Guest blogger Mark Maslin of tribalcorruption.com weighs in on the Pinoleville Rancheria controversy. Thanks Mark. Readers, please be sure to check the Tribal Corruption site and learn more about what is happening in Indian Country.
Not only is Chairwoman Leona Williams the only one who knows which of the checkerboard land parcels that are in federal trust on the Pinoleville Rancheria, she is also the only one who knows who the members are in her "new" Pinoleville Pomo Nation. In the article below she claims there are 240 members in her new tribe.
What is so interesting is that in 2003 the BIA sponsored a Secretarial election where there were 305 tribal members in the Pinoleville Rancheria tribe. Where did the other 65 members go and why don't the other 200 plus original Pinoleville Rancheria's Tillie Hardwick members receive notice of tribal elections and tribal council meetings or be allowed to share in the State gaming revenue sharing money the tribe receives. Why won't Leona Williams answer the simple question from the Tillie Hardwick members who want to know if they are part of her "new" tribe, instead of her standard response that this information is confidential.
What is even more interesting is that Chairwoman Leona Williams in her petition to Mendocino County Court asking the court to convey two cemeteries to the "new" Pinoleville Pomo Nation that is located on non-trust land not part of the Rancheria, the chairwoman list only 64 citizens of the Pinoleville Pomo Nation as being beneficiaries of this state trust property. Most noticeably missing are a very large group of original Pinoleville Rancheria's Tillie Hardwick members who are also beneficiaries of this state trust land adjacent to the Rancheria.
Here is my question:
If the Pinoleville Rancheria was a not a Federally recognized tribe in 1934 and the recent Supreme Court Carcieri ruling states the BIA can only take land into trust if a tribe was federally recognized in 1934, and Pinoleville Rancheria's Tillie Hardwick in 1980 brought the lawsuit forward that resulted in Federal recognition for the Pinoleville Rancheria's tribe, and Chairwoman Leona Williams now bases her tribal membership on a criteria that uses former trustees of the state land never under federal jurisdiction or part of the Pinoleville Rancheria, how can the Pinoleville Pomo Nation even be allowed to have gaming or take land into trust without the original Pinoleville Rancheria's Tillie Hardwick members being the basis for the tribe?
This why there is going to be a rally at the Mendocino Court house in the near future. The original Pinoleville Rancheria's Tillie Hardwick tribal members need to be allowed to participation in "THEIR" tribe and guaranteed future access to their ancestors graves and guarantees that Leona won't be desecrate their ancestors graves, deny access to them and eliminate the rights to bury their families, in her pursuit of a casino should the BIA ever decide to take this state trust land into federal trust status.
22 comments:
She must have gotten arrogance lessons from your tribal leaders!!
Seriously where do they learn this bullshit. Why doesn't everyone see them for who they really are, less than nothing.
Everyone doesn't see, because not everyone is telling the story of what goes on.
Do we read stories in the Press Enterprise, Daily Bulletin, or San Bernardino Sun? That's about 4 million people that don't hear.
Hi,
I think the Bulletin is an English language weekly magazine published in Brussels, Belgium.
Nice blog,Before reading of this blog i have not a full knowledge about to the Bulletin.
What more is there to say. They are money hungry and only want power for themselves. Government said give them sovereignity and they will destroy themselves. This is exactaly what we are doing to our people.
I am a friend of a member that was disenrolled from Pinoleville band of Pomo Indians in Pinoleville, CA. My question is " How is it that one person can make all the decisions for the tribe when there are numberous members, that can't pratice their Indian Right in their own tribe?" I would ask this to the chair of Pinolville, "What are you scared of and why don't you allow your people to have an input in the tribes function, concerning their own land as members of Pinoleville!" Can you at lease give your members that respect as chairperson of this tribe?
AB 122 is now in the California state legislature, to Asembly committee, would ratify compact to allow Pinoleville Leona tribe to have casino and resort concentrated housing and suspend certain California Environmental Quality Act stipulations. Millview water district has told them, moratorium on water hookup. If they drill and find Russian River river underflow on ackerman creek, the tribe could then force arbitration with downstream water users to take that water, which could slow down the project, which would tie up all the tribal lands including the 105 acres of grape land for a high interest bank loan to develop the casino housing. Coyote Valley casino and Hopland casino are already hopelessly in debt to the developers loan and Bank of America. Leona is selling out the Pinoleville Band of Pomo Indians so she can do happy talk with the alcohol casino developer who runs the Caught bar across the street from the old auto dealership where she wants the casino. The alcohol developer sleeps at the Thatcher Inn in Hopland which Leona bought.
NOTICE OF COMPLETION AND AVAILABILITY
DRAFT TRIBAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
PINOLEVILLE POMO NATION
MENDOCINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
The Pinoleville Pomo Nation (hereinafter referred to as “the Tribe”) proposes to develop a
90,000 +/- square foot (sq. ft.) casino and a 72,100 +/- sq. ft hotel, as well as an associated
parking structure on Tribal lands. There would be approximately 28,500 square feet of gaming
floor and an additional 61,500 sq. ft. of associated facilities including food and beverage
services, retail space, and banquet/meeting space. Food and beverage facilities would include a
buffet, a specialty restaurant, and a lounge. One hundred-twenty-five rooms with associated
meeting space and support elements are proposed for the hotel structure. A parking garage
would also be developed as part of the Proposed Project. The Tribe anticipates demolition of
the existing structures and development of the project buildings within a single construction
season.
The Proposed Project site is located within the existing Pinoleville Reservation, approximately
one (1) mile north of the City of Ukiah, in an unincorporated portion of Mendocino County,
adjacent to the U.S. 101 bridge crossing at Ackerman Creek. The project site encompasses
approximately 8.8 acres of land east of U.S. 101 and west of North State Street. North State
Street is the main access route to the project site from U.S. 101.
Implementation of the Proposed Project would achieve the following objectives: assist in
improving the long-term economic base of the Tribe by providing an increased revenue source,
provide more employment opportunities for tribal members and the community, allow tribal
members to become more economically self-sufficient, and provide a new recreational venue to
the residents and visitors of Ukiah.
As part of the Tribe’s environmental review process, this document is available for review and
comment by members of the public, regulatory agencies, and other interested parties for the
following time period: 28 May 2010 to 11 July, 2010. Comments should be addressed to:
Pinoleville Pomo Nation
Attn: Chairperson Leona Williams
500B Pinoleville Drive
Ukiah, CA 95482
Copies of the Draft TEIR are available for review at the Mendocino County Board of
Supervisors office, 501 Low Gap Road, Ukiah, CA 95482, and the Ukiah Library, 105 North
Main Street, Ukiah, CA 95482. All comments made during the public review period will be
considered by the Tribe in determining how to proceed with the proposed project.
470-10
6-11,18/10
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SE -
CURITY
FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGE -
MENT AGENCY
Proposed Base Flood Elevation
Determination for the Pinoleville
Indian Reservation and the Unin-
corporated Areas of Mendocino
County, California The Depart-
ment of Homeland Security’s
Federal Emergency Manage-
ment Agency solicits technical
information or comments on the
proposed Base (1-percent-
annual-chance) Flood Elevations
(BFEs) shown in the Preliminary
Flood Insurance Study (FIS) and
on the Preliminary Flood Insur-
ance Rate Map (FIRM) for your
community. These proposed
BFEs are the basis for the flood-
plain management measures
that your community is required
to either adopt or show evi-
dence of having in effect in or-
der to qualify or remain quali-
fied for participation in the Na-
tional Flood Insurance Program
(NFIP). For a detailed listing of
the proposed BFEs and informa-
tion on the statutory period pro-
vided for appeals, please visit
FEMA’s website at https://www.
floodmaps.fema.gov/fhm/Script
s/bfe_main.asp, or call the
FEMA Map Information eX-
change, toll free, at 1-877-FEMA
MAP.
NOTICE OF EXTENSION OF TIME FOR PUBLIC COMMENT
DRAFT TRIBAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT
PINOLEVILLE POMO NATION
MENDOCINO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
The Pinoleville Pomo Nation has followed the process outlined in the Tribal/State Compact on the preparation of a Tribal Environmental Impact Report. Under the compact, the public comment period for the draft TEIR is 45 days, which would have ended on July 11, 2010. Today, the Tribe, at the request of the County, agreed to extend the comment period by an additional 30 days, to August 10, 2010. This extension should allow all interested parties sufficient time to fully review the environmental document and to prepare any relevant comments. The Tribe has also posted the draft TEIR on its website, www.pinoleville-nsn.us. It is the intent of both the Tribe and the County to provide the public ample opportunity to address any potential off-reservation impacts from the proposed casino project.
Office of the County Counsel
Administration Center
501 Low Gap Road, RM. 1030
Ukiah, California 95482
(707) 463-4446
I am a member of Pinoleville, and the SAD thing is that I had to find all this information on the Internet. I have not received a newsletter or anything in over a couple years. It is very hard for us members that live afar and do not have transportation to get to our monthly meetings. And even if we can't, our Chairperson should do what is right and make sure that ALL tribal members get meeting minutes or any type of correspondence to keep the communication going amongst tribal members that live afar. I mean in 2003 we were provided transportation and lodging to make sure we made it to the Membership meeting which included voting for our Chairperson and counsel. And have never been offered the help for any other meetings. After that it's like we don't matter. But REALLY, what do we do?
Pinoleville tribe sued for breach of contract over casino project
Ukiah Daily Journal Staff
Updated: 07/14/2010 12:00:23 AM PDT
Company preparing environmental report claims it was not paid in full
The Daily Journal
A Petaluma firm hired to complete a Tribal Environmental Impact Report (TEIR) for a casino the Pinoleville Pomo Nation plans to build has sued the tribe for breach of contract, according to Sonoma County Superior Court records.
According to the civil lawsuit filed April 19, Kennec, Inc. alleges the tribe did not pay the firm the total amount of compensation agreed upon in a contract signed June 15, 2009.
Kennec claims it was to be paid $162,666 for preparing the TEIR, a draft of which was released last month. However, the firm alleges the tribe only paid it $117,119, and then "refused to pay Kennec for additional work demanded by (the tribe) and completed by Kennec ... and made it impossible for Kennec to earn the final $45,546 payment and $25,000 bonus contemplated by the TEIR contract."
Mendocino County BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AGENDA – APRIL 26, 2011
Item 8(b)Presentation by Pinoleville Pomo Nation Tribal Representatives and Discussion and Possible Action Regarding Formation of an Ad Hoc Committee to Negotiate Terms of a Memorandum of Understanding Regarding Their Proposed Casino Development and Gaming Venture – Sponsoring Department: County Counsel
SUMMARY OF REQUEST: The County has been approached again by representatives from the Pinoleville Pomo Nation who have requested that the County engage in discussions regarding their proposed casino development and gaming venture that is to be located on North State Street (former site of Ken Fowler Auto Center). By way of background, in March 2009, the Pinoleville Pomo Nation entered into a Tribal Gaming Compact Agreement with the State of California. This compact was ultimately rejected by the BIA. The Tribe is now in the process of negotiating a new compact with the State. Once a new agreement is reached with the State and approved by the BIA, the Tribe will be required to meet and confer with the affected local agencies to agree on mitigation of offsite impacts that will occur as a result of the gaming venture. Today, the Tribe will present their proposed plan. It is recommended that the Board of Supervisors form an Ad Hoc Committee now, consisting of two Supervisors who will ultimately work with the Tribe to negotiate a Memorandum of Understanding. It is further recommended that Supervisors Brown and McCowen be appointed to the Ad Hoc Committee as they are currently involved with the Coyote Valley Casino expansion Ad Hoc and have familiarity with the issues. Once an agreement is tentatively reached, it will be brought forward to the entire Board for consideration.
continued
Mendocino County BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AGENDA – APRIL 26, 2011
ONLINE AGENDA SUMMARY
␣ ALTERNATIVES: Do not appoint an Ad Hoc Committee and direct staff to negotiate. ␣CEO REVIEW(NAME): ____________________________________________________ PHONE: 707-463-4441
Mendocino Board of Supervisors Meeting 02/14/2012 – 1:30 PM, Item 5 (d)
Re: “Ad Hoc Committee consisting of Supervisor Brown and Supervisor McCowen for the purpose of engaging in negotiations with the Pinoleville Pomo Nation regarding the proposed casino and gaming venture.” (04/26/11)
At the prior meeting authorizing the Ad Hoc Committee , Indian speaker Lockhart claimed that the Board of Supervisors did not know Federal Indian law. What appears true is that Pinoleville Pomo Nation does not know quasi sovereignty.
“The Supreme Court is now in the process of dismantling the so-called "Marshall Trilogy" (Supreme Court Justice John Marshall). This was a series of three rulings back in the early 1800's that created the federal trust relationship between the United State and the "quasi-sovereign independents" that were the tribes. These rulings have formed the basis for current federal policy. The current Supreme Court is doing away with the land to trust process one case at a time. “ (1)
In the federal registry as always, Pinoleville Pomo Nation has not received trust land status at this time for Ken Fowlers, site of the proposed casino hotel Indian housing.
As to tribal Chairperson Leona Williams, her idea is that she is a brand new tribe, with an acknowledgement of the Hardwick Decision that contained a limited sunset time frame for state sovereignty to federal sovereignty transfer of land title.
Leona claims Ken Fowlers location belongs within her tribal land boundary because of the land base of Pinoleville, of which that base does not belong to her tribe.
It appears that it may be a long time coming before there is federal trust land for Ken Fowlers. John McCain, head honcho Committee of Indian Affairs, U.S. Senate, says no.
This County Board of Supervisors Ad Hoc Committee is stalled out because that is the way it is. I hope you have fun with the committee depending on what you do.
- - - -
(1) Stop the Casino 101 Coalition, News, January 25, 2012,
There’s No Such Thing As “BIA Law”
How the Bureau of Indian Affairs is pulling the wool over our eyes
The reality is that Leona is money hungry as well as her family. she has adopted people into her new pinoleville tribe that are from Point Arena and also some that are Sioux as they call themselves. She is no good. She has invested into a bar that her son-in-law runs and pays him and others for their big time. I will keep them in my prayers because I am not a hateful person. My grandmother taught me better. Carma is a B--ch.
I am a dis-enrolled member of Pinoleville, and I had to learn that from my cousins who were also dis-enrolled. I don't know what to say about Leona and her family who all hold positions on the board of directors. The best thing I can say is that she did not dis-enroll my mother who is an elder and needs the help Leona provides her. But what about the future for our people. What are we to do when we cannot say we have a roll number from a federal recognize tribe? I need help for school, but since I am no longer a member I have to rely on scholarships that tons of other students are also applying for. All I can say is that family is just no good, it is all about them and what they can get. Leona has 3 houses, shoot i want one too.
Mendocino County to consider bingo winnings limit increase
Ukiah Daily Journal www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_21607507/mendocino-county-consider-bingo-winnings-limit-increase
- - - -
submitted public comment:
My recommendation with a new change to the proposed Ordinance
amendment, is that a group and entity that is authorized to conduct
Bingo Games in the County, be allowed to have a one day a month
exemption from the $250 County limit maximum for each Bingo Game, and
that monthly exemption amount be consistent with the present value
maximum of $500 under state law. Bingo Games on more than one day each
month by a sponsoring group entity, would be limited to current
Ordinance amount of $250.
Soroptimist International of Mendocino, the group requesting the
change regarding Bingo Games, holds infrequent fundraising events,
perhaps once, or a few times a year at most. I did not hear the
discussion of the introduction and waive reading of the proposed
Ordinance amendment on September 10, 2012 and I am not interested in
doing so, in terms of my near term priorities. That being said, my
recommendation is that the proposed Ordinance amendment be withdrawn
procedurally speaking and modified, for re-introduction with a new
reading.
The unintended consequences of the proposed Ordinance amendment as
written, could be that a non-casino more recently federally recognized
Indian tribe, such as the Pinoleville Pomo Nation occupying a small
portion of the now formerly Band of Pinoleville Indians, Hardwick
Decision land in the Ukiah Valley, may establish a 7 day a week card
room bingo parlor.
The tribe's push and the significant investment actions have been: the
heavy rent for years with option to purchase on the former Ken Fowler
auto dealership and wrecking yard, the mis-scoped casino compact with
the state, the continued annually renewed consultation with
Supervisors ad hoc committee for a MOU costing limited County
administration resources, and the self initiated planning documents of
a supposed Tribal EIR which was not properly circulated initially.
The situation has resulted in no casino because the tribe did not
understand Indian law, while claiming the Board of Supervisors did not
have that understanding, and used it as a wedge to further deceive
former and current tribal members to re-elect the tribal chair and
tribal council who proceeded to continue to siphon off quarterly
supplied funds for non-gaming tribes, with the further tribal
dis-enrollment of the traditional Band of Pinoleville Indians who
constituted Pinoleville.
The County of Mendocino with its County Counsel, played along with the
tribe's winking and ignorance, repeatedly lobbying in Sacramento for
the gaming Compact and revised Compact, even contributing to deceive
the Millview County Water District to grant a waiver from a ban on
well drilling within water district boundaries in the County on state
fee land, because the tribe owns the particular parcel in question and
received grants to have built two straw bale homes which are not
occupied, and still have landscaping and grey water reuse systems to
be completed. The District is believed to be under a continuing ban
on new water hookup connections on orders from the State Water Board.
This is within the Hardwick Decision court described boundaries of a
collection of Indians, which now has many parcels with non Indian
owners along with certain dis-enrolled members of the Band of
Pinoleville Indians. Now the Pinoleville Pomo Nation consists of the
Williams family group and adoptees who are enrolled and discarded at
will, depending on the whims of the tribal council and whatever
checkered contributing tragedies of controlled substance abuse, which
have run rampant among the oppressed native populations.
Thus a change in the existing Ordinance regarding Bingo Games, could
lead to an increase in gambling in close proximity to the Ukiah Valley
high density population core, and further adverse impacts that such
activity brings. Distancing of population groups from casinos, with
escalating costs of owning and operating motor vehicles, has been a
form of checks to try to slow down the rise in adverse effects of
problem gambling.
Studies have demonstrated fairly recently that gambling is more
addictive than alcohol, and that the adverse impacts of gambling hit
the lower income population groups harder than other economic sectors.
Haven't these population groups had enough tragedy with the
introduction of the specter of unregulated GMO foodstuff emerging,
without the County increasing the propensity of attractive nuisances,
by amending the existing Ordinance in the manner proposed by the
sponsoring Supervisors Smith and Hamburg?
Please put your thinking caps on and refrain from group nod!
Hello. Facebook takes a [url=http://www.freecasinobonus.gd]slots[/url] game on 888 casino disburse: Facebook is expanding its efforts to launch real-money gaming to millions of British users after announcing a sell with the online gambling associates 888 Holdings.And Bye.
Ukiah Daily Journal July 11, 2013 Page 4.
Reconsider Pinoleville casino
To the Editor:
To the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors:
Here is a point of the Sonoma lawsuit underway set for trial August 2, 2013, which may resonate in Mendocino County, with an echo that there was an absence of due diligence asleep at the switch by the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors and its ad hoc committee to prepare an MOU for a Pinoleville Pomo Nation Casino Hotel.
What was agreed to, was in fact an endorsement of the project with hands held up in staged frustra- tion, that the County had no choice but to agree to accept some mitigation, because the tribe could essentially do what they want without arbitration mitigation to the County.
This in fact may be the big lie, or rather, manufactured consent, by County Counsel and ad hoc committee members Brown and McCowen, to manipulate the vote of the full Board of Supervisors.
The Supervisors may now have been duped by the contracted trib- al gaming development interests, in that the vote of the Board for the MOU, will be now manipulat- ed as County support for passage of a legislative bill to grant the tribe a right to gambling and a casino hotel on land in close prox- imity to the City of Ukiah, that the tribe has no right to under existing law.
This is how, heavy influential bordering on organized crime, tribal gaming interests, do their sordid deals hand in hand with elected officials, by misrepresenta- tion of facts behind closed doors, and then in open session of the elected body with the public rep- resentatives acting as stooges, claiming a greater knowledge of the situation.
Time may tell whether my opinionated diatribe written here is fact or fiction.
LETTER ABOVE PUBLISHED JULY 1O, 2013
Post a Comment