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.....
10 comments:
If the people of Pechanga say that the courts ruled in their favor then know that what they say is a lie. The courts ruled that they were not allowed to hear the merits of the case, our argument that Pechanga violated tribal law, and that sovereignty trumps civil rights. We still are willing to meet Pechanga in open court, but they hide under the umbrella of sovereignty. Other tribes should be aware that the actions of Pechanga and other tribes that practice disenfranchisement of their membership for profits and power are putting the right to self-governance at risk.
The fact that after all the information available that Duncan Hunter can't take a stand is telling. Elections are coming up and money is more important than peoples's rights and doing the right thing.
Just like this article says they have to amend the Indian civil rights act (for you to sue a tribe).
Good luck ,PALA people ,
Duncan Hunter Sr. did fight for one pechanga person before and may be open to some NEW bill.
I read the article it said the BIA can review disenrollment at pala ? What more do the pala people want ?
The BIA would not review anything at pechanga.
Is the BIA in favor of the disenrolled? Fill us in please.
James Fletcher, a pechanga tribal member was the head of RIVERSIDE'S B.I.A when the disenrollments where happening. He knew what was happening and turned a blind eye and deaf ear to it all. He knew exactly what was going on.
The Bastard is guilty as hell, in cahoots with the Pechanga Criminals.
James Fletcher is an outlaw who used his position at B.I.A. to enrich himself.
He illegally enrolls himself in whichever tribe is most financially lucrative for him.
From what I understand the B I A has not received any new credible documents from the executive/enrollment committee of the Pala Band that would support disenrollment.Therefore one would think they would rule in favor of the eight who were unjustly disenrolled.
When James Fletcher was the Riverside B.I.A. superintendent not only was he covering up he was helping tribes disenrolling like the Santa Rosa. Fletcher is related to Vincent Ibanez. When Irene Scearce was working in the Riverside B.I.A. forging papers Vincent was there meeting her. Now Fletcher as the superintendent was in the perfect position to cover up his family and accomplices. The allotment the Ibanez are on was sighed over to him that he was supposable the care taker for. That means he’s not an original allotee.
"James Fletcher was the Riverside B.I.A" Comment.
There you go Pechanga people, now you have three (3) families that you can disenroll from the Tribe.
1.)James Fletcher
2.)The Leyva Line
3.)The Ibanez’s
Now if you want to raise the percap, just think about all that money you will increase by removing all three families.
I'm from Pala and the B.I.A is not helping the dis-enrolled they (B.I.A) are turning a blind eye as well and won't do their job! The B.I.A has already stated that the margarita brittain family has enough blood but is not stopping Pala from illegally dis-enrolling that family. I also heard Pala is having financial problems and is doing this to help pull them out and save millions by dropping these people.
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