A woman who opened fire at the headquarters of a Northern California Indian tribe killed her brother, nephew and niece, police said Friday. THAT is how serious disenrollment is. At Pechanga, Frances Miranda oversaw the disenrollment of her own family.
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| The alleged killer, Cherie Rhoades |
Cherie Lash Rhoades, former chairwoman of the Cedarville Rancheria tribe, killed a total of four people and critically wounded two others on Thursday during a meeting at tribal headquarters about evicting her and her son from tribal land, authorities said.
Those killed included the suspect's brother, 50-year-old Rurik Davis, her niece, 19-year-old Angel Penn and her nephew, 30-year-old Glenn Calonicco, Modoc County Sheriff Mike Poindexter said.
The other person killed was identified as Sheila Ross, 47, who was not related to the suspect.
WILL CONGRESS now have hearings into disenrollment of Native Americans? Senator BOXER, Senator Feinstein, STOP all disenrollment.
UPDATES: SacBee is reporting: A woman suspected of killing four people at the headquarters of an Indian tribe that was evicting her and her son from its land had been under federal investigation over at least $50,000 in missing funds, a person familiar with the tribe's situation.
UPDATES: SacBee is reporting: A woman suspected of killing four people at the headquarters of an Indian tribe that was evicting her and her son from its land had been under federal investigation over at least $50,000 in missing funds, a person familiar with the tribe's situation.
The act of tearing the life out of another person is a violent act, but so is the act of tearing you out of your home, and ripping your heritage from your self and your family.
ReplyDeleteI don't condone such actions, but this is more inline with the way things used to be handled, the old ways.
The justice dept, the BIA,and every other Federal Agency is just going to sit back and wait in hopes that the native people will kill each other off. They don't give a shit about civil rights, or any other violations thats being forced on the Indian people. The only reason they boast
ReplyDeleteabout Martin Luther King, is because its a day off with pay for them.
The US Government had from it's very beginnings the policy of destruction or assimilation for the American Indian. They tried destroying our native food sources, rounding us up and putting us on reservations, even making it against the law to practice our own religion or even speak our language.
ReplyDeleteThe policy of Cultural_assimilation still remains today, I have been told "why haven't you people been assimilated yet"?
I would not be surprised to discover that this wholesale removal of our people by disenrollment had been orchestrated by some agency in our Government.
And as we run to them asking for help they say that "it's an internal matter, and they can do nothing" (all the while laughing behind our backs). Smirking as to how well this new is working to there goal of complete Cultural assimilation.
And it's easy for the BIA and Federal Government to say it is an internal matter and needs to be resolved at the tribal level. Meanwhile the victims of illegal disenrollments have no political power within their tribes. They can't just vote out the tribal officers that caused the problems. They can't choose to vote for someone different who will reinstate them. They have lost all their citizenship rights.
ReplyDeleteHear that BIA? Disenrollees have no recourse. The courts turn their backs on them, the Government refuses to interfere, and even the other members of the tribe won't help because they fear the retribution of tribal officers who make no effort to conceal their abuses of power and have no qualms about making threats and enforcing their will.
If disenrollees begin to resort to violence will the Government continue their policy of non-interference? Of course not. They will prosecute the disenrollees. We have seen it again and again. The policy of non-interference is a one-way street. The Government will not interfere with renegade leaders that break their vows of office and violate tribal laws, but they will come down hard on those who fight back in the only way left to them.
Please BIA & Federal Government get involved this cant be the only way for the evicted or disenrolled tribal members to be heard!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteIf what the Corrupt Tribal Governments did to the evicted, disenrolled tribal members is legal then show it. The true reason they don't show it is because it's illegal and not the Indian way. Once accepted, always accepted is the true way. The Federal government accepted the band and in most cases set aside land for the band forever. In most cases Internal tribal greed taking over. It's not internal when violence erupts, that's why it shouldn't be internal when Apartheid takes members under distress and can lead to violence. Another member saying members should accept this is unkind, and untruthful. People should never accept to be treated by corrupt acts of a few greedy liars.
ReplyDeleteMaybe if the Judge would give her bail,Pala and Pechanga disenrollies could post her bail money, under one condition.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what makes you think the disenrollees have the resources to post bail for Cherie Rhoades, but it is a silly suggestion. Those accused of murder are not eligible for bail.
ReplyDeleteI don't think there is enough information to pass judgement in this particular case. The woman who killed her relatives and the Tribal Administrator, and put two more relatives in the hospital, was the previous tribal chair, who apparently is being investigated by the feds for mismanaged funds. While I didn't know this particular group of folks, others who did have told me that the woman ruled the tribe as a dictator. From what I understand, she was being evicted from tribal housing, not disenrolled from the tribe. She very well may have been being evicted for non-payment of rent, rather than as a "punishment" for her wrongs as Chair. I think we need to wait until more information comes out, as to what exactly happened here. All that being said... under NO circumstances is it okay for someone to resolve their issued by killing others. Personally, the fact that she did, and who it was that she killed... leads me to believe that she might not have been a very stable person all along. As they say... elections matter, people. It isn't enough to just put your relatives in office, thinking that they will ensure your perks... we need leaders who exhibit common sense and good judgement at all times.
ReplyDeleteA. Lincoln. " to test ones character. Give them power". You see who has it and who don't.
ReplyDeleteWe need leaders who will serve their people, and laws that provide oversight and ensure that tribal officers face consequences for abusing their office.
ReplyDeleteWhy is that so hard to understand? Why doesn't the BIA makes sure that there is oversight and well-defined consequences for violations before approving tribal constitutions? These are very important questions.
All tribes need to make sure that these questions are asked and that there is provision in their tribal law to punish officers for wrongdoing while in office.
@ 1:24 pm
ReplyDeleteYou are right, they only allow bail and early realeases for child
molesters and rapeist.
How dare anyone suggest that this tragic event was tied to tribal diss-enrollment. She was being evicted from tribal housing... that's all that we know. That could mean anything, from a corrupt to a legitimate action. i.e. revenge for whatever, or for simply not paying rent.... So stop speculating and stop tieing this to tribal diss-enrollment, you spit on the memory of those who died when you do. Shame on all of you who do.
ReplyDeleteLet me do to you with words, what you are doing with this case.
Truth be told.... some of you who have been diss-enrolled from your respective "former" tribes, are only fighting to get back into your tribes for the money.. and you would diss-enroll those who did it, Or those who had nothing to do with it, in a nanosecond. And what makes you think that the Federal Government should be a knight in shining armor to come and save you?... And if they do.. then what...? If they come in and force a tribe to re-enroll you... guess what... they won't stop there... We will lose any shred of pathetic authority we federally recognized tribes operate under.. they will promptly then proceed to tell not just you, but all tribes how to take care of our business.. all of our business, and then you will complain that they are "too" involved. All because you invited them into our house for your selfish reasons, The Feds are not tribes, or diss-enrollees friends period.. Get that through your heads. Oh and you NEED to be an enrolled member of a tribe to be an Indian? Whether I'm enrolled or Diss-enrolled from my tribe, doesn't change how I view myself. If you think violence is a way to solve civil disputes.. you are a monster.