Pechanga Holding General Meeting With Some Interesting Agenda Items

The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians is holding a rare meeting in December.   They have a couple of interesting items on their limited agenda.

1. Will be asking the BIA to provide a service area for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.  This is curious, will they be providing services now for those they have forced BACK onto temporary assistance? They have created dozens of poorer families by disenrolling hundreds of their members

2. They will be discussing a water ordinance?   Interesting to note that Pechanga lost a water rights issue last year when it was pointed out to Congressional staffers that the tribe didn't notify allottees of their rights to the water or funds and didn't give them an opportunity to discuss.   

Guess they are looking to screw somebody again..

Dec. 4th Gen Mem Mtg[1]

BIA's Michael Black REFUSES Rep. Mary Bono Mack's Request to Look into Disenrollments at Pechanga

Here is a letter from the worthless BIA which is a reply to Rep. Mary Bono Mack's request to look into the situation.

Notice the weaselly language from Michael Black.  What he doesn't say is that the BIA could use it's bully pulpit to say, "We know these violations of civil rights are egregious, but with no enforcement properties in the Indian Civil Rights Act, we are powerless."  Or,  "We have seen all documents and know that disenrolled members have been wrongly terminated."  Or "the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians, which has replaced the Federally recognized Temecula Band of Luiseno Indians, without going through the recognition process is free to terminate Native Americans with impugnity.."    

Amazing what cowards bureaucrats are.

Attorney Howard Dickstein at Center of United Auburn Dispute

With days to go before an election for two United Auburn Indian Community tribal council posts, challengers are protesting rules that have kept their mailers from going out to voters.


The 275-member, Auburn-based tribe – which owns Thunder Valley Casino between Roseville and Lincoln – has been awash in controversy over the past month as a breakaway group led by tribal council candidates broke ranks and publicly criticized council financial and election-related actions, as well as what they consider undue influence of long-time tribal attorney Howard Dickstein.
The breakaway group – led by former tribal council Chairwoman Jessica Tavares and long-time tribal council member Dolly Suehead – have in turn been criticized by the elected tribal council for what it considers public defamation and false statements they say put members’ economic security at risk.
The dispute came to a head two weeks ago when the tribal council voted to suspend benefits to seven tribal members from the breakaway group. That followed criticism of measures put in place by the tribal council that required notarized signatures on a recall petition that was ultimately denied by the tribal election committee.

With an election Dec. 11 and Tavares running for tribal vice chairwoman against incumbent Kim Rey Dubac, and Suehead taking on current tribal council treasurer Brenda Conway, the two issued a statement Tuesday denouncing what they say is “blatant censorship” of their mailer.

The two were reacting to what they said was a decision by Tribal Administrator Greg Baker to disallow a tribe-funded mailing of a campaign mailer that claims the United Auburn Indian Community has been “bamboozled by an attorney more interested in filling his garage with Ferraris than serving the interest of our tribe, and the greed of a tribal council that rubber stamps his decision and no longer looks after our best interests.”
The tribal council has shot back with a statement of its own, stating that the mailer is filled with misinformation that “makes it appear the tribe is legitimizing this type of gutter politics and giving the allegations credibility.”

The tribal council is contending that the flyer violates a mail policy adopted Oct. 20 that require mailing materials to “contain accurate and appropriate information.” “Inappropriate” content includes “statements, pictures of photos which are defamatory of fellow UAIC tribal members, candidates, UAIC staff and consultants, the general council and the tribal council,” according to a copy of the mail policy provide to the Journal by the tribal council.

Read more at the AUBURN JOURNAL

Cherokee Nation At Odds with BIA Over Approval of 1999 Constitution

A Sept. 9 letter from Assistant Secretary for Indian Affairs Larry Echo Hawk to Cherokee Nation officials states the Bureau of Indian Affairs has not approved the tribe’s 1999 Constitution or an amendment that led to its implementation.

The letter, sent to then-Acting Principal Chief Joe Crittenden, emphasizes that the BIA hasn’t signed off on the constitution the tribe is operating under nor the amendment of the 1975 Constitution.

“The department has never approved these amendments to the Cherokee Constitution as required by the Cherokee Constitution itself,” Echo Hawk’s letter states

OP: It's past time for the BIA to hold the Cherokee Nation accountable for violating it's treaty with the U.S. and for stripping the citizenship of THOUSANDS of it's citizens, the Freedmen, who are descendents of Cherokee SLAVES, who were dragged on the Trail of Tears as PROPERTY. Should we fund $500 MILLION to a tribe that violates the rights of its people, or rather, some of its people?


Read More at the CHEROKEE PHOENIX

Rincon Band of Mission Indians Wants to Remove 520 Acres from County Tax Rolls

The Rincon Band of Mission Indians plans to increase the size of its Valley Center reservation by about 520 acres, according to documents filed with the Bureau of Indian Affairs. This will reduce county taxes by $20,000 per year, more if they develop the property

Earlier this month, the tribe, which owns the Harrah's Rincon Casino & Resort, submitted an application to the Bureau of Indian Affairs to bring the property, which it owns, into its fold. Tribal officials said they do not plan to use the land for gambling purposes.

Rincon's 4,000-acre reservation was established in 1875. It sits on a valley a few miles northeast of Valley Center on Valley Center Road, just south of Highway 76.

The 520-acre property, once home to the Oasis Ranch owned by Natalie Mowry, is bordered by the Rincon reservation to the south and the La Jolla Indian Reservation to the east. An open space preserve forms the north border. The San Luis Rey River runs through the property

The county Board of Supervisors has a longstanding policy of opposing tribal land transfers out of concern the land could be used for building casinos.

Earlier this year, the county opposed a land transfer proposed by the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians. San Pasqual plans to take a 9-acre parcel it owns abutting Valley Center Middle School and formally fold the land into its reservation. The tribe said it wants to build a gas station, a restaurant and a commercial building on the eastern half of the property at the corner of Valley Center and Lake Wohlford roads.

With MILLIONS on the Line, Tribal Fights Get UGLY

The Sacramento Bee has a editorial up on the United Auburn flap. But misses the bigger picture, which I've addressed in their comment section



Imagine organizers of the campaign to recall Gov. Gray Davis being stripped of their citizenship or denied government payments to which they were entitled. OP: WE know this issue and discussed it recently

Either scenario is unthinkable. In our constitutional democracy, government cannot punish people for exercising their basic rights as citizens. But that's not true of tribal governments.

The tribal council of United Auburn Indians, owners of Thunder Valley Casino and one of the richest casino tribes in the state, is threatening to banish council critics from the tribe and to strip them of their $30,000 monthly stipends.

Banishment is an old tradition among Indian tribes, but now, with some tribes dividing up wealth from casino operations, the stakes are much higher. When it happens, tribal members have very little recourse. A bedrock principle of tribal sovereignty is the right of tribal governments to determine who is and who is not a member of the tribe. And federal courts have been reluctant to intervene in tribal disputes.

Former longtime tribal Chairwoman Jessica Tavares is the main target of the United Auburn Tribal Council's ire. She has led an effort to recall the current council and claims to have gathered signatures from 75 of 186 adult members for a recall election.

The tribal election committee claims many of the signatures could not be verified and were not notarized as required.

Representatives of the current council also claim Tavares defamed and slandered the Tribal Council and the tribe's election committee in "reckless disregard of the truth in non-Indian forums," in violation of tribal law. That's why she and seven others who circulated recall petitions are being banished.

While the action against dissident tribal members seems extreme, current tribal officials say that when Tavares was tribal chairwoman, she regularly banished tribal members who criticized her leadership. In fact, the tribal laws that allow for banishment were enacted when Tavares was chair of the tribe.


OP: It's past time for start forcing thei issue with these corrupt "tribal nations". Let's hold them accountable by refusing to patronize their businesses.

No First Amendment Rights on Tribal Lands for United Auburn Tribe. Will ACLU step up to protect the right to free speech?

From the Sacramento Bee a story about what happens when you follow tribal law on recalls, the council gets you out before you can vote on it.

                                                                        David Keyser
                                                              United Auburn Chairman


Seven members of the United Auburn Indian Community – including a former chairwoman – are being stripped of casino payments of $30,000 a month or more and banished from tribal functions as a bitter rift consumes one of America's wealthiest gambling tribes.

The actions targeting a political faction of the tribe that operates the lucrative Thunder Valley Casino in Placer County are an apparent retaliation for a recent recall drive against all five members of the tribal council.

Documents obtained by The Bee illuminate intense divisions within the tribe, despite apparent net casino profits of $1.15 billion between July 2003 and January 2009.

The seven tribal members, among them former longtime chairwoman Jessica Tavares, were ordered banned from tribal lands and the casino for up to 10 years. They were told they may address the tribal council on Tuesday about suspensions of casino payments that range from six months to four years.

Tavares and her attorney, Fred J. Hiestand, said all seven were involved in gathering signatures for a recall drive against current tribal council members.

Read more at the link above and continue to follow Original Pechanga's Blog as this epidemic of disenrollments increases...

Meet the Group that Will Destroy the Heritage of Hundreds of Native Americans

The Tribal Council of the Picayune Rancheria

Back Row - (Left to Right) Nokomis Hernandez, Jennier Stanley, Morris Reid, Chance Alberta

Front Row - (Left to Right) Nancy Ayala, Reggie Lewis, Dora Jones

Here are the people that will be stripping the citizenship of hundreds of Native Americans from the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians.   Here's How to Contact Them from their Website:

Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians
46575 Road 417
Coarsegold, CA 93614
Phone: (559) 683-6633
Fax: (559) 683-0599
Email: prci.info@chukchansi.net

Terminated Alto Family Sues Bureau of Indian Affairs and Larry Echo Hawk

A family expelled from the San Pasqual Band of Mission Indians in Valley Center earlier this year is suing the Bureau of Indian Affairs in federal court to have their status as tribal members restored.

Members of the Alto family say they are still part of the San Pasqual tribe, which owns the Valley View Casino, because they have not been officially removed from the tribe's rolls. However, the Bureau of Indian Affairs' Assistant Secretary, Larry Echo Hawk, decided in January that the family does not belong in the tribe based on information submitted under a 2007 complaint.

The lawsuit, which names Echo Hawk and other U.S. Department of Interior officials as defendants, was filed in September by attorneys for the Alto family, Thor and Tracy Emblem of Escondido.

In a court hearing held Tuesday in San Diego, lawyers for the Alto family asked Judge Irma Gonzalez to block their removal from the tribe, force the tribe to pay members of the family their share of casino revenues and restore their health care benefits.

A lawyer for the bureau, Tom Stahl, said the case is moot because the federal government considers the family's disenrollment case over. Stahl said the decision issued by Echo Hawk was final.

"According to the BIA, they are not tribal members," Stahl said in court.

Members of the Alto family are the descendants of Marcus Alto Sr., who died in 1988, and whose lineage was questioned in a challenge filed by another tribal member, Ron Mast, in August 2007. Mast argued in his challenge that Marcus Alto Sr. was adopted by a San Pasqual family, but was not their biological son.

Under the tribe's law, only those biologically related to tribal members can be enrolled in the tribe. The tribe's constitution allows the Bureau of Indian Affairs to make the final decision on enrollment disputes.

Most other tribes, such as Pala and Penchanga bands which have also been involved in recent enrollment disputes, keep the power to decide who belongs to themselves.

On Nov. 26, 2008, the Bureau of Indian Affairs Pacific Regional Director, Dale Morris, sided with the Alto family, saying the evidence did not warrant their ouster. But on January 28, 2011, Echo Hawk overturned the regional director's decision.

A "fair interpretation of the most probative, objective and competent evidence available amply supports the (San Pasqual) Enrollment Committee's recommendation to disenroll the Alto descendants," Echo Hawk wrote in his decision.

Family members said they wrote Echo Hawk asking him to reconsider, but he did not respond. Stahl said that whether Echo Hawk responded or not has no bearing on the case. He added that the family could have filed its lawsuit in February, immediately after the decision was issued.

To officially disenroll the family, the Altos say the tribe must approve a new tribal membership roll without their names and submit the list to the bureau for its approval. Such a list has not been approved or submitted to the bureau, the Altos say.

Instead, the tribe immediately banned the family from voting on tribal matters. Those who were employed in the casino lost their jobs. About a dozen family members were evicted from homes on the reservation. All Altos lost their health care benefits, including some older members who are sick with cancer and diabetes and in need of medicine.


Read Edward Sifuentes NC TIMES Full Story

New Chukchansi Disenrollment Letters Out (copies below) They have 15 minutes to View Evidence Against Them

And that "evidence" must be viewed 15 minutes before the hearing. So, how does that allow them to prepare for their defense?  At least they have an opportunity for individual defense presentation.  At Pechanga, we were herded through like cattle...and given a whopping half hour.   We weren't allowed to confront our accusers either...

Here is a copy on one letter that has gone out:

The Chukchansi Fax Number to Register your Disgust is:   559-683-0599   It would be a good idea that you tell them that due to their mistreatment of their people that you will not be patronizing their casino again.

Chukchansi Disenrollments Confirmed: They will steal $280 a month from those disenrolled. More coming

Carmen George, of the Sierra Star News has a news story up on the last round of terminations at the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians in Coarsegold, near Fresno

Picayune should be know as the INCREDIBLE SHRINKING TRIBE. They are losing nearly 70 percent of their tribal enrollment, stripping so many of their tribal citizenship. This is further evidence of the need for Rep. Darrell Issa to hold oversight hearings

The Bureau of Indian Affairs is standing idly bywhile Indian people are harmed. What do we need them for?

From the article:

Members said at least 35 of an estimated 55 that received disenrollment letters in September recently received notice that they are no longer members of the tribe following hearings last month at the Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians.

Those disenrolled are descendants of Jack Roan, who received one of the original Chukchansi allotment lands. Although there are U.S. Censuses and documents from the Department of the Interior, Office of Indian Affairs from the turn of the century; early photos of Jack Roan from the Smithsonian Institution; and anthropology archives from UC Berkeley showing Roan is of Chukchansi descent -- listed in a 1919 Census as having a Chukchansi mother and a "mixed blood" father (who was of Pohoneechee descent, a band of Miwok) -- it was not enough.

Opponents said disenrollments center on greed over casino profits, old family feuds and that with each new tribal council, everything can change.

In their letters, signed by tribal council chairman Reggie Lewis, it reads that Roan was incorrectly identified in 1915 as Chukchansi on his allotment application, and that some later Censuses state he is full Pohoneechee, along with his last will and testament.

Should Picayune be forced to return all the monies they have gotten from our government by having these "false Chukchansi people" on their rolls? Of course, they've defaulted on their debt so they are in no position to pay.

More from the article:

"I call it a cultural genocide," said one Chukchansi woman. "There are very few of us left and now they are weeding them out. It seems like we are all related; it's one big family tree, and it's not going to be like that anymore. Like my son said, it's going to be a stick now, not a tree, with just one family."

American Indian tribes nationally make about $27 billion from gaming every year, with about a third of that coming from 67 gaming tribes in California that pull in $7.7 billion annually, said Cheryl Schmit, director for Stand Up California.

Of at least 12 tribes in California issuing disenrollments to their people, 10 have casinos, Wass said.

Robert Edward Foreman: A Remembrance of the First Chairman of The Redding Rancheria

Robert Edward Foreman, the first Chairman of the Redding Rancheria, passed away Wednesday, Nov. 19, 2008.  I wanted to make sure we got this up for him for the weekend

Here's how the first Chairman was treated by the Redding Tribal Council:

On January 27, 2004, all 76 members of my family the “Foremans” were removed from the Redding Rancheria tribal rolls based on nothing more than a conjured up rumor alleging my mother Lorena Foreman-Butler was not the daughter of her mother Virginia Timmons, one of Redding Rancheria’s 17 Original Distributees.

Tribal Officials never produced a single piece of evidence to dispute my mother's maternal lineage and my family provided reams of legal and contemporary documents proving her mother was Virginia Timmons. Tribal Council still required my family to provide genomic DNA from my deceased mother and grandmother to retain our tribal citizenship

Despite my family providing Tribal Council with DNA test results from two separate labs of 99.987% and 99.890%, proving by the legal standards established by the American Bar Association and the American Medical Associations that Lorena Butler and Virginia Timmons were mother and daughter, Tribal Council still stripped my family of our tribal citizenship.

Bob Foreman has been fighting to regain his family's civil rights and the rights of disenfranchised Native Americans since.

Here is Bob's Obituary:

Bob Foreman, Redding Rancheria's first tribal chairman and a pioneer in north state American Indian health clinics, died Wednesday after a long illness. He was 72.
An Achumawi Pit River Indian, Foreman was remembered Thursday by friends and family as a tireless advocate for Indian rights, skilled communicator and loyal patriarch.

He was born June 12, 1936, in Lake County. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, he worked in construction as did his father, said daughter Carla Maslin of Redding. In the late 1960s, he began his campaign to get Indians health care in the north state.
His efforts paid off in 1971, with the opening of the federally financed Shasta-Trinity-Siskiyou Rural Indian Health Center in Anderson.

"Bobby was a real devoted guy to his tribe," said Everett Freeman, tribal chairman of the Paskenta Band of Nomlaki Indians near Corning. "He almost single-handedly got Indian health to where it is today."
Larry McClanahan, a Navajo Indian who moved to Cottonwood from Arizona in 1972, said Foreman was one of the first people he met in the north state. He and his family were glad to receive clinic services.
"He took me as I was," McClanahan recalled. "He was a man that was concerned for people."
Rod Lindsay, a Shasta Lake city councilman who works with the Office of Indian Education for the Anderson Union High School District, also met Foreman through the clinic. Lindsay said Foreman was a mentor for many, sharing his knowledge of culture and history with the young.
Foreman also was instrumental in organizing the Redding Rancheria Indian Health Clinic on Churn Creek Road and served as director, later retiring as self-governance coordinator for the rancheria, Maslin said.
In 1985, when the rancheria regained its tribal status, Foreman was elected as its first chairman and subsequently served on the tribal council.

But in 2004, he and all his family members were disenrolled after a bitter dispute over his mother's maternal lineage. The struggle took a toll on his health, Maslin said. Foreman suffered from heart and kidney problems, she said.
Leah Harper, a family friend of more than 20 years who does native medicine work in Redding, said she wanted to stand out in front of the Churn Creek clinic with a "thank you" banner in Foreman's honor.
"I believe that Bob had the heart of the native people and he wanted to make a difference for them," she said. "Bob was loving and the children are loving and they work very hard."
In addition to Maslin, Foreman is survived by three daughters and three sons, as well as 15 grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren. Funeral services are pending.
For her part, Maslin is grateful her father last year was able to do something he'd always wanted - to see the Grand Canyon.

"He actually got emotional just looking at it," she said. "He was in awe of its beauty and couldn't believe the world had such a beautiful place."

Congratulations to the Redding Rancheria for their dispicable acts of DISHONOR in what they did to this man and his family. Look who they have NOW

Sen. Dianne Feinstein Opposes Casino Near Joshua Tree.

The smartest senator from California has sent a letter to the secretary of the interior expressing her opposition to a proposed casino in Joshua Tree. Dianne Feinstein has a history of opposing casinos

Dianne Feinstein's Nov. 10 letter to Ken Salazar states in part, "Placing a casino less than a mile from the (Joshua Tree National) park's visitor center and park wilderness will forever change the nature of the desert treasure."

Feinstein told Salazar that Mark Butler, park superintendent, shares her opposition to the proposed casino and has expressed concern that it would jeopardize the park's long-standing legacy as a crown jewel of the national park system.

According to Feinstein, Butler has informed her staff that such a proposal, "Would impair the Park Service's ability to preserve natural resources, cause significant noise and light pollution, obstruct scenic viewsheds and adversely impact the desert tortoise population within the park."

Feinstein told Salazar hundreds of Joshua Tree community members have contacted her and her staff to express, "A wide array of concerns about the impacts on regional tourism, crime, poverty, alcoholism and gambling addiction."

Picayune Rancheria DEFAULTS on Debt for Chukchansi Gold Casino:

Again, proving that All that Glitters is not gold at Chukchansi Gold Resort in Coarsegold

Chukchansi Gold is a premium resort destination that continues to generate positive cash flow. However, we have not been immune from the global economic downturn and significant central California economic forces (including approximately 15% unemployment and home foreclosures that are two to three times greater than the national average), which have impacted our operations, just as they have affected many operating in the gaming industry as well as many other businesses in the region.

We are actively seeking to negotiate a timely restructuring of our debt, which,if successful, would provide us with increased financial flexibility and enable us to emerge a stronger business over the long term.

In addition, a sensible restructuring would provide us with the resources necessary to continue to re-invest in our property, take advantage of strategic opportunities as they arise, and maintain our role as a responsible citizen of our community.    OP: Responsible citizens DO NOT strip the citizenship from their people, nor default on their loans

"During this process, we wish to assure our guests,employees and vendors that operations at Chukchansi Gold will not be affected by the financial
restructuring. Chukchansi Gold will continue to operate uninterrupted by the restructuring process, and we will provide our guests with the same level of service, value and entertainment choice they have come to expect and enjoy. From offering a premium gaming and resort experience to honoring rewards earned by our Players Club members, it is business as usual at Chukchansi Gold.    OP: OF course! They can use the money they AREN'T paying on their loans. Would it be a safe bet for Players Club members to cash out NOW.

"Additionally, our employees should not expect to see any difference in their jobs, and relations with our vendors will continue unaffected. We greatly value each member of our team and each one of our vendors.
We are committed to continuing to work with them to deliver a one-of-a-kind experience to our guests and players."      OP: Meaning: Cash your checks immediately. Vendors, you might get paid.

Amy Deutske and Dale Risling of Bureau of Indian Affairs say Pala Disenrollee's Appeal Received on Time.

Of course the facts don't matter to the Pala Tribe, so the reaffirmed the termination. And Pala is looking at another 120 for disenrollment too. I'm sure it's because of blood levels and NOT the $13,000 each they'd be able to divvy up. Let's see, $13,000 x 128 is $1,664,000 that the remaining people would split..almost $20 MILLION more a year. Yes, it's the blood.....


The eight people, who are family members of former Pala Chairman King Freeman, filed an appeal with the Bureau of Indian Affairs on June 29, which bureau officials said was within the deadline.

However, for some unknown reason, the tribal council said the appeal was not filed on time.

"This (removal from the tribe) was voted upon by the Enrollment Committee at a duly called meeting of the Executive Committee, on Aug. 3, with a quorum present," Pala Chairman Robert Smith wrote in a letter dated Nov. 3. "The grounds for said action are failure to file your appeal with the Bureau of Indian Affairs within the time period prescribed by law."

Smith's letter contradicts a letter sent by the Bureau of Indian Affairs last month to the eight people saying the appeal was received on time.

"The eight appeals were received at the Pacific Regional Office on June 29, 2011 and were timely filed," according to the letter signed by Amy Dutschke, the bureau's regional director in Sacramento.

Dale Risling, the bureau's deputy regional director, confirmed last week that the letter was accurate and added that the agency was reviewing the case to issue its recommendation

HERE's a QUOTE FROM RISLING: Bureau of Indian Affairs Deputy Regional Director Dale Risling, based in Sacramento, said “quite a few” tribes are going through disenrollments currently.
He said his agency hears about most of them through the media, and not directly, since they don't usually have a role in settling the disputes because of tribal constitutions. “The ones that we really get are the ones that require our involvement.”



Read More at the NCTIMES

INTERLUDE: PRess Release for My Cousin Carrie Madariaga's Movie RUSER..premiering at the Autry Museum

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Media Contact: Jolson Creative PR 310 614 3214 jolsoncreativePR@mac.com



Young Female Native American Filmmaker Breaks Barriers with her directorial debut, “Ruser” hitting Skins Film Festival  11/19

Los Angeles, CA (November 4, 2011):   Young, female, Native-American filmmaker Carrie Madariaga is breaking barriers with non-stereotypical roles created her own material, crafting characters who are proving to be relatable and able to transcend all cultures, and the industry is taking notice. Her directorial debut, a live action short titled Ruser, is appearing at the Skins Film Festival on November 19, 2011 at the Wells Fargo Theater- Autry Nat’l Center, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027

While her film’s title, Ruser, comes from “to ruse” meaning “a trick,” Madariaga says there’s no trick for success or substitution for hard work. “I was tired of waiting around for good Native American roles which were few and far between. I decided to take the reigns of my career, break some barriers, and work hard to change the stereotypical perception of Native Americans in TV and film,” Madariaga says.

The 5th Annual LA Skins Fest, celebrating new and exciting films from Indian country this year, felt Madariaga’s film was a perfect fit. Ruser follows the thrilling story of Sam Kruse, a man who meets a female scientist named Coda (Madariaga) who is not who she seems. Coda has fallen into a web of deceit, drugs, and murder and is part of a radical Native splinter group that believes a virus could be used as a weapon as it was in the past. Kruse finds himself trying desperately to stay one step ahead of a killer who’s targeting scientists developing a hybrid retrovirus aka Smallpox.

Under the banner of Draws The Line Films, LLC, Madariaga is currently developing a hilarious three part web series called Edge Falls. . No stranger to comedy, the actress who made her TV debut on “Weeds,” says the three part web series is about the life of 20 somethings living on today’s reservation. “Think Friends on a Reservation,” she laughs.

Showcasing her versatility, Madariaga, who studied Journalism at the University London Union and acting at The Stella Adler Academy in LA, is also developing a Native American sitcom Eagle Falls. No stranger to comedy, the actress who made her TV debut on “Weeds,” says the three part web series is about the life of 20 somethings living on today’s reservation. “Think Friends on a Reservation,” she laughs.

Madariaga is represented by Angel City Talent and managed by Jeffrey Loseff.

Carrie Madariaga is available for interivews.

Media Contact: Jolson Creative PR 310 614 3214 jolsoncreativePR@mac.com

About Ruser

Coda is part of a radical Native splinter group that believes this virus could be used as a weapon as it was in the past. In efforts to secure the virus they are stealing the virus and unfortunately there are casualties in this war. Posing as a scientist Coda works in a laboratory where the virus is being developed. At the funeral of one of her colleagues she unexpectedly meets a man who is tracking the killer across the globe. When he discovers her apartment ransacked he fears she may be the next victim. As Sam tells Coda the events leading up to their meeting he reveals there is a vaccine in development in Denmark. Later in a hotel room Coda injects Sam with the virus, revealing she is part of the murders. She leaves in search of the vaccine in Denmark. Sam, who isn’t dead yet, has a small window of time before the virus kills him. He must get past the thug and race to Denmark to get the vaccine before Coda does. There Coda has a change of heart and helps save Sam’s life.

About Carrie Madariaga

Carrie Madariaga is a Luiseno Native American Actor, Director, Producer and Writer. She studied Journalism at the University London Union, London UK; Acting at The Stella Adler Academy in Los Angeles Ca. Carrie has worked as a professional model, appeared in TV commercials and the Showtime hit series "Weeds" as the "Native Woman". She is developing a Native sitcom "Eagle Falls". "Ruser" is her directorial debut.

Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians to Strip More of their Tribal Citizenship?

Received this from a terminated member. There will be a bigger story out on Thursday by Carmen George of Sierra Star News.


The Tribal Council of Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians--which disenrolled 50 tribal members six weeks ago, has disenrolled almost 800 tribal members total since 1999, and is alleged to have plans to disenroll another 200-400 tribal members in the next 90 days, has called a special meeting for 9:00 a.m. TOMORROW, November 16, 2011.   (OP:  Are mid week meetings the norm?)

The meeting is for the general council members and will be held at the Butler Building at Picayune. The agenda is unknown, but it is certain that any tribal member not living near Picayune will likely not be aware of this meeting, and for what reason? I urge all Indian People with relations or other connections to Picayune to call or e-mail these people IMMEDIATELY!!! I also urge all those remaining enrolled at Picayune to attend this meeting, as very important aspects of the future of Picayune will undoubtedly be discussed and decisions made!!!

Dear House Committee Chairman Darrell Issa, We Need YOU to Hold Hearings on Enforcement of the Indian Civil Rights Act

Dear Chairman Issa,

The ICRA was originally introduced and enacted as an effort to protect individual Indians form the “arbitrary and capricious” actions of tribal governments and/or officials. Unfortunately, while the ICRA was well intended and expressly forbid tribes from taking actions that violated an
individual’s rights, the ICRA failed to include an effective enforcement mechanism which would hold tribal officials accountable for violations of its provisions.

As a result, the number of civil rights violations in Indian Country has reached epidemic proportions. Thousands upon thousands have been stripped or denied the basic due process and equal protection rights provided for in the United States Constitution, the ICRA, and tribal laws.

Oversight hearings on the current civil rights situation in Indian Country are not only warranted, they are long over due. Therefore, I respectfully request that your Committee hold hearings on the civil rights problem in Indian Country and the lack of enforcement of the ICRA

Mr. Chairman, in April of 2010, Rep. Mike Thompsen thought the acts of some tribal governments so egregious, he requested then Chairman Nick Rahall hold hearings on the ICRA. This is one effort that should be bi-partisan. You should lead the way towards doing what is right.

With tribes like Pechanga, and Picayune, decimating their population and just recently, PALA which is also in your district joining a select crew of disgraceful tribal councils, PLEASE take the lead in providing enforcement of ICRA and protection for individual Indians. Sir, Apartheid is being practiced on reservations now and you need to help stop this from continuing.

Susan Bradford Reports: Ethics Complaint Filed Against Dale Kildee (D-MI)

Our friend Susan Bradford reports that she's received information that an ethics complaint has been filed on Rep. Dale Kildee (D-Mich)

A former teacher and priest, Kildee struck a controversial figure in Indian Country. While he championed unions and anti-poverty programs, according to Natives, the Congressman used his office to help place non-Indians at the helm of Indian tribes and their lucrative businesses and onto tribal membership rolls, allowing fictitious Natives to collect per capita checks and taxpayer-subsidized benefits reserved for federally recognized Indians.

Kildee’s former chief of staff and leading fundraiser, Larry Rosenthal, who has joined IETAN Consulting as a lobbyist, was instrumental in leading the investigation into Republican super-lobbyist Jack Abramoff’s lobbying on behalf of Indian tribes to remove what he billed as a scourge in Indian Country.

While Abramoff was later found guilty of having inadvertently violated the law while engaging in conventional and widespread lobbying practices, the allegations which drove the investigation were false. After setting up his rival, Rosenthal has since claimed a number of Abramoff’s former clients for himself.

WXYZ-TV in Detroit and MNEM-TV in Flint are investigating the allegations behind the House Ethics Complaint, inside sources said


Read the Rest of the Story Here

Ousted Pala Members Want Congress to Help; Duncan Hunter takes NO POSITION

Ousted members of the Pala Band of Mission Indians in North County say they want the federal government to give them greater protections from being removed from tribal membership rolls.

Hundreds of people have been expelled from local tribes in recent years. Many more have been removed from tribes throughout California and the country. Some of them believe that the removals are motivated by greed and politics inside some of the country's most successful gambling tribes.

Dennis Chappabitty, a Sacramento attorney who represents several members of the Pala tribe, said that disenrollment has become a widespread civil rights problem in Indian country, and that it's time for the federal government to step in.

"The shameful mass-disenrollment debacle at Pala calls for attention by the U.S. Congress to amend the Indian Civil Rights Act to give disenrolled tribal citizens a chance to have federal courts review the tribal record and determine if the process was just and fair," Chappabitty said.

Read more about Mass Disenrollments at:

Snoqualmie Tribe of Washington and Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indians

Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and

Redding Rancheria

The attorney is trying find a lawmaker interested in carrying a bill that would amend the Indian Civil Rights Act. The bill would allow federal courts to review diserollments to make sure that tribal governments, such as Pala, followed their own laws.

Chappabitty said he and representatives for the ousted Pala members are scheduled to meet with staff members for Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista. Issa's district covers all eight of North County's reservations, including Pala.

Read the FULL ARTICLE AT NCTIMES

It is well past time for CONGRESS TO STEP IN.....

The Loss of Tribal Citizenship is Serious and Offensive. Abusers Like Pechanga, PALA, Redding Should be Looked at with Contempt

I find it disconcerting that in all the years we have had mass terminations of tribal citizenships, no politician has stood up for those Indians who have been harmed by their tribe.  (See:  Like Being Raped and Going to your Rapist for Justice)

When you give it a cute moniker like “disenrollment”, it takes on the context of, say, losing you membership in the P. T. A. And that makes it simpler for a politician to take tribal money and with the phrase, “tribes can choose their own membership” they can avoid taking a closer look at what it really entails.

Take American citizenship, the U.S. Government can strip an American of citizenship for few reasons, here’s one from US CODE 1481:

7) committing any act of treason against, or attempting by force to overthrow, or bearing arms against, the United States, violating or conspiring to violate any of the provisions of section 2383 of title 18, or willfully performing any act in violation of section 2385 of title 18, or violating section 2384 of title 18 by engaging in a conspiracy to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, if and when he is convicted thereof by a court martial or by a court of competent jurisdiction.

We are talking about treason or overthrowing the government as a serious offense. No disenrollees have threatened overthrow of their tribal government. No bearing arms against tribal councils. In Indian Country, you can lose your citizenship for simply disagreeing with the tribal council. Putting a “wrong” member on the council or speaking your mind about their business entities can get one stripped of their citizenship.

How many American’s have been stripped of their citizenship, can you name ONE? Has Charles Manson lost his citizenship? No. How about American terrorists who advocate death to American and sharia law? Nope, uh-uh, but in Indian Country, the number is in the THOUSANDS. We have tribes like Snoqualmie in Washington, that have stripped citizenship simply for taking a position opposite of the tribal council.

On the Pechanga Reservation in Temecula, Original Pechanga allottee descendents have had their citizenship taken away, along with voting rights, the right to health care, the right to speak at meeting, even when the situation is directly relating to them, such as water rights. It's virtual apartheid. Pechanga, headed my Mark Macarro, the subject of a recall attempt, tried to usurp the water rights of allottees, lying to congressional staffers about how many allottees were still on the reservation. Redding Rancheria even terminated 25% of their tribe, including their FIRST Tribal chairman. We have tribes like Snoqualmie in Washington, that have stripped citizenship simply for taking a position opposite of the tribal council. And the Picayune Rancheria already terminated 50% of their tribe and are looking at more.

We have politicians who turn a blind eye, because stripping citizenship comes now with a cute moniker: disenrollment. The same politicians who rightfully found the apartheid policy of sovereign country of South Africa abhorrent, now side with tribes who are practicing the same apartheid in their own districts. Equally confusing, the NAACP in CA has taken money from tribes that violate their people's civil rights. We can't get the ACLU to be interested and the Native American Rights Fund won't help those Native Americans who have lost their RIGHTS.

Politicians in CA who were vehemently appalled over neighbor state Arizona’s stricter immigration enforcement laws, going so far as to shrilly calling for boycotting that state over ‘possible’ civil rights violation, are supporting tribes who have actually stripped voting rights, health care, per capita (now totaling $500 million), elder care, educational assistance. They recently passed the Dream Act providing educational assistance to non-citizens, yet won’t stand up for actual citizens.

They tell themselves “well it’s only 9 people, or it’s only 75 people”. Yet how many does it have to be to make it wrong? 75 Redding tribal members, stripped of their citizenship is akin to 80 million Americans losing theirs. The Picayune Rancheria took away citizenship to fully 50% of their tribal people. When is it wrong, or rather “wrong enough”. Would they stand up for union members who didn’t get to vote? Or what if say, the GOP got 25% of Democrats excluded? Would it be wrong? Of course it would.

It’s past time to take it seriously and to stand up for the rights of the individual Indian.

Our government needs to do its job and stand up for the weak and defenseless. Exercising its moral outrage includes:

1. Eliminate funding for tribes who violate the rights of their people.
2. No longer take land into trust for abusive tribes
3. Place enforcement actions into the Indian Civil Rights Act

Tribes have a right to do wrong, but they shouldn’t be supported by our politicians when they do.

United Auburn Tribe Split Over Payment to Sacto Kings and Attorney Howard Dickstein

A political rift within the tribe operating the Thunder Valley Casino Resort is fueling acrimony over a $1 million sponsorship pledge for the Sacramento Kings and triggering a recall drive against tribal council members.

The turmoil within the United Auburn Indian Community, whose Placer County casino is one of the nation's richest tribal resorts, is centered on internal issues that include disputes over distribution of casino income and payments to a tribal attorney.

But an apparent lightning rod in the recall effort – announced Monday against all five members of the United Auburn tribal council – is the tribe's decision to pledge $1 million to support a community drive to keep the Kings in town.

A tribal faction, including former council chairwoman Jessica Tavares, complained in a news release that the tribal council made the pledge "without first notifying or obtaining approval from the tribe."

The group took issue with the tribal council pledging to support the pro basketball team while apparently denying financial support for a tribal school and drug rehabilitation services for tribal members.

The faction also blasted leaders for authorizing generous payments to a tribal attorney, Howard Dickstein, who couldn't be reached for comment. Howard Dickstein, an attorney representing the Pala, Rumsey and Auburn tribes, also represents a Rusmey-led management group that hopes to run the Casino San Pablo card room for the Lytton Band of Pomo Indians.



Read more at SACBEE:

I Honor MY FATHER on Veteran's Day: Felipe Cuevas, A Pechanga Veteran, Posthumously Stripped of his Tribal Citizenship

We at Original Pechanga's Blog would like to thank all our veterans for their sacrifices. Though they are offering free meals to veterans today, what they really want is for them to spend their retirement pay on their slot machines. Vets would do better by taking a baggie of shrimp home from the buffet.


Here is an appreciation of a father, by his son, ME that we wrote for last year's Veteran's Day.

On this Veteran’s Day, I want to remember my father, Felipe Cuevas, born July 13, 1928. He was the son of Phillip and Olive Cuevas. Olive was the daughter of Mary Ann Miller, who, in turn, was the daughter of Paulina Hunter of Pechanga. Paulina was the matriarch of the Hunter Clan who was given her 20 acres of land on the Pechanga Reservation as the head of the Family by President McKinley. Her Pechanga Ancestry was proved by a researcher Dr. John Johnson, who was hired by the Pechanga Enrollment Committee.

My father grew up in Los Angeles, attending Malabar Elementary, and a graduate of Roosevelt High School and the oldest of five children, all of whom served in our military, including his sister Mary Ann Poole and his eldest sister, Matilda Smith, who is the eldest now of the Hunter Family. He entered the U.S. Army in 1948 and served in many capacities, primarily as a drill instructor. He was stationed in Germany, where his wife Alice bore a son,serving as well in South Korea, Ft. Ord, CA (three times), Ft. Lewis, WA where I was born, and Ft. Benning, GA. At all of these posts he trained young men to serve our country. He served two tours in Vietnam, once an advisor with a South Vietnamese Army Battalion, both tours were near the end of his 23 year career.

He always taught us about our family roots at Pechanga, having helped to build the cabin on Hunter Lane in 1957 with his cousins and uncles. My first time on the reservation was when he served his first tour in Vietnam in 1966. My Aunt Tillie and Uncle Bars took my brother and me to spend time at the cabin. That was when you could still hunt on the rez, for rabbit and dove. He was proud to be Pechanga and he was happy that family members were able to bring us to the reservation while he was in Southeast Asia.  At that time, there were few homes on the reservation. It wasn't until after the casino came and many found out that they could avoid state income taxes did they move there ... or build there.

As it is Veteran’s Day, I’m proud to write about one of his achievements. This Pechanga warrior was awarded the Army Commendation Medal with “V” Device (valor).  His first tour was as an advisor to a South Vietnamese Unit, serving with two other Americans.  Since my scanner is down, I’ll re-type the citation here, but will have a copy linked as soon as I can, so there can be no "Rathergate" claims. Here's what the citation says:

Date action: 3 July 1967
Theater: Republic of Vietnam
Reason:

For heroism in connection with military operations against a hostile force: Sergeant First Class Cuevas distinguished himself by heroic action on 3 July 1967 while serving as Light Weapons Infantry Advisor to the 1st Battalion, 48th Infantry Regiment, Army of the Republic of Vietnam.

On that date, the Viet Cong opened fire on the battalion headquarters compound with machinegun, small arms and 82mm mortar fire. Eight Vietnamese soldiers and dependents were seriously wounded during the initial phase of the attack and an aerial evacuation was requested. Sergeant Cuevas voluntarily proceeded to the helicopter landing area.

Sergeant Cuevas remained in the exposed area assisting in sorting the wounded and determining priority for evacuation. Only when all wounded personnel were safely aboard an aircraft and airborne did Sergeant Cuevas return to a safe position. As result of Sergeant Cuevas’s prompt and courageous efforts, the rapid and efficient evacuation of all wounded was accomplished. Sergeant First Class Cuevas’ heroic actions were in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Army and reflect great credit upon himself and the military service.

NEIL N. SNYDER, JR.
Colonel, USA
Adjutant General

In a letter home to my mother, my father described what went on and his final reference to the above action which, by the way was his FIRST DAY there was;  " This made points with the troops, So I'm not in bad shape with ehe ARVN's."

My father was also awarded the Bronze Star. You don’t “win” these by the way. But he was proud of his service, proud that he was able to make young men ready to defend themselves and our country.

After surviving two tours, in Vietnam and countless hours in the field training our military men, he died of a sudden heart attack in April 1979.

Sadly, he was never able to enjoy the largesse that came with the successful opening of the Pechanga Resort and Casino, which brought much needed funds to the reservation and our people. Conversely, he also was never able to feel the sting of seeing his birthright ripped from his family, which now includes five grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren by a "disenrollment" committee that included: Ruth Masiel, Ihrene Scearce, Frances Miranda and Bobbie LeMere. Pechanga proudly displayed his name as a Pechanga Veteran on their website, along with his brother and sisters, yet now, they also say, HE IS NOT PECHANGA. Pechanga has disrespected all their veterans by removing their veteran's page, because most of the veteran's were Hunters.

On July 13, 2006, on what would have been his 78th birthday, the Pechanga Tribal Council heard our family’s appeal of our unconstitutional disenrollment and later did not allow our appeal. Much of that story is written here on this blog.

My father always encouraged my brother and me to do our best, to do what is right and THAT is why we continue to fight for our rights and against the evil that has been done to our family. We may not be triumphant, but we will be successful in shining a light on the corruption in the tribe and forcing them to defend their disgraceful actions.

Dad, thank you for all that you gave to your family and to your country. I am proud to be your son. It is shameful that Pechanga doesn't reward your memory by following the rule of law and the will of the people. Even more scurrilous, the Pechanga Tribal Council has seen fit to remove it's page honoring tribal veterans.

TO ALL OUR VETERANS: THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE. 
Feel free to discuss YOUR family veterans in our comments.

To Vietnam Veterans: Thank You For Coming and Thank YOU Terry Wilson for sharing with us.

I wanted to share this tribute to Vietnam Veterans, written by my friend Terry Wilson. It honors the service of Vietnam vets and since my own father, whom I'll honor tomorrow, served two tours in Vietnam, it hits a mark. And though he wasn't spit on during his homecoming, his memory was certainly spit on by his tribe, the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians. More on that tomorrow. Please enjoy this story:

I got assigned to work on a special project with a young woman named Michelle on 3/27/00..we work thru e-mail and the fax machine...I met Michelle in Feb.1999 and she blessed me in a way that no one ever has.
I got sent down to Orange Co.for some training on the mapping system the company uses and went into the office and a friend of mine took me down to the room we would be using for the class.

There were two women in the room and we would be using their computers while they went to other computers in the building.

Introductions were made and I sat down to wait for the others to arrive..I commented to the older lady that I liked her choice of music which was country and we talked about country music for awhile.

The younger lady Michelle is Vietnamese and she was singing along to all the songs and I commented on her singing along and she just laughed and said.."I started listening to country when I arrived in America and I liked it and I also listen to oldies"..my kind of woman.

The other lady laughed and told Michelle to tell me the song that she had played at the dance for her and her new husband..Michelle made me promise not to laugh and then she said.."we had them play Crazy by Patsy Cline.

I commented that it wasn't your ordinary wedding dance song but if that was what she wanted why not.

She said she had them play that song cause she could slow dance to it and everyone seemed to like it...and then proceeded to tell me about wanting to have an American wedding with the dress..veil and the whole nine yards.

We talked some more and then they came and canceled the class and told me to return in three weeks.

When I returned the older lady wasn't there and I was sitting talking to Michelle and the talk turned to Vietnam..she wanted to know when I was there so I told her.."Dec.1966 to Dec.1967"..she informed me that she was born in July,1968.

She asked if I was wounded over there and was that the reason I was using forearm crutches and I told her.."no..I have MS."

She told me about being poor and not having a lot to eat..not knowing a war was going on until bombs started to go off and her dad explained what they were and what a war was.

She told me about them getting out of Vietnam and eventually getting to America and how glad she was.

And then she did something that touched me in my soul..she slid back from her desk and got out in the aisle and stood up straight and said.."Terry...thank you for coming to Vietnam and fighting so we might have freedom."

Then she bowed to me..not just a slight bow where they incline their head but a bow from the waist..I was stunned.

She sat back down and said.."my mother told me when we arrived in America that everytime I met an American who fought in Vietnam I was to honor him and thank him."

"My mother said that many Americans came to Vietnam for many yrs...some paid the ultimate price with their lives..some went home crippled...no arms..blind...they fought for us so that we could have freedom and they deserve respect...thanks and honor."

Michelle told how she had honored many men and thanked them for coming to her homeland...finally she asked.."Terry...are you ok?"

I had taken off my glasses and wiped the tears out of my eyes...I told her I was ok and told her about how a lot of my fellow citizens had just cursed me and given me the finger and that I had never thought that I would see the day when a Vietnamese person would thank me for coming over there.

I told her that she had no idea how that made me feel..the next day a friend of mine came in to see the mappers and Jack sat down to talk to me for awhile.

Jack was in the Marines also and was in the first Marine group that landed in Aug.1965...I told Jack about Michelle and he got tears in his eyes and told me that all he got when he returned was a few curse words and that I was a blessed person for having received Michelles thanks.

Since this has happened Michelle and I have become friends...She told me a while back that the next time I come down to where she works and these are her exact words..."Terry...we'll have to go out and do lunch"..Terry

FBI Did Not Notify Pechanga Tribe of Child Porn Investigation; Should Pechanga have informed ALL Reservation residents?

In the wake of the Penn State child rape scandal, which has engulfed top levels of that schools administration, we've come to understand that NOT INFORMING the populace of an investigation may be commonplace.

Sources tell us the the FBI DID NOT notify the Pechanga Tribal Rangers of the search of former Pechanga Tribal Ranger Hector Zamora's home and computer. They didn't even let them know of an investigation.

Does that not make the FBI culpable if there comes to light any issues of child molestation, or possibly photos of tribal children appearing or child porn websites in the future?

As we discussed earlier, does that not put the children at risk, by allowing a suspected child porn advocate to patrol at the Pechanga school?

Now, though, after this case has become public, and Zamora arrested for having pictures of children, NOW, isn't it the duty of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians Tribal Council to inform the reservation residents of what has happened? Shouldn't their be an investigation into the Rangers patrol patterns of Zamora? Has he made calls to homes where children were alone?

We have taken Joe Paterno to task at Penn State for not telling what he knew to police, rightfully so. Don't the FBI and The Pechanga Council owe the same to reservation families?  To this date, the families of the rez haven't been contacted by tribal authorities.   Guess when you don't live on the rez, you don't care what goes on there, as long as the casino makes money?

Carrie Madariaga Premieres RUSER at 5th Annual Skins Fest; Terminated Pechanga Member Scores

VERY Proud to announce that our cousin Carrie Madariaga has produced a short film RUSER for the 5th Annual Skins Fest, which will premiere on Nov. 19th at 5 p.m. at the Gene Autry Museum.

Take a look at the trailer:





Congralations cousin on your film.

Casino Crimewatch: Shots Fired in Armed Robbery at Barona Casino

Authorities are searching for four gunmen wearing masks who staged a daring robbery at the Barona Casino early Wednesday and who also may be responsible for a nearby fire.

Deputies were called to the resort on Wildcat Canyon Road in Lakeside at 2:21 a.m. after reports that shots were fired, sheriff’s officials said.

When they arrived they found that a stand-alone glass display case just inside the front door of the business had been toppled over and smashed, sheriff’s Sgt. Tom Poulin said.

Casino General Manager Rick Salinas said the four men drove up to the business in a green Ford Explorer and parked right up against the front door.

When a valet walked up to the vehicle one of the men pointed a rifle at him and ordered him to lie on the ground, Salinas said. Three other employees inside were also ordered to the ground, he said. Surveillance video then shows that one of the thieves ran into the casino carrying a chain but was yanked back because the chain was too short. It appears the plan was to wrap the chain around the display and then drag it outside

Poulin said all four men were carrying weapons

Related: Pechanga Casino Crimewatch:  Carjacker a Tribal Member

Will BILL JOHN BAKER, New Cherokee Chief DO THE RIGHT THING BY The Tribe's Slave Descendents?

JUSTIN JUOZAPAVICIUS has an article in The Republic

After a bitter, drawn-out election that lasted almost four months longer than it should have, new Cherokee Nation Chief Bill John Baker treads into yet another political minefield after his inauguration ceremony: squarely, should descendants of slaves some Cherokees once owned retain their tribal membership?

The protracted struggle of the 2,800 or so descendants, known as Freedmen, became a major issue on the campaign trail. Baker's opponent, former Cherokee Chief Chad Smith, was among the major supporters of a 2007 vote by tribal citizens to kick the freedmen out of the tribe and cut off benefits such as health care, grocery stipends and housing assistance. Baker, a longtime tribal councilman, also backed the measure, but appeared far less vocal about it while he was campaigning.

That strategy likely won the support of untold hundreds of freedmen, who were allowed to vote in the Sept. 24 special election because of a last-minute deal brokered before a federal judge. Baker beat Smith by nearly 1,600 votes.

The citizenship issue has landed back in Tulsa federal court and the stakes couldn't be higher for the 300,000-member tribe, which is based at Tahlequah. In the weeks leading up to a Sept. 24 special election, the government demonstrated what could happen if the freedmen are excluded from the tribe: nearly $40 million in federal housing funds was frozen and the assistant secretary for Indian affairs warned that any election the Cherokees held without granting suffrage to the freedmen would be illegal.

"We're going to have to do a balancing act," Baker told The Associated Press as his Sunday ceremonial inauguration approached. "I've taken an oath to protect and defend the Cherokee Nation, and we're going to have to protect and defend the $500 million we get in federal funding. It's a tightrope," he said.

Baker is keenly aware of the risk. About 12 years ago, when the Seminole Nation voted to oust freedmen descendants from its tribe, the government cut off federal programs and refused to recognize its Elections. Their freedmen were later allowed back in, but the tribe is still paying the price for its decision.

"To this day, they still haven't gotten all their funding back, some of it has been lost forever," Baker said. "That's why when we sit here and talk about if they cut our funding, that's not just something we're picking off a shelf. We've got a roadmap of what could happen in the Seminole case.

"It's no pie in the sky that could happen; we're sitting there looking at what did," he said.

OP:  I believe it is important that if the Cherokee Nation does not do what is right, we fight to have their funding cut off.    Sure, they are free to do this as a sovereign nation, but we are also free to demand that we don't support their action with OUR tax dollars.

OPINION: Greed has taken over Tribes; NO non gaming tribes are Terminating Members.

Author Robert Hayward has a opinion piece at the NCTIMES.

It is one of those strange twists of fate that has been proven over and over in history: The conquered people eventually take on the worst characteristics of those who conquered them. It has manifested in Southern California with the advent of Indian gaming, in a terrible way.

It wasn't long ago that the local tribes were all limping along in abject poverty, trying to gain a foothold after being stripped of everything and relegated to reservations. It is a sad and brutal history, no different than all other tribes in this country.

Once the gaming compacts were signed, and big money rolled in, it was everyone's hope that it would help all tribes. While there are great stories of success, unfortunately greed has raised its ugly head.

......


The federal government changed that in 1934 and began requiring certain amounts of Indian ancestry to qualify for benefits from the treaties (all of which the government eventually broke). Tribes began adopting blood quantum rules for inclusion into tribes. The DEA even set blood quanta minimums for participation in certain Native American ceremonies, clearly overstepping their bounds.

If we are honest, and not afraid of upsetting those who hold too much power, the fact that the San PascualTribe kicked out 80 members, PECHANGA cut 130, OP: NO, they cut 230 Adults, and half again as many children. Rincon tried to cut 70, and PALA is now working hard to eliminate at least 120 members from their tribal roles is all about greed and politics, nothing more.

You do not see any nongaming tribes involved in this nonsense. And had these casinos never been built, none of this would be happening, period!
Read the full post at NCTIMES   adding your comments there, shows the paper that you are reading their stories.

To add to the greed story, a reminder that the total theft of per capita in CA in just a few tribes has reached over $500 MILLION

Pechanga Tribal Ranger Arrested for Child Porn. Were Children of the Reservation at Risk for Years by ANOTHER Sexual Predator?

Not only are a few Pechanga Tribal Members registered on Megan's Law website, including a former tribal council member, whose handwritten, unsworn letters were used as testimony from prison to help terminate an entire family, NOW, a Pechanga Tribal Ranger was arrested for child porn:


In an interview with the FBI, Zamora admitted to browsing the Internet for young girls using terms such as “Lolita,” court records state. In the following months, authorities examined a computer seized from Zamora’s home and found apparent images of child sexual exploitation, according to court records. Court records state the FBI identified 28 files containing child sexual exploitation images of girls believed to be younger than 12 and one child sexual exploitation video of a baby.

See also:  Pechanga Tribal Council Honors Man Who Commited Lewd, Lascivious Acts With A Child Under 14

Tribal Public Affairs Director Jacob Mejia said Zamora was a corporal and had worked as a ranger since 2008.   So for over three years, the reservation's children have been at risk by one who has power over them....

Tosobal Family,Pechanga's Moratorium People: From Pechanga, Not OF Pechanga

Pechanga's Moratorium People: From Pechanga, But Not OF Pechanga

The Rios/Tosobal Family has ties to the Pechanga tribe, from his mother back to his great-great-great-grandmother, born in 1811. (That’s when Abe Lincoln was 2 years old!)

So, when his mother died in 1978 and left him a piece of reservation land, Manuel Rios Jr. began trying to make arrangements to bring water and electricity to the plot so he could set up a home there. 30 years later, he has yet to get tribal approval to do anything with the land.

Tribal officials had told him he and his family are not on the rolls, he said, and they won’t get considered for membership until a moratorium on new enrollments is lifted now extended past 2010. His family members, who number more than 100, have stacks of documents that they say they submitted to the enrollment committee 15 years ago. 

The Tosobol descendents belonged in the tribe.   Two enrollment committee members were concerned that the right thing be done and brought this family's paperwork forward.  This led to the families of those two members being terminated from the tribe.  Over 300 men, women and children, losing an estimated $300 MILLION in per capita, which the remaining members divvied up amongst themselves.   Imagine that, denied your heritage for honoring the ancestors of the tribe.

In 2003, new members of the Enrollment Committee, including family members from the Hunter and Manuela Miranda famlies, who had been elected to the committee in 2002 sent a letter to the tribal council informing them of corruption on the Enrollment Committee.



The letter detailed how members of the Enrollment Committee had acted to deny enrollment to lineal descendants of enrolled members. These members would require DNA tests, delay meetings, and misinform parties before the Enrollment Committee.


So the Enrollment Committee prior to 2002 dominated by people from the CPP faction very well could have sat on applications of people who ended up in the moratorium and these and other irreularities were pointed out to the tribal council by people who ended up being disenrolled.


And the fact that those Enrollment Committee members who had been accused of not doing their duty by members of disenollee families were then allowed to vote on the fate of those families is a violation of Pechanga's own constitution that says under Article V, "It shall be the duty of all elected officers of the Band to uphold and enforce the Constitution, Bylaws, and ordinances of the Temecula Band of Luiseno Mission Indians; and also, TO UPHOLD AND ENFORCE THE INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS OF EACH MEMBER WITHOUT MALICE OR PREJUDICE."


Any reasonable person can clearly see that those Enrollment Committee members who had been accused of wrong doing by family members of the families who ended up being disenrolled should have been made to step aside from ruling on the disenrollees cases
As  nonmembers, the Rios family has no recourse against the sovereign nation.  He can’t sue the tribe in an outside or tribal court, and he can’t vote on the moratorium or cast a ballot against the elected tribal leaders.

The reservation has changed dramatically since Rios’ mother was a girl there, thanks to the opening of a $262 million resort and casino and other businesses. Now that tribal members collect a reported $30,000 in gaming profits a month, disputes over membership are commonplace.

Rios and others insist they once were members, and they allege that someone removed their names in order to ensure larger shares of gaming profits for the other members.
Tribal Chairman Mark Macarro has said tribes work hard to make sure that there’s due process in enrollment matters, yet, in reality, there is no due process.
He also contends that many recent applicants had no interest in the tribe until it was rich. ‘‘Where were these people before there was a casino?’’ Macarro asked.
Rios’ 53-year-old son, Manuel Rios Jr. of Riverside, said he’s glad his grandmother left the reservation, and her descendants avoided being mired in reservation poverty because of it. ‘‘I was out getting an education so I wouldn’t have to suck the money from the state of California to support me,’’ he said in an interview in Fontana. ‘‘We were paying for their (tribal member’s) welfare.’’

The Rios family members contend that the Pechanga tribal leadership is using sovereignty to improperly deny them membership and is acting like a dictatorship. In fact, Pechanga’s own constitution provides for OPEN ENROLLMENT every January. In the most recent disenrollment of the Hunter family, which occurred in 2006, the tribe stated that the membership, which voted to stop ALL disenrollments, had no authority to do so. That would mean, they have the power to keep people from getting IN, but no the authority to keep people from getting thrown OUT. That makes no sense at all.

Pechanga's Masiel-Basquez Crime Family is Four Generations Long

I've had requests to move this up and, since we are on vacation this week, here it is for you.  Please take a look at our links and the fill in the story.

Update from Pechanga protest: Leiva family members, better known as the Masiel Basquez crime family were harassing protesters at Pechanga resort and Casino. Felon Raymond Basquez Jr. One of the more stupid members of the family was one and Yolie "they are just herbs" McCarter was another. They had no effect, as we know, bullies are just cowards at heart.



The Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians has a crime family that spans GENERATIONS.

It's well known that the young, thuggish generation of the Masiel-Basquez crime family are violent offenders, which we reported on HERE and HERE the next older generation of criminals HERE and HERE and HERE and NOW WE KNOW where they get it from:

Francisca Leivas Basquez

As shown below there are two pieces of evidence that show the Matriach of the Basquez family, Francisca Leyva (Leivas) tried to defraud the government and gain of three per capita checks when only one was legal. Fraud, such as her family then perpetrated on the Pechanga Band.

Sins of the mother, passed on to her progeny.

How can the Pechanga Members continue to support them? How much theft has to happen?

OriginsofMasielcrimefamily