More than 75 members of the Dry Creek Rancheria Band of Pomo Indians have been notified they face expulsion in another round of disenrollments that have roiled the tribe in recent years.
Tribal Chairman Harvey Hopkins sent out letters this month to adults and some children identifying them for potential removal from the approximate 1,200-member tribe. The letters contend they don't meet criteria for lineal descent because they, their parents or their grandparents were members of other tribes.
Coming at a time when the tribe's River Rock Casino is suffering the bruising effects of competition from the newly opened Graton Resort and Casino in Rohnert Park, some suspect it's another way to trim expenses by reducing the number of Dry Creek tribal members who get a monthly “per capita” distribution of casino profits.
“The rest of per capita won't be affected if you remove people,” said Liz DeRouen, a former chairman of the tribe who was disenrolled four years ago after she lost an election to Hopkins in 2004.
She and Hopkins blame each other for the $150 million debt the tribe owes to bondholders who financed construction of the casino and for the fact it hasn't been paid off.
Last year, DeRouen's eldest daughter, Layla Elgin DeRouen, 30, was kicked out of the tribe after she declared her candidacy for secretary-treasurer of the five-member board of directors.
Now her two younger daughters, LaVon DeRouen, 28, and Hailey Ferroni, 23, have been notified they face expulsion.
There have been a number of contentious enrollment reductions involving tribes that own casinos. The implications go beyond the monthly distribution payments, housing and educational benefits that disenrolled members lose.
Some say they also face a loss of their cultural identity.
“It's the most hurtful thing native people can do to their own people,” said Nancy Cordova of Windsor, whose husband, Stan, and their daughter were booted out of the Dry Creek tribe where they belonged for decades.
OP: Each friend and family that SHARES this post, helps shine a SPOTLIGHT on corrupt tribal councils. NOT only that, we shine a light of the weak, ineffective BIA.
15 comments:
Business as usual. Just like a corporation making cutbacks to save money and council members getting rid of opposition. (2 birds one stone) that's what disenrollment does. A very affective weapon for tribal councils, that's why it's being used so often. Until the BIA or Federal court tells one of them NO u can't do that.. They will continue to do so.
Exactly @ March 25 8:26 AM
Or if the people step up and put a stop to it. There is a lot of fear, and a lot of people who are letting this evil happen as long as they aren't the victims. If they were disenrolled they would be devastased. The best way to stop disenrollments is for tribal people to stand tall and work to keep their tribes together instead of letting corrupt leaders tear them apart a little at a time.
Must be another Howard Dickstien
Tribe. That parriot nose son-of-a
bitch.
Let's put it in bold caps:
DISENROLLMENT IS NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR GOOD FISCAL MANAGEMENT.
In plain language, tribal leaders should not eliminate members to make up for their bad money habits. Are tribal members really so stupid that they can't see that the reason for many of these mass disenrollments is incompetence?
Any tribal members who are reading this: I dare you to look objectively at your leaders. It is your money that they are spending, mismanaging, and embezzling. That could be money shared among tribal members instead of money wasted to feed the ego of your tribal leaders.
Don't let the incompetent money managers blame the tribe for their mistakes and corruption. Tribal members must hold their leaders accountable. Fire them if they are bad at handling the money.
Look at the Dry Creek tribe as an example. The tribal leaders had a responsibility to make sure that their loans were paid off. Disenrolling a large number of members in order to steal their per-capita and pay off the debts is no solution. These leaders will make the same mistakes over and over again because they are either corrupt or incompetent. This tribe will continue to have financial problems unless they get leaders who understand how to handle money and take responsibility for the economic future of the tribe.
A HO', "anonymous"!!!
"Or if the people step up and put a stop to it. There is a lot of fear, and a lot of people who are letting this evil happen as long as they aren't the victims. If they were disenrolled they would be devastased. The best way to stop disenrollments is for tribal people to stand tall and work to keep their tribes together instead of letting corrupt leaders tear them apart a little at a time."
It is fine to stand tall and not allow the leaders to use disenrollment as a weapon BUT... if you don't have the numbers to vote against what they are doing, your sunk !! With all the letter writing to BIA, senators and DOI,etc. it hasn't done a thing. Those in charge are sly and ruthless and know all the weaknesses of the tribe. Just remember numbers count and the members just don't have enough to over throw the councils.
Okay 3:02 PM.
Those in charge are sly and ruthless, and the people are weak. They are being exploited.
So besides being weak, are the people also too stupid to see that their leaders are ripping them off? Are they too mean to want to help their family and friends that have been devastated by disenrollment? Are they too cowardly to stand up to their tribal leaders?
These questions have to be asked and answered. The people have the power and they have the numbers. They sit back, collect their per-capita, and let their corrupt leaders destroy them.
The leaders will walk away with fortunes and everyone will be back where they started: Dirt poor, ignorant, and something new will be added. They will have the guilt and shame of having let it all happen.
I wonder if they are they going to go down without a fight. Are they waiting for the disenrollees to do it for them? Just look at the numbers. In Pala it is 15% of the tribe, something close to that in Pechanga. These groups were never the majority.
Disenrollees have worked very hard to get reinstated. There are letter writing campaigns. appeals to the BIA, lawsuits, and attempts to get the word out to the media to rally support.
What are the tribal members doing? If they aren't ready to get into the fight then they just might deserve what comes next.
At Pala if you stand up Robert calls it treason and will take away your percap which people love more than their family. You will also be band from attending tribal meetings for either 1 or 2 years. He has done it before he made examples of those 2 guys and it sent a message to the rest. (Speak up against me I will take you money)
Don't stand up to Robert Smith, just beat the living shit out of him, like he and his brother did to Joe Scott.They probably buired
poor Joe around the old George Ashley property.
Pechanga had a special meeting for a petition that said to stop disenrollment's the tribe voted yes to stop disenrollment's and it was said does this include the Hunters and it was said yes. the tribal lawyers look it over and said it was legal. two weeks latter Mark Macarro sent out a letter saying the petition was invalid and did not even bring it before the tribe before the letter was sent out.
That is when the tribal members need to stand up to their leader and have him or her removed from office. Sorry if per-capita is threatened, or whatever else. The disenrollees had everything taken away and they are still fighting. Why won't the tribal members do the same?
All Pechanga tribal members. We are the band. Enrolled or disenrolled. The band voted to stop "all" disenrollments as posted above. Mark said it is not custom and tradition for the band to determine what happens. The sad part is he enables it as long as the corrupt band members stay in power. ADOPTED NON-TRIBAL members totally understand that the band determines "all" issues. It's plain and simple. The truth is being shared outside the band because the corrupt actions continue. Now is time to stand together, throw corrupt actors out of the actions. We don't accept disenrollment . End of story.
Mark stands for the corrupt actors goes before Congress in a water settlement act for the band. He attempts to push forward and says allotted members should not have a say in the settlement issue. The reservation was settled for allotted families. Macarro takes corrupt actions to Congress and allows the band to be looked at by the outside. Non Indian acts being exposed by the corrupt actors. Thank you Macarro!
The band can fix the corrupt actions or wait for the corruption actions to be returned to the band.
Mark stands for the corrupt actors goes before Congress in a water settlement act for the band. He attempts to push forward and says allotted members should not have a say in the settlement issue. The reservation was settled for allotted families. Macarro takes corrupt actions to Congress and allows the band to be looked at by the outside. Non Indian acts being exposed by the corrupt actors. Thank you Macarro!
The band can fix the corrupt actions or wait for the corruption actions to be returned to the band.
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