government that's cheating it's people, whom the BIA determined were San Pascual decades ago, maybe they should have a casino. Is the loss of an income producer an incentive to keep the peace? Is greed at the heart of the matter like it was at Pechanga?

A dispute over membership in the San Pasqual Indian band is threatening its government and its operation of the Valley View Casino, which has created hundreds of jobs and earned millions in revenues.
The disagreement has split the tribe into two camps, which the Bureau of Indian Affairs is working to reconcile.
The sides met yesterday with James Fletcher, the BIA's Southern California superintendent, and agreed to mediation, he said.
Without a resolution, Fletcher said he's at a crossroads. Each side is asking him to recognize it as the true tribal government.
Fletcher said he has three options: recognize one group, the other, or neither. If he chooses neither group, then there is no tribal government. And without a government, the tribe can't run a casino, Fletcher said.

Funny how Fletcher takes an interest in this case, but when his own tribe's (Pechanga) council violated their constitution, he did nothing.

Link to story: Here

How a Pechanga Conspiracy Works

Guest Blogger A'amokat give the details as to how the CPP conspired to terminate tribal members. The twists and turns that only someone who has evil in mind can think of.

In going through my paperwork regarding our disenrollment there were also other letters or statements, in addition to the three CPP letters turned in by the elders who claimed we were never recognized as Pechanga people, that the CPP submitted against us including a statement that claimed Paulina Hunter was not on any of the Pechanga census records during the 1800's, which is an outright falsehood as her name is on every Temecula/Pechanga census from 1893 to 1899, the year of her death!

Others included a letter from the CPP that said Oral Tradition in the only way to prove Pechanga membership that documents cannot show membership. So the CPP said only word of mouth can show who are Pechanga people but the CPP-heavy enrollment committee told us to turn in a list of certified documents, which a majority of the committee then ignored!

Ironic in that some of the documents they ignored were the notarized written statements by current elders not from the CPP who said they recognized us as Pechanga people as well as the notarized statements of elders from the historical period of the 1800's, both forms of Oral Tradition that directly contradicted the CPP's position.

There, as I stated in my above post, the whole case against us was based on heresay, and missing documents from the 1800's that have been missing for over 150 years that many families could not find either, not just us.

But the most absurd part of the case against us was the statement by the enrollment committee that our true tribal indenity is San Luis Rey, not Pechanga, which was based on one of our extended family having put San Luis Rey on a 1928 application as a California Indian.

What is ridiculous about this is some of the very members of the enrollment committee who voted us out also had relatives who put San Luis Rey, not Pechanga, on their 1928 applications! The whole tribe was listed as the Temecula Reservation (San Luis Rey Tribe) in some of the early reservation census records so it is clear the names Pechanga, Temecula, and San Luis Rey were historically interchangable so the San Luis Rey referrence by one of our extended family doesn't show we are not Pechanga, which the tribe's own hired expert, Dr John Johnson, says in a letter to the tribe questioning the decision to kick us out of the tribe.

There is one other piece of garbage that the CPP tried to pass off as evidence that was submitted against us that I am waiting for our resident critic to bring up if he or she wants to talk specifics.Buy I doubt he or she will talk about specifics because all he or she does is makes general statements that the facts (in his or her view) are not on our side.

THE REALITY IS THERE ARE NO FACTS THAT BACK UP THE CASE AGAINST US! AS WE HAVE SAID MANY TIMES, SOME PEOPLE JUST SAY WE DON'T BELONG WITHOUT ANY PROOF!

Teetilawuncha: WE HAVE THE TRUTH

Teetilawuncha's Blog has an interesting back and forth on the Hunter Family termination from the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians.

Our family has the truth, the CPP has the lie.

Pechanga Elections: A non Pechanga blood to be chief?

All is not what it seems in Basquez-Salazar land.... Stay tuned.

Sorry for the lack of posts, I was out of the country and just arrived home.

Worthless Bureau of Indian Affairs Allows SHADOW Government to Run Snoqualmie Tribe

UPDATE: We have over 150COMMENTS on this story. Please take the time to read them. Snoqualmie tribal members who have been disenrolled, PLEASE have all your family look here at the comments and feel FREE to join in. Get them involved NOW.

What do we have a BIA for? The regional office in Temecula is run by a family that wanted the disenrollments at Pechanga to happen. Do you think any paperwork got lost or mishandled in this case? They also screwed up the propositions out here. Mark Macarro already overruled the will of the people of the Temecula Band of Luiseno Indians which voted to END all Disenrollments

Read the rest of the story HERE

Snoqualmie Tribal Government in Constitutional Crisis; Shadow Government Attempting to Disenroll and Banish Tribal Members
SNOQUALMIE, Wash., April 21 /

The honorary, non-elected Chief of the Snoqualmie people, Jerry Enick, along with a small faction of loyalists, has overthrown the Constitutionally elected Snoqualmie Indian tribal government. The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe is a federally recognized Indian tribe with 637 enrolled members as of December 31, 2006. After months of attempting to reach an internal resolution of this tribal government crisis, the Chairman of the Tribe, Bill T Sweet is speaking out. "For the good of the Tribe and our elders, I am taking this issue public," said Chairman Sweet. "We cannot stand idly by and let the Tribe's future be hijacked by a handful of people and their non-Indian supporters."

The dispute has been ongoing since last fall, but only recently came to a head. Chairman Sweet has been barred from Tribal Council meetings since August 16, 2007, when the honorary Chief issued a decree suspending the Chairman and certain members of the Tribal Council elected at the Tribe's May 12, 2007 general meeting. In September 2007, the honorary Chief called for new elections and, at a disputed meeting, seated new tribal council members. The Tribe's Constitution only allows for May elections and vests no power in the honorary Chief to control the government.

The Chairman has not been lawfully removed from office, but has been precluded from conducting the duties of his office. Enick's move is nothing less than a coup.

snip-

Despite the documents indicating irregularities to obtain Federal monies, the Bureau has not taken any action to stop the Enick faction. "The Bureau is turning a blind-eye to us," said Chairman Sweet. Without a tribal court to hold people accountable and with no action from the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Enick's group realizes it can act without fear of any consequences. Chairman Sweet describes the situation as "outrageous."

Jamul Tribal Chairman Killed in Motorcycle Crash UPDATE

UPDATE: A funeral Mass for Jamul tribal Chairman William C. “Bill” Mesa and his daughter-in-law, Crystal Roberts-Mesa, is scheduled at 3 p.m. Friday at St. Pius X Catholic Church, 14107 Lyons Valley Road, Jamul. A second memorial service for Roberts-Mesa is scheduled at 11 a.m. Saturday at Christ Unity Church, 311 Highland Ave., El Cajon. Alcohol is suspected in the crash that killed the chairman of a local Indian tribe and his daughter-in-law Saturday afternoon, a California Highway Patrol officer said Sunday. William C. “Bill” Mesa, 57, lost control of his motorcycle on Lyons Valley Road a quarter-mile east of Skyline Truck Trail and hit a power pole, said CHP Officer Rob Sanchez. Crystal Roberts-Mesa, 29, also was killed in the crash, said an investigator with the Medical Examiner's Office. Mesa was elected chairman of the Jamul Indian Village a year ago and was on the forefront of the small tribe's efforts to build a casino on its six-acre reservation. RELATED STORY HERE

If You Are Corrupt, Get Money From Pechanga: $25,000 To Don Perata

NOW we know another reason why Pechanga terminated a huge portion of their tribe.

In addition to fattening their own per capita checks, it's also so they could grease the palms of politicians.

The California Democratic Party has contributed another $250,000 to state Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata's legal fund, reinvigorating his defense against a years-long FBI corruption probe.
Until last week, the fund had collected only $60,000 in 2008 — $25,000 each from the Pechanga Band of Mission Indians and from San Diego Padres owner John J. Moores, and $10,000 from Manhattan Beach homemaker Jennifer Sizemore. But the Democratic State Central Committee of California followed up its December contribution of $200,000 with another $250,000 last week, records show.
Records show the businesses of Perata's son and daughter have been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars by political committees under his direct control, even as Nick Perata and his businesses were involved in real estate rentals and sales with his father.

Mark Macarro and Pechanga gave $25,000 to a termed out politician who is under and FBI probe? Hmm, Pechanga is under an DOJ probe too. Hush money? Or just thank you money for looking the other way while Pechanga massacred it's people?

That's good money that could have been used to pay for the health care of tribal elders that Pechanga kicked to the curb.

Cherokee Freedmen: 1866 Treaty in FULL FORCE and EFFECT

The 1866 Treaty that gave Cherokee Freedmen the rights of Cherokee citizens is in “full force and effect,” attorney Jon Velie recently told a Freedmen audience.

According to the SN treaty, Seminole Freedmen “shall have and enjoy all the rights of native citizens.” The CN treaty states that Cherokee Freedmen “shall have all the rights of native Cherokees.”
When asked to explain the difference between “native citizens” and “native Cherokees,” Johnson said she could not discuss the difference because it was at the “heart of the ongoing litigation.” DOH!

Just because the white man did not live up to much of their treaties, does NOT make it right for the Cherokee to do the same. MORALLY, do what is right. Don't be like Pechanga, Picayune and Enterprise, BE BETTER.

Cherokee Freedmen Article

KNBC Without A Tribe Still the Most Shared Video: Shows Pechanga Corruption

You know, after 18 months, people are STILL interested in hearing about how terribly Pechanga has treated many of its tribal members.

Some would try to have you believe that it's a non-story, but with other tribes following suit, and criminal indictments of some members coming shortly, Pechanga is NEWS, unfortunately still bad news.

Please, for new visitors, take the time to watch the video: WITHOUT A TRIBE
Colleen Williams did a fine job fronting the piece.

You can email the video from the KNBC site. See Macarro's lies.

Protect Bingo for Churches: TRIBES say, do as we want, NOT as we DID

ELECTRONIC BINGO FIGHT

The widening political and legal fight over electronic bingo appears to be following a pattern that opened the doors to Nevada-style Indian casinos in California a decade ago.

A week ago, a federal judge agreed to allow charities and nonprofit groups to continue operating lucrative bingo machines while their legal status is sorted out in litigation that could take months, if not years, to run its course.
In a similar situation that played out during the 1990s, the state ultimately won a federal ruling that it was not obligated to permit slot machines in tribal casinos. But by then, the larger battle had been lost. Tribes had amassed the money, political clout and public support to get what they wanted in a public vote.

“You ain't seen nothing yet,” state Sen. Jim Battin, R-Palm Desert, warned recently about the spread of bingo machines. “This will parade like wildfire across the state.” YES, JUST LIKE INDIAN GAMING that supports you.

OP: Battin doesn't say the REAL reason why he's against it: He being PAID by the tribes. Into his campaign coffers/ defense funds. So, WHAT do you have against churches Jim? Many Tribes like Pechanga, Picayune and Enterprise have shown their unworthiness of gaining gambling on their reservations. They've DESTROYED a huge portion of their tribes and you sit and pander to them.

The rest of the story is HERE Let's make gambling legal throughout California!

Rep. Diane Watson and John Conyers Press BIA on Cherokee Freedmen

BIA is accused of failing to take action to protect the Freedmen. They have failed to take action to protect the Picayune Tribal Members, the Pechanga Disenrolled, the Enterprise Rancheria. They sure get paid a lot of money for inaction.

IS THE BIA GOVERNMENT WASTE?

BIA pressed on freedmen status
by: JIM MYERS
7/6/2008 12:00 AM
A congressional hearing is apparently the goal.

WASHINGTON — Congressional critics of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma continue to press a federal agency concerning the status of the descendants of the tribe's freedmen. One of their major goals apparently is to force the controversial issue before a congressional hearing.

The Cherokee Nation believes such a hearing should be viewed as "blatant interference'' by lawmakers if it is scheduled before pending litigation is resolved. As part of their effort to build a record that could lead to a hearing, U.S. Reps. Diane Watson, D-Calif., the most vocal critic of the Cherokee Nation in Congress, and John Conyers Jr., D-Mich., the chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, laid out a series of questions concerning the status of the freedmen and the tribe in a letter to George Skibine. Skibine is the acting head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Their questions range from the legal status of the freedmen and the processing of citizenship applications to the BIA's actions to protect freedmen's rights and the federal government's take on the Cherokee constitution. Noting a March meeting with Skibine's predecessor, Carl Artman, the two lawmakers cite complaints they had passed on then that the BIA had failed to take action to protect rights of the freedmen, former slaves of Cherokees.

TULSA WORLD

NLRB Say Union Vote is Valid For Foxwoods. Where is the weak UNITE HERE! Union in CA?

It seems like the UAW have more will power than the Unite Here! Union. They have fought to have their vote validated, which is now the case with the recent NLRB decision. The Unite Here union claimed that the recent compacts which Californians foolishly passed would hurt their efforts to unionize the casinos. Yet, what efforts have they made? Have we even heard from them again?

Laziness and weakness at organizing, means they will be WEAK AND LAZY when in comes to negotiating. Maybe the casino employees should ask the UAW to stand up for them.

Here is the UNITE HERE contact info. Call them and ask for their help.

Western States Regional Joint Board

Christina Vazquez

International Vice President/Secretary-Treasurer

920 S. Alvarado Street

Los Angeles, California 90006

Tel. 213-385-0271

Fax 213-385-2615


The National Labor Relations Board released a long-awaited decision Thursday, certifying a union election held at Foxwoods Resort Casino in which a majority of table-games dealers voted in favor of representation by the United Auto Workers union.

With the decision, the UAW can now request that the casino, which is owned and operated by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe, bargain a contract on behalf of nearly 3,000 dealers.
But the tribe, as it has throughout every stage of the unionization process, again vowed Thursday to fight the union all the way to the U.S. Court of Appeals, a course that would mean it will refuse to negotiate with the UAW.

Dealers continued to call on their employer Thursday to negotiate with the union and recognize the results of the election, in which 1,289 of 2,141 votes cast were in favor of unionization.
”We voted, we won, we've been certified,” said Steve Peloso, a dealer at Foxwoods, in a prepared statement issued by the UAW. “It's way past time for Foxwoods to come to the table and work with us on a fair contract.” ........ read the story HERE

Tongva Rededication at San Gabriel Mission

The Tongva are still working for Federal Recognition.


A new look at San Gabriel Mission will make its long history with Native Americans more visible.
Following extensive research, native plants are being planted in the gardens surrounding the mission. To commemorate the garden renovation, members of the Gabrieleno Tongva San Gabriel Band of Mission Indians held a mid-morning ceremony June 27 to rededicate the gardens and the memorial erected in memory of their ancestors who built the mission.
"Here we are with the descendants of the ancestors for whom this memorial was dedicated," said Chief Anthony Morales Sr. during the ceremony. "Our parents, our grandparents inherited the mission cemetery. It's very meaningful, because now this garden here has our own native plants, our sages, our medicine plants."
The plants being planted were used by the Gabrieleno Tongva people more than 200 years ago. In one spot, special native plants are being chosen to attract butterflies. Part of the renovation of the gardens will include building a typical Southern California native dwelling called a "kich." Botanical research has been spearheaded by Mark Acuña.
The spiritual rituals, which integrated Christian and Native American prayer forms, were led by Andrew Morales - Guiding Young Cloud. These included song, prayer, recitation of the Our Father in the Tongva language, and blessing the four directions. Receiving gift traditional necklaces of appreciation were several Mission staff members, including two priests, and the coordinator of archdiocesan Native American Concerns.

The large crucifix in the center of the memorial --- first dedicated in 1935 --- is in memory of the estimated 6,000 Gabrieleno Tongva people buried within the confines of the mission garden walls.

The full story is HERE

Where have the Snoqualmie Disenrolled/Banished Gone?

In may we reported on the Snoqualmie Tribe's unlawful disenrollment of tribal members HERE and more on the lawsuit HERE Since then, it's been pretty quiet news-wise.
Have they given up? Are they still fighting? Or, are they just laying low. Snoqualmie BANISHED, feel free to publicize your fight here. Please tell your family that you have been given a platform to tell your stories here. Our traffic is growing and more visitors from Washington DC come here as a result.

Are you ready to keep this on the front burner?

Happy 4th of July

We hope that you are able to enjoy this time with your family and friends. Be safe, be careful. I hope your BBQ is hot and your drinks are cold. Thank you to all our veterans for your fight to keep us free.

Ed Morrissey at Hot Air has a great article on a meaningful Independence Day He wore his beer shirt on his internet show yesterday, so his family won't see it today!

Prof. Stacy Leeds Gets Fletcher Fellowship for Cherokee Freedmen

CONGRATULATIONS to Professor Stacy Leeds who will produce a comprehensive history of the Cherokee Freedmen, the African-American slaves held by the Cherokee Nation until the 1860s, and their descendants entitled, “Ties That Bind: Freedmen Citizenship and the Cherokee Nation.”

The annual fellowship program established by financial executive Alphonse Fletcher, Jr. to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark decision, Brown v. Board of Education, has named four scholars as 2008 Alphonse Fletcher, Sr. Fellows, Fletcher announced Tuesday. Each fellow will receive a stipend of $50,000 for scholarly work that seeks to improve racial equality in American society and pursues the broad social goals set forth by Brown v. Board of Education.

Riverside Sheriff and Soboba Reach Agreement on Violence

The Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians and the Riverside County Sheriff's Department have hammered out an agreement intended to ease tensions stemming from the recent shootings of tribal members.

"The agreement becomes official on Monday," Mike Hiles, information officer for the tribe, said on Wednesday.

See related stories HERE, HERE and HERE Congratulations to Soboba and the RCSD for their quick efforts at protecting the people.

Joe Deegan; GET OUT & Stay Out say Tribes

Thank You JOE DEEGAN for this article. Please send the letter posted previously to Gloria Romero.

Get Out, Stay Out
By Joe Deegan Published Wednesday, July 2, 2008

In February 2007, the Barona Band of Mission Indians sponsored state legislation entitled Unlawful Entry: Tribal Land. San Diego County’s board of supervisors, as well as Sheriff Bill Kolender and District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis, signed on to the California State Senate bill as supporters. The bill would give tribal governments a new tool to control their lands by sending suspect persons letters warning them not to trespass. Violators could face a fine of $250 for a first offense and $500 for a second.

But Unlawful Entry’s appearance coincided with turmoil among California Indians over an increasing tendency of gaming tribes to disenroll members. Gloria Romero, the bill’s author, withdrew the measure in June 2007. Romero represents the 24th district of East Los Angeles. She is the senate’s majority leader and chair of its Public Safety Committee. The biography on her senate website states that, among other things, Romero is “a forceful advocate for California’s most disadvantaged citizens.”

The backpedaling could have been a response to an LA Weekly blast earlier in the month. Romero, claimed the paper, “is an eager recipient of campaign contributions from the Pechangas, the Agua Caliente, the Morongo and other powerful gambling tribes.… Her voting record shows that a reliable 75 percent of the time Romero votes for tribal gambling interests.” The article ends with this flourish: “Don’t think for a moment that our Democrats aren’t up in Sacramento tirelessly fighting for the little guys. Yeah, right.”

Is there a danger, asks the legislative analyst, “that ‘gaming tribes’ [could] abuse [Unlawful Entry], if enacted, to banish disenrolled members? Could this bill create the potential that disenrolled members could be fined for necessary acts such as travelling to their homes, seeking medical services at Indian health facilities, and visiting tribal members?”

PLEASE READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: GET OUT

Pechanga Elections: Macarro has to be Optimistic

With 17 days remaining before the July 19 elections, we believe that Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro is optimistic about his re-election chances.

His main challenger, Andrew Masiel is part of the corrupt family tree that will have members indicted by the DOJ for corruption at the Pechanga Casino. His mother was part of the cartel that refused to accept the historical truths presented to them by their expert. Of course, she slept through some presentations. Masiel himself was LATE for an appeal hearing, of course, his mind was made up as he was counting his increased per capita checks.

The other challenger is a nothing, a zero and will get the votes of her kids and maybe a sister. She is the kind of woman who would keep her own brother out of the tribe.

So that leaves Macarro, whose legacy is now the "incredible shrinking tribe" of Pechanga. Congratulations.

Schwarzeneggers Bad Faith Negotiations Could Lead to Unbridled Gaming in CA

While a Federal Judge won't force our Governor and the Rincon Tribe back into negotiations, it appears that California could be on the brink of unbridled gaming.

It appears Mr. Schwarzeneggers's tax the tribes EXTRA plan may be illegal. We already knew it was overly optimistic, but illegal?

Read the story here: Union Tribune

The judge agreed that by asking for general-fund contributions, the state was essentially trying to tax the tribe. As a sovereign government, the tribe doesn't have to pay state taxes.
The judge also said that because voters already gave Indian tribes a monopoly on Nevada-style gambling in California, the state couldn't demand money in exchange for approving the expansion.
State officials said that if Rincon wins, it could lead to an unbridled expansion in gambling.

San Jacinto seeks to stop Soboba Rez expansion cites public safety

By JOSE ARBALLO JR.The Press-Enterprise

The San Jacinto City Council is asking that the Bureau of Indian Affairs suspend the application of the Soboba Band of Luiseño Indians that seeks to annex hundreds of acres the tribe wants to use to build a hotel and casino complex.

The June 23 letter, signed by Mayor Jim Ayres, requests that the federal agency stop processing the application until issues of public safety are resolved. In May, the city requested that the tribe voluntarily pull its application after a series of violent incidents that culminated with the fatal shootings of three tribal members by Riverside County sheriff's deputies.

Read more here: Press Enterprise

Pechanga Elections: A FIRST in Many Years: No Terminations

There are 18 days left until the elections. No, not those elections. The elections for the Pechanga Tribal Council will be held on July 19th.

Since the passage of the Tribe’s Constitution and Bylaws, Tribal Council have been held on the 3rd Saturday of July in every even year. That being said, what makes the upcoming elections special is the fact that these elections are the first in several elections cycles in which over 100 Pechanga tribal members have not been disenrolled just prior to casting their ballot.

Just in case you forgot, in 2004, over 200 tribal members were disenrolled prior to the Constitutionally mandated elections. As a result, there was almost a complete over-haul of the Tribal Council and Chairman Macarro retained his seat.

In 2006, just prior to the elections, nearly 100 eligible voters were stripped of their tribal membership, and as a result, their right to participate in tribal elections was denied. The disenrollment of these members was especially egregious as the tribe had passed a law in 2005 barring future disenrollments.

Chairman Macarro and the Tribal Council saw the enactment of the law by the General Membership as a threat to their continued membership on the Council and unilaterally decided to direct the Enrollment Committee to proceed with disenrollment action.

Unlike previous elections, it appears that the 2008 Tribal Council elections will not be held under a cloud of suspicion. It also appears so far that the results of the elections may not be impacted by gross human and civil rights which deny 100’s of eligible voters from participating.

But, then again, there are still 18 days to go, and anything can happen.

. . . . . Pechanga Perp Walk Preview . . . .

The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians will be facing the PERP WALK of some of their members in the next couple of weeks. How will this affect the upcoming July 19 elections? One of the candidates for Tribal Chairman, is related to some of those that will be going down. Is that someone the tribe will want out front for them?

Stay Tuned. The DOJ is dotting the i's and crossing the t's.