Weekend Protests of TRACY AVILA Led Robinson Rancheria Evictions and Disenrollments

ELIZABETH LARSON of Lake County News continues her fine reporting on disenrollment issues in California. Here's one on the Robinson Rancheria's evictions:


NICE – Tensions between the Robinson Rancheria Citizens Business Council and a group of tribal members the council is trying to remove from tribal membership is continuing to mount, and culminated in another protest at the casino's entrance on Saturday.


The Saturday rally is in response to a round of evictions under way by the tribe's housing committee.

About 30 people carried signs and walked along the edge of Highway 20 at Robinson's entrance. Sign slogans ranged from “Robinson Rancheria court equals housing eviction,” “Illegal housing evictions and fraud,” “Stop tribal council fraud,” “Lies, cheat, steal, “Honk for justice,” “Tribal rights denied,” “Nepotism and greed” and “My grandma is being evicted after 21 years living here.”


Over the three hours the group protested Saturday, they received numerous honks and gestures of support from passersby. One couple from out of the area stopped by to ask about the protest and what was happening.


Last December, following months of controversy over a disputed election, the Robinson Rancheria Citizens Business Council – headed by Tribal Chair Tracey Avila – passed disenrollment resolutions on 63 tribal members, according to recently released documents.

The council also disenrolled an additional three tribal members for lack of blood quantum – the amount of blood a person is supposed to have to quality for tribal membership.

Before taking the disenrollment votes on those 66 tribal members, the council also unanimously voted to disenroll Marie Boggs Quitiquit, who had by that time been dead for several years. The votes to disenroll her children and grandchildren, part of the large Quitiquit family totaling more than 30 members, then followed.


Marie Quitiquit's daughter, Wanda Quitiquit, is currently leading the disenrollment appeal effort to the Bureau of Indian Affairs, which has granted numerous delays in the process since the start of the year. Next month, the final appeals are due, and a BIA decision on whether the disenrollments were valid is expected to take place.

A previous protest by those who were disenrolled by the council and those who supported the disenrollees' case was held in front of the casino on Jan. 17, as Lake County News has reported.

That same month, the tribe's housing committee began efforts to evict several of those whose names were on the disenrollment list from homes built on the rancheria with federal Housing and Urban Development funds.

HUD officials have confirmed to Lake County News that they issued findings in February that found the tribe was not in compliance with the guidelines of its federal housing grants. The tribe could be forced to repay its grants – the amount was not disclosed – it it refuses to take corrective actions.

Read the rest of the story HERE

California Indian Gaming NOT the Savior Many Thought?

Our friends at STOP WINTU FRAUD break it down for us.

Here's a bit of it, but see the rest of it at the link above, as well as the other stories on their blog:

Is California Indian Gaming really the answer to all the social and economic problems faced today by California Indians? May current civil rights violators, (OP: Pechanga, Enterprise, Redding, Picayune, San Pasqual, Robinson Rancheria among them) thru illegal tribal dis-enfranchisement, include tribes that have established gaming operations.

Opposed to popular opinion and adopted law, the majority of California Indians are not actually benefitting from gaming, despite state law mandating that non-gaming California Tribes recieve revenue sharing from the tribes bennefitting from gaming. Unfortunately this has not occoured as it was supposed-to under the proposed law. (OP: SEE THIS LINK)

Why isn't gaming revenue in the State of California being used as it was intended to assist disadvantaged tribes accross the state? Why have tribes that recieve the right to game thru tribal compact with the state, begun to violate the rights of their own members by disenrollment? Why are these tribes that violate civil rights allowed to continue to operate gaming establishments after trimming their membership rolls?

Read the rest at STOP WINTU FRAUD

Missing Temecula Girls Buzzelli and Bailey Are Found and Safe

From the Facebook Site:


Dear Group Members,

Thank you so much for your support. The missing girls have been found and this is confirmed directly from the parents. They are safe, unharmed and back at home with their families. I have no further details at this time.
I have no doubt that your support has played a pivotal role in their homecoming. Our hopes have come true. Miracles do happen...

Again, many thanks!

More to the story:

Investigators had yet to interview the girls early Thursday evening but sheriff's officials said they do not appear to have been held against their will and had left of their own accord. Capt. Andre O'Harra of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department said investigators tracked the girls from the Temecula area to Manhattan Beach to San Bernardino.
The girls' family, friends and other volunteers have been canvassing the area all week posting fliers, sending e-mail blitzes and holding vigils for their safe return.
"We're very, very, very happy," Lexi's father, Mike Bailey, said early Thursday evening.


OP: The families owe the public an explanation of the girls actions and whereabouts. The Temecula valley was MOBILIZED to support YOU.

CA Democrats Don't Care about PUBLIC OPINION on Casino Compacts

It sounds like CA's Democrats DO NOT support or care what the public thinks when entering into casino gaming compacts.



A resolution in the state legislature urging the governor and lawmakers to consider public sentiment before entering into casino gaming compacts with Indian tribes has died under lobbying from interest groups.

Assemblyman Jared Huffman’s non-binding legislation sought to give a higher profile to advisory election votes on off-reservation, urban casinos such as one proposed near Rohnert Park by the Federated Indians of the Graton Rancheria.

But the measure got no support Tuesday at a hearing of the state Senate Government Organization committee in Sacramento, where a parade of casino backers including labor groups, a Rohnert Park public safety official and tribal officers contended that Sonoma County residents support a casino.

Huffman, a San Rafael Democrat, said it was ironic to see such opposition to a measure that would have emphasized the role of public opinion. His call for a courtesy motion was met with silence by the committee, which included Sen. Pat Wiggins, D-Santa Rosa.

The fix was in,” Huffman said. “The message we got was don’t even go there. There are too many powerful interests involved.”

Read more HERE

Enterprise Chairman Robert Edwards Adds Tribes Voice on Native American Caucus ICRA Issue

Thank you, Chairman Edwards for your support from Enterprise #1. Keep those letters going in.


ACR 32 Miller NAC Enterprise


Have you sent your letter, fax or email?

Cong. Barney Frank's Consultant Prof. Charles Ogletree to Debate Cherokee's Chad Smith on Freedmen Issue

The 2009 Federal Bar Association Annual Meeting and Convention to host debate between Professor Charles Ogletree and Chad Smith on the Cherokee Freedmen issue on Thursday Sept 10th in Oklahoma City....

http://www.fedbar.org/OK09_schedule.html

Professor Charles Ogletree has been a consultant to Congressman Barney Frank on the Freedmen issues.

Chad Smith has said that the Cherokee's treated their slaves well.

Letter To CA ASSEMBLY on Democratic Party's Native American Caucus' LACK of support of Civil Rights Act

Here is a letter that should be sent to California Assembly Member Jeff Miller in response the the Democratic Party's Native American Caucus lack of support for CIVIL RIGHTS.

Here are the addresses for the CA Judiciary Committee:

Mike Feuer - Chair Dem-42 . Assemblymember.Feuer@assembly.ca.gov
Van Tran - Vice Chair Rep-68 . Assemblymember.tran@assembly.ca.gov
Julia Brownley Dem-41 . Assemblymember.Brownley@assembly.ca.gov
Noreen Evans Dem-7 . Assemblymember.Evans@assembly.ca.gov
Dave Jones Dem-9 . Assemblymember.jones@assembly.ca.gov
Steve Knight Rep-36 . Assemblymember.Knight@assembly.ca.gov
Paul Krekorian Dem-43 . Assemblymember.Krekorian@assembly.ca.gov
Ted W. Lieu Dem-53 . Assemblymember.Lieu@assembly.ca.gov
William W. Monning Dem-27 . Assemblymember.Monning@assembly.ca.gov
Jim Nielsen Rep-2 . Assemblymember.Nielsen@assembly.ca.gov


Letter to CA Assembly Member Miller

California Democratic Native American Caucus AGAINST the Indian Civil Rights Act.

The Indian Civil Rights Act was designed to protect the individual Indian. Unfortunately enforcement is weak.

Almost two years ago, we wrote about the NATIVE AMERICAN CAUCUS CALIFORNIA DEMOCRATIC PARTY meeting in Anaheim. At that meeting they voted AGAINST due process for Indian people after impassioned pleas from Andrew Masiel Sr, and Ron Andrade.

Now in notes from their recent meeting, they want to withhold support of ACR 32

This measure would reaffirm state recognition of the sovereign status of federally recognized Indian tribes as separate and independent governmental and political communities within the United States, encourage all state agencies, when engaging in activities or developing policies affecting Native American tribal rights or trust resources, to do so in a knowledgeable, sensitive manner that is respectful of tribal
sovereignty, and encourage all state agencies to continue to reevaluate and improve the implementation of laws affecting Native American tribal rights.

Fiscal committee: yes.

WHEREAS, The Legislature of the State of California is committed
to strengthening and assisting Indian tribal governments in their
development and to promoting Indian self-governance; and
WHEREAS, The Legislature supports and is committed to the
enforcement of the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968 (25 U.S.C. Sec.
1301 and following), which safeguards tribal sovereignty while
simultaneously ensuring that the civil rights of Indian people are
protected; and
WHEREAS, Because the Legislature recognizes and respects tribal
customs and traditions, it is important that the state government
work to preserve tribal cultures; and

GET THIS ONE:
ACTION NEEDED: WITHHOLD support until language regarding “the Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968” is removed.

What kind of group in the Democratic party DOESN'T support CIVIL RIGHTS? The NATIVE AMERICAN CAUCUS. The Exec board has members of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians, Andrew Masiel and Corrine Garbani. The tribe is well known to have violated their own peoples rights.

Express your displeasure here:

Native American Caucus of the California Democratic Party
1401 21st Street, Suite 100,
Sacramento, CA 95814.

UPDATE: Missing Teen's Last Cell Call from Pechanga Casino

UPDATE III: Sadly, the latest is the girls have NOT been found.

UPDATE II: There is a hoax email that's going around, so trying to get confirmation that's solid.
UPDATE: The word is in that the girls have been found in Orange County. Still waiting for verification, but thats what sources are reporting.



Julianne Buzzelli, a 16-year-old girl from Riverside County, Ca, is missing. She was sleeping over at her friend's house, when the two wandered off together Friday night. Neither Julianne Buzzelli nor 15-year-old Alexis Bailey have been heard from since.

Julianne Buzzelli and Alexis Bailey
The Union-Tribune reported that Buzzelli's cell phone records "show a call was placed at 2:45 a.m. Saturday requesting a taxi at the Pechanga Casino, which is a number of miles from the Bailey house in the French Valley Winchester area of Temecula." The phone has since been shut off.

Both girls attend the Temecula Preparatory School. Alexis's father, Michael Bailey, said it was uncharacteristic of either girl to run off.

Anyone with information about the girls whereabouts is asked to call the Riverside County Sheriff's Department at (951) 776-1099.

UPDATE: Interesting that the Silk Nightclub was opened on Friday night after being closed for over a year due to alcohol related issues. If the call from the phone was made that late, could it be the girls were able to get into the nightclub? I'm sure there will be security video of the teenage girls if they were there...

Cherokee Freedmen: President Obama "Who is the Racist Now?" Atty Gen Holder "Who is the the Coward NOW?

Columnist Anita Crane calls out our President Barack Obama and our Attorney General Eric Holder for their handling of the Cherokee Freedmen issue. (one that we've chronicled here often)

With his reaction to the arrest of Henry Louis Gates, President Obama diverted attention from his ill-formed healthcare agenda by throwing racism into the mix. We all know how that turned out and since the American people were not silenced, Obama’s fans in Congress and media are trying to brand us as bigots. But when will pundits at the New York Times, the Huffington Post, and MSNBC question Obama’s part in a real federal case of racism?

Now, it look like Chad "OUR slaves were treated well" Smith is trying some end arounds our Federal laws. And maybe their HUGE donation helped the Cherokee Nation in this case.

Evidently, filing the tribal case in Raymond Nash’s name wasn’t pleasure enough for Smith and his collaborators. On Feb. 3, 2009 – the same day that Holder took his oath of office – the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma filed a federal lawsuit against Nash and four other black Cherokees, plus Secretary Salazar, in the U.S. District Court for Northern Oklahoma. Again Velie said the Cherokee Nation didn’t notify Nash or his fellow defendants, but he found out and took up their case. In other words, the unsuspecting black Cherokees could have lost rights for all Freedmen as soon as they failed to show up in court. Furthermore, Mike Miller, communications officer for the CNO, didn’t dispute Velie’s claim.

President Obama and AG Holder can provide justice in this case IMMEDIATELY. Why won't they? Don't be a COWARD Mr. Attorney General and Mr. President, you have a CLEAR example of racism in front of you. Unless you DO belive that because the Cherokee slaves WERE treated well, the Cherokee Nation deserves some special consideration??

Chukchansi's Morris Reid Moans About Millions Lost

Picayune Rancheria Chairman Morris Reid whines about the tribe losing millions. What he FAILS to mention is that he's gained THOUSANDS for himself by disenrolling over 500 of his fellow tribal citizens. Is that like killing your parents and then asking for mercy because you are an orphan, Morris, you TWIT?!

California's Indian gaming tribes are entitled to operate 10,549 more slot machines thanks to a federal court order involving the owners of Chukchansi Gold Resort and Casino.
Yesterday's court judgment caps a case brought by the Cachil Dehe Band of Wintun Indians in Colusa County against the California Gambling Control Commission. The suit, which the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians joined, alleged the state miscalculated formulas used to allot licenses for gaming devices to tribes.

The decision orders the state to undertake a drawing within 45 days to divvy the new slot machines among California tribes. About 56 tribes currently hold gaming compacts with the state.

In a statement, Morris Reid, tribal chair of the Picayune Rancheria based in Coarsegold, said the state lost upwards of $30 million in potential tax revenue from the slot machines denied to the tribes.

"The state and tribes lost millions of dollars the past decade that they can never get back due to the state's miscalculation of the number of gaming machines available under the compacts, but the federal court's decision wisely corrects this going forward," Reid said. "This is a great win for all of Indian Country." OP: NOT ALL, Morris, you ass. Not for those tribal members YOU and your family tossed to the curb! HOW is this a great win for THEM?

Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro is Against Online Gaming for California

Mark Macarro, of Pechanga sends a letter to Tribal Leaders in CA about not supporting online gaming. Ask yourself WHY? Because he doesn't get a share of it?

Particularly laughable is the paragraph where he says:

we must take into account the opinions and concerns of the people of California, particularly in light of the commitments we have made about limited gaming.

Remember, readers, this is the same leader of the tribe that tried to keep the PEOPLE OF CALIFORNIA from being able to VOTE on Props. 94-97! NOW, we are supposed to believe his CARES about our opinions?

This is the same man who led the tribal council to OVERTURN the will of the Pechanga People by declaring a lawful vote INVALID. A man who once said, "what we do internally is no business of the WHITE MAN." Now thinks it's his business? ASK YOURSELVES WHY?



Dear Tribal Leaders,

In recent weeks you have probably heard about competing legislative proposals that would authorize online poker in the state of California.

Pechanga has had a standing oppose position to online poker since proposals first surfaced last year out of concerns for the far-reaching legal, political, and policy consequences of an expansion of this magnitude.

Since the issue has resurfaced, we recently decided to conduct a statewide public opinion poll to determine how California voters feel about online poker. As we weigh these proposed policies that would significantly expand gaming, we must take into account the opinions and concerns of the people of California, particularly in light of the commitments we have made about limited gaming.

Attached you will find a memorandum summarizing the key findings of the survey. We hope these findings help inform your tribe’s position on the proposals.

Sincerely,

MARK MACARRO
Tribal Chairman
Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians

The Pechanga Lies About Tribal Membership Show Incompetence from Enrollment Committee

A commenter from the CPP faction of Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians routinely tries to shunt aside arguments of the Manuela Miranda family and Hunter family disenrollments as "simply correcting the errors in enrollment."

Well, the CPP had the perfect opportunity to put their money where their mouths were, but:

G-R-E-E-D + C-O-R-R-U-P-T-I-O-N + D-I-S-H-O-N-E-S-T-Y

=

C-O-N-C-E-R-N-E-D P-E-C-H-A-N-G-A P-E-O-P-L-E

At the most recent membership meeting, a dilemma came up: The tribal enrollment committee recently 'discovered' nine applications that were submitted prior to the unconstitutional moratorium.

That brings up a few questions:

1. What happened to these applications? How could they be "lost" in a very small office?

2. Who had access to these papers and how did they suddenly become "discovered".

3. How incompetent are the members of the disenrollment committee. (remember, they disenrolled more people in the past 10 years than they enrolled)

Well, instead of doing the "right thing" and enrolling the nine applicants. The 'right' thing in correcting the tribal rolls by adding those who submitted their applications as required. The enrollment committee brings the question to the people.

All of a sudden, the general membership can now rule on enrolling members? Remember, the corrupt tribal council has ruled that the membership had no authority to halt the disenrollments of the Hunter family.

Well, a raucus meeting ensues. At these meetings, you get to speak by lining up at the microphone. Here's what sources had to say:

The Chairwoman of the enrollment committee presented to the General Membership at the last meeting that they found 9 applications for enrollment that were submitted before the moratorium but were never processed.

They wanted to know what to do with these applications. (process into the membership or not) The people discussed them at the mic and some of the comments were "do we have to share our $$ with them?"

When it came to a vote it was an overwhelming "NOT to enroll them".

Okay, so the tribe was NOT concerned about correcting the tribal rolls, or, they'd accept these applications. MONEY and GREED triumphed over what is right. Here is the kicker, GUESS which family the applications belonged to?

The enrollment committee was not allowed to say who these 9 apps were but everyone there knew (word leaked out) that they were all from the Murphy family!

That means that the tribe REFUSED to admit family of members ALREADY in the tribe! Was there a question about their lineage? IF so, shouldn't the whole Murphy family be evicted? After all, that family has NO lineal descent to a Pechanga person.

The members didn't want to do the right thing, which would have been to:

1. Enroll the members if they were valid, as the applications came in before the moratorium

2. Give per capita dating back to the moratorium which would have been somewhere near $1.4 MILLION dollars. to the nine.

So, when Pechanga Chairman Mark Macarro said "it wasn't about the money". Was he lying?

What say you?

Pechanga's Culture of Corruption VII: Pechanga Expert Contradicts Pechanga DISenrollment UPDATED!

What better way to control the voting in the tribe than to eliminate a large voting bloc? Compare it to say, the Republicans eliminating a voting area, like the Northeast, so that many liberal votes would no longer count. Sound fair?

Here's a story from 2006 that shows that the TRIBE hired the foremost expert to prove that Paulina Hunter was NOT Pechanga. Except, the preponderance of the evidence showed she was. How to get around those FACTS? Don't use the report, make believe they didn't even pay for it.

TEMECULA ---- A renowned anthropologist hired by the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians to study their lineage and ancestry has called the tribe's recent disenrollment of a large family from its rolls "unfortunate and not based on solid evidence."

"They ignored whatever I did in their decision-making," said John Johnson, who was hired by Pechanga to determine whether Paulina Hunter was one of the tribe's ancestors. "It's too bad economics and politics have been injected into (tribal lineage rulings)."

Johnson has worked as curator of anthropology at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History since 1986. He earned his doctorate in anthropology at UC Santa Barbara and teaches a course called "California Indians" at the campus. For more than three decades, he has worked on detailed studies and recordings of California Indians' archaeology, archival records, cultures and history. OP: Dr. Johnson works with Las Padrones, the HISTORICAL records of the Spanish missionaries begun before Abraham Lincoln was BORN.


He researched the Hunter lineage as a paid independent consultant.

Last month, Pechanga's enrollment committee handed down a ruling that rejected an appeal by Hunter's descendants, a family of about 100 adults, to reverse the tribe's decision to disenroll them. OP: And our children too, about 100 and our spouses, another 70.

When Pechanga disenrolls a family, it not only strips the extended family of their membership in the tribe, but also health insurance, college scholarships and other benefits provided by the tribe, including thousands of dollars in casino profits tribe members get each month.

The Hunters are the second large family in two years to be booted from the tribe's rolls, in addition to the large Apis clan. There is talk that another family is set to be disenrolled from Pechanga soon.

Hired by Pechanga two years ago, Johnson researched whether Hunter was of Temecula descent. He made his comments on the tribe's ruling earlier this month, after it rejected the Hunter appeal. He said he is "90 percent" sure Hunter was an original Pechanga Indian, based on all the available documentation.

The reason he said he cannot be 100 percent sure is because when studying the lineage of Luiseno Indians ---- who include the Pala, Pauma, Rincon, La Jolla, Soboba and Pechanga bands ---- there are three "primary" mission record books missing that detail births, marriages and deaths from 1835-1852. These books were established when the mission was founded.

The name "Luiseno" derives from their having lived at or near the Spanish mission San Luis Rey, established in 1798 and located in northern San Diego County near Oceanside.

Hunter was born sometime during the 1830s or 1840s, and lived on the reservation in Temecula, Johnson's research shows. That is the tie her descendants point to to show they are Pechanga descendants.

Determining exactly who Paulina Hunter's parents are is not cut and dried without those primary record books, Johnson said. With that, he made his determinations using other various baptismal and marriage records, California census books, Pechanga Indian census records, genealogical evidence and other sources, he said.

He determined that Paulina Hunter was an original Pechanga Indian based in part on the fact that the man most likely to be her father, Mateo Quasicac, was the only person listed from "Pechanga" in census books from that time.

Moreover, he said, Hunter was listed on tribal rolls in the late 19th century and was the recipient of Pechanga Reservation allotment No. 62.

"Paulina Hunter would not have been given an allotment if she was not of the Temecula Indians," Johnson said. "So, why was she given an allotment?"

What's more, anyone currently enrolled in the Pechanga band whose ancestors were born between 1835 and 1852 would have the same trouble proving their heritage using primary resource books, he said.

"They are all in the same boat as Paulina Hunter," Johnson said. "She is not unique."

Johnson said he wrote a lengthy report to the tribe detailing his results in 2004, and sent a letter to them reiterating his findings a few months before the enrollment committee's August ruling.

Pechanga Tribal Chairman Mark Macarro would not comment on Johnson's remarks. He did not respond to requests for an interview. OP: In Macarro's hometown of Colton, that would be enough to be labeled "pussy".

In an August statement, Macarro said the decision to deny the Hunter appeal was reached after months of investigation and hearings.

"This is a very complex intertribal matter involving Pechanga history and genealogy," he wrote. "Questions about citizenship, therefore, are resolved by the Pechanga enrollment committee, the government body with the proper authority and ability to determine if a person meets criteria for Pechanga citizenship.

OP: See A'amokat's comment in the comment section below, but let's take Macarro's statement on ABILITY. Who you you choose?

The FOREMOST authority on California Indians genealogy or:

Ruth Masiel - uneducated homemaker, slept through one Hunter hearing, puppet of daughter Jennie Miranda
Bobbie LaMere - Casino employee, who got family members enrolled while a moratorium is in effect.
Ihrene Scearce - BIA clerk reprimanded for changing records, stole from tribe (as per Ed Burbee)
Frances Miranda - barely educated homemaker

"The insinuation that these actions are motivated by politics or profits is reprehensible. The fact is that disenrollments occurred long before Pechanga ever opened its gaming facility." OP: But never entire families of members, and their VOTES

One Hunter family member who asked not to be named because she said she would face retaliation as she lives on the reservation, said Pechanga enrollment committee members are taking the word of former Tribal Chairman Vincent Belasco Ibanez, who is finishing up an eight-year prison term for child molestation, over Johnson's findings.

Ibanez was known as a local expert on the preservation of American Indian artifacts and for conducting nature walks and seminars on native plant species for the Dorland Mountain Arts Colony east of Temecula. OP: Yet, Ibanez (related to Ed Burbee,see previous posts) was NOT alive when Paulina Hunter ws, and Pechanga has SWORN depositions from tribal members taken in the LUISENO language that Paulina Hunter was a tribal members. Let's see, tribal members, alive, giving SWORN testimony, or a child molester? WHAT WOULD YOU DO?

The Hunter family member also said that because records show Paulina Hunter's mother was baptized at the San Luis Rey Mission, enrollment committee members are taking it to mean she was from there. But everyone traveled to that mission to be baptized during that century, she said.

"These people are targeting certain families," said the Hunter family member. "They are just throwing out all the facts. It's all about financial gain. It's all about more money."

The ousted members of the Apis family turned to the courts to plead their case, but have not won a verdict. Indian sovereignty and disenrollment have taken on a new significance around the nation, with the rise of Indian casinos and the money and political clout that accompany them. Pechanga is not the only tribe to disenroll some of its members.

"I don't agree that it was an unfortunate mistake. In my opinion it was a premeditated decision to disenroll the Paulina Hunter descendants," said John Gomez Jr., a spokesman for the 130 disenrolled adult Apis family members.

"We've been proud of (our heritage) and participated in the different aspects of being a tribal member, an Indian person ---- and one decision has all that taken away. We can't participate in tribal affairs, we lose our health benefits, the children lose their culture. That's the most devastating because that is your identity." OP: Similarly, Hunters have been on the tribal council, water committees and worked to build the health clinic.

Pechanga's Culture of Corruption VI: Failure to follow PECHANGA Constitution and Bylaws

From the comments section by A'amokat:

Below is what the Pechanga Constitution and Bylaws says about the recall of elected officials.

Article V11

RECALL OF OFFICERS AND FILLING VACANCIES.

Section 1. Recall of Elected Officials, Elected Officials may be recalled.

(1) Recall Procedure shall be initiated by presentation of a petition at a general meeting. The petition shall be in the form described in Article X11 Section 2.

(2) A recall petition is automatically the first item of business to be considered at a duly noticed meeting.

(3) If at the duly noticed meeting, the majority finds that the reasons stated in the petition for recall are justified, then a recall hearing shall be held.

(4) A hearing and the vote on the recall will take place at the next duly noticed meeting.

So David Miranda has not been been given due process of law and has not been legally removed from office because none of the procedures specified in the Band's constitution have been followed.

SOUND FAMILAR?

Pechanga's Culture of Corruption V: The Conspiracy to Control Elections

We know that the Manuela Miranda family was removed via termination prior to elections in 2005.
We know that the Paulina Hunter family was removed during the Pechanga Indian Removal Act of 2006.

Now, below is David Miranda's J'ACCUSE of Pechanga tribal council along with Victor Rocha and Ed Burbee conspiring to control elections.

DMirandaPlea

Pechanga's Culture of Corruption IV: Elected PDC official REMOVED From Office without Recall

PDC member David Miranda accuses Pechanga Tribal Council, led by Mark Macarro of removing him from office without notifying him of charges. He is an elected official and the council should have used the recall process. But then, the tribal council is not big on following Pechanga's Constitution and Bylaws.

We have attached one of the Miranda handouts explaining Pechanga's lack of DUE PROCESS.

1. No notification of charges against him
2. No right of discovery of evidence against him
3. No notice of the appeal process.
4. No notification of witness availability
5. No notification if he can bring an attorney

The similarity to the disenrollment cases previously linked is staggering.

We Hunters were:

1. Not allowed to see evidence against us.
2. Not allowed to have copies of that evidence
3. Not allowed to bring writing implements
4. Not allowed to speak on our own behalf
5. Limited to 30 minutes for our entire group.
6. Not allowed to bring documents in.
7. Not allowed to ask questions.

Here is that handout:


DMirandaHandout

Pechanga's Culture of Corruption III: Rumors, Innuendo, Lies and Damn Lies from the CPP

The CPP (Concerned Pechanga People) are a group of adopted people and blood tribal members whose origins are from a faction that tried to break up the tribe and who did NOT support the Pechanga Constitution . We dicussed those issues HERE HERE and HERE.... It's partially made up of thieves from the Masiel Basquez Crime Family.

One of the outspoken members of the group is Ed Burbee. He's so outspoken that the tribe had to institute a 5 minute rule. He's been overheard saying that "he didn't care how they had to do it, but he wanted more money".

In the continuing breakdown of David Miranda's letter, David says:

As many of you know, Ed Burbee and Victor Rocha circulated an email about me that sided with the non-member's false legal claims agains me, even though this same non-member was trying to get more money from our Tribe than he deserved. This email was timed to cause confusion to the Tribal Council at the time of the PGC election and to cause them to make politically motivate decisions. The email between and Ed and Victor reads "My questions I may email to [the Tribal Attorney John Macarro], but I hesitate to do so now, and prefer to wait for the bombshell effect. Then, no doubt a degree of confusion will descend and political moves will commence." It was expected that the timing of the emal would cause donfusion among our elected leaders on the Tribal Council and cause them to make political moves to save their own jobs.

To add further credence to CPP's politically timed moves click this LINK.

Remember readers, the CPP led disenrollments of the Manuela Miranda Family was time to happen PRIOR TO Pechanga elections in order to remove a LARGE VOTING BLOC. Similarly, the Hunter family disenrollment happened prior to the NEXT election.

PLEASE read the links for important information!

MORE TO COME

Pechanga's Culture of Corruption II: Pechanga Lawyer Macarro Accused of Threatening Tactics

It the recent handout from duly elected PDC official David Miranda, he accused Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians' legal counsel, John Macarro, little brother (literally) of the current chairman, Mark Macarro of threatening him. They are trying to say that David may have threatened tribal sovereignty and abused his authority by ASKING FOR PERMISSION from the PDC President and the CFO. Uh, wouldn't THEY be responsible, it that's if fact what happened and NOT David Miranda?

What could be the reasons for this? Retaliation against the Anthony Miranda family for putting forth a petition to HALT ALL DISENROLLMENTS in 2005? One that was constitutionally APPROVED by the Pechanga tribes and overturned by the Mark Macarro led tribal council? (with votes from Andrew Masiel Jr, Russell "Butch" Murphy and Mark Calac) OR more likely an attempt to manipulate the upcoming elections? Remember, TWO large families AND their votes were ELIMINATED from the tribe via disenrollment (see Pechanga's Indian Removal Acts.

MONEY QUOTE:

About a week after this, Council sent John Macarro to threaten me saying that if I did not return the paperwork, the Council would have me removed from the PDC. I immediately called James Kawahara to find out if we could get the paperwork back; however, James told me that he ad already submitted th paperwork to the plaintiff as trial exhibits.


OP: Culture of corruption reminder. John Macarro had this to say about land that brother Mark PROMISED Congress would be used because it was culturally significant.

Here's a quote by John Macarro, shorter brother of Mark, from the Press Enterprise: In response, Pechanga's General Counsel John Macarro, wrote, "Once the land is placed in trust, a tribe has complete zoning and planning authority over it and can change land uses just as a county or city can change or update its general plan or zoning designations."

MORE TO COME

Pechanga Tribal Council: Culture of Corruption

We will have a series of posts concerning the culture of corruption at the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians. We have written about Pechanga tribal chairman Mark Macarro HERE HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE

There are many players in this unfolding drama including in the tribal council:

Andrew Masiel - HERE Here Here We wrote about the Masiel Crime Family here His elderly mother was on the enrollment committee.

Butch Murphy - He is NOT on the 1979 tribal enrollment. He was Adopted into the tribe, no Pechanga blood, tried to split the tribe,

Jennie Miranda - Former tribal chair and commercial star and mother of Larry Miranda also a member of the Masiel Family.

David Miranda - No relation to Jennie, duly elected to the Pechanga Development Corp. and bro to ANTHONY MIRANDA, chairman of CNIGA.

Ed Burbee - Pechanga gadfly,
Victor Rocha - Cousin to Macarro, eloquent writer censor of bad news about Pechanga


Please take a look at the links to familiarize yourselves with the players involved

Pechanga Development Corp. Official David Miranda REMOVED by Pechanga Tribal Council

Pechanga Develoment Corp. Official David Miranda accuses the Pechanga Tribal Council led by Mark Macarro of using McCarthyite tactics in his removal from his position.

He has published handouts and flyers reportedly distributed to Pechanga tribal members. David Miranda made his case for tentative reinstatement and Original Pechanga's Blog has been provided copies of these handouts.

We will the address the issues raised by Miranda and review the political implications of the actions by the Pechanga Tribal Council in a series of posts starting tomorrow. Please check the blog for updates.

Pechanga Casino Security Guards: Abusing Authority or Incompetent?

In November 2008 we wrote about Pechanga security guards beating a senior citizen customer HERE. Richard Swan is still recovering.

Here is another story about their abuse of authority and ineffective communication skills as described below:

A group of local news photographers got permission from a Pechanga Casino security supervisor to shoot the end of the action from the top of a parking garage. Several security guards didnt get the message that it was ok for us to be there and tried to get the photogs to leave. They flat-out refused to check with their supervisor via radio (but didnt hesitate to call for back-up), despite being told by several legitimate, credentialed news photographers that they were actually escorted to this location by their boss. What happens next is what you see here…




The officer could simply have checked with his supervisor and he wouldn't be on YOUTUBE

Remember, you LOSE MANY of your rights when you step on tribal property. KNOW before you GO.