As we have written already, The Pechanga Band has treated their tribal veterans shabbily, including decorated war veterans. Now, it appears they have treated some other veterans and their wives terribly too. The Mongols reference goes back to June 2008 when the Mongols were going to rally at Pechanga, before holding their get together on the La Jolla reservation.
From the Biker's of America Website, there's this telling of what happened at Pechanga's "Veterans Eat Free" promotion:
Hi Gill,
I contacted CBS News, NBC News, and ABC News regarding Pechanga's treatment
of the Vietnam Vets. This was done by filling out a form online. Here is what the form said:
Several Vietnam Veterans went to Pechanga Casino today on their motorcycles for the advertised event "Vets Eat Free" at the buffet. They called in advance to make sure they could wear their Vietnam Vet patches on their vests and were given approval.
Security pulled them out of line and told them to leave. They did not want "bikers" at the buffet and they would be arrested for trespassing. The vets explained that they had called in advance. Security allowed them to eat, with a guard present, and then made them leave the casino premises.
I think this is a shameful way to treat our vets and should be looked into further. I BELIEVE THE TREATMENT OF THESE VETS WAS UNAMERICAN. You can call Gill Mellen for more info. His number is 949-xxx-xxxx. Thanks.
In addition, I had email addresses for several reporters from a previous project. I sent them a separate email, of which I copied you. I also filled out a form online with Pechanga Casino with the same info. Attached are the names and contact for several newspapers in that area and information for the Pechanga Band of Indians, which is the tribe that overseas the casino. I think it would be a good idea if all the members sent letters to the editor and letters to both the casino and the tribe
regarding the poor treatment. It should be done quickly.
Let me know your thoughts. MJ
VETERANS, it's time to show Pechanga your moral outrage by NOT visiting the casino or hotel. Avoid shows at the casino. Send the tribe, headed by Mark Macarro a fax (951) 695-1778 letting them know WHY you are not patronizing them anymore. Pechanga likes their felons, but don't appreciate their veterans.
UPDATE: This is from the comments section of another post:
VIETNAM VETS KICKED OUT OF PECHANGA HOTEL AND CASINO ON VETERANS DAY!!
On Thursday, November 11, Veterans Day, eight Veterans, seven Vietnam Vets and one active duty Marine, as well as two of their wives, were threatened with arrest and told to leave the Casino.
After leaving the Menifee Veterans Memorial Dedication ceremony in Menifee we headed to Pechanga for the complementary buffet offered to honor Veterans. While in line for about 20 minutes we were approached by Pechanga Security and told we would have to leave because we were wearing our vests with a mc on the back. MC stands for Motorcycle Club. Also on the back of the vest was a patch that said VIETNAM VET, and USA , THE COUNTRY WE FOUGHT AND MANY DIED FOR. Lt Jim, of their Security, said he would have us arrested for trespassing if we did not leave. As Vietnam Vets, this was the same treatment we received in 60’s and 70’s. This is the year 2010, you would think that Veterans deserve more, not this. It was embarrassing and humiliating to be treated with such disrespect in front at least 40 patrons, who could not believe what was happening.
I, Robert Ingersoll, a former Marine and retired school teacher of 35 years, had called the Casino a week earlier to make sure that wearing our vests would not be a problem. I was assured that it would not be a problem by SGT Moreno (spelling may not be right). He said he would tell everyone in the days briefing that Veteran Motorcycle Clubs may be attending. We have been in many other Casinos in the area, without a problem. In fact the Vietnam/Legacy Vets, along with the Rez Riders, an Indian Motorcycle Club, have sponsored Toy runs for Years at other Casinos.
There are many Veteran Motorcycle Clubs in the area, Vietnam Vets, Legacy Vets, Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW), American Legion Riders, Brotherhood of Marine Corps Riders, Leathernecks, Rough Riders, and many more.
There have been court cases that state: DESCRIMINATION AGAINST BIKERS ON THE BASIS OF CLOTHING OR MOTORCYCLE CLUB MEMBERSHIP IS ILLEGAL IN CALIFORNIA. Unruh Civil Rights, Act CC 51et seq and Cohen V California, a Supreme Court ruling, that stated that individuals have the right under the First Amendment to wear clothing which displays writing or designs.
The last time I looked, Pechanga Hotel and Casino is in California and part of the United States.
PECHANGA’S CONDUCT TOWARD THESE VETERANS WAS UNACCEPTABLE AND DISGRACEFUL.
After leaving Pechanga we headed to Applebee’s on highway 79 in Temecula. There we ate, were treated with respect and dignity, and the manager ask to take a picture of us for their wall. Pechanga should send its staff to Applebee’s for training on how to truly honor and respect Veterans.
Robert Ingersoll
Murrieta , California
Let's see, eliminate the veterans page on their website.
ReplyDeleteHarrass our veterans on their own day.
Terminate membership after death.
Honor child molestor.
Not something to be proud of...
What do expect from a Tribe that obviously has no conscience (took medical insurance away from terminal Elderly, Kicked Children out of their Tribal School, Worship money as their god, beat up elderly patrons of their casino for no reason, have a convicted ex-con child molestor on their security force, have a Tribal Council Member with exactly ZERO Native American blood who repaid those who had a heart and adopted him into the tribe by kicking them out of the tribe, conducted a Kangaroo court and an illegal hearing (even by their constitution) and before trial had armed guards intimadating, kick out all Tribal Enrollment members only because they discovered illegal bias enrollment decisions, put relatives of the accusers on the jury to decide the fate (already decided actually before any evidence was even turned in that supported the disenrolled case, shot at the head of the enrollment committee's house to intimidate her and then bribed her by letting her relatives into the tribe completely ignoring the illegal moratorium, completely broke all history, tradition, and Pechanga constitution when they overturned a completely valid petition to overturn ALL disenrollments, had only 3 members (all the accusers relatives) voting on the disenrollments, have a Tribal Chairman who accuses everyone of only being in the tribe for monetary reasons when he himself only came to the reservation when their was a possibility to get money, ignored the formost expert on Native American Geneology ( who they themselves hired) findings saying without a doubt the Hunter if anyone were Pechanga and deserved to be Pechanga Indian. I could go on and on for hours about everything that's crooked about the Tribal Chairman and Tribal Council and the 'Splinter Group'(who now are Pechanga leaders) but couldn't prove THEIR Pechanga Blood and so tried to take over the tribe causing the BIA to rule against them against their illegitimate attempt at takeover, but I'll wrap it up now instead. Look at the articles on Original Pechanga's Blog here for much more info and these total soul-less bunch of frauds
ReplyDeleteNo folks you are not in California when you step onto casino property but are under the jurisdiction of the tribe who kicked out its own members from their tribe without due process where close relatives of witnesses against long time tribal members in good standing sat in judgement of them, where the accused were not allowed to have legal representation of copies of any transcripts of any of the proceedings and where the accused were not even allowed to take notes or ask questions at their appeal of the bogus ruling to the tribal council.
ReplyDeleteYes it is supposed to be part of the United States but good luck on getting any help from them as you are at the whim of the tribal powers that be.
You have to make your own luck at Pechanga. The way to make change is to affect their pocketbooks.
ReplyDeleteALL veterans should stay away from Pechanga in protest of their actions.
I hope these veterans have informed the VFW so they can use their power to get the word out of what has happened and help to spread the word.
pechanga tribal members are you going to wait till you have no more customer and have no more per capity checks dont you see what is happing mark m is living fat and happy in DC and screw the rest of you he does not know the indian way he is running this casino in the ground its time to recall him put someone who cares about the people not just about money get rid of him and his wife
ReplyDeleteThe BIA (indians)should be getting involved in this mess ,helping other indians,not congress (the white man)I hold the redman himself guilty of destroying this nation. PUNK ASS BIA office.
ReplyDeletelAZY ASS office ,,,,
GOV arnold make budget cuts shut them down!wannabe federal employees
If you are a veteran, you should stay away from Pechanga.
ReplyDeletePala will welcome you.
Pala is just as bad if not worse than Pechanga. I know of many charitable acts on behalf of pechanga and think them to be a great tribe! The fact that they may not have the best leaders, should not be a reflection on the entire tribes moral standards.
ReplyDeleteFunny how the person before me sends a welcoming message for Vets to go to pala, as if monitary gains were not their objective as well....
Why is Pala worse than Pechanga?
ReplyDeletePechanga has denied rightful family their place in the sun.
Kept people who SHOULD be members OUT of the tribe.
Taken away voting rights of lifelong members.
Stolen over $1.3 MILLION EACH from those they have disenrolled.
Taken health care away from children with medical issues.
Threatened to dig up the bodies of our ancestors who have been terminated.
Schemed to take away the water rights of allottees who've lived/thrived on the reservation for decades.
Lied to Congress
Example of why Pala plays fairer than Pechanga, especially regarding their own people.
ReplyDeleteThe Pala tribe historically has been a Luiseno tribe but in 1903 Cupeano Indians were forced off of their land near Warner Springs, Ca and moved to the Pala reservation.
So now, over 100 years after the fact, the Luiseno are not saying to their Cupeno brothers and sisters, we were here first and you really aren't from here so all of you are disenrolled and both groups of people to this day live as one tribe.
Unlike a faction who gained control of the government at Pechanga who tried continually to find loopholes to kick people out of the tribe that really don't even exist.
Ironic that very likely we, the Hunters were at Pechanga before the very people who had the slim majority on the enrollment committee who voted to disenroll us.
Great that Pechanga helps the community more power to them but it is really a P.R. move rather than genuine caring.
And what have they done to help those of us who have been disenrolled?
Not a thing and we were part of the people for years (and still are)!
Best leaders?
ReplyDeleteYou don,t have a choice? The voting is scam,the ballots are fake!A faction has taken over and you can't do anything about it but get raped. Now that chick garbani on the council is part of the criminal act.
(always get it on tape)
Morals haha your joking right?
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