Marc Benjamincontinues his fine reporting of the Chukchansi tribal election debacle and the ineffectiveness of the Bureau of Indian Affairs.
Two groups claim to be in charge of the Picayune Rancheria of Chukchansi Indianstribal council. One holds meetings in a private banquet room on the top floor of the Chukchansi Gold Casino, self-exiled from the tribal council building. The other has been meeting 12 miles away in an Oakhurst community hall, trying to figure out how to take control of the tribal government.
The distance between their meetings is symbolic of the wide gulf separating the two sides after a contested election last month.
The key issue dividing them: disenrollments based on bloodlines. The group meeting in the casino favors disenrollment, while the Oakhurst group opposes it.
OP: A correction, one opposes THIS disenrollment, but was for some previous disenrollments. We posted an OP/ED from Cathy Cory, who set us all straight in an OP/Ed in the Sierra Star News: Bring all the Chukchansi People Home…
Who's in charge?
The two tribal councils claim to be legally elected. But for now, only one of them has the power to issue checks, sign contracts and continue the work of tribal government -- the group led by Reggie Lewis, who was voted out in last month's election.
His group claims the election was tainted because one ineligible candidate won election. The tribe's election committee then invalidated the election and scheduled a new one, over the objection of committee vice chairwoman Rockele Lutz. Ten days later, Lutz lost her job at the casino, and she and her family are among about 150 Chukchansi who face disenrollment, tribal members say.
OP: If the election is a fraud then the two who were ousted should ALSO not have a vote on the council as their terms expired.
BIA's role
Today, the federal government takes pains not to intervene because tribes have constitutions and are sovereign nations within the U.S.
Only five tribes of the 55 in the BIA Central California jurisdiction are in a category that allows for BIA intervention.
Even in tribes where the agency can intervene, the BIA has chosen a hands-off approach. Last month, for example, it took a federal judge to overturn disenrollment of members of the San Pasqual tribe in Southern California; the BIA had not intervened in the disenrollment.
OP: MAYBE IT'S time to further cutback the BIA's budget since they seem unwilling to get involved. Why are they getting their full salary? DO SOMETHING! Stand up and be counted. Get our federal dollars back from this tribe that enrolled "fake" members. With interest.
8 comments:
THIS IS THE SECTION WHEN PECHANGA QUESTIONED MURPHY IN 1981.
IF THOSE PEOPLE ARE SAYING THE COUNCIL IN CHARGE IS NOT THE COUNCIL APPEAL IT UNDER THIS SECTION BELOW.
This decision Is based on interpretation of law pursuant to 2.5 CFR See. 2.19 (c) (2)
§ 2.11 Answer of interested party.
top
(a) Any interested party wishing to participate in an appeal proceeding should file a written answer responding to the appellant's notice of appeal and statement of reasons. An answer should describe the party's interest.
(b) An answer shall state the party's position or response to the appeal in any manner the party deems appropriate and may be accompanied by or otherwise incorporate supporting documents.
http://law.justia.com/cfr/title25/25-1.0.1.1.2.html#25:1.0.1.1.2.0.1.19 (LINK)
it is my understanding that at least 40 chukchansi individuals at picayune have now received letters from the hold-over tribal council banishing them, making them ineligible to vote, and disqualifying them from per capita payments for periods up to ten years...
it is rumored that picayune council members dora jones and morris reid, as well as in-coming council member harold hammond are among those receiving these letters, as well as others who took part in the december 26 swearing in of the new council...
with the old council stating a new election will occur in early february, and 40 voters who currently oppose recent (NOT past) disenrollments no longer able to cast a vote, i'm certain we all know where this is headed...
!!!bring the people--ALL the people--home to picayune!!!
Wouldn't it be ironic if Morris Reid is banished and maybe even disenrolled as I remember him being one of the people who was speaking out at a Native American caucus meeting in Sacramento in, as I remember it, 2007, about how enrollment was an internal matter and citing sovereignty which was straight out of Pechanga chairman Mark Macarro's speech book.
Would he admit he was wrong, if it happens to him and his family, for supporting earlier disenrollments and join all of us who have been wronged by our tribes?
you are right 'aamokat...
there is video of both morris reid and then tribal chair dustin graham(current council member jennifer standley's brother)speaking out against strengthening the rights of those who have been disenrolled or otherwise abused by their tribes...
i believe the video of dustin graham and morris reid at the california native american caucus meeting in sacramento was posted to the tribalcorruption.com site...
perhaps it could be sent to the fresno bee, sierra star, and the four local news stations in the fresno/visalia area by someone more technologically savvy than myself...
I think the whole situation is terrible. We are not talking about thousands of people.I and many others thought it was great that tribes were doing good for their people and community, but all this in fighting not only hurts them but the land where they live. People have pride in who they are, there is a history, and to take that away, and deprive them of their birth rights is disgusting, and I am not talking about the financial, but the human rights.
And our U.S. Government only hops in when it benefit the government, not the people. Pretty sad.
Well a lot of you seem bitter. There are more than Mr. Reid in the Chukchansi tribe. It is shameful that these people think they are god and choose if we are Chukchansi. I grew up Chukchansi, lived on trust land, ate commods, helped this tribe when I was little. I call them Casino Indians because they were all of a sudden Chukchansi when the casino was built. It sickens me to know all that we worked for is gonna be taken away from people it is supposed to be helping. They are taking our civil rights away all for greed. Karma will come back on them look what happened to Joe Alberta, he was on council the first time they wanted to disenroll all these tribal members and make there 5 mile radius around the Casino. Instead of making them look bad why don't you support the ones who are trying not to let this happen.
all my relations,
perhaps, anonymous, because most of the people who you say "are trying not to let this happen" are really trying not to let this happen NOW...
as undoubtedly you know, having grown up chukchansi, current council members dora jones and morris reid, incoming council members harold hammond and dixie jackson--along with joyce burrel (relation-reggie lewis), dustin graham (relation--jennifer stanley), and herb punkin ALL were on the 2006 tribal council responsible for dismembering over 500 chukchansi people...
ALL have their signatures affixed to the over 500 documents that have stolen the very birthright of these people-not only as chukchansi, but as indian people ENTIRELY in most instances...
only now, as these horrendous violations of so many of our peoples tribal, civil, and human rights threaten to affect them and/or their immediate families, are they interested in doing what should have been done long ago...
also, if you have grown up chukchansi, you are aware that this entire process of dismemberment could have been halted long ago--in 2004, when the general council approved putting in place an ammendment which would have kept ALL tribal members within the tribe and which was actually endorsed by the council at that time...that council included morris, harold, and dixie..
and that same council chose to shred the votes that came in supporting keeping all in the tribe and proceeded with the disenrollments instead--which was against the vote of the general council...why weren't these people "trying to not let this happen" THEN? had they stood for our people then, what has come to pass and is continuing would never have come to be...
if these council members truly wish to bring our circle together as a nation once more, they will do what truly needs to be done...if they are "trying not to let this happen" then reverse what HAS happened...we are ALL chukchansi, we are ALL connected by blood, history, and land...talk by these council members means nothing...do what needs to be done to heal the circle of our people and honor our ancestors...
bring the people--ALL the people--home to picayune...
a'ho
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