Our friends at Stop Wintu Fraud blog has a story reminding us of what is happening in Northern California. Pechanga, as we discuss on this blog, is NOT the only tribe in California that are violating the civil rights of it's people. The Redding Rancheria is well know for tribal disenrollments and the Wintu Tribe is another issue:
It has come to the attention of Stop Wintu Fraud Editors that a small group of Wintu Members were disenrolled from the Toyon Wintu Tribe/ Wintu Tribe of Northern California's tribally prepared "base roll", that has not yet been approved by the secreatry of the interior (BIA). Carol Sinclair, Wintu Elder and Cultural Resourse Director for the tribe for the last two decades, was disenrolled as a result of the actions of the tribal council and its enrollment committee shortly after the 2003 Wintu Tribal Elections along with 10 other individuals. These 11 Wintu have become known as the Wintu 11. Ms. Sinclair has gone on record as stating it was following provocation, her and another unidentified Wintu Tribal member concurrently serving on the Wintu Tribe Enrollment Committee began to bring questions to the Tribal Council as to enrollment proceedures, and tribal election proceedures, and brought fourth allegations of vote tampering by the 2002 Tribal Council member Linda Malone, and Carol Martin. Vote tampering allegations that include Ms. Sinclair, "... watching Linda throw ballots out (of the ballot box) and onto the floor, and in the trash...". Taking place in June 2002 at the old Wintu Tribal office at the end of the Downtown Mall on Placer St. in Redding. This is alleged to have occoured in front of Womens Leagure of Voters Officials present to provide oversite to the Tribal Election by an unbiased outside body. But whether or not the League recognises the Results or these Election Officials, or the Officials identities has yet to be verified by Stop Wintu Fraud. Other Tribal members that voted in person in 2003 reported seeing the, "... grey haired non-indian ladies in a seprerate room form the voting chambers...", that were, "...tallying ballots with Carol Martin and Linda Malone present."
In an attempt to assure the intergrity of the vote Sinclair and another un-named Tribal Member tried and failed to gain larger tribal support for recount and later recall of the tribal council in 2004. Actions of which are legal proceedures outlined in the Wintu Constitution. These Individuals were bothat the time of the incident serving on the Wintu Election Committee and serving as Election Officers at the proceedings, and were told ot leave while the "illegal" election proceed. The election results saw the Encumbants all being re-elected, some for the 5 and 6th terms consecutively, reigns of tribal leadership that lasted for over 15 years in some cases. Gary Rickard, a progressive, was elected chairman as a result of this vote while some traditionalists, like Loretta Root, lost by small margins.
Please read the article at the link above.
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